Disney Channel (British and Irish TV channel) facts for kids
 |
|
| Country | United Kingdom Republic of Ireland |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Chiswick, England |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to 576i for the SDTV feed) |
| Timeshift service | Disney Channel +1 |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company Limited Disney Channels Worldwide (Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International) |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched | 1 October 1995 |
| Closed | 30 September 2020 |
| Former names | The Disney Channel (until 1 March 1997) |
| Availability (at time of closure) |
|
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media (UK) |
Channel 724 Channel 725 (+1) TV Choice On Demand |
| Virgin Media Ireland | Channel 613 Channel 633 (HD) |
| Satellite | |
| Sky (UK & Ireland) | Channel 609 (SD/HD) Channel 610 (+1) Channel 644 (SD) |
| IPTV | |
| TalkTalk Plus TV | Channel 480 |
| BT / YouView | Channel 480 On-demand |
| Plusnet | Channel 480 |
| Eir Vision | Channel 609 |
| Streaming media | |
| Sky Go | Watch live (UK and Ireland only) |
| Virgin TV Anywhere(UK) | Watch live (UK only) |
| Virgin TV Anywhere (Ireland) | Watch live (Ireland only) |
Disney Channel is a defunct British and Irish television kids channel that aired from 1 October 1995 to 30 September 2020. A one-hour timeshift service called Disney Channel +1 was available on Sky and Virgin Media. At the time of closure, the channel had two sister channels; Disney Junior and Disney XD.
Closure
Disney announced on 25 June 2020 that Disney Channel, along with sister channels, Disney XD and Disney Junior, will close in the UK on 1 October 2020, after exactly 25 years on-air, due to Disney failing to reach a new carriage deal with Sky and Virgin Media. The channel's content was transferred exclusively to Disney+.
The last progamme to be broadcast was the 2019 film Descendants 3. It then showed the final music video titled, I Want This from the series Raven's Home before it was followed by the ident, which then froze for a few seconds, and cut into the channel's ident image.
The channels were removed from Virgin Media on 29 September, with CBBC and CBeebies taking the network's former Sky EPG slots on 1 October.
Programming
The majority of the channel's programming schedule was formed from the syndication of television series from its American counterpart. However, the channel did occasionally act as host for homegrown British series, including The Evermoor Chronicles, The Lodge and 101 Dalmatian Street.
Interactivity
Disney Channel formerly had an interactive television service on Sky, in which viewers were able to press the red button on their Sky remote to access information about their series, character profiles, detailed television listings, quizzes, and messages submitted by viewers.
Studio Disney
Studio Disney was a live TV show, broadcast on Disney Channel UK. It launched in September 1997 as Disney Channel UK Live, and relaunched as Studio Disney on 23 April 2001. Some of the presenters included Nigel Mitchell, Emma Lee, Jean Anderson, Mark Rumble, Amy Garcia, David "Ollie" Oliver, James McCourt, Jemma Forte and Leah Charles-King. Studio Disney ran on weekdays, usually from 16:00 to 19:00, in direct competition with similar services offered by CBBC, CITV and Nickelodeon. The show featured a team of between two and six presenters who came on air between programmes, giving viewers the opportunity to call in, interact and win prizes. Studio Disney also produced many of its own short programmes, including Wish Upon a Star and Junior Journo, which were aired during the block itself and between programmes at other times. Studio Disney stopped broadcasting 1 July 2005.
In 2002, Studio Disney created its own music talent series called "Star Ticket" which aimed to create a five piece pop band, aged between 11-14, to perform at the Disney Channel Kids Awards 2002. Auditions were held in Edinburgh, London, Cardiff and Liverpool. The viewing public were able to vote for their desired band members, the name of the band and the name of the song they would be performing. The winning group, called X5 (pronounced times five), went on to record the song "Beyond the Stars" with a music video.
Website
Disney Channel's website featured information, games, interactive features and contact details and submission forms. The site had been made entirely in Adobe Flash since 1 May 1999, the same day as the 1999 re-brand. In May 2003, it was redesigned to fit with the other Disney Channel's worldwide after the global re-brand. In 2007, it was added to disneychannel.co.uk, when the website's homepage was revamped to fit the look of the American site. In 2011, along with the other Disney sites, it was revamped. In September 2011, it was revamped once again, due to the new logo.
Presentation
In October 1995, the Disney Channel in the UK's logo was a simplified Mickey Mouse head, with 'The Disney Channel' text on the bottom. Six identifications for the 1995 logo were created by Lambie-Nairn. In February 1997, the channel dropped 'The' from its name, with a new logo, for the launch of Disney Channel France. In 1997, Disney Channel France adopted the same logo and identifications. In 1999, Disney Channel refreshed its identity as it launched its new "Circles" logo, with symmetrical circles forming the iconic Mickey Mouse head shape. The new set identification was created in CGI animation, with various objects forming the Disney Channel logo. The new identity package was created by French graphic design company, GÉDÉON. According to GÉDÉON, the new logo is also described as an "experimental field for animation". More than 30 illustrators, animators, graphic designers, directors, and motion graphic studios, such as Gamma Studios, Estructura7, Velvet mediendesign, and Pedall, collaborated with the project.
When the new look was first launched, nine identifications aired on the same day. Some of the identifications were also used on its sister channel, Playhouse Disney.
See also
In Spanish: Disney Channel (Reino Unido e Irlanda) para niños
