Freely, the streaming heir to Freeview and Freesat, just announced 10 new channels that are coming to the service, and one of them is the channel our readers have been requesting for months.<\/p>\n
Yes, Talking Pictures TV is finally coming to Freely in 2026.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a fan of classic British cinema who\u2019s been battling dodgy aerial reception for years, this is genuinely big news. For everyone else, it\u2019s a sign that Freely might actually be taking the \u201csmaller channels\u201d problem to heart.<\/p>\n
The announcement also brings five additional AMC channels (taking their total from three to eight), BLAZE from Hearst Networks, Bloomberg TV+, shopping channel Gemporia, and 11 Local TV variations depending on where you live (see the full list below).<\/p>\n
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These additions will push Freely\u2019s live streaming channel count past 70 \u2013 not bad for a platform that only launched 18 months ago.<\/p>\n
What Is Freely Again? <\/p>\n
Quick refresher for anyone who hasn\u2019t been following the Freely story.<\/p>\n
Launched in April 2024<\/a>, Freely is Everyone TV\u2019s streaming platform designed to eventually replace traditional Freeview and Freesat. It delivers live channels and on-demand content through your broadband connection \u2013 no aerial<\/a> or satellite dish required.<\/p>\n You get a unified programme guide mixing live TV with catch-up services, so you\u2019re not constantly jumping between iPlayer, ITVX, and everything else. The BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and 5 all back it.<\/p>\n Right now, it offers over 60 live channels plus loads of on-demand content. The catch? You need a compatible smart TV from brands like Hisense, Bush, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sharp, TCL, Amazon Fire TV<\/a>, or METZ, though standalone boxes are coming soon (more on that later).<\/p>\n The Talking Pictures TV Phenomenon <\/p>\n The Talking Pictures TV channel launched in 2015, founded by Noel Cronin along with his daughter Sarah Cronin-Stanley and her husband Neill Stanley.<\/p>\n They specialise in vintage British films, classic TV series, and documentaries from the 1930s through the 1980s.<\/p>\n Think black and white British cinema that mainstream channels abandoned decades ago. Early ITV dramas nobody\u2019s seen in years. Forgotten B-movies from studios that don\u2019t exist anymore.<\/p>\n The remarkable bit? The entire operation runs from the family home in Hertfordshire.<\/p>\n Noel builds each day\u2019s broadcast schedule by hand using paper cards in what Sarah describes as \u201cmore of an extension than a shed.\u201d<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t some corporate TV operation with banks of monitors and a fancy studio in central London. It\u2019s a family business run from home that somehow became one of the biggest independent channels in Britain.<\/p>\n The numbers tell the story. Weekly viewership hit around 6 million during the 2020 lockdown. It currently pulls about 4 million viewers per month.<\/p>\n Those are extraordinary figures for a channel showing content most broadcasters gave up on years ago. But they prove something important \u2013 there\u2019s still massive appetite for classic British content, particularly among older viewers who remember when terrestrial channels regularly showed black and white films on Saturday afternoons.<\/p>\n You can currently watch it on Freeview Channel 82, Sky 328, Virgin Media 445, Freesat 306, and YouView 82<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the problem \u2013 if you\u2019ve got rubbish aerial reception, you\u2019ve been stuck. That\u2019s where Freely comes in.<\/p>\n The channel did launch streaming apps last year<\/a> for Fire TV, iOS, and Android TV. But those offered on-demand content through TPTV Encore only \u2013 no live stream of the actual channel. Fans have been requesting that for ages.<\/p>\n Freely will finally provide a proper live stream, solving the reception problems that have plagued some viewers for years.<\/p>\n Why This Actually Matters For Freely <\/p>\n We\u2019ve written about this repeatedly \u2013 one of Freely\u2019s biggest weaknesses is the absence of smaller Freeview channels that people want to watch.<\/p>\n That\u2019s TV, Rewind TV<\/a>, the NOW music channels \u2013 they\u2019re all missing from Freely\u2019s lineup. These aren\u2019t massive broadcasters with unlimited budgets for streaming infrastructure. But they\u2019re channels viewers genuinely care about.<\/p>\n Talking Pictures TV joining Freely suggests the platform is starting to address this gap. It won\u2019t solve everything \u2013 plenty of channels remain absent \u2013 but it\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n Whether other small channels eventually make the streaming transition, or simply disappear when traditional broadcasting ends, is an open question.<\/p>\n The economics heavily favour larger broadcasters, which doesn\u2019t exactly inspire confidence for independent operators.<\/p>\n The Full Channel Lineup <\/p>\n Here\u2019s everything else arriving on Freely in 2026:<\/p>\n BLAZE \u2013 Currently on Freeview Channel 64, BLAZE is the channel for people who like Ancient Aliens, Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, and The Curse of Oak Island.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all mysteries, UFOs, treasure hunting, and paranormal programming \u2013 the kind of stuff that\u2019s either your cup of tea or absolutely not.<\/p>\n Bloomberg News \u2013 Dedicated news programming from Bloomberg.<\/p>\n Gemporia \u2013 Jewellery shopping channel specialising in reverse auction sales of gemstone jewellery, which is also available on Freeview and Freesat.<\/p>\n Local TV \u2013 11 regional variations including London TV, Liverpool TV, Leeds TV, Birmingham TV, Latest TV, and KM TV. Local news and programming based on your location.