Military History

World Screen Weekly, October 23, 2008

COUNTRIES: U.K. and Ireland

LAUNCH DATE: July 2008

OWNERSHIP: The History Channel UK, a joint venture between A&E Television Networks (AETN) and BSkyB, programs, manages and operates Military History.

DISTRIBUTION: The channel reaches about 9 million homes through the Sky Digital platform.

DESCRIPTION: Firmly focused on the military-programming genre, Military History’s schedule includes everything from programs that capture the stories of veterans to shows that reconstruct ancient weapons.

SENIOR MANAGEMENT:

Acting Managing Director, The History Channel UK: Richard Melman

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: Playing to people’s fascination with military conflicts, Military History “illustrates some of the most dramatic events in our history,” says Richard Melman, the acting managing director of The History Channel UK. “Truth is stranger than fiction. These stories are really far more dramatic than people could write.”

The channel launched more than two months ago in the U.K. and Ireland, representing the brand’s linear debut outside the U.S. It builds upon the vision of Charlie Mayday, who developed the idea for Military History in the U.S. Targeting the 35-plus set, the channel airs a mixture of content that touches on local and international events. A majority of the channel’s programming comes from parent company AETN, while the channel commissions or co-produces about 30 percent to 40 percent of its schedule. “People know what they are going to get on the Military History channel,” Melman states. “They know that they are going to get the stories of the technology, of the conflicts and of the people behind the strategies.”

When acquiring programs, the network looks for tales that are entertaining as well as educational. “Alfred Hitchcock said you need three things to make a great film: a great script, a great script and a great script,” Melman says. “The same is true for documentaries. You need a good story, a good story and a good story.” An example is Jetstream, an acquired Canadian program that follows pilots as they learn to fly the CF-18 Hornet, one of the most advanced fighter planes in the world. “This has amazing demographic appeal because they have two female pilots learning to fly as well,” Melman explains. “You look at it and you are absolutely hooked into this 13-part series. You think what they are doing is impossible. You get to understand just how difficult it is to fly those planes.”

Other shows focus on a range of topics, from battles 2,000 years ago to the current war in Iraq. The three-part Conquistadors: Battle of the Gods explains through reconstructions and computer graphics how the Spanish Empire overwhelmed the Aztecs in Mexico and the Incas in Peru. Surviving History follows a team as they recreate and test ancient inventions, while Trafalgar’s Forgotten Hero portrays Admiral Lord Collingwood, who helped the British win the Battle of Trafalgar. “The stories themselves are absolutely compelling, whether it is the grand overview of a strategy of a battle or an individual story of heroism or outstanding technological ability,” Melman says.

WHAT’S NEW: In November, Military History will air Last Voices of World War I, a six-part series that features the stories of more than 100 British veterans recorded 15 years ago. The series uses black-and-white archival material and dramatizations filmed in color. “We wanted to make sure it wasn’t just black and white and a talking head,” Melman explains.

The channel will also broadcast a British government propaganda film that was made to calm people’s concerns after the 1916 Battle of Somme. The Imperial War Museum (IWM) has spent two years restoring the silent film frame by frame and transferring it into high definition. It will air on History Channel HD, and in standard definition on Military History. “Not only does it look astonishing because of the work IWM did on it, but historians are learning a few things about it by studying the high-definition version,” Melman says.

For 2009, the network has commissioned a two-part production for the 70th anniversary of the end of the Spanish Civil War, which lasted from July 1936 to April 1939. The show will feature never-before-seen color footage, Melman notes.

WEBSITE: www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/militaryhistory/

—By Jackie Stewart