TCM Movies#TNT UK

{{Hatnote|This article is about the UK television channel. For the USA and other countries' versions of Turner Classic Movies, see Turner Classic Movies and Turner Classic Movies (around the world).}}

{{Redirect|TNT (British TV channel)|the current British TV channel using TNT branding|TNT Sports (United Kingdom)}}

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{{Infobox television channel

| name = TCM Movies

| logo = TCM Movies.png

| logo_size = 200px

| launch_date = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1993|09|17}} (as TNT)
{{Start date and age|df=yes|1999|10|15}} (as Turner Classic Movies/TCM Movies)

| closed_date = {{End date and age|df=yes|2000|07|01}} (as TNT)
{{End date and age|df=yes|2023|07|07}} (as Turner Classic Movies/TCM Movies)

| replaced_by = Sky Documentaries

| former_names = TNT (1993–1999)
Turner Classic Movies (1999–2019)

| owner = Warner Bros. Discovery International

| picture_format = 16:9 576i SDTV

| area = United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Gibraltar

| headquarters = Turner House,
Great Marlborough Street,
London, United Kingdom

| sister_channels = Boomerang
Cartoon Network
Cartoonito
CNN International

| timeshift_service = Turner Classic Movies 2 (2006–2013)
TCM Movies +1 (2013–2023)

| website = {{URL|http://www.TCMUK.TV/}}

}}

TCM Movies (formerly TNT and Turner Classic Movies) was a British pay television channel, focussing mostly on classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner Bros. film libraries, which included many MGM titles, along with movie-related profiles and some classic American television series.

History

=TNT Classic Movies (1993-1999)=

File:Tnt tv logo old.png

In March 1993, Turner Broadcasting System Europe announced the launch of Cartoon Network and TNT Classic Movies.{{cite web | url=http://www.europe.turnerinfo.com/TCM/UK/timeline/index.jsp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722100427/http://www.europe.turnerinfo.com/TCM/UK/timeline/index.jsp | archive-date=22 July 2012 | title=Turner Info - Press Office }} and it launched on 17 September 1993 through the Astra 1C satellite as an evening service, airing from 7:00pm–5:00am, timesharing with Cartoon Network Europe.{{cite news|last=Rosenbaum|first=Martin|title=Media: American invaders are targeting your kids: Children's rights and non-stop cartoons will do battle as US cable channels vie for British viewers|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/media-american-invaders-are-targeting-your-kids-childrens-rights-and-nonstop-cartoons-will-do-battle-as-us-cable-channels-vie-for-british-viewers-martin-rosenbaum-reports-1487639.html|work=The Independent|access-date=5 July 2011|location=London|date=28 July 1993}} The network was also available with Cartoon Network Europe in CEE, MENA and Nordic territories in five additional languages. The network broadcast movies from the Turner Entertainment library, including the pre-1986 MGM and pre-1949 Warner Bros. catalogues. The first film to be shown on the channel was the 1966 film Spinout starring Elvis Presley.

In 1996, the combined channel slot was available in over 31 million homes in over 33 territories. In August, the channel's broadcast hours were slightly reduced to start at 9:00pm,{{cite web|title=Timeline: Turner Broadcasting System Europe LTD |url=http://www.europe.turnerinfo.com/CARTOONITO/UK/timeline/index.jsp |publisher=Turner Broadcasting System Europe |access-date=27 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107002809/http://europe.turnerinfo.com/CARTOONITO/UK/timeline/index.jsp |archive-date=7 January 2009 }} while in December a standalone 24-hour TNT Classic Movies channel was launched for digital cable providers in addition to the standalone Cartoon Network Europe channel. In the UK, this version of the network was first made available in CableTel beginning in 1997.

=Relaunch as General Entertainment network (1999-2000)=

On October 15, 1999, Cartoon Network Europe separated its feed to focus only on the United Kingdom and Ireland markets. It became a paid network encrypted on Astra 1C using VideoCrypt.{{cite web|title=Technical Changes To Cartoon Network and TNT Classic Movies (Archived by WayBack Machine: 27 Nov 1999) |url=http://www.cartoonnetwork.co.uk/news/frame_findex_exclude.html |work=Cartoon Network UK Website |publisher=Turner Broadcasting System Europe |access-date=23 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010826133132/http://www.cartoonnetwork.co.uk/news/frame_findex_exclude.html |archive-date=26 August 2001 }} This separation was made to allow Turner Classic Movies to replace TNT in all territories except for analogue satellite and cable in the UK and Ireland, where a standalone TNT channel replaced it.

