Turner Classic Movies facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the American TV channel. For other channels, see List of international Turner Classic Movies channels.

Quick facts for kids
Turner Classic Movies
Programming

Country	United States
Broadcast area	Nationwide
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Language(s)	English (imported feature films are broadcast in their native languages, provided with English subtitling)
Picture format	1080i HDTV (downscaled to 480i letterboxed for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner	Warner Bros. Discovery
Parent	Warner Bros. Discovery Networks
History
Launched	April 14, 1994; 31 years ago (1994-04-14)
Founder	Ted Turner
Availability

Streaming media
TCM.com	(U.S. pay-TV subscribers only)
Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American TV channel that shows classic movies. It is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. TCM started in 1994 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

The channel mainly shows classic movies that were released in theaters. These films come from the Turner Entertainment Co. film library. This library includes movies from Warner Bros. (made before 1950), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (made before May 1986), and films from RKO Pictures. TCM also gets movies from other studios and sometimes shows newer films.

You can watch TCM in the United States, Canada, Malta, Latin America, France, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, the Middle East, and Africa.

History of Turner Classic Movies

How TCM Started

In 1986, eight years before TCM began, Ted Turner bought the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) film studio. He later sold the studio back but kept MGM's huge collection of films made before May 9, 1986. This collection became the main source of movies for Turner Classic Movies.

Before TCM, movies from Turner's collection were shown on other channels like TNT. Some old black-and-white movies were even shown in color.

TCM's Launch and Early Years (1994–1996)

Logo used from 2013 to 2021

In May 2009, host Robert Osborne and Charles Tabesh, a programming leader, received an award for TCM's dedication to film.

Turner Classic Movies first aired on April 14, 1994, at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Ted Turner launched the channel in New York City. This date was special because it was 100 years after the first public movie showing in New York.

The first movie shown on TCM was Gone with the Wind (1939). This was the same movie that launched its sister channel, TNT, six years earlier. When TCM started, about one million homes could watch it.

TCM was similar to another channel called AMC at first. Both channels focused on movies made before 1970. They also showed them without cuts or commercials. Over time, AMC started showing commercials and newer films, making TCM unique for its commercial-free classic movie lineup.

TCM Under Time Warner (1996–2018)

In 1996, Turner Broadcasting System joined with Time Warner. This meant TCM and Warner Bros. were now part of the same company. This gave TCM access to even more movies, including Warner Bros. films made after 1950.

In the early 2000s, TCM became the only channel focused on classic movies that showed them without commercials or editing.

TCM Movie Database (2006–2019)

TCM also had its own online database of actors, actresses, and film crew. It listed over a million people and more than 130,000 movie titles. You could even ask TCM to schedule a movie you wanted to see. While some parts of it have changed, you can still find movie information there.

Changes and Leadership (2019–Present)

In 2019, AT&T, the new owner of Time Warner (renamed WarnerMedia), made some changes. TCM became part of a new group called Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics.

In September 2021, TCM got a new logo and a new slogan: "Where Then Meets Now." This update aimed to make TCM look more modern while still celebrating classic movies.

In June 2023, there were some changes in leadership at TCM. This caused some worry about the channel's future. Famous filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Paul Thomas Anderson met with the head of Warner Bros. Discovery. They wanted to make sure TCM would continue to be a "precious resource of cinema." Soon after, new leaders were appointed to make sure TCM's programming stays the same and is protected.

What's on Turner Classic Movies

TCM is mostly a commercial-free channel. This means that between movies, you'll see promos for other TCM shows, ads for their events, or short segments about classic movie stars. Longer breaks might include old movie trailers or classic short films. These are called TCM Extras.

TCM plans its movies to start at specific times, like on the hour or at 15, 30, or 45 minutes past the hour. This allows for the special segments between films.

Every year, from March to February, TCM has a special programming season. It ends with 31 Days of Oscar, which shows movies that won or were nominated for Academy Awards. Because TCM focuses on classic films, you can watch almost all the movies made by stars like Barbara Stanwyck or Cary Grant. TCM tries to show movies in their original format, whether they were made for wide screens or full screens.

TCM sometimes shows restored versions of old films, especially silent movies with new music. TCM also helps provide audio descriptions for people who are blind or visually impaired. This helps them enjoy the movies.

Movie Library

TCM has thousands of movies from many decades. Besides films owned by Warner Bros., TCM also shows movies from other big studios like Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, and Sony Pictures.

TCM also includes movies that are in the public domain, mostly from the early 1900s. While most movies are from the 1930s to the 1970s, the channel sometimes shows newer films too.

Special Shows and Hosts

Regular Features

TCM prime time host Robert Osborne at an awards event in 2014.

Most movies shown in the evening were presented by film historian Robert Osborne. He was the first host of TCM from its launch in 1994 until 2016. In 2003, Ben Mankiewicz became the weekend host. Later, he started hosting on Friday nights too.

Other hosts have joined TCM over the years, including Eddie Muller, Tiffany Vasquez, Dave Karger, Alicia Malone, and Jacqueline Stewart. Jacqueline Stewart became the first African-American host in 2019.

Star of the Month

Every month, TCM features a Star of the Month. This means they show many movies starring that particular actor or actress throughout the month. August is the only month without a Star of the Month because of Summer Under the Stars.

Silent Sunday Nights

Silent Sunday Nights is a special block that shows silent movies. It airs late on Sunday nights. Ben Mankiewicz started hosting it in 2012, and Jacqueline Stewart became the host in 2019.

TCM Imports

TCM Imports is a block that shows movies from around the world. It airs late on Saturday or Sunday nights. Ben Mankiewicz hosted it starting in 2012, and Alicia Malone became the host in 2019.

