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DEF II

{{Short description|Programming strand on BBC2}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}

{{Infobox programming block

| name = DEF II

| image = BBC-Def-ii-early-logo-fair-use.jpg

| image_size =

| alt = DEF II logo, as seen on early transmissions

| caption =

| formerly_known =

| premiered = {{Start date and age|1988|5|9|df=y}}

| closed = {{End date and age|1994|5|23|df=y}}

| channel = BBC Two

| division =

| replaced =

| country = United Kingdom

| key_people = Janet Street-Porter

| headquarters =

| major_contracts =

| parent =

| sister =

| format = Programming to serve the teenage market

| runtime =

| website =

| language = English

| footnotes =

}}

DEF II was a programming strand on BBC2, which aired at 6 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 May 1988{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1988-05-09 |title=BBC Two England – 9 May 1988 |publisher=BBC Programme Index |access-date=18 January 2023}} to 23 May 1994,{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e482320e3ee648b9b9b3a1b68a663b64 |title=Cry Freedom – BBC Two England – 2 May 1994 – BBC Genome |date=2 May 1994 |publisher=BBC Programme Index|access-date=18 January 2023}} to serve the teenage market. It was produced by Janet Street-Porter, and followed on from her influential youth TV show Network 7 on Channel 4.{{cite web|url=http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/oldott/www.offthetelly.co.uk/indexd083.html?page_id=588|title=Part One: "I Want To Subvert Mainstream TV"|website=Off The Telly|author=Ian Jones|date=1 October 2001}}

Many of the presenters and staff on DEF II started their careers on Network 7{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/1052094/|title=BFI Screenonline: Street-Porter, Janet (1946–) Biography|accessdate=10 April 2016}} and had followed Street-Porter when she was "poached" by the BBC.{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1331427/|title=BFI Screenonline: Network 7 (1987–88)|accessdate=10 April 2016}} It had an ident featuring a barcode which differed from the usual idents used on BBC2.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HTiM8g1Jnx0C&dq=def+ii+janet+street+porter&pg=PA117 | title=Representing Black Britain: Black and Asian Images on Television | isbn=9781412932844 | last1=Malik | first1=Sarita | date=25 October 2001 }}

DEF II shows

{{anchor|reportage}}

Programmes shown as part of DEF II included both original content, such as Reportage, as well as those from other sources, such as American sitcoms and programmes from Europe (as seen in Jovanotti's Gimme 5.). These included:

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

  • Babylon II
  • DEF II: EXTRA!
  • Battlestar Galactica (Continued on BBC2 until 2001)
  • The Big Trip (1994–1996)
  • Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (Continued on BBC2 until 1997)
  • Cyberzone{{cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/19265 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230232647/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/19265 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-12-30 |title=BFI | Film & TV Database | CYBERZONE |publisher=Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk |date=2009-04-16 |accessdate=2014-03-23}}
  • Dance Energy
  • Degrassi Junior High (1988; Four episodes, three BBC1 refused to air previously and one repeat)
  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/f/freshprinceofbel_7772755.shtml |title=BBC - Comedy Guide - The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air |date=20 October 2004 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041020075754/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/f/freshprinceofbel_7772755.shtml |archive-date=20 October 2004 |url-status=dead}} (Continued on BBC2 until 2004)
  • Gimme 5 (presented by Jovanotti aka Gino Latino){{Cite web|url=https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=50325|title=TVARK Media Player|website=tvark.org}}
  • Goggle Eyes
  • The Invaders (Continued on BBC2 until the late 1990s)
  • Les Lives!
  • Liquid Television
  • The Living Soap
  • Mission: Impossible (Continued on BBC2 until the late 1990s)
  • Open to Question
  • Rapido{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=erhBPRn_5hgC&dq=def+ii+janet+street+porter&pg=PT371 | title=Hail! Hail! Rock'n'roll: The Ultimate Guide to the Music, the Myths and the Madness | isbn=9780748114863 | last1=Harris | first1=John | date=7 January 2010 | publisher=Little, Brown Book }}
  • The Real McCoy (Continued on BBC2 until 1996)
  • The Ren & Stimpy Show (Continued on BBC2 until 1999)
  • Reportage
  • Rough Guides to the World
  • Standing Room Only{{cite web | url=https://www.football365.com/news/a-football365-love-letter-to-standing-room-only | title=A Football365 love letter to... Standing Room Only | date=15 July 2017 }}
  • Snub TV
  • Wayne's World (not the films but the Saturday Night Live sketches. Approx 10-minute slots){{Cite web |last=Tempest |first=Rone |date=1992-09-11 |title=COLUMN ONE : Wayne Takes on Europe : When 'Wayne's World' enters the Old World, how do you translate 'babe alert' and 'hurl'? Successfully, it turns out, with help from mock dictionaries, young comics and 250,000 pizza boxes. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-11-mn-255-story.html |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/s/saturdaynightliv_1299003553.shtml|title=BBC - Comedy Guide - Saturday Night Live|date=April 6, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050406112428/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/s/saturdaynightliv_1299003553.shtml|archive-date=2005-04-06}}

}}

See also

  • BBC Switch, BBC Two's second programming block aimed at teenagers

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20050904112737/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/l/leslives_1299001879.shtml Les Lives ] at BBC Online Comedy Guide (Internet Archive)
  • [http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/oldott/www.offthetelly.co.uk/indexd083.html DEF II Revisited] on Off The Telly

{{Children's channels in UK & Ireland}}

Category:BBC Two original programming

Category:1988 British television series debuts

Category:1994 British television series endings

Category:Television programming blocks in Europe

Category:1980s British teen television series

Category:1990s British teen television series

Category:British music television shows

Category:BBC television programming blocks

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