The new version of TNT focused on general entertainment, with Fridays featuring a dedicated strand of WCW content, showcasing new episodes of WCW Monday Nitro (which TNT had been airing since 1996) and WCW Thunder. The new version of TNT broadcast daily from 9:00pm–1:00am.

In April 2000, Turner announced that TNT would cease operations on 30 June. The company citified a "oversaturated market" as the reason for its closure.{{cite web | url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/turner-axes-tnt-focus-its-classic-movie-channel-tcm/34073 | title=Turner axes TNT to focus on its classic movie channel TCM }} On 1 July, TCM took over its former space on Analogue satellite and some cable providers, and removed entirely on those that already broadcast TCM.{{cite web|url=http://europe.turnerinfo.com/TCM/UK/timeline/index.jsp|title=Timeline: Turner Broadcasting System Europe LTD|publisher=Turner Info|access-date=21 August 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006082921/http://europe.turnerinfo.com/TCM/UK/timeline/index.jsp|archive-date=6 October 2007|df=dmy-all}}

=Turner Classic Movies (1999-2023)=

On 15 October 1999, Turner Classic Movies launched on Sky Digital and NTL cable platforms.{{cite web | url=https://the-media-leader.com/classic-film-channel-launches-as-tnt-repositions/ | title=Classic Film Channel Launches as TNT Repositions - the Media Leader | date=15 October 1999 }} The first film to broadcast on the network was the 1946 movie The Big Sleep. While Cartoon Network had already transitioned into a pay network, TCM remained free-to-air.

For a time after TNT's closure, TCM continued TNT's weekly strand of WCW programming on Fridays under a separate feed. Afterwards, WCW programming moved to Bravo.

On 30 June 2001, Cartoon Network and TCM ceased operations on analogue satellite as part of Sky's analogue shutdown.{{cite web | url=http://www.selkirkshire.demon.co.uk/analoguesat/tcmclosedown.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111127213411/http://www.selkirkshire.demon.co.uk/analoguesat/tcmclosedown.html | archive-date=27 November 2011 | title=TCM closedown }}

In January 2004, TCM became encrypted on Sky Digital.{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a12924/tcm-encrypts-on-satellite.html|title=TCM encrypts on satellite|publisher=Digital Spy|date=6 January 2004}}

In 2009, Turner Classic Movies received a graphical makeover and a new logo in an attempt to attract a younger audience. With the makeover several new films were added to the channel's catalogue.{{cite web|url=http://www.turnermediainnovations.com/about/press-gallery/turner-classic-movies-unveils-ambitious-plans-to-win-younger-film-fan-demographic|title=Turner Classic Movies unveils ambitious plans to win younger film fan demographic|publisher=Turner Media Innovations|date=9 June 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130030415/http://turnermediainnovations.com/about/press-gallery/turner-classic-movies-unveils-ambitious-plans-to-win-younger-film-fan-demographic|archive-date=30 November 2010|df=dmy-all}} A high definition version of the channel launched on 4 September 2012,{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a402975/tcm-movies-channel-launching-in-hd-on-sky.html|title=TCM Movies channel launching in HD on Sky|publisher=Digital Spy|date=31 August 2012}} at the same time the standard definition version began broadcasting in 16:9 widescreen, whereas Turner Classic Movies 2 continued to be broadcast in 4:3.

On 2 March 2009, Turner Classic Movies UK sold the Sky EPG slot, when Travel Channel 2 closed.

A one-hour timeshift, Turner Classic Movies +1, launched on 13 August 2013, replacing Turner Classic Movies 2.{{cite web|url=http://www.overnights.tv/public/content/News.aspx |title=System Updates |publisher=Overnights.tv |date=2013-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728093105/http://www.overnights.tv/public/content/News.aspx |archive-date=2013-07-28| url-status=dead |access-date=2016-05-01 |quote=TCM2 will cease broadcasting at the end of the broadcast day on 12th August, 2013. TCM +1 will be BARB reported from 13th August, 2013.}}

On 25 July 2019, the HD channel closed on Sky.{{cite news |date=2019-07-19 |title=TCM HD service to end on Sky |publisher=RXTV LOG |url=http://www.rxtvlog.com/2019/07/tcm-hd-service-to-end-on-sky.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723221645/https://www.rxtvlog.com/2019/07/tcm-hd-service-to-end-on-sky.html |archive-date=2019-07-23}}

Turner Classic Movies was renamed TCM Movies on 1 August 2019.

