Sky Soap

Sky Soap

Country	United Kingdom
Ownership
Owner	British Sky Broadcasting
History
Launched	3 October 1994
Closed	30 April 1999

Sky Soapwas a British and Irish satellite television channel operated byBritish Sky Broadcastingdevoted to American and Britishsoap operasthat includeEmmerdale Farm,Take the High Road,FamiliesandAlbion Market.

History

WhenSky Channelwas launched on the Astra satellite on 5 February 1989, the daytime schedule was overhauled and included a block of five soaps. The first, starting at 11.30am fromAustralia,The Sullivans,which was also still airing in someITV regions.Next were fourAmericandaytime soaps –Another World,which had been airing on the channel since 1987, started at 12.00pm; followed byGeneral Hospitalfrom 12.55pm; andAs the World Turnsat 1.50pm and finally,Lovingin a regular 2.45pm slot.A sixth soap opera,The Young Doctors,was another Australian serial also being broadcast on ITV. Sky Channel initially aired it in an early evening slot at 5.00pm, before switching to mid-afternoon after 6 months, and then finally, at 10:30am, from 1990.

The network changed its name to Sky One on 31 July 1989.The Sullivans,General HospitalandAs the World Turnswere all dropped, and in November 1990, newer American daytime soaps were added to the line-up:The Bold and the BeautifulandThe Young and the Restlesswere both inherited fromBSB'sGalaxychannelfollowing the corporate merger of the two companies, although neither were retained once the 3-year contract with BSB expired in 1993. In February 1991, Sky boughtSanta Barbara,which wasanothersoap opera originally broadcast on theITV network.By 1993, with the addition of Australian soapsE StreetandParadise Beachto the schedules, as well as daytime repeat runs of American primetime series,St ElsewhereandFalcon Crest,the block of daily soap operas on Sky One ran from 10.30am through to 3.30pm.

With the success of Sky One's daytime soap opera block, it was decided in 1994 to create a new, dedicated channel, and Sky Soap began broadcasting on 3 October 1994 from theAstra 1Csatellite on weekdays between 8.00am and 12.00pm.The original line-up on the channel consisted entirely of American daytime soaps: a repeat run of the first season ofLovingwhich originally aired on Sky One;Peyton Place(originally aired on ITV, and was replaced bySanta Barbara); plus, a new serial to UK viewers,Guiding Light,premiered, andAs the World Turnsreturned, having aired on Sky One in 1989. Finally, current episodes ofAnother World,were moved across from Sky One.

The channel didn't attract viewers, and so the broadcast hours were changed to between 12.00pm and 4.00pm. By 1997, Sky Soap was broadcasting fromAstra 1B,and the hours were extended to 11.00am to 4.00pm. The only American daytime soaps airing by then wereAs the World TurnsandGuiding Light,while old episodes of British soaps were added to the line-up, includingEmmerdale Farm,FamiliesandTake the High Road.

Poor viewing figures following the launch of Sky Digital led to the channel's closure on 30 April 1999.

Programming

American

• Another World
• As the World Turns
• Guiding Light
• Loving
• Peyton Place
• Santa Barbara

Australian

• E Street
• Paradise Beach

British

• Albion Market
• Emmerdale Farm(episodes from 1972–1988)
• Families
• Take the High Road(episodes from 1980-1989)

External links

• Sky Soap at TVARK
• Sky contact number