After a six-year break, BBC Three is returning as a TV channel next year!
The news was announced by the BBC’s Chief Content Officer today (March 2) who said: “The BBC needs to back success and make sure its programmes reach as many young people as possible wherever they live in the UK.
“So regardless of the debates about the past, we want to give BBC Three its own broadcast channel again. It has exciting, groundbreaking content that deserves the widest possible audience and using BBC iPlayer alongside a broadcast channel will deliver the most value.”
Initially launched in 2003, the BBC Three channel was popular among young people and aired popular programmes such as Gavin & Stacey, Family Guy, Sun Sex & Suspicious Parents, Some Girls, Bad Education and many more.
The channel was taken off air in 2016 and moved online as part of the BBC’s aim to cut costs.
The BBC recently conducted research in which the results suggested there was a “strong case” for BBC Three to return to broadcast.
The statement from the BBC regarding the channel adds: “BBC Three has a strong heritage in breaking and supporting new British talent and this will create a bigger platform to launch and celebrate them.
“It will provide us with a new shop window to reach a younger audience currently underserved by the BBC, bringing them the best BBC young programming and talent across all genres.”
The channel is due to return to TV in January 2022, and will run from 19:00 to 04:00 each day and will be aimed at people aged 16-34.