ABC1

ABC1 is a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney utilising the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.

The channel initially launched exclusively on the British Digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on September 27, 2004. On December 10 2004 it was launched on Telewest's digital cable service, and soon afterwards on the NTL digital cable service.

Programming

The schedule consists of American drama, comedy and soap. These are mainly from the ABC network, such as Sports Night. It broadcasts Ellen, the 90s sitcom by comedian Ellen DeGeneres and the Geena Davis sitcom The Geena Davis Show A few of its programmes such as 8 Simple Rules and Home Improvement were also seen in the UK on Disney Channel, but were later moved over completely to ABC, when ABC1 was aired on Sky Digital, to coincide with the full cartoon evenings.

On February 28 and March 1, 2005, the network shook up its schedule by introducing two major new comedies, Hope and Faith and Less Than Perfect to sandwich around the big ratings success of 8 Simple Rules. On May 31 the channel indroduced Rodney to its schedule at 4pm weekdays and from the 4th July ABC1 began to air Scrubs, which is also seen on other UK channels, E4, Channel 4 and Sky One.

On August 30, 2005, ABC1 was launched on the Sky Digital satellite platform. The channel is encrypted as part of the basic Sky package, and is therefore not free-to-air, in contrast to its unencrypted status on Freeview and Cable television.

For the first year after launching ABC1 broadcast from 6am to 6pm only. Commencing 26 September 2005, the channel has broadcast 24 hours a day on Sky Digital and NTL services. However, the channel did not go 24-hours on the Telewest digital cable service until 21 October 2005, and remains a 12 hour service (6am - 6pm) on Freeview due to space restrictions on the platform. In October 2005, ABC1 was carried on the NTL Ireland digital TV platform.

ABC1 added US drama Kevin Hill to its schedule on 26 September 2005. The channel aired both Less Than Perfect and Sports Night second seasons, as well as 8 Simple Rules Season 3 in early 2006, followed by Commander In Chief, and The Guardian, which joined the channel in Spring 2006.

On June 5 2006, ABC1 introduced a block of programming from Playhouse Disney, including Higglytown Heroes, JoJo's Circus and Stanley. On July 3 2006, ABC1 started to air the second season of Scrubs

Future Programmes

From July 24 2006 ABC1 will be showing Party of Five also Rodney Season 2 will be aired on August 1 2006, and Ghost Whisperer will be shown in 2007 after premiering on E4.

Commercial placement

Unlike most UK broadcasters, for its first six months ABC1 did not carry any commercials. However, it did have full-length ad-style breaks featuring trailers for its own shows and those of the Disney Channel

On ABC1, the advertising slots are placed in the American style of being close to the beginning and end of the programme, unlike the European fashion of between programmes and in the middle. (Both styles have four sections of adverts about four minutes each in length. The American style has the adverts at approximately 5,25,35 and 55 minutes past the hour as opposed to the standard European style of 0,15,30 and 45 minutes past.) Exact placings vary from show to show and from episode to episode and be anything from half a minute to six minutes before/after the beginning/end of a show. On ABC1, hour-length programmes (such as Commander In Chief) are often split into just three parts with the two ad-slots either end of the programme and the third roughly at the halfway point.

List of shows on ABC1

Scrubs (NBC) (Touchstone Television)
8 Simple Rules (ABC) (Touchstone Televison)
Kevin Hill (UPN) (Touchstone Television)
Ellen (ABC) (Touchstone Television)
Hope & Faith (ABC) (Touchstone Television)
Less Than Perfect (ABC) (Touchstone Television)
Mad About You (NBC) (Sony Pictures Television Shows)
Moonlighting (ABC) (ABC Circle Films, also known as ABC Productions (now Touchstone))
The Geena Davis Show (ABC) (Touchstone Television)
Once and Again (ABC) (Touchstone Television)
Home Improvement (ABC) (Touchstone Television)
Sports Night (ABC) (Touchstone Television)
Commander in Chief (ABC) (Touchstone Television)
The Guardian (CBS) (Sony Pictures Television Shows)
Daddio (NBC) (Touchstone Television)
Ghost Whisperer (CBS) (Touchstone Television)
Party of Five (FOX) (Sony Pictures Television Shows)
Rodney (ABC) (Touchstone Television)

ABC1 Kids

Stanley (Playhouse Disney)
JoJo's Circus (Playhouse Disney)
Higglytown Heroes (Playhouse Disney)
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Playhouse Disney)

External links

ABC1 - the channel's official site.
ABC1 UK - an unofficial site providing information about the channel.

ABC television network | Disney television channels in the United Kingdom