Turner Classic Movies facts for kids
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United States Canada |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Programming | |
| 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. Television Group |
| History | |
| Launched | April 14, 1994 |
| Founder | Ted Turner |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Affiliated Streaming Service | HBO Max |
| TCM.com | (U.S. pay-TV subscribers only) |
| Service(s) | Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV |
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American TV channel that shows classic movies. It is a pay-TV channel, which means you need a subscription to watch it. The channel is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and started on April 14, 1994.
TCM's main office is in Atlanta, Georgia. The channel mostly plays older movies from the Turner Entertainment film library. This library includes films from famous studios like Warner Bros. (movies made before 1950) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (movies made before May 1986).
TCM also gets movies from other studios and sometimes shows newer films. Unlike its sister channels TBS and TNT, TCM does not show any sports. The channel is available in the United States, Canada, and many other countries around the world.
Contents
History of the Channel
How TCM Got Its Start
The story of TCM began nine years before it even launched. In 1985, a businessman named Ted Turner bought the famous movie studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). However, because of money problems, Turner had to sell the studio back a year later.
Even though he sold the studio, Turner kept MGM's huge library of old films. He created a new company called Turner Entertainment Company to manage these movies. This collection of films became the foundation for Turner Classic Movies. Before TCM existed, some of these classic movies were shown on another Turner channel, TNT.
Launching the Channel
Turner Classic Movies officially started on April 14, 1994. The first movie ever shown on TCM was Gone with the Wind (1939). This was the same movie that launched its sister channel, TNT, six years earlier.
When it started, TCM was a lot like another channel called American Movie Classics (AMC). Both channels showed old movies without any commercials. Over time, AMC started showing commercials and newer movies, which made TCM the main channel for commercial-free classic films.
Changes Under New Owners
In 1996, Turner's company merged with Time Warner. This was great for TCM because it gave the channel access to the Warner Bros. library of films made after 1950. This meant even more classic movies for viewers to enjoy.
In 2019, the company that owned TCM changed again when AT&T bought Time Warner and renamed it WarnerMedia. TCM was moved into a new group with other channels like Cartoon Network.
On September 1, 2021, TCM got a new look and a new slogan: "Where Then Meets Now." The goal was to give the channel a more modern feel while still celebrating classic movies.
In 2023, there were some concerns about the future of the channel after some key leaders left. Famous filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Paul Thomas Anderson met with the head of the parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, to show their support for TCM. They said the channel was a "precious resource of cinema." As a result, new leaders were put in charge to protect the channel's programming.
What You Can Watch on TCM
TCM is known for showing movies without any commercial breaks. Between films, the channel shows trailers for old movies, short films, and segments about famous actors and actresses. These extra features are called TCM Extras.
The channel shows movies as they were originally made. This means they are not cut or edited for content. Because of this, some movies may have themes for older audiences. TCM uses the TV Parental Guidelines to rate its programs, so viewers know what to expect.
TCM also tries to show movies in their original aspect ratio. This means you see the movie in the same way it was shown in theaters, either in widescreen or full screen.
Special Movie Events
TCM has several hosts who introduce the movies and share interesting facts about them. The first and most famous host was Robert Osborne, who hosted from 1994 until 2016. Today, the hosts include Ben Mankiewicz, Alicia Malone, Eddie Muller, Jacqueline Stewart, and Dave Karger.
Regular Programming Blocks
- Star of the Month: Each month, TCM picks a famous actor or actress and shows many of their movies.
- Silent Sunday Nights: This block features silent films from the early days of cinema, often with new music scores.
- TCM Imports: This block showcases classic movies from around the world.
- Noir Alley: Hosted by Eddie Muller, this block is dedicated to film noir, a style of crime drama that was popular in the 1940s and 1950s.
- Musical Matinee: Hosted by Dave Karger, this block features classic movie musicals on Saturday afternoons.
Seasonal Programming Blocks
- 31 Days of Oscar: Every year during Oscar season, TCM shows movies that have won or been nominated for an Academy Award.
- Summer Under the Stars: Each day in August, the channel focuses on the films of a single actor.
- Creepy Cinema: In October, this block shows classic horror and thriller movies to get ready for Halloween.
Documentaries and Tributes
Besides movies, TCM also creates its own documentaries about filmmakers, actors, and the history of cinema.
One of the most well-known segments on TCM is TCM Remembers. This is a tribute that honors actors, directors, and other film personalities who have recently passed away. At the end of each year, TCM creates a longer video montage celebrating all the people from the movie world who were lost that year.
TCM Remembers Soundtracks
| 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" |
| 2024 | Birdtalker | "Life's a Trip" |
| 2025 | TBA | TBA |
Awards and Recognition
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TCM has received several Peabody Awards, which are prestigious awards for broadcasting. In 2008, the channel won an award for its dedication to preserving and sharing classic films.
In 2013, TCM won another Peabody for showing the documentary series The Story of Film: An Odyssey. The series explored the history of movies from all over the world.
Special Events and Products
TCM Classic Film Festival
Since 2010, TCM has hosted the TCM Classic Film Festival every year in Hollywood, California. The four-day event features screenings of about 50 classic movies, special celebrity guests, and presentations. Many of the films shown are newly restored, helping to preserve them for future generations.
TCM Classic Cruise
TCM also hosts a cruise for fans of classic movies. The cruise features movie screenings, special guest appearances, and other movie-themed activities. The first cruise took place in 2011.
TCM Around the World
In addition to the United States, versions of Turner Classic Movies are available in many other countries. There are TCM channels in Canada, France, Spain, Latin America, and parts of Africa and the Middle East. The schedule in other countries is often similar to the U.S. version, but some movies may be different due to local broadcast rights.
See also
In Spanish: Turner Classic Movies para niños
- The Great Movie Ride – a former attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios that was sponsored by Turner Classic Movies.
- Turner Classic Movies 2 – A defunct sister network to the UK & Ireland version of Turner Classic Movies.
- Movies! – an American digital multicast television network operated as a joint venture between Weigel Broadcasting and the Fox Television Stations, specializing in classic feature films primarily sourced from the Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures library.
- The Film Detective – an American internet television service specializing in restored seldom-seen titles.
- Family Movie Classics – an American cable and satellite television network operated by Family Broadcasting Corporation.
