BBC Three to return as a broadcast channel in January 2022 – six years after brutal axing... (original) (raw)

BBC Three is returning as a TV channel, more than six years since the
Beeb axed it.

The corporation faced a furious backlash in 2014, when it first suggested making it an online-only offering.

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BBC Three will be back on our screens next year after FIVE years of watching programmes online

But after a series of megahit series - such as Fleabag, Normal People,
and Killing Eve - bosses have had to perform an embarrassing U-turn.

The BBC’s chief content officer, Charlotte Moore, said BBC Three was a
“success story” despite it spending five years off air.

She said: “The BBC needs to back success and make sure its programmes reach as many young people as possible wherever they live in the UK.

“So regardless of the debates about the past, we want to give BBC
Three its own broadcast channel again.

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One the channel's biggest successful stories was Normal PeopleCredit: Mark Doyle - Ireland.

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Little Mix star Jesy Nelson's documentary Odd One Out was a huge hit on the channel last yearCredit: refer to caption.

“It has exciting, ground breaking content that deserves the widest
possible audience and using iPlayer alongside a broadcast channel will
deliver the most value.”

It comes after they made the decision to scrap the broadcast channel back in 2016.

The BBC’s Annual Plan 2020/21 research highlighted that the channel would be able to thrive once again on our screens.

The public broadcaster has also admitted that they now want to "reach a younger audience".

But you've got a while to wait as BBC Three won't be back until January 2022.

The new channel will be targeted at those aged between 16 to 34 and will broadcast between 7pm to 4am every day - just like it did before it came off air all those years ago.

The public broadcaster had intentions to expand the remit of BBC Three with a pre-watershed offer suitable for those aged 13 and above.