UKTV’s Watch to Rebrand as W

LONDON: UKTV has revealed the details for W, a new subscription entertainment channel that will be replacing Watch on February 15.

New programming includes Cactus TV’s ON, an authored documentary strand featuring films by radio DJ Sara Cox, musician Sophie Ellis-Bextor and journalist Grace Dent; Twofour Productions’s Get Me to the Church, a factual-entertainment format; and Liberty Bell’s Nev’s Indian Call Centre, which follows the titular star of the hit BBC3 show The Call Centre and his staff as they travel to India.

W’s launch night peak schedule (8 to 10 p.m.) will feature the UKTV originals Honey I Bought the House, Get Me to the Church and ON. The channel will also air such U.S. exclusives as Code Black, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, CSI: NY, Grimm and MasterChef USA, as well as the same-day repeat of BBC One’s EastEnders and the BAFTA-winning drama The Honourable Woman.

W is meant for women between the ages of 30 and 39 and their partners. The channel will feature a new look themed around its glossy and geometric jewel-shaped logo.

Emma Tennant, UKTV’s controller, remarked: “UKTV is known for peerlessly strong channel brands, which guide audiences to shows that are perfect for them. W will be no different, a premium channel for smart women and men seeking high-quality escapism.”

Steve North, W’s general manager, noted: “We have a treasure trove of compelling original commissions, our own crown jewels. Plus the gold standard of U.S. acquisitions, combined with the best shows from the BBC. We want to dazzle our viewers and have evolved and honed this entertainment channel, building a schedule that entertains but never patronizes.”

North added: “W’s programming includes our new authored documentary strand, which covers modern life in the digital age—from dating and friendship, to the cult of celebrity. We also have shining, new entertainment properties that focus on key life moments, like getting married (Get Me to the Church) and buying a first home (Honey I Bought the House) as well as one of the nation’s favorite dramas, EastEnders, on air just a few hours after its BBC One premiere as well as bringing back the omnibus. The peak W schedule will include a host of glittering U.S. series.”