Noir Alley

Noir Alley is a popular block dedicated to film noir movies. These are often dark and mysterious crime films. It started in March 2017 and is hosted by Eddie Muller. It airs on Saturday nights and repeats on Sunday mornings.

Musical Matinee

In October 2022, TCM launched Musical Matinee. This block shows musical films, mostly from the Golden Age of Hollywood. It is hosted by Dave Karger and airs on Saturday afternoons.

Seasonal Blocks

Twice a year, TCM has special month-long movie marathons. 31 Days of Oscar airs during the Academy Awards season. It features movies that have won or been nominated for Oscars.

Every August, TCM airs Summer Under the Stars. During this month, each day is dedicated to a different actor, showing many of their films.

In the summer of 2007, TCM had Funday Night at the Movies. This block was hosted by actor Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants). It showed classic family films like The Wizard of Oz and Singin' in the Rain. The goal was to introduce these movies to new generations of kids and their families.

Other Programming Blocks

TCM used to have a TCM Guest Programmer block. A celebrity guest would join the host and choose the movies for that evening.

Funday Night at the Movies was later replaced by Essentials Jr.. This was a kid-friendly version of TCM's weekly series, The Essentials. It featured family-themed films and other interesting selections.

From 2014 to 2019, the channel had Treasures from the Disney Vault. This block showed old Disney movies, cartoons, and TV show episodes. It stopped when Disney+ launched.

TCM Underground started in 2006. It was a late-night block that focused on cult films. It was discontinued in 2023.

In March 2023, TCM celebrated 100 years of Warner Bros. by showing newly restored Warner Bros. films.

Documentaries

Besides movies, TCM also shows its own original documentaries. These films are about classic movie stars, how movies are made, and important films.

TCM has also aired series like Race and Hollywood, which explores how different races have been shown in films. Other series have looked at topics like homosexuality in film (Screened Out) and religion in film (Religion on Film).

TCM Remembers

Many movies on TCM are from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and many of the people who made them are no longer with us. Since 1994, TCM has created "TCM Remembers." These are short tributes to film personalities who have recently passed away. They include actors, producers, directors, and writers.

These tributes appear in two ways:

Individual tributes: A short video for a very famous person who recently died.
Year-end compilation: Every December, TCM creates a longer video showing clips of many people from the film world who passed away that year.

TCM Remembers Soundtracks

TCM often uses special songs for its year-end "TCM Remembers" videos. Here are some of the songs used:

Year	Artist	Song
2002	Rickie Lee Jones	"Cycles"
2003	Sarah McLachlan	"I Will Remember You"
2004	Ryan Adams	"Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd."
2005	Joe Henry	"Flesh and Blood"
2006	Robinella	"Press On"
2007	Badly Drawn Boy	"Promises"
2008	Joe Henry	"God Only Knows"
2009	Steve Earle	"To Live is To Fly"
2010	Sophie Hunger	"Headlights"
2011	OK Sweetheart	"Before You Go"
2012	M83	"Wait"
2013	Sleeping at Last	"In the Embers"
2014	Kodaline	"All I Want"
2015	Eryn McHugh	"Quickly Now"
2016	Dan Auerbach	"Goin' Home"
2017	The Cardigans	"Lead Me Into The Night"
2018	Lord Huron	"When the Night is Over"
2019	Alice Boman	"Waiting"
2020	Prisca Strother & Tunewelders	"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"
2021	Reuben and the Dark & AG (Originally by R.E.M.)	"Shiny Happy People"
2022	Lord Huron	"The Night We Met"
2023	AG and Christina Perri (Originally by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)	"Learning to Fly"

Awards and Recognition

Robert Osborne, Mark Cousins and Charles Tabesh in 2014, with an award TCM received for a film documentary.

Turner Classic Movies has won several awards for its work.

In 2008, TCM received a Peabody Award. This award recognized its efforts to preserve films and its strong commitment to showing how movies connect to social and cultural experiences.

In 2013, TCM won another Peabody Award. This was for showing Mark Cousins' The Story of Film: An Odyssey. This was a 15-episode documentary about how movies developed. TCM showed short films and feature films alongside each episode. The award praised TCM for its "unique survey of world cinema history."

Streaming TCM Content

Turner Classic Movies is connected to its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service, Max. TCM has its own section on Max, where you can watch a selection of classic movies.

TCM Products and Events

TCM Vault Collection

The TCM Vault Collection is a series of DVD sets. These sets include rare classic films that TCM has licensed, restored, and released. They often feature movies by famous actors, directors, or studios that were not available on DVD or VHS before. These sets sometimes include extra discs with documentaries and shorts from the TCM library.

TCM Wine Club

In 2015, TCM started the TCM Wine Club. They partnered with a company to offer wines by mail. These wines come from famous vineyards, like Francis Ford Coppola's winery. The club suggests movies to watch with each wine.

TCM Young Composers Film Competition

Since 2000, TCM has held an annual Young Composers Film Competition. Young composers can enter a contest. The winner gets to create music for a restored, full-length silent film. A famous composer guides them, and their new music then premieres on TCM.

TCM Classic Film Festival

In April 2010, TCM held its first TCM Classic Film Festival. This event happens every year in Hollywood. It celebrates classic movies and includes celebrity appearances and screenings of about 50 classic films. Many of these films are newly restored by The Film Foundation, an organization that helps preserve old movies. The festival was held online in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

TCM Classic Cruises Since 2011, TCM has also sponsored special cruises on the Disney Magic cruise ship. These cruises have a classic movie theme.

TCM Around the World

Turner Classic Movies is available in many countries. In Canada, it started being carried by cable and satellite providers in 2005. While the Canadian channel generally shows the same movies as the U.S. channel, some films are changed due to rights issues. Other versions of TCM are available in France, Greece, Spain, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Malta. The UK version of TCM stopped operating in July 2023.