BBC Three facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
BBC Three

Logo used since 2022
Country	United Kingdom
Broadcast area	United Kingdom Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey
Network	BBC Television
Headquarters	London, England
Programming
Language(s)	English
Picture format	1080i/1080p HDTV (downscaled to 576i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner	BBC
Sister channels	BBC One BBC Two BBC Four BBC News BBC Parliament CBBC CBeebies BBC Scotland BBC Alba
History
Launched	9 February 2003; 22 years ago (2003-02-09) (original) 1 February 2022; 3 years ago (2022-02-01) 4 March 2019; 6 years ago (2019-03-04) (block on BBC One)
Replaced	BBC Choice
Closed	16 February 2016; 9 years ago (2016-02-16) (original; ceased remaining operations on 31st March 2016) 31 January 2022; 3 years ago (2022-01-31) (block on BBC One)
Availability
Terrestrial
Freeview	Channel 23 (SD) Channel 109 (HD; England & NI only)
Streaming media
BBC iPlayer	Watch live (UK only)
Sky Go	Watch live (UK & Ireland only)

BBC Three is a TV channel in the United Kingdom. It is owned by the BBC and is free to watch. It first started on 9 February 2003. The channel was made for young people aged 16 to 34. It showed many types of programmes, like comedy, drama, and news.

In 2016, BBC Three stopped being a regular TV channel. It became an online-only service on BBC iPlayer. But after six years, BBC Three came back to regular TV on 1 February 2022. It now broadcasts every day from 7:00 PM until about 4:00 AM. It shares its channel time with CBBC, which broadcasts earlier in the day.

BBC Three aims to provide "innovative programming" for young people. Most of its shows are made in the UK. Some popular shows from other countries, like Family Guy and American Dad, were also shown. Sometimes, BBC Three also shows BBC Sport events if other BBC channels are busy.

History of BBC Three

How BBC Three Started

Logo used from 2003 to 2008

Logo used from 2008 to 2016

Around 2000, the BBC wanted to update its digital channels. They planned to change BBC Choice into BBC Three. But some people worried that the new BBC Three would be too much like other commercial channels.

The channel finally got approval and launched on 9 February 2003. This was about eleven months later than planned. The BBC agreed to include a 15-minute news programme and focus on viewers aged 25-34. Stuart Murphy, who was only 33, was in charge of the channel.

In 2011, BBC Three became available on Sky in the Republic of Ireland. For the 2012 Summer Olympics, BBC Three broadcast 24 hours a day to show more sports. It also extended its hours for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. A high-definition (HD) version of BBC Three was launched on 10 December 2013.

Becoming an Online Service

Logo used from 2016 to 2021

Logo used from 2021 to 2022

In 2014, the BBC announced it needed to save money. They suggested closing BBC Three as a TV channel. Instead, it would become an online-only service on BBC iPlayer. This new online service would focus on shorter shows.

Many people, including famous celebrities, were against this change. A petition to "Save BBC Three" got over 300,000 signatures. But the BBC Trust, which oversees the BBC, approved the change in November 2015. They said that young people were watching more TV online anyway.

BBC Three stopped its regular TV broadcasts on 16 February 2016. The last show was an episode of Gavin & Stacey. The channel officially shut down on 31 March 2016. After this, some BBC Three shows were shown on BBC One from Monday to Wednesday nights.

Returning to TV

In May 2020, the BBC started thinking about bringing BBC Three back to TV. They noticed that some of its online shows, like Fleabag and Normal People, were very popular. They thought these shows could reach more people on a regular TV channel.

On 2 March 2021, the BBC officially announced plans to bring BBC Three back. It returned as a linear channel in February 2022. It still shares its channel time with CBBC, broadcasting from 7:00 PM to 4:00 AM every night. There are also shows for teenagers before 9:00 PM.

The UK media regulator, Ofcom, approved the return of BBC Three. On 1 February 2022, BBC Three officially relaunched. The first programme was The Launch Party, hosted by Clara Amfo and Greg James. This was followed by a news summary called The Catch Up and new shows like RuPaul's Drag Race: UK Versus the World.

BBC Three HD

BBC Three HD logo (2013–2016)

A high-definition (HD) version of BBC Three was launched on 10 December 2013. This meant viewers could watch shows in much clearer quality. Other BBC channels like BBC Four and CBBC also launched HD versions at the same time.

