| BBC Entertainment | |
| Closed Date: | (Italy) (India) (Poland) (Nordic Regions) (Africa) (Malaysia) (Central Eastern Europe) (Hong Kong & Singapore) (Taiwan) (Latin America) |
| Picture Format: | 1080i HDTV |
| Owner: | BBC |
| Parent: | BBC Studios |
| Area: | Europe Middle East Africa South Asia Asia Pacific Latin America |
| Replaced: | BBC Prime |
| Replaced By: | BBC Brit BBC Earth (Central and Eastern Europe) BBC First (Hong Kong & Singapore) CBeebies (Taiwan) |
| Sister Channels: | CBeebies BBC World News BBC Lifestyle BBC Earth BBC HD BBC First BBC Brit |
BBC Entertainment was an international television channel that broadcast comedy, drama, light entertainment, reality and children's programming (some regions only) from the BBC, Channel 4 and other UK production houses. The channel broadcast regional versions to suit local demands and replaced BBC Prime in a gradual rollout from 2006 to 2009. It was wholly owned by BBC Studios.
The channel was launched in October 2006, replacing BBC Prime in Asian markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and South Korea. On 28 December 2006, it was launched on the Astro platform in Malaysia. The channel was launched in India in May 2007 on the Tata Sky platform and on India online Broadband Public Limited, but ceased broadcasting at the end of November 2012 due to "commercial considerations".[1]
The channel was launched in Poland, on Cyfrowy Polsat, in December 2007, and replaced BBC Prime on DStv in South Africa on 1 September 2008. It was launched together with its sister channels (BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle and BBC HD) in the Nordic countries in November 2008, when it replaced BBC Prime on Canal Digital, Com Hem, Telia Digital-TV and FastTV. The Nordic countries get a separate feed of the channel which differs from that in the rest of Europe. It was also launched in Mexico on the SKY México digital satellite platform in August 2008 in a two-channel deal with Televisa that also included a localized CBeebies, and it has since extended to other Central and South American countries.[2]
The channel replaced BBC Prime in the rest of Europe and the Middle East & North Africa in November 2009, a move announced in August 2009 that enabled the completion of the rollout of the new brand.[3] In Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, BBC Entertainment is carried alongside BBC One and BBC Two on the Telenet, Ziggo, and Naxoo cable networks.
On 1 December 2009, Astro dropped the channel and replaced it with ITV Choice. On 1 March 2010 in Italy Sky Italia also dropped the channel. In 2010 Kabel Deutschland (Germany) made it a pay-TV channel.
In August 2012, Unifi picked up the channel, thus making the channel available in Malaysia once more after a 3-year hiatus. However Unifi dropped the channel in 1 October 2015 and replaced by BBC First on after 1 years. It ceased broadcasting on 1 January 2016 in CEE, and it was replaced by BBC Earth.
In January 2017, BBC Worldwide announced BBC Entertainment would cease its transmissions in Latin American countries, along with BBC Earth and CBeebies, in April 2017. The shutdown was motivated by a push towards content sales to other linear and OTT platforms.[4]
Finally, BBC First was launched in some Asian regions on 19 March 2016. Singapore Via Starhub TV broadcasts ceased on 29 April 2015, while in Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia, broadcasts ceased on 1 January 2017. In Myanmar and Mongolia, broadcasts ceased on 1 March 2018. In Taiwan, broadcasts ceased on 10 March 2017 and were replaced by CBeebies.
The channel shut down its last feed on 31 March 2024, with similar motivations to the decision taken in Latin America.[5]
See main article: List of television programmes broadcast by the BBC. This table is not complete
| Programme name | Format / Genre | First broadcast | First seen on BBC Entertainment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Question of Sport | Quiz show | 1970– | ||
| Absolutely Fabulous | Sitcom | 1992–2012 | ||
| Sitcom | 2007–2008 | April 2013 | ||
| Comedy chat show | 2009–2017 | March 2013 | ||
| Antiques Roadshow | Documentary | 1979– | ||
| Sitcom | 1992–2005 | March 2013 | ||
| Bargain Hunt | Game Show | 2000– | ||
| Supernatural drama | 2011–2012 | |||
| Being Erica | Comedy drama | 2009–2011 | May 2013 | |
| Big Barn Farm | Children's TV | 2008– | ||
| Blue Peter | Children's TV | 1958– | April 2016 | |
| Medical drama | 1986– | April 2013 | ||
| Travel | 2005-2021 | December 2012 | ||
| Come Dine with Me | Cooking | 2005– | ||
| Soap opera | 2000– | March 2013 | ||
| Doctor Who | Sci-fi drama | 1963–89; 2005– | February 2013 | |
| Entrepreneurial reality TV | 2005– | |||
| EastEnders | Soap opera | 1985– | February 2013 | |
| Reality TV | 2003–2012 | |||
| Fawlty Towers | Sitcom | 1975–1979 | May 2015 | |
| Travel documentary | 1997 | March 2013 | ||
| The Graham Norton Show | Comedy | 2007– | October 2016 | |
| Grandpa in My Pocket | Children's TV comedy | 2009–2014 | ||
| Holby City | Medical drama | 1999–2022 | ||
| Humf | Children's TV | 2009–11 | ||
| Drama | 2004–2012 | |||
| Comedy drama | 2005–2011 | March 2013 | ||
| Period drama | 2008–2011 | April 2013 | ||
| Lead balloon | comedy | 2007–2011 | March 2013 | |
| Standup comedy | 2004– | March 2013 | ||
| Psychological crime drama | 2010–2011 | March 2013 | ||
| Cooking | 2005– | March 2013 | ||
| drama | 2008–2012 | September 2014 | ||
| Drama | 2000–2005 | March 2013 | ||
| Documentary | 2007 | |||
| My Family | Sitcom | 2000–2011 | February 2013 | |
| Crime drama | 2003– | March 2013 | ||
| Ocean Giants | Natural history | 2011 | ||
| Of Better or Worse | Drama sitcom | 2005–2019 | May 2013 | |
| One Foot in the Grave | Sitcom | 1990–2000 | November 2012 | |
| Orphan Black | Drama | 2013–2017 | ||
| Penelope K, by the way | Children's TV | 2010–2012 | ||
| Sahara with Michael Palin | Travel documentary | 2005 | May 2013 | |
| The Secret Millionaire | Reality TV | 2006– | May 2013 | |
| Legal crime drama | 2011– | May 2013 | ||
| Natural history | 2003 | |||
| Nature documentary | 2009 | |||
| Drama | 2002–2011 | May 2013 | ||
| Still Open All Hours | Comedy | 2013–2019 | March 2024 | |
| Strictly Come Dancing | Talent show | 2004– | October 2016 | |
| Motoring/Entertainment | 2002– | |||
| Twenty Twelve | Comedy | 2011–2012 | November 2012 | |
| Ty's Great British Adventure | Reality TV | 2008–2010 | ||
| Sketch comedy | 2006 | |||
| The Voice UK | Talent show | 2012– | May 2016 | |
| Police procedural drama | 2000–2011 | February 2013 | ||
| Walking with Dinosaurs | Documentary | 1999 | ||
| Comedy | 2009– | April 2013 | ||
| Waybuloo | Children's TV | 2009–2012 | ||
| Game show | 2000–2012; 2017; 2021– | January 2013 | ||
| Comedy | 2007– | October 2016 | ||
| Drama | 2006–2015; 2023– | |||
| Yes Minister | Political satire | 1980–1984 |