<\/p>\n AMC\u2019s Big Expansion <\/p>\n AMC already has three channels on Freely \u2013 LEGEND, TRUE CRIME, and WATCH FREE UK. Now they\u2019re adding five more:<\/p>\n TRUE CRIME UK \u2013 Already available on Freeview and Freesat as a joint venture between AMC and Paramount. True crime documentaries and programming.<\/p>\n Evidence of Evil \u2013 A channel dedicated to the documentary series that examines how forensic technology and DNA testing solved criminal cases. Each episode looks at high-profile investigations where modern science revealed perpetrators decades after crimes were committed.<\/p>\n Bloodline Detectives \u2013 True crime focusing on genetic genealogy and familial DNA testing used to crack cold cases. Hosted by former prosecutor Nancy Grace, the show details how revolutionary DNA techniques brought justice to unsolved homicides and assaults.<\/p>\n Love After Lock Up \u2013 Reality series following relationships between recently released prisoners and their partners. Documents the challenges of rebuilding lives after incarceration.<\/p>\n AMC Reality: Reality programming channel featuring shows like Growing Up Hip Hop, Amazing Wedding Cakes, Million Dollar Matchmaker, and LA Hair. It\u2019s a mix of lifestyle, wedding, matchmaking, and general reality content (and it\u2019s also available on ITVX).<\/p>\n Channel 4\u2019s Exclusive Channels Are Live <\/p>\n Today\u2019s announcement follows Channel 4 finally launching their three new streaming channels on Freely<\/a> in early October \u2013 delivering on promises made back in April.<\/p>\n The three channels \u2013 4Reality (channel 67), 4Homes (channel 68), and 4Life (channel 82) \u2013 are exclusive to Freely, at least for now.<\/p>\n 4Reality features Channel 4\u2019s reality programming like Married at First Sight and First Dates. 4Homes brings together property shows like Grand Designs. 4Life covers travel, food, and animal programmes.<\/p>\n Worth noting though \u2013 other channels promised in April<\/a> still haven\u2019t materialised. ITV\u2019s \u201cThe Chase\u201d and \u201cSaturday Night Every Night\u201d channels, plus 11 new channels from Channel 5, were all announced seven months ago as coming \u201clater this year.\u201d<\/p>\n Freely\u2019s Reality Check <\/p>\n So, where does Freely actually stand as a Freeview replacement? The picture is mixed.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got terrible aerial reception, Freely genuinely solves problems.<\/p>\n No more pixelated pictures when it rains. No more fiddling with aerials trying to get better signal. No more missing channels because you live somewhere with rubbish coverage.<\/p>\n Decent broadband gives you reliable picture quality regardless of weather or geography (though, of course, if your broadband goes down, so does your TV).<\/p>\n The interface beats traditional Freeview in some ways too. The unified programme guide mixing live and on-demand content makes sense.<\/p>\n Personalised recommendations are useful. Seamless switching between live TV and catch-up services (without having to open separate apps) works well.<\/p>\n For households where traditional Freeview has never worked properly, Freely could be genuinely liberating.<\/p>\n The Problems <\/p>\n The channel lineup remains more limited than traditional Freeview. It\u2019s restricted to broadcasters who can afford their own streaming infrastructure, which leaves gaps.<\/p>\n Oh, and recording? Forget it.<\/a><\/p>\n The upcoming streaming-only boxes (that we know about) won\u2019t support recording at all, forcing complete dependence on broadcaster-controlled catch-up services.<\/p>\n Miss something? Hope it\u2019s on iPlayer. Want to skip adverts on ITV content? Not happening. But the biggest issue is internet dependency. Freely makes television completely reliant on broadband. No internet means no TV at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n For emergency broadcasting during major incidents, that\u2019s potentially problematic.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also the cost consideration. Traditional Freeview is genuinely free once you\u2019ve bought the equipment \u2013 just plug in an aerial and you\u2019re done. Freely requires ongoing broadband, which averages nearly \u00a327 per month in the UK.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not trivial for lower-income households. Discounted social tariffs exist, but only 220,000 homes use them despite 4.3 million being eligible.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Freely Box Situation <\/p>\n Freely\u2019s biggest limitation continues to be availability. You still need a new smart TV from specific manufacturers. Got a perfectly good three-year-old television? Tough luck \u2013 you\u2019re buying a new one or you\u2019re not using Freely.<\/p>\n However, standalone boxes are supposed to fix this. French company Netgem announced theirs earlier this year<\/a>, promising a launch \u201clater this year.\u201d We\u2019re still waiting for an actual release date, but it should be coming soon.<\/p>\n When it arrives, the Netgem box will be streaming-only \u2013 no aerial port at all. It marks a clear statement about where Freely is heading. No traditional broadcasting support, no recording, pure streaming or nothing.<\/p>\n The BBC is also exploring a second, \u201cradically simplified\u201d Freely box<\/a> designed for people who find modern streaming technology overwhelming.<\/p>\n This accessibility-focused device would offer a more traditional TV-like experience while delivering content through broadband.<\/p>\n Most intriguingly, a mysterious Humax device surfaced on retailer websites last month<\/a> \u2013 the FHR-6000T Freely PVR.<\/p>\n With 1,000 hours of storage, 4-channel recording capability, and an aerial port, this could be the hybrid solution many viewers actually want. Traditional Freeview recording with Freely streaming on the side.<\/p>\n The catch? Nobody knows if it can record from Freely\u2019s streaming channels or just traditional aerial-based Freeview.<\/p>\nFreely <\/p>\n
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Talking Pictures TV app <\/p>\n
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Humax FHR-6000T <\/p>\n