U&Alibi

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Digital television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom

title: "U&Alibi" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["television-channels-and-stations-established-in-1997", "uktv", "uktv-channels", "crime-television-networks"] description: "Digital television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom" topic_path: "arts/film" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U&Alibi" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Digital television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox television channel"]

FieldValue
nameU&Alibi
logo_size180px
logo_captionLogo used since 2024
logoU&Alibi (2024).svg
launch_date
ownerBBC Studios
parentUKTV
countryUnited Kingdom
languageEnglish
areaUnited Kingdom and Ireland
picture_format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed)
former_namesUK Arena (1997–2000)
UK Drama (2000–2004)
UKTV Drama (2004–2008)
Alibi (2008–2024)
timeshift_serviceU&Alibi +1
sister_channelsU&Dave
U&Drama
U&Eden
U&Gold
U&W
U&Yesterday
website
online_serv_1Sky Go
online_chan_1Watch live (UK and Ireland only)
online_serv_2Virgin TV Go
online_chan_2Watch live (UK only)
online_serv_3TalkTalk TV
online_chan_3Watch live (UK only)
online_chan_4Watch live (UK only)
::

| name = U&Alibi | logo_size = 180px | logo_caption = Logo used since 2024 | logo = U&Alibi (2024).svg | launch_date = | owner = BBC Studios | parent = UKTV | country = United Kingdom | language = English | area = United Kingdom and Ireland | picture_format = 1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed) | former_names = UK Arena (1997–2000) UK Drama (2000–2004) UKTV Drama (2004–2008) Alibi (2008–2024) | timeshift_service = U&Alibi +1 | sister_channels = U&Dave U&Drama U&Eden U&Gold U&W U&Yesterday | website = | online_serv_1 = Sky Go | online_chan_1 = Watch live (UK and Ireland only) | online_serv_2 = Virgin TV Go | online_chan_2 = Watch live (UK only) | online_serv_3 = TalkTalk TV | online_chan_3 = Watch live (UK only) | online_chan_4 = Watch live (UK only)

U&Alibi is a British premium television channel that was launched on 1 November 1997 as UK Arena. It was renamed UK Drama in 2000, and then UKTV Drama in 2004, Alibi on 7 October 2008, and U&Alibi on 7 November 2024.

History

The channel originally launched as part of the new four-channel UKTV network on 1 November 1997. The channel, originally named UK Arena, focused on arts programming and was named after the BBC's flagship arts programme Arena (The BBC, through BBC Worldwide, owning half of UKTV and therefore half the channel). The channel aired as a part-time service, airing from 3:00pm every day.

However, following disappointing ratings, the channel's focus was broadened to include all drama series, and as a result was renamed UK Drama on 31 March 2000. However, the channel remained a part-time service, starting at 7:00pm.

On 5 November 2001, UK Drama began timesharing with a new sister channel, UK Food, which aired in UK Drama's daytime slot.

On 10 January 2003, UK Food extended its broadcast hours while UK Drama reduced its broadcast hours to 9:00pm–5:00am.

On 8 March 2004, the channel, alongside all other UKTV channels, was renamed UKTV Drama to increase awareness of the UKTV brand. On 1 July 2004, UKTV Food extended its broadcast hours, leading to UKTV Drama moving to UKTV Food +1's slot (which had been vacated by UKTV People), although still broadcasting the same hours as before.

On 9 April 2005, UKTV announced that UKTV Drama would expand to a full 24-hour schedule on 30 May. In order to prepare for the transition, the channel moved out of UKTV Food +1's downtime slot to a newly purchased space and started broadcasting from 1:00pm at the end of April, before the full transition to a 24-hour network.

On 2 May 2006, a one-hour timeshift service - UKTV Drama +1, launched on Sky in the vacated broadcast space formerly home to UKTV People +1. It broadcast from 3:00pm–2:00am every day. Corresponding to the name on the main channel shows all programming from the channel one hour later, with no special idents or continuity used.

On 23 October 2007, UKTV Drama +1 was added to Virgin Media.

Following the successful relaunch and rebranding of the channel UKTV G2 as Dave on 15 October 2007, the remaining UKTV channels underwent the same changes. UKTV Drama and UKTV Drama +1 were renamed as Alibi and Alibi +1, respectively, on 7 October 2008, and the channel's programmes were changed to focus specifically on crime dramas. All non-crime dramas were transferred to the rebranded Gold channel or to the newly created flagship channel Watch.

On 29 July 2011, UKTV announced that it had secured a deal with BSkyB to launch three more high-definition channels on Sky. As part of Virgin Media's deal to sell its share of UKTV, all five of UKTV's HD channels would also be added to Virgin's cable television service by 2012. Alibi HD launched on 3 July 2012 on Sky and Virgin Media, while Dave HD and Watch HD launched in October 2011. All three channels are HD simulcasts of the standard-definition channels. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Alibi-logo-2015.png" caption="Alibi logo used from 2015 to 2024"] ::

Programming

The output of the channel is a combination of drama series and serials comprising first-run exclusive and second run shows from the United States and Canada, together with second run showings of shows from the BBC and ITV.

Original programming

Drama

Co-production

Current

Previously

TV movies

Movies

References

References

  1. (11 July 2001). "UKTV announces UK Food launch".
  2. "UK Food extends programming hours".
  3. (22 June 2004). "UKTV Food and UKTV People to be 24 Hours Before the End of the Year".
  4. (9 April 2005). "UKTV Drama to expand hours".
  5. (2 May 2006). "Three additions to Sky EPG".
  6. (23 October 2007). "UKTV Drama timeshift added to VM lineup".
  7. Donnelly, Alison. (17 September 2008). "UKTV unveils new channels and familiar stars like John Cleese and Red Dwarf crew". Brand Republic.
  8. Curtis, Chris. (17 September 2008). "UKTV to reveal eye-opening Watch logo". [[Broadcast (magazine).
  9. (29 July 2011). "UKTV enters VoD market with landmark HD content deal with Sky". [[UKTV]].
  10. (15 August 2011). "Virgin Media sells £239m stake in UKTV". [[Financial Times]].
  11. White, Peter. (1 May 2019). "Martin Compston, Laura Fraser, Molly Windsor & Jennifer Spence To Star in UKTV Crime Drama ''Traces''".
  12. "Traces: From release date to cast - everything we know about Alibi's female-led crime thriller so far".
  13. (28 September 2020). "''Caravaggio's Shadow'' Underway in Naples; Curzon Picks Up Cannes Drama ''Il Mio Corpo''; ''Traces'' & ''We Hunt Together'' Renewed – Euro Briefs".
  14. (19 June 2009). "Alibi eyes new co-productions". C21Media.
  15. Munn, Patrick. (4 September 2020). "Alibi Sets UK Premiere Date For ''Evil''". TVWise.
  16. "Castle". [[UKTV]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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