The channel closed on 7 July 2023, and some of the channel's former film programming was moved to sister channel Quest, this ended in January 2025.{{cite web|title=TCM's UK Channel to Be Shut Down in July|url=https://www.thewrap.com/tcms-uk-channel-to-be-shut-down-in-july/|work=The Wrap|date=24 June 2023|access-date=26 June 2023}} The last movie shown on the channel was Murder Most Foul and the last content shown on the channel before the closedown was a Close Up short dedicated to Arnold Schwarzenegger.{{Citation |title=TCM UK Final Closedown 7th July 2023 R.I.P 1993-2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui3uwNGXG6o |access-date=2023-07-07 |language=en}}{{Unreliable source?|date=July 2023}}{{cite news |title=Why is TCM closing down? Popular Sky and Virgin Media film channel shuts down |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/why-tcm-closing-down-popular-162701013.html |access-date=7 July 2023 |work=Yahoo News |date=5 July 2023}}

Turner Classic Movies 2

Turner Classic Movies 2 (TCM2) was a spin-off of the original channel and broadcast on Sky channel 318. The channel launched alongside Cartoon Network Too on 24 April 2006. It also showed popular films from the Turner Entertainment library (which includes MGM and Warner Bros. films).

Films were shown from 7:00PM to 3:00AM (later changed to 8:00PM to 4:00AM on 25 March 2010) (interspersed with various original short films about the films) from Monday-Sunday, and the following week included a new line-up. This allowed the viewer to "catch-up on the big films", thus allowing the chance to see the preferred film on any day of the week. The channel timeshared with Cartoonito (originally the original version of Cartoon Network Too from 24 April 2006 until 23 May 2007), another UK-only spin-off channel. The channel began airing Adult Swim at 10pm every Wednesday as of 4 January 2012, before moving to Friday later in April 2012.[http://www.tcmuk.tv/listings_tcm2.php? What's on] {{unreliable source?|date=April 2013}}

=Closure=

For unknown reasons, Turner Classic Movies 2 closed at 4:00AM on 12 August 2013 with Turner Classic Movies +1 launching the next day, 13 August 2013.

Other programming

=Television series=

Band of Brothers
Danger Man (Series 2–4 only)
Deadwood
Gunsmoke
Wild Boys
The Pillars of the Earth
Kung Fu
Rome
The Thorn Birds
Hell on Wheels
Ed Sullivan's Rock n'Roll Classics
The Best of the Ed Sullivan Show

=Adult Swim=

As Adult Swim shows cannot be shown on the UK version of Cartoon Network (as Ofcom regulated children's channels are not allowed to broadcast adult content), they were shown on Turner Classic Movies 2 instead. They typically started at 1:15 AM on Saturday and included shows such as:{{cite web|url=http://www.tcmuk.tv/listings_tcm2.php |title=Listings from TCM and TCM2 |publisher=TCM |access-date=2013-07-25}}

=Wrestling=

World Championship Wrestling launched on TNT (UK) in April 1996 with WCW Monday Nitro. On 9 October 1998 WCW Thunder was added. Both aired in a 9pm to 12.30am (variant) block starting with the debut of Thunder. When TNT (UK) was closed down, WCW programming was briefly moved over to Turner Classic Movies and then Bravo. Trailers aired on Turner Classic Movies informing viewers of the change.

WCW Nitro

1996 to 1997 - Friday Nights - 9pm - 10pm
1997 to 1998 - Friday Nights - 9pm - 11pm
1998 to 2000 - Friday Nights - 9pm - 11.35pm
2000 - Friday Nights - 9pm - 11pm

(WCW Nitro then changed to Bravo in 2000, on Thursday Nights - 9pm - 11pm, until March 2001, when WCW was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation).

WCW Thunder