From Zero To 5 Star Hero (Channel 5)

Member Name: utero

Product:	Channel 5
Date:	29/05/03 (199 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great US imports, Has the most entertaining stuff, Programming at reasonable hour

Disadvantages: Cut down on the soft porn :(

When Channel 5 started it was a channel that evidently didn't have much money to splash out on quality programming. It's content was mainly made up of bad US TV imports such as 'Animals Attack!" and Z-List direct to video movies although Friday nights were a nice line in soft porn. But that was then and this is now, a few years ago Five wasn't available to everyone but now the advent of digital TV means that a lot of people should be able to get a clear reception by investing in freeview box. Channel 5 is one now one of the best channels to invest in that box for.

If you look at TV at the moment then you'll see that the UK output seems to have forgotten how to make decent programmes. All it can gather up is reality TV shows with D-list celebrities and hopeless wannabies. Five on the other hand have noticed that the best entertainment shows where drama is concerned are now coming from the USA and that's where 5 are really starting to deliver the goods. Not only that but they know how to treat good TV shows unlike BBC, ITV and Channel 4. There are many cases in point but one has just recently came up.

The Buffy spin-off Angel was originally bought by Channel 4, the show is more darker than buffy and thus probably wasn't suitable for the normal 6-7 PM timeslot. So Channel 4 cut it down but then proceeded to shift it around the schedules until it appeared in a nocturnal slot which creeped into the early hours of the next day. This moved on to season two where Channel 4 didn't really know what to do with it. Channel 5 however have bought Season 3 have will show it in an 8PM slot on monday nights, that's primetime and gives a great alternative for the 20 something audience.

Kudos must also go to Five for bringing some great US drama and the US's biggest show. CSI constantly tops the ratings in the US and can be found here on Tuesday nights at 9PM in widescreen as well. It's a quality show that
towers over everything in the UK and Five knew this, hence the primetime slot. The past few months have also seen this show preceded by Boomtown, another fine US import that just got better every week. This finished yesterday but on the next few weeks Five will be bringing the second season of The Shield and that again is a really good show.

Not only that but Five seem to constantly pull out the big films, they have the rights to The Matrix, Gladiator and some future TV Blockbusters like Spiderman. I donlt know where they find the money but then again perhaps it's their growing reputation as a supporter of entertainment TV that is getting them all these coups.

It's just a shame that more people aren't tuning in to the channel because there's always something to watch on during primetime of interest. So while the BBC and Channel 4 screw with the best that the US has to offer there's hope that Channel 5 will get the rest of the best such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and Alias.

Summary: