U.K. broadcaster 5 is adding 5Drama to its branded-channel lineup on digital TV, YouTube, 5Streaming, and Freely.
Launching October 21, the new channel will air every episode of Home and Away, plus an assortment of American and Australian productions, alongside its homegrown originals. It replaces 5Select and will move up on the EPG.
The slate will include All Creatures Great and Small, The Madame Blanc Mysteries, The Hardacres, Ellis and Dalgliesh. There will also be boxsets from 5Streaming, including Gilmore Girls, A Million Little Things, and Waterloo Road.
Weekday afternoons will be packed with classic American dramas, leading into more recent boxsets ahead of peak, which will open with family favorites at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Classic U.K. drama will air at 9 p.m., with rebroadcasts of the 5’s biggest titles at 10 p.m. Each day will close with a double bill of Australian drama. Detective dramas will air Saturdays, and Sundays will feature U.K. drama marathons.
The 5 channel slate also includes 5Action, 5Star and 5USA, plus a bouquet of FAST services, among them 5Cops, 5Police Interceptors, 5Crime, 5A&E, 5Trucking Hell, 5Bargain Loving Brits, 5Medical, 5Yorkshire Vet, 5History, 5Movies, 5Christmas in Summer, and Milkshake!. The broadcaster is also bringing 5Docs to YouTube
Reemah Sakaan, president of 5, said, “Award-winning drama is increasingly at the heart of what 5 offers viewers, so it’s the right time to give it a dedicated home. This, and the expansion of our portfolio across multiple platforms, is about sharpening our channels and giving viewers a clear offer wherever they’re watching—on linear, 5Streaming, Freely or YouTube.”
