Stephen Merchant, Vinnie Jones to feature from 15th
April launch
Breaking Bad to air in its entirety for 1st time on
British TV and new seasons of The Walking Dead
US pop culture phenomenon, Lip Sync Battle joins lineup for
new channel
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
A new free-to-view TV channel will launch with a bang in millions of UK
homes on 15th April, when Spike goes on air offering a mix of
British commissions and big-name talent alongside a range of acclaimed
drama and entertainment.
Original commissions will feature prominently on Spike from launch. Police
Interceptors Unleashed marks a return to British TV screens for
actor and former professional footballer, Vinnie Jones, who will front
the series, following the work of the high-speed police interception
unit. Another new series, Tattoo Disasters UK, will
seek out some of the most painful examples of British body art and the
individuals having to learn to live with their inky mistakes.
Spike's launch line-up will also feature some of the most acclaimed and
talked about TV drama of recent times, including Breaking Bad,
which will be broadcast from start to finish for the first time on
British TV. The latest and fifth series of The Walking Dead will
also be available on Spike, the first time it will be accessible
free-to-air to British TV viewers.
Other acquired dramas that will broadcast on Spike from launch include
the British TV premiere of mythological blockbuster, Olympus,
Emmy nominated Justified and crime thriller Sons of
Anarchy.
Lip Sync Battle, hosted by two-time Grammy Award-winner LL
COOL J, will be the entertainment flagship of Spike's launch
schedule. The highly-anticipated half-hour original series - based on
the cultural phenomenon of lip sync battling seen by millions on
television and online - has been created by Jimmy Fallon and his Eight
Million Plus Productions, Stephen Merchant (Hello Ladies, Extras, The
Ricky Gervais Show), John Krasinski (The Office, Promised Land,
It's Complicated), Matador (Banksy Does New York) and Casey
Patterson. Merchant also features on-screen as one of the many A-list
musical combatants in the series.
Social media comedy phenomenon, Fail Army, has also been reworked
for television and will be introduced to UK TV audiences by Spike.
Spike will also be the UK TV home of mixed martial arts. The channel
will televise Bellator MMA, the emerging sports franchise
featuring many of the world's greatest fighters including British
champion, Liam McGeary, and Paul Daley. Spike has also signed an
exclusive deal with the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts
(BAMMA) for its tournaments, which will feature in a Saturday 'Fight
Night.'
The channel will also offer a range of reality series from Spike in the
US, including Catch a Contractor and Frankenfood,
as well as repeats of some of Channel 5's most popular factual output.
The 24-hour network will be available from launch on the majority of the
UK's digital TV platforms, including Sky TV, Freesat and Freeview, on
which it will occupy channel slot 31.
Ben Frow, Channel 5's Programme Director, whose editorial team will
oversee commissioning, scheduling and acquisitions for the new channel,
said: "Spike is a driven, high-energy channel offering a point of view
and programme mix I think is different from anything else on British TV
right now. I can't wait to see our viewers embrace this exhilarating new
channel."
Notes to Editors
-
Tattoo Disasters UKand Police Interceptors Unleashed are
being produced by Channel 5 Productions and London-based Raw Cut Productions
respectively.
-
Spike will be available on Sky TV, Freeview, Freesat and other DTT
platforms.
About Spike UK
Spike UK is the latest general entertainment channel from the Channel 5
stable, bringing its portfolio of free-to-air UK networks to nine. The
channel will be available from launch on 15th April via the
main digital TV platforms in the UK, including Sky TV, Freesat and
Freeview on which it will occupy channel slot 31. Spike UK offers a mix
of original commissions, smash hit acquired drama and blockbuster films,
factual library content and adrenalin-fuelled sports blended with a
range of reality series from Spike in the U.S., which is consistently
amongst the highest rating basic cable networks. Both Spike in the U.S.
and Channel 5 are owned and operated by Viacom International Media
Networks, a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's
leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Live
It Like Spike by accessing www.spiketv.co.uk
and following the channel on social media - twitter.com/spiketvuk
and www.facebook.com/SpikeTVUK.
VIMN UK, Australia, Israel, Central/Eastern Europe
Kelly Todd, +44
(0)203 580 2105
Communications
todd.kelly@vimn.com
or
VIMN
UK, Australia, Israel, Central/Eastern Europe
Matt Baker, +44
(0)203 580 2101
Communications
matt.baker@vimn.com
Source: Spike
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