Jump to content

Fox (British and Irish TV channel)

From Alfawiki
Fox (UK and Ireland)
Company typeSubscription television channel
IndustryTelevision broadcasting
PredecessorFX (UK)
FoundedJanuary 12, 2004; 22 years ago (2004-01-12)
DefunctJuly 1, 2021 (2021-07-01)
FateClosed; programming moved to Disney+ Star
Headquarters
London
,
United Kingdom
Area served
United Kingdom and Ireland
OwnerFox Networks Group (Disney International Operations)
Websitefox.co.uk

Fox (displayed as FOX) was a subscription television channel operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland, owned by Fox Networks Group, a division of Disney International Operations. The channel debuted on 12 January 2004 under the name FX289, reflecting its Sky EPG position, before adopting the FX brand in April 2005 to align with the American FX network. It later transitioned to the FOX identity in January 2013. Its programming primarily consisted of comedy and drama series aimed at adults between 18 and 35 years old.

On 17 May 2021, it was declared that Fox would discontinue its broadcast services in the UK and Ireland as of 1 July 2021, with much of its content moving to the Star section on Disney+. The channel ceased transmission on the planned date.

FX289 (2004–05)

The channel launched on 12 January 2004 as FX289, named after its Sky Electronic Programme Guide slot. Initially, it focused predominantly on airing films from the 20th Century Fox catalogue.

FX (2005–2013)

On 21 April 2005, the channel rebranded to FX, targeting primarily a male audience. Unlike its US counterpart, FX UK featured a mix of Fox-produced content alongside externally sourced shows. Its schedule included Fox comedies such as Arrested Development, Family Guy, American Dad!, and King of the Hill, coupled with dramas like Millennium, The Shield, The X-Files, and NYPD Blue. Additionally, it aired premieres or reruns of non-Fox series including The Walking Dead, Falling Skies, Babylon 5, Carnivàle, Highlander, JAG, NCIS, Sleeper Cell, E-Ring, Huff, Nip/Tuck, Generation Kill, True Blood, Mob City, and Dexter. The channel also developed original programming such as the sketch show No Signal!.

On 12 September 2005, FX introduced a two-hour timeshift service called FX + on Sky Digital. This was followed by the launch of FX +1 on 10 December 2007. The similarity in names between FX + and FX +1 led to audience confusion; FX +1 served as a placeholder for potential future network expansion.

Announced on 8 April 2008, FX HD was set to replace FX +1 starting from 21 April, offering commercial-free broadcasts from 7:00 pm to 2:00 am with exclusive high-definition programming. However, due to technical difficulties, its launch was postponed to 28 April. On 1 September 2008, FX + transitioned into a one-hour timeshift channel.

By 24 April 2009, FX HD shifted to simulcasting FX’s standard schedule in HD when available while maintaining identical broadcast hours. It became available on Virgin Media’s digital cable platform on channel 158 from 30 July 2009.

From 5 January 2010 onwards, FX HD extended its transmission hours to align with those of the standard-definition feed.

Fox (2013–2021)

In November 2012, plans were announced to rename FX as Fox starting in early 2013. Accordingly, at 9:00 p.m. GMT on 11 January 2013, FX along with FX + and FX HD rebranded to Fox, Fox +, and Fox HD respectively. This change coincided with the premiere of the tenth season of NCIS. The channel broadened its target audience to include both men and women aged between 18 and 35. New acquisitions comprised titles such as Louie, The Ricki Lake Show, Men at Work, Da Vinci's Demons, and the second season of The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. Established hits like The Walking Dead, Dexter, True Blood, Falling Skies, Family Guy, and NCIS continued to feature prominently. Fox also aimed to produce up to fifty hours of original UK content within that year, allocating an investment ranging from £5 million to £10 million.

Fox was removed from BT YouView’s platform on 1 March 2016 following modifications in distribution agreements. Subsequent to Disney’s acquisition of both 21st Century Fox and Fox Networks Group International, the channel became part of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International operations.

On 18 March 2017, Fox + was renamed Fox +1. In February 2019, the network underwent its first major rebranding in over four years, unveiling a refreshed on-air presentation including new logos and idents.

Closure

On 17 May 2021, Disney declared that Fox would cease operations by the end of June, with its programming transitioning to the Star section on Disney+. A company representative confirmed, "The Fox channel in the UK will close on 30 June. Numerous shows will be accessible via Star on Disney+." The Star hub on Disney+ features films and television series from Disney’s production arms, including 20th Television, ABC Signature, FX Productions, and 20th Century Studios.

The channel officially terminated broadcasting on 1 July 2021, with its website redirecting visitors to Disney+. The last scheduled broadcast was Republic of Doyle, season 5, episode 12 titled "Sleight of Hand." Afterward, a one-hour block of teleshopping was aired before a final closure message was displayed.

On Sky, Fox was located on channel 124. Following the shutdown, Sky Nature shifted from channel 130 to 124, while Fox’s secondary channel remained at position 893.

Programming

Fox showcased a mix of British and American shows alongside international series such as Australia's Last Man Standing and The Nominees, France’s Jo, the Canadian-South African collaboration Charlie Jade, and the Flemish drama Matrioshki with subtitles.

Original content included No Signal! which aired from February to April 2009.

Starting December 2005, FX featured a daily programming segment sourced from Fox-owned Fuel TV, called FX Presents Fuel TV, which ran for one hour and was repeated overnight. In August 2015, Fox announced it would incorporate Adult Swim shows including Rick and Morty, which premiered on 10 September 2015 alongside truTV. By 2016, Adult Swim content was scheduled on Fridays from midnight to 1:00 a.m.

Funny as Fox

Mirroring Fox's US block Animation Domination, Funny as Fox was a curated programming segment presenting series like Family Guy and American Dad! (both now broadcast on ITV2). This block adopted Fox’s branding and featured shows such as People of Earth until late 2019.

Generally airing between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., Funny As Fox occasionally began at 9 p.m. when new episodes premiered earlier. Its primary tagline was "Late Night, Every Night... Literally!".

Final programming

Former programming

Huff JAG Kenny vs. Spenny King of the Hill L.A.’s Finest’’ (now streaming on Prime Video) Land of the Giants Law & Order: Criminal Intent’’(currently available on LG channels and 5USA) Legion’’(streaming via Disney+) Leverage’’(now accessible through Freevee) Lost in Space’’ Louie’’ Low Winter Sun’’(available on Freevee) Lucifer’’ Lucky’’ The Man Show’’ Marvel’s Agent Carter’’ Medium’’(now airing on ITVX) The Mind of the Married Man’’ Michael Hayes’’ Minority Report’’ Monk’’(available on Netflix UK) Mr Inbetween’’(streaming via Disney+) Murder in the First’’ Next’’(available through Disney+) No Signal!’’ NYPD Blue The Orville (now streaming on Disney+) Outcast Outmatched The Passage (now available on Disney+) Penn and Teller: Bulls**t! People of Earth Perfect Harmony Playmakers Prison Break (now streaming via Disney+ and U) Reno 911! Rick and Morty (currently airing on E4) The Shield Shots Fired Stan Against Evil Talking Dead Taxicab Confessions Those Who Kill (on STV Player) Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories The Time Tunnel Tour of Duty Trash to Cash True Blood (now shown on Sky Atlantic and Sky Sci-Fi) Tyrant Viper Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Wayward Pines The Venture Bros. The Walking Dead (streaming across Disney+, Prime Video, and Sky Max) War of the Worlds (Series 1 only; available via Disney and My5) The Wire Wolf Creek (now broadcast on Channel 4) The X-Files (streaming through Disney+ and Paramount+) Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell

References

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Fox_(British_and_Irish_TV_channel)&oldid=71040"