Paramount-owned UK broadcaster 5 is replacing its 5Select channel with 5Drama on 21 October. The new linear service is positioned as a dedicated home for 5’s original UK drama plus a mix of US and Australian series, and it will sit across major digital platforms with a higher EPG slot.
A schedule built around drama dayparts
5Drama’s schedule is structured as a viewing funnel. Weekday afternoons lean on nostalgic US