As the dawn of 2024 ushers in new beginnings, the British television landscape is set to welcome a nostalgic wave with the launch of a brand new linear channel: “That’s TV 2.”
Like its sister site (That’s TV), this latest addition to Freeview, Freesat and Sky is a time capsule of sorts, unlocking a treasure trove of classic shows that have shaped decades of television.
Set to debut on January 3, “That’s TV 2” offers a unique blend of nostalgia and entertainment, breathing new life into iconic series that have left indelible marks on viewers’ hearts.
The channel’s launch marks the 35th anniversary of the beloved Australian soap opera Home and Away a show that has captivated audiences both in the UK and globally – therefore, the channel is bringing the early episodes back to linear TV for the first time in years.
- Update: Just two weeks after launch, ‘Home and Away’ is gone from That’s TV 2.
Other classics include the iconic Baywatch series, sci-fi drama Humans and more – see full details below.
The Return of Home and Away and More
At the heart of “That’s TV 2’s” launch is the return of the iconic seaside soap Home and Away’s classic episodes, celebrating the show’s 35th anniversary
Home and Away is an Australian television soap opera created by Alan Bateman. It commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988.
The show follows the lives and loves of the residents of Summer Bay, a fictional seaside town in New South Wales.
The series originally focused on the Fletcher family – Tom and Pippa, and their six foster children.
Known for tackling adult-themed storylines such as teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol addiction, the show has been a staple of Australian television, but has also been quite popular in the UK.
Home and Away ran on ITV1 for 11 years before it was announced that Channel 5 had acquired the rights to broadcast it in 2000, where new episodes have been airing even since.
Now, viewers will have the chance to relive the early days of the Fletcher family saga, not seen on terrestrial TV since the show’s inception.
But That’s TV 2 is not just about Home and Away.
The channel’s lineup includes other revered shows like Humans, the BAFTA-award-winning Channel 4 drama.
Humans is a science fiction series that debuted in 2015, exploring themes of artificial intelligence and robotics, and starring Gemma Chan and Colin Morgan.
Another classic on the schedule is Baywatch, the American action drama series about lifeguards patrolling the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff.
Prisoner: Cell Block H, the cult Australian drama about a women’s prison which was the forerunner to the modern Wentworth franchise, will also air on That’s TV 2.
That’s TV 2 Joining That’s TV
The launch of ‘That’s TV 2’ is a significant step in the evolution of That’s TV, a network known for its focus on nostalgia and entertainment, as well as a roster of music channels such as That’s 60s, That’s 90s and others.
Since its inception as That’s TV Gold in 2021, the main channel has offered a range of content from musical documentaries and entertainment specials.
In recent years, That’s TV has made strides in bringing classic shows back to linear TV. For instance, the recent return of Little Britain to linear TV after 20 years exemplifies the channel’s commitment to bringing back beloved series, albeit with modern sensibilities in mind.
The festive season of 2023 saw “That’s Christmas,” a dedicated holiday channel, replacing the ‘That’s 70s’ channel on Freeview and Freesat – and now, That’s TV 2 will replace That’s Christmas.
This also means that the “That’s 70s” channel won’t be coming back – at least for the time being.
Kris Vaiksalu, Head of Programming for That’s TV and That’s TV 2, said: “Over the past year That’s TV has reached new heights and we now have a schedule bursting with iconic TV shows from Benidorm to Shameless.
“There are so many more iconic TV shows we would love to show but we had simply run out of hours to fit them in. So I asked myself, what would Einstein do? It’s been a lot of work but we’re hugely excited and privileged to be launching That’s TV 2 as our second archive TV channel.
“That’s TV 2 does what it says on the tin – it’s a second helping of iconic TV from the That’s TV team.”
Where Can I Watch That’s TV 2?
That’s TV 2 will broadcast free-to-air across the UK from Wednesday, January 3, 2024, on:
- Freeview Channel 65
- Freesat Channel 181
- Sky Channel 188 (But not on Sky Glass / Sky Stream)
As always, Freeview users may have to retune their devices, for the new channel to appear.
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home and away seems to have vanished
What time does That’s TV 2 MCR stop transmitting on Freeview, we have recorded Prisoner Cell Block H, it stops before the episode is finished, even if it’s before midnight.
I hope this channel comes soon to virgin media as they are show my favourite program on there
Is that’s tv2 coming to sky in the near future
It’s on Sky Q (and older devices) – but not on Sky Glass or Sky Stream, for now.
Will this channel ever come to sky glass.
Benidorm and Shameless have screen warnings at start of episode/after ads. As far as I can tell they aren’t butchered before airing. Censorship is an individuals decision to make, not the nanny state
Will That’s TV 2 be as bad as the original, the sound quality is so bad it makes it unwatchable, programs so quite you can’t hear them, then the adverts come on and deafen you!
Returning Little Britain to screens in a censored form is as pointless as making a big deal about showing Till Death Us Do Part then censoring most episodes. Treat viewers with some intelligence and have a notice at the start about the content