Smallscreen News
Boardwalk Empire to UK: Sky To Bring In New Year With Brand New Channel
By Ian Cullen Dec 30, 2010, 18:08 GMT
The latest development with Sky will likely please UK veiwers who enjoy much of the content that HBO put out in the USA. Sky will be launching a new Channel midway through January, which will air many of the bigger HBO shows.
For years now the leading Cable and Satellite Channel Package here in the UK has been Sky Television.
During the late 80s, 90s and the earlier part of this last decade, the company, which introduced UK Audiences to the joys of subscriber television have trail blazed and pretty much had the market here in the UK cornered.
In the 90s Sky One was the channel to go to if you wanted new US Drama series, and the company rather famously nabbed the first run rights to all the Star Trek series from the clutches of the BBC, which made Sky One a very popular destination for Science Fiction fans.
Lately the Sky Channels have had some serious competition from long time rival channels such as Bravo, which until earlier this year was giving viewers some real meaty alternatives with series such as "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," "Sons Of Anarchy" and "Leverage" to name but a few shows.
Though late last year, Sky took a bold step and bought Bravo out, which means an uncertain future for those great shows on UK television until we know what Sky plans to do with Bravo.
The latest development with Sky will likely please UK veiwers who enjoy much of the content that HBO put out in the USA. Sky will be launching a new Channel midway through January, which will air many of the bigger HBO shows.
Including will be the new series "Game Of Thrones", which boasts an all star cast.
You can check out the official press release from Sky about Sky Atlantic below:
Sky Atlantic HD is new home of HBO & Mad Men:
• Sky Atlantic HD will exclusively house HBO's new slate as well as HBO Originals
• Sky secure a life of series deal for exclusive rights to Mad Men from Season 5
• Sky Atlantic to showcase more of the best entertainment content from the US and UK
Following Sky and HBO's multi-year output deal announced in July, Sky Atlantic HD will air all of HBO's new series exclusively in the UK and Ireland including the already critically acclaimed "Boardwalk Empire."
The Prohibition-era drama from acclaimed director and Oscar winner Martin Scorsese and The Sopranos' Emmy Award winning writer Terence Winter features an all-star cast including Steve Buscemi , Michael Pitt and Kelly Macdonald.
"Boardwalk Empire" made its US debut on HBO on September 19, 2010 and a UK and Ireland premiere is scheduled for February 2011. The series has already been green lit for a second season after scoring HBO's best premiere audience for over six years.
Other upcoming HBO productions to be broadcast by Sky Atlantic HD include the fantasy drama Game of Thrones, based on the series of books A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, Luck , executive produced by David Milch and Michael Mann and starring two time Oscar® winner Dustin Hoffman , Mildred Pierce starring Oscar winner Kate Winslet and the new series from David Simon, the New Orleans set "Treme," which chronicles the rebuilding of the city following the historic devastation at the hands of Hurricane Katrina.
In addition, future seasons of existing HBO shows - such as Entourage and Big Love - will be broadcast exclusively on Sky Atlantic in the UK and Ireland. Furthermore, some of the most critically lauded series of recent times including "The Sopranos," "The Wire," "Six Feet Under" and Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks' "The Pacific" will also air on the channel.
As part of Sky's growing commitment to original production, Sky Atlantic HD will also offer a range of exclusive, new UK programming. Further details will be announced in due course.
