5 to launch 5Drama channel on October 21 replacing 5Select
Britain is getting a new drama channel next month.
5, the Paramount UK network previously known as Channel 5, will launch 5Drama on October 21. The channel will replace 5Select, according to Deadline.
The rebrand drops Channel from the name. Listings now show 5. The new drama outlet carries that shorter name forward.
The plan is simple. One place for drama, all day.
Weekday afternoons will do the heavy lifting. Gilmore Girls will air in that slot. Columbo will air there too. A Million Little Things joins them in the afternoon line-up. Home and Away is also bound for afternoons, and it will start from episode 1. That matters for anyone joining late. You do not need to catch up elsewhere. You start at the start.
Evenings will look different. 5Drama will air British drama in peak evening times, the night-time hours when most sets are on. All Creatures Great and Small will be part of that offer. The reboot airs in the U.S. on PBS Masterpiece. 5Drama has also taken rights to Waterloo Road.
It helps to see where the channel sits. In television, linear means live, scheduled channels rather than on-demand streaming. Paramount UK's linear roster includes the main 5 channel, plus 5Action, 5Star and 5USA. 5Drama now joins that family, taking the slot previously held by 5Select.
The network is led by Reemah Sakaan, the boss of 5. Alongside the broadcast launch, 5 is launching a documentaries channel on YouTube. That is a separate outlet, built for phones, laptops and connected televisions rather than a broadcast guide. It does not need an aerial or a programme guide number. It lives where viewers already watch clips and full programmes.
For viewers, this means less searching. Afternoons gather weekday serials and repeats in one place. Evenings keep British titles together in peak. A replacement also keeps things tidy. Viewers who knew where to find 5Select will find 5Drama instead.
What makes this stand out is habit. Afternoon viewing lives on routine. A familiar title at the same time each day keeps people coming back.
Schedules can still shift. Titles can move slots. For now, the shape is clear. Days for familiar runs. Nights for British drama.
