After six years, BBC Three is back on traditional TV platforms on 1st February. The first week brings live African Cup of Nations football, a RuPaul Special and a chance to watch numerous BBC Three shows from the last six years from the beginning.
Launch Night – 1st February
BBC Three was originally launched by Johnny Vaughan in 2003. This time around, BBC Three teams up with Radio 1 for a special launch party hosted by Greg James and Clara Amfo (pictured above), celebrating the channel’s return at 7pm.
BBC Three’s new nightly news programme is The Catch Up. By young people for young people, the short news bulletin makes its debut at 7:55 on launch night.
Series 4 of Eating with My Ex makes its TV debut at 8pm with a celebrity special featuring the Rap Game UK‘s Lesia and D Live, plus Too Hot to Handle‘s Chloe Veitch and Kori Sampson. At 8:30pm, Geordie Shore‘s Bethan Kershaw and Ibiza Weekender‘s Callum Izzard are reunited with their exes.
The main BBC Three launch night event is at 9pm, with RuPaul’s Drag Race UK versus The World. The first of a six part series where UK contestants take on participants from other global versions of the show. Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud is the channel’s first documentary at 10:30pm.
Late night is the home of BBC Three shows made in the six years BBC Three didn’t have its own channel.
On BBC Three launch night, one of its biggest successes of recent years – Fleabag – will air at 11:30pm in a double bill.
This Country, Killing Eve, Normal People and other older BBC Three shows will air on subsequent nights.
African Cup of Nations football
Also on subsequent nights, full live coverage of the African Cup of Nations semi-finals and finals, beginning on 2nd February and 3rd February at 6:30pm via BBC Three iPlayer and from 7pm on BBC Three’s TV channel.
Other BBC Three launch highlights
Both series of US comedy Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, plus home-grown comedy Man Like Mobeen and Famalam will feature on the channel in the coming weeks. Other highlights include extreme driving in Gassed Up, dating show Love in the Flesh and streetwear business competition The Drop. Meanwhile The Fast and the Farmer(ish) brings tractor driving to a whole new audience.
Many programmes are already available on the BBC iPlayer, but BBC bosses hope to reach out to a wider audience. Ofcom research in 2020 found that younger viewers in BBC Three’s target audience don’t view the iPlayer as a destination to view new content.
BBC Three’s first four days:
| TUE 1st FEB | WED 2nd FEB | THU 3rd FEB | FRI 4th FEB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00 BBC Three x Radio 1: The Launch Party | 19:00 LIVE Football: African Cup of Nations The first semi-final | 19:00 LIVE Football: African Cup of Nations The second semi-final | 19:00 Eating with My Ex (repeat from 1st Feb 8pm) |
| 19:55 The Catch-Up BBC Three’s news programme | 19:27 The Catch-Up | ||
| 20:00 Eating with My Ex Celebrity specials (double bill) | 20:00 Angels of the North: Box Set All episodes of series 3. | ||
| 21:00 RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World | 21:10 Supercar, Superfam | 21:10 Free Spirits | |
| 22:15 Lazy Susan | 22:00 The Young Offenders | 22:10 Laugh Lessons | |
| 22:30 Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud | 22:15 Lazy Susan | ||
| 23:30 Fleabag From the beginning, the first episode | 23:20 This Country From the beginning, the first episode | 22:30 Killing Eve From the beginning, the first episode | |
| 23:55 Fleabag Series 1, Episode 2 | 23:45 This Country Series 1, Episode 2 | 23:15 Killing Eve Series 1, Episode 2 | 23:30 RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World (Repeat from Tuesday) |
What’s missing from BBC Three?
Since BBC Three first lost its TV channel in 2016, a lot has changed. The channel returns for a new generation of younger viewers, so viewers hoping for a re-run of its original shows may well be disappointed.
Family Guy and American Dad won’t be returning – the rights are secured by ITV. Don’t Tell The Bride won’t be on the new BBC Three – after a short stint on Sky 1, the show’s got a permanent home on E4. Episodes on E4 include ‘revisited’ episodes where producers catch-up on couples featured on the original BBC Three shows.
Where to find BBC Three
BBC Three will be available on all TV platforms. There will also be a live stream through the BBC iPlayer.
On Freeview, BBC Three will launch on channel 23. In England and Northern Ireland, BBC Three HD will be on channel 109.
Freesat will add BBC Three to channel 107.
Sky and Virgin Media channels will be announced shortly.