Sky Living - Channel Profile

Channel Profile

In 2001, the channel helped to launch a whole new genre of paranormal programming with such shows as Crossing Over with John Edward, 6ixth Sense with Colin Fry, Scream Team, Jane Goldman Investigates, Dead Famous, I'm Famous and Frightened! and Most Haunted, which continued to be a ratings winner.

The channel has also launched a number of successful US television shows in the UK market. Past successes include Charmed, Will & Grace, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Miss Match, Joan of Arcadia, CSI, and Just Shoot Me!. At present the channel currently has first run UK rights to Boston Legal, Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, Ghost Whisperer, The L Word, Men In Trees and the Australian comedy Kath and Kim. In 2008 the channel also debuted the first seasons of Army Wives, Lipstick Jungle, and Viva Laughlin.

Brian Dowling was put forward as one of the public figures to represent the channel - by presenting programming including Celebrity Extra, Trolley Dollies, and a spin-off to I'm Famous and Frightened!. However in recent years, he has been mostly absent from the channel apart from the occasional Celebrity Extra presenting duties. Instead fellow Big Brother contestant Jade Goody became the channel's newest public face, with three different shows devoted to her life, Jade's Salon, Just Jade and Jade's PA, but in January 2007, she was dropped due to the racist row on Celebrity Big Brother. In 2009, when Jade discovered that she had terminal cancer, the channel acquired the exclusive rights to film a documentary through her final days followed by the show producing two hour long tribute shows a week after her death followed by a further two tribute shows in 2010 and 2011.

To continue the list of Reality TV stars hosting programmes, Jodie Marsh announced that she would be presenting a new programme called Get A Life starting on 1 March 2007. However, the channel announced that the show was to be cancelled and discussions got under-way as to whether the remaining four episodes would be aired.

The channel announced in February 2007 that Abigail Clancy, the runner up Britain's Next Top Model (cycle 2) signed a deal with the channel to make a new reality show with Janice Dickinson as her mentor, on trying to crack into America.

The channel announced in June 2010 that model Katie Price had signed a £5 Million, 2 year contract to make and broadcast Series 3 and 4 of her fly on the wall show, What Katie Did Next after turning down a weaker offer from rival channel, ITV2 to continue making further series of the show. This will be the first time that her show will be broadcast in HD.