Your Freeview TV is poised to unlock a nostalgic new television channel that Sky Q viewers have been enjoying for months. Yes, Rewind TV — a free-to-air channel dedicated to classic British television — will appear in the TV Guide of millions of Freeview viewers from September 18, 2024.
The launch comes just months after its initial launch on Sky Q on May 23, which saw beloved shows from the 80s and 90s return to screens. Rolling out the channel to Freeview will bring fan-favourite shows from yesteryear to a wider audience, since there’s no need for a subscription.
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Tuning into Rewind TV, you’ll find comedies like Caroline Aherne’s The Mrs Merton Show, Drop The Dead Donkey – a cult Channel 4 comedy set in the fictional television newsroom of GlobeLink News, first broadcast from 1990 to 1998, and Whose Line Is It Anyway? with Clive Anderson.
Classic films like The Lady Vanishes, Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Night of the Living Dead, Invasion USA, and Only The Valiant will also be shown throughout the day.
Hit 80s series like Return Of The Saint, Worzel Gummidge Down Under, and Department S will also be shown on Rewind TV for those who don’t fancy a comedy or film. Factual shows like Whicker’s World, Clive James meets… and World in Action will also be shown on the channel.
Some of the shows are already available on other catch-up series. For example, Drop The Dead Donkey and Whose Line Is It Anyway? both appear in the Channel 4 app’s streaming library.
Thanks for all the lovely feedback. We’re so pleased you are enjoying our special channel.
There are lots of exciting things to come!#rewindtv #classictv #surprises https://t.co/kDIP9dJnX8
— Rewind TV UK (@rewindtvuk) September 9, 2024
Speaking ahead of the initial launch, Rewind TV founders Oscar Beuselinck and Jonathan Moore. The duo spoke to telly blog Cord Busters about the decision to launch, stating: “The channel is targeted at an older demographic with rarely-seen, critically acclaimed iconic programmes, and we are confident that it will have intergenerational appeal with a fresh and fun identity.
“Great care has been taken to carefully craft the selection of the content, including restoration work where necessary. These programmes and films have never looked so good.”
Rewind TV is a passion project for these two telly enthusiasts and is designed to replaicate traditional linear viewing experience — eschewing the on-demand catalogues that have proven so popular with modern streaming services, like Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and Netflix.
This tune-in-or-miss-it approach aligns with the channel’s nostalgic ethos and is designed to recreate the shared viewing experiences when these shows first aired on British screens some forty or fifty years ago.
While Rewind TV focuses on classic content for now …it’s not just going to be living in the past. The channel has announced plans for fresh commissions this autumn, including exclusive profiles of beloved TV icons.
First in line is Michael Aspel, whose primetime career spanned over seven decades.
It’s worth noting that Rewind TV is currently only available on Sky Q boxes that rely on a satellite dish, not on Sky’s streaming platforms like Sky Glass or Sky Stream.
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However, with its expansion to Freeview, Rewind TV is making good on its promise to reach a broader audience, potentially paving the way for further platform expansions in the future. It’s worth noting the small team behind the new channel has promised that “other platforms to follow soon”, so fingers crossed viewers with Freeview successor Freely, Sky Glass, Sky Stream, and Virgin Media boxes won’t be left out in the cold for too much longer.
