TCM around the World: TCM UK

This year, Turner Classic Movies turns twenty five, marking a quarter century in offering a virtually unchanged presence on American television. Like many networks in Warnermedia, TCM has seen a variety of TCM branded networks that while different from the US feed, usually offers something fresh and familiar. As a long-time fan of TCM in the US, I thought It would be a fun exercise to explore how TCM differs around the world.

Recently, Turner Classic Movies' UK channel re-branded from TCM UK to TCM Movies. The news was greeted with a mixed reaction, as TCM will no longer offer an HD Feed (at least to satellite Subscribers via SKY, it's unclear whether that's the case through other providers). Surprisingly TCM UK has had a proactive existence in the UK, offering similar and divergent material compared to the commercial free US network.

TCM UK launched on October 15th 1999, alongside several other European feeds, replacing TNT Classic Movies which had launched in 1993 as a channel share service with Cartoon Network (not unlike how Cartoon Network US shares channel space with Adult Swim).  Upon launch TCM utilized much of  Charles s. Anderson Design company's US logo and program packaging.

Starting in 2000, TCM UK partnered with the British Film Institute, for the first time to create the TCM Classic Shorts Prize at the BFI London Film festival. The prize winner would receive £10,000 and winning films would be broadcast on TCM or other Turner networks throughout Europe during a programming week in November. I don't have an exact date, but TCM ended their sponsorship around 2006. TCM and BFI also released a series of academic books on notable British films in 2005. The Red Shoes (1948), Black Narcissus (1947), If... (1968) are the volumes I've been able to identify. 

In summer 2004, the channel moved from a free-to-air channel (meaning it

A TCM/BFI publication from 2005

was free, provided you had a satellite) to an encrypted one, partnering with British satellite company Sky. In 2006 TCM UK launched a UK-Exclusive spin-off network TCM 2. The channel broadcast in the evening starting at 7:00 pm, time-sharing with UK-exclusive Cartoon Network Too, broadcasting 4 films a week focusing on major films from the main network.  According to the website at the time of launch:

TCM 2 showcases four different movies to enjoy over one week - enabling more flexibility. This means that you now have even more choice to experience the original glamour of yesteryear, every single day.

The network otherwise seemed indistinguishable from the main feed, utilizing the same promos and packaging, aside from its own logo.
In 2013, TCM 2 would be replaced by TCM+1 a one-hour time-shift feed.

In 2009, TCM UK saw its first major overhaul. While TCM networks internationally had adopted an exclusive packaging look based around screens, around 2004, TCM UK's rebrand would make more than an aesthetic change.

TCM UK during a Commercial break during 2007, utilizing the international "screens" theme.

The re-brand, launched during the UK network's tenth anniversary, strove to reach a younger audience:

With a wider catalogue of film titles ranging from Any Given Sunday and The Candidate to Boogie Nights and Caddyshack, the channel will debut a more contemporary on-air look. A new series of idents focuses on viewers' reactions to film, capturing the emotive experience of great cinema. While a separate set of idents celebrates famous film quotes.

The re-brand also included a curated blog by Keith Tomlinson, and an extended social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. As TCM UK moved into the 2010s, the channel shifted. Slowly focusing more on modern cinema as well as premium television series, airing HBO's Rome, Deadwood, and Band of Brothers.

The Changes, while perhaps scandalous to US TCM fans, helped TCM to rise to the third most popular film network in the UK by 2012. On August 31st of the same year, TCM UK launched TCM HD exclusively on sky.

As we move closer to the present, TCM UK has moved toward a greater focus on action films and Westerns. While seemingly a much leaner network than at its launch, TCM's newest rebrand as TCM Movies promises continued dedication to classic film. Its mission statement reads:

TCM broadcasts a wide range of film favourites from its extensive collection. Hollywood greats starring Bette Davis sit alongside contemporary and cult classics. TCM celebrates landmark films of all genres from across the decades. From James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor to Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep, the channel is packed with iconic actors.

While TCM's schedule has continued to be very limited and western heavy, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the new TCM Movies.

Note:
It should be noted that the UK did receive a localized version of Filmstruck, the now defunct streaming service. While the US version was branded as a partnership between TCM and Criterion, the UK version was a partnership between Warner Bros,/Turner and British media/cinema firm Curzon. Curzon runs a chain of art house cinemas as well as its own art-house streaming service Curzon Home Cinema. Filmstruck UK followed its US counterpart, and shut down operations on November 28th, 2018.

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