WBD UK & Ireland Expands Free-to-Air Offering

Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland is expanding its free-to-air offering with the planned launch of a new-look free-to-air TLC channel in January 2026 featuring a program offer combining scripted content such as The Big Bang Theory with unscripted titles such as Mock the Week.

The lineup of scripted series coming to the new TLC channel includes The Big Bang Theory spin-offs Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. The new content represents WBD’s biggest order of scripted entertainment across its free-to-air linear portfolio in the U.K.

New unscripted series coming to TLC in 2026 include a new-look Mock the Week, its hit celebrity panel show, and Zero Stars, based on an original Danish format starring comedians Roisin Conaty and Sara Pascoe.

Viewers of TLC will still have access to hits such as Dr Pimple Popper and My 600-lb Life. It will also become the home of the 90 Day Fiancé franchise, including the U.K. spin-off.

In addition to the new-look TLC channel, from January 2026, WBD’s free-to-air channel Really will add a selection of HGTV shows to its slate. This includes Celebrity IOU with the Property Brothers, Home Town and My Lottery Dream Home.

With the planned changes beginning in January 2026, WBD’s U.K. free-to-air portfolio will consist of six channels—Quest, Quest Red, Food Network, DMAX, TLC and Really.

New content coming to Quest in 2026 includes Francis Bourgeois & Chris Harris: We Saved a Train (w.t.), Guz Khan’s Custom Cars, a seventh season of Yorkshire Auction House, a sixth season of Celebrity Yorkshire Auction House, a third season of Derbyshire Auction House, an eighth season of Shed & Buried, a fourth season of Shed & Buried: Classic Cars and the new series Shed & Buried: Classic Bikes.

Food Network will see the debut of Adam Richman Eats Italy.

WBD’s current U.K. and Ireland linear television channel offering will continue to be in place for the remainder of 2025.

“We are thrilled to announce a new-look lineup of content for TLC in the U.K. and Ireland for January 2026, and that we are able to bring the channel to more viewers with a move to free-to-air in the U.K.,” said Graham Lafferty, senior VP of strategy and networks at WBD UK & Ireland. “Through TLC, we are excited to commission and curate a broad entertainment channel that spans both scripted and unscripted content, including award-winning shows like The Big Bang Theory through to a new-look British comedy staple like Mock the Week.

“We are also delighted to commission a host of new and returning linear series for 2026 with Francis Bourgeois and Chris Harris: We Saved a Train (w.t.), a bumper Auction House and Shed & Buried reorder for Quest and a new Food Network series in Adam Richman Eats Italy. These series, combined with recently announced commissions including Guz Khan’s Custom Cars and Zero Stars, demonstrate our ongoing commitment to linear television and working with both new and long-standing valued U.K. production partners to commission local stories and local talent for local audiences.”