In a somewhat surprising turn of events, the factual and reality TV channel Great! Real has stopped broadcasting today, a mere five months after its initial launch.
The channel, which was available on Freeview and Sky, has been permanently removed from both platforms, leaving viewers wondering about the reasons behind its short-lived existence.
Great! Real, which debuted on March 20, 2024, was introduced as a new offering from Narrative Entertainment, the company behind the Great! TV and film channels.
The channel was dedicated to dramatic and factual narratives focused on real individuals and occurrences.
It featured programmes such as Heathrow: Britain’s Busiest Airport, Paddington Station 24/7 and Emergency Rescue: Air, Land and Sea.
At launch, Great! Real was accessible on Freeview Channel 61, though its coverage was limited across the UK, with some households unable to receive the channel even after retuning their devices.
On Sky, the channel occupied Satellite Channel 189 (or Sky Glass/Stream Channel 168), with an additional time-shifted version, GREAT! real+1, available on Satellite Channel 289.
The End Of Great! Real
Today, the channel was unceremoniously removed from both Sky and Freeview.
On Sky, an on-screen caption sends people to the Great! Player – which is not even directly accessible through Sky’s platform, but can be accessed via a web browser.
On Freeview, the channel has simply disappeared – although the channel’s programmes are still listed in Freeview’s Electronic Programme Guide (EPG), but that is likely to be updated tomorrow.
It’s worth noting that Great! Real was never available on Freesat, as all the Great! Channels were removed from that platform earlier this year.
While Great! Real has shut down, some of its content remains available elsewhere.
Several of its programmes have been moved to Great! Action, which is available on Freeview Channel 42 (and Sky Channel 323).
Additionally, some of the shows are available on Great! Player, an on-demand streaming service for connected Freeview boxes, that includes content from across the Great! Channels’ library.
The Future of Freeview Channel 61
The future of Freeview Channel 61 remains uncertain. Freeview is set to publish its monthly changes list tomorrow, August 21, which may provide insight into any planned alterations for that channel number.
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I don’t get it. What is the british problem with tv. On this portal always reading news about some channel being removed or shut down.