End Of An Era: My5 Renews In Channel 5’s Big Overhaul

It’s finally here – Channel 5 and My5 have officially united under a single brand name today: ‘5’.

The long-awaited rebrand, which we first reported on back in January, brings together the broadcaster’s linear TV channels and streaming service under one unified identity – but there’s more to this launch than just a new logo and a shorter name.

We’ve got all the details from today’s official 5 Showcase event, including the whopping 15 new free streaming channels, a massive content expansion, and a slate of new UK dramas and factual programmes heading our way this year.

A Simpler Name (Or Is It?)

As of today, both Channel 5 and its streaming service My5 are officially known simply as ‘5’ – the latest broadcaster to jump on the minimalist naming bandwagon.

If you’re feeling a sense of déjà vu, you’re not alone. Channel 5 was actually called ‘Five’ between 2002 and 2011, before reverting to Channel 5. And now, 14 years later, we’re back to a single digit again (though without the spelled-out “Five”).

This rebranding follows similar moves we’ve seen across British TV, with Channel 4 dropping the “All4” name for its streaming service, UKTV Play becoming simply ‘U’, and NOW TV shedding its “TV” suffix.

While streamlining makes sense from a marketing perspective, it does create some practical confusion. If someone tells you to “watch it on 5” now, are they referring to the TV channel or the streaming app?

Social media has already been having a field day with the rebrand, with some viewers joking about the broadcaster’s apparent identity crisis and wondering if they’ll eventually just rebrand as a symbol (Prince-style) next time around.

What’s Actually New With The Rebrand?

The rebrand isn’t just cosmetic – it comes with an expanded content library and technical improvements.

The most notable addition is the launch of 15 new free, ad-supported TV channels (FAST channels) on the streaming service.

These include:

• Police Interceptors
• 5 Cops
• Bargain Loving Brits
• Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly
• The Yorkshire Vet
• Geordie Shore
• Catfish
• Teen Mom
• MTV Reality
• Milkshake!

The streaming platform will also feature content from across Paramount’s other brands, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central and MTV Entertainment Studios.

Plus, the opportunity to sample some of the biggest hits from the company’s global streaming service, Paramount+.

For box set binge-watchers, the service is adding series like The Good Wife, Dexter and The Following to its catalogue.

Sarah Rose, President of 5 and UK Regional Lead at Paramount, explained: “This is the start of a new and exciting era for 5 as we bring together our linear and streaming services under one clear brand.

“Everything our audience and our advertisers already love about Channel 5 will be central to this relaunch – but there will be much more besides.”

Whatever Happened to the Pluto TV Merger?

If you’ve been following Channel 5’s streaming plans, you might remember that back in November 2023, Paramount announced plans to merge My5 with their free ad-supported streaming service, Pluto TV.

That merger has since been quietly shelved. Instead, Channel 5 has taken inspiration from Pluto TV and incorporated some of its features – particularly these new FAST channels – into the rebranded streaming platform.

This rebrand comes at a time of significant growth for Channel 5’s streaming offerings.

My5 had a stellar 2024, with viewing minutes up by 53% compared to 2023 – outpacing growth at BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4.

That strong performance seems to have given Paramount the confidence to push forward with this major overhaul.

New Original Content Announced

At today’s 5 Showcase event, Chief Content Officer Ben Frow announced an ambitious slate of new UK-produced content heading to the service in 2025.

Drama fans will be pleased to hear there will be over 100 hours of original UK drama this year – the most in the channel’s history. New series include:

• The Feud – starring Jill Halfpenny, Rupert Penry-Jones, Amy Nuttall and Larry Lamb
• The Au Pair – starring Sir David Suchet
• Cat and Mouse (previously announced as Catch You Later) – starring Jason Watkins and Robson Green
• Mrs Felton’s Murder Mysteries – starring Phyllis Logan
• Murder Before Evensong – a new adaptation of Reverend Richard Coles’ murder mystery, starring Matthew Lewis and Amanda Redman
• The Rumour – starring Joanne Whalley and Emily Atack

The channel has also secured UK rights for The Forsytes, a six-part period drama reimagining of The Forsyte Saga, starring Francesca Annis.

Returning favourites include All Creatures Great and Small, Madame Blanc and The Good Ship Murder.

In an interesting move, Frow also announced a new “Drama of the Week” strand – one-hour standalone dramas featuring well-known actors, set to begin airing from autumn.

Factual and Unscripted Content

It’s not just drama getting a boost. New factual series include:

• A major new Lawless Britain season, examining crime and justice in modern Britain
• The Sentence: You Be The Judge – a social experiment presented by Anne Robinson
• HMP Wandsworth: Fit For Purpose? – going inside one of Britain’s most troubled jails
• Hunting the Shoplifters and Lawless Britain: Catching the Street Thieves
• Dan Walker on Death Row – the 5News host examining capital punishment in the US

Travel programmes include Michael Palin in Venezuela, Alexander Armstrong in India, and Jane McDonald: From Pole to Pole (an ambitious journey from Antarctica to the Arctic).

History buffs can look forward to Bettany Hughes exploring the Seven Wonders of the World and Rob Rinder teaming up with historian Ruth Goodman for Rich Times, Poor Times.

Nature documentaries include The Secret Life of Bees with Steve Backshall, The Language of Trees, and Volcano with Dara O’Briain.

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