Sky has announced that Sky One is officially coming back later this month, with some new shows joining returning favourites. Originally running since 1989 (technically 1982 but under a different name), channel 106 was the home of big American shows and some homegrown hits.
There was Lost, Battlestar Galactica, The Simpsons, Futurama, Malcolm in the Middle and Stargate SG-1, with British shows like Brainiac: Science Abuse, A League of Their Own and An Idiot Abroad.
It was shut in 2021 and replaced with Sky Max and Sky Showcase, while a lot of the channel’s content also moved over to Sky Comedy.
But now it’s coming back in just a few weeks, on Tuesday 24 February, back in that 106 slot.
That does mean that Max and Showcase are both shutting down, essentially returning us to where we were in 2021.
Sky
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In terms of what’s new, there’s the upcoming launch of Saturday Night Live UK, which confirmed its cast of main players just a few days ago.
There’s also The Dyers’ Caravan Park and Gemma Collins: Four Weddings and a Baby, while Rob & Romesh Vs, The Paper and Ted will all continue.
“Our goal is to make it easier than ever for Sky TV customers to find and enjoy the shows they love,” Sky TV & NOW’s managing director Carli Kerr is quoted as saying.
“Building on the iconic heritage of Sky One, the channel will be a one-of-a-kind destination that’s big, bold and bursting with energy.”
Sky
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There’s some confusion over the upcoming launch of HBO Max in the UK in March and what that means for Sky Atlantic.
The broadcaster has confirmed: “Sky customers will continue to find shows such as House of the Dragon, The White Lotus and The Last of Us, and any new series aired before the end of 2025, on Sky Atlantic and through Sky’s On Demand service. ”
HBO content like The Pitt and the upcoming Lanterns series will be exclusive to HBO Max, although Sky is planning to offer bundles that include the service.
There are reports that Sky could buy ITV, while Netflix’s attempt to buy HBO parent company Warner Bros is currently pending legal approval. Either of these could massively change the UK media landscape, but it’s all up in the air at the moment.
Sky One relaunches on Tuesday, 24 February.
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he’s covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I’m a Fish.