When BBC Three closed in 2016, its HD channel also stopped. But it relaunched in 2022 when the main channel returned to TV. Now, BBC Three HD is available on Freeview only in England and Northern Ireland. However, the standard definition (SD) version is available everywhere. BBC Three HD is also available across the UK on Sky, Freesat, cable, and online via BBC iPlayer.

Popular Programmes

BBC Three aims to bring young people (16-34 years old) to high-quality public broadcasting. It wants to show new and interesting UK content and find new UK talent. The channel uses digital platforms to share its content and connect with its audience.

BBC Three shows a mix of comedy, drama, and spin-off series. It also repeats popular shows from BBC One and BBC Two. The channel also creates programmes that challenge common beliefs or explore important topics.

Comedy and Drama Shows

BBC Three has shown many popular comedies and dramas. One famous comedy is Little Britain. In 2004, 1.8 million people watched a new series of this show. Little Britain later moved to BBC One and BBC Two. The longest-running comedy on the channel is Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.

Another very popular comedy is Gavin & Stacey. It first aired in May 2007 and was a big hit. Later series and a Christmas special were shown on other BBC channels. Being Human is a drama about a ghost, a vampire, and a werewolf sharing a flat. This show was also very successful.

BBC Three also showed American comedies like American Dad! and Family Guy. The channel often showed episodes of the popular soap opera EastEnders before they aired on BBC One. This helped BBC Three reach over one million viewers for the first time.

In 2005, BBC Three created Doctor Who Confidential. This show went behind the scenes of the new Doctor Who series. It was shown right after Doctor Who episodes on BBC One. Later, BBC Three also started showing repeats of Doctor Who.

A spin-off drama from Doctor Who called Torchwood was also made for BBC Three. It was a science fiction drama for an older audience. Torchwood was very popular, with 2.4 million viewers for its first episode in 2006. Its later series moved to BBC Two and then BBC One.

Documentaries and Real-Life Stories

BBC Three also shows many documentaries for young people. These include the award-winning Our War and Blood, Sweat and T-shirts. Other popular documentaries were Life & Death Row and a series of films about mental health.

Stacey Dooley became famous for presenting documentaries on BBC Three. She has made many films exploring different topics, like Stacey Dooley in the USA and Stacey Dooley Investigates.

The channel also commissions one-off documentaries. These include Growing Up Down's and My Brother the Islamist. Many of these were made through BBC Three's FRESH scheme. This scheme gave new directors a chance to make their first 60-minute documentaries.

Awards and Recognition

BBC Three has won many awards for its shows. It won Broadcast Magazine's Digital Channel of the Year award. It also won the MGEITF Non Terrestrial Channel of the Year.

The channel has won more awards than many of its commercial rivals. Since it launched in 2003, BBC Three has won 7 BAFTA awards. It also won 5 British Comedy Awards, 15 Royal Television Society Awards, and 5 Rose d'Or Awards.

In 2008, the show Gavin & Stacey won the BAFTA audience award. James Corden, one of the stars of the show, won the best comedy performance award.

Most Watched Programmes

Here are the top 10 most watched programmes on BBC Three. These numbers are based on viewers who watched the show live or within seven days.

Channel Look and Feel

One of the former "Blobs" between 2003 and 2008

The Discovery package was used between October 2013 and January 2016

When BBC Three first launched, it used special animated characters called "Blobs" in its channel idents (short videos shown between programmes). These Blobs were created by Aardman Animations, the company behind Wallace & Gromit. The music for these idents was based on the song "Three Is The Magic Number".

In 2008, BBC Three got a new look. Then, in October 2013, it introduced new idents with a "discovery" theme. These used cool projection mapping effects.

On 4 January 2016, a new logo was revealed for the online-only service. It looked like a mobile app icon. The logo used the Roman numeral for 3, with the third bar replaced by an exclamation mark. This design showed the three main goals of BBC Three: to make viewers "think", "laugh", and "have a voice".

When BBC Three returned to TV in February 2022, it got another new look. Its idents now feature three animated, pink and purple hands. These hands are named "Captain", "Spider", and "Pointer". They interact in a lime green background, showing what's happening in popular culture and young people's lives.

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: BBC Three para niños