Gold (British TV channel)

The channel's success led to the launch of the UKTV network on 1 November 1997, owned by BBC Worldwide and Flextech, and consisting of three other channels: UK Arena, UK Horizons and UK Style, focusing on the arts, factual and lifestyle programmes respectively. The UKTV network would expand to include numerous more channels as the years progressed.

The UK Gold brand was expanded in October 1998 with the launch of the digital only channel UK Gold Classics, broadcasting some of the older comedy serials that were being lost from the UK Gold schedule, as the channel moved towards more modern programming. UK Gold Classics was not to last however, and was rebranded as UK Gold 2 on 2 April 1999, which acted as a time shift of the original channel, showing the daytime programmes from UK Gold in the evening on UK Gold 2. In 2003 however, UK Gold 2 was rebranded and repositioned as UK G², with some programming transferring to the new channel.

UKTV Gold share of viewing BARB figures 1992–2007

On 8 March 2004, the channel was rebranded as "UKTV Gold" in line with the other channels in the UKTV network. At approximately the same time, Granada-run archive channel Granada Plus closed to make way for ITV3. The channels had always been the main rivals to Gold due to the direct mix of archive BBC and ITV programming. ITV3 currently has a higher viewer share, often put down to the fact that the terrestrial platform Freeview shows ITV3 but not Gold. In late 2004, to show films produced in Hollywood in a marathon, UKTV Gold temporarily changed its name to "USTV Gold".

Gold began transmitting in widescreen on 31 January 2008, although some programmes made in 16:9 format were screened in the compromise 14:9 semi-letterboxed ratio for a short while, before the 16:9 format became standard later in the year. The channel has been criticised by some, particularly in recent years, for featuring many recent programmes as opposed to 'classics' as was the original concept, with some shows appearing on the channel mere months or weeks after their first television broadcast.

In 2008, UKTV began a process of rebranding and expanding its channels, removing "UKTV" from their name, following the rebranding of UKTV G2 as Dave in October 2007. On 7 October 2008, UKTV Gold became "G.O.L.D.", exclusively showing comedy, both old and new. This is reflected by its new slogan, which now represents Gold as a backronym—"Go On Laugh Daily".[6] Unlike the complete name change for Dave, the Gold name was retained as having a resonance with viewers. The same day also saw the rebranding of UKTV Drama as Alibi, and the launch of a new channel, Watch. In Spring 2010, the channel dropped the acronym and is now known simply as "Gold".

In October 2011, Virgin Media, owner of half of Gold and the rest of the UKTV network, sold their share to Scripps Networks Interactive, with the remaining half still retained by the BBC's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.

In February 2012, it was announced that UKTV was to invest millions into producing its own original shows. According to the trade magazine, Broadcast, Gold "has secured a budget running into "double-digit millions" to create a raft of new comedy shows over the next two years". The article went on to say "the channel is looking to develop a mix of panel shows, sketch shows, sitcoms and comedy dramas". This move meant that Gold would follow its sister, Dave, which has resurrected Red Dwarf and produced numerous different panel and entertainment series, and BSkyB, who have invested £600m into original comedy for Sky One and Sky Atlantic. The first set of new series for Gold were broadcast in the latter half of 2012.[7]

UKTV executive Jane Rogers stated to Broadcast that the commissions would be high-quality, as "they would need to sit confidently alongside classics such as Only Fools And Horses and The Vicar of Dibley". She also added: "Gold is well entrenched in the UK's psyche as the home of national treasure comedies, so we cannot afford to look cheap next to those programmes. It's important that anything we order continues that love and feel, but we don't want to look back; we want a contemporary stamp on the channel." Commissioning editor Sarah Fraser commented that "there's never been a better time to invest in homegrown comedy. Comedians are selling out arena tours, being cast in the West End and on the big screen here and in the US."[7]

The first programme announced as part of the investment was a reboot of the BBC sitcom, Yes, Prime Minister, to be based on the 2010 stage production and written by original writers Sir Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. The reboot was the second classic BBC sitcom to be resurrected by a UKTV network, following the two Dave-commissioned series of Red Dwarf.[8] News about other new commissions for the channel were announced during the summer.[7]

The channel was removed from Digital Terrestrial in 2013, along with Home as part of the closure of Top Up TV and was replaced with Drama in July 2013. However, Home relaunched on the platform in March 2016. Gold and Home were not available to watch on Freeview boxes and televisions due to them being encrypted as subscription channels on Top Up TV.

Alongside the main channel, a time shift channel is also operated: Gold +1. Corresponding to the name on the main channel, shows all programming from the channel one hour later.

The channel was originally announced by UKTV on 30 June 2002, under the name of UK Gold +1,[9] later launching on Sky on 1 August 2002. As with its then-sister UK Gold 2, it only initially broadcast in the evening, at 7pm-7am.[10] By 12 November 2003, the channel gained a full 24-hour slot, and later went under the names of UKTV Gold +1 and G.O.L.D. +1 before gaining its current name in 2010.

UK Gold Classics originally launched on 2 October 1998 to coincide with the launch of Sky Digital. It was UKTV's first digital-exclusive network. The channel initially focused on older programs while the main UK Gold began focusing more on newer programmes. The channel also only broadcast within the evening, airing from 6.00 pm to 2.00 am every day.

UK Gold Classics only lasted six months, with the channel closing on 28 March 1999, and from 2 April 1999, the channel was relaunched as UK Gold 2, becoming a secondary timeshift service that broadcast UK Gold's daytime schedule in the evening.

On 29 October 2003, UKTV announced that UK Gold 2 would be relaunched as UK G2 on 12 November, being reinvented as a younger-oriented edgier youth network aimed towards a 16-34-year-old demographic.[11]

A HD version of Gold was launched on 2 October 2017 exclusively to Sky, replacing Eden HD on the platform. Gold HD was added to Virgin Media on 25 September 2018, replacing Gold in standard definition. It was added to BT TV on 11 March 2019, along with Vice HD.

Programming of classic general entertainment and movies now unused or superseded on 7 October 2008. Some programmes that were shown on UKTV G2 moved to other channels sometime later when it was renamed Dave in October 2007. However, most of the classic comedy series includes re-runs of some BBC shows which are used only on this channel. Some of its classic general entertainment shows moved to other current UKTV channels such as Dave, Watch, and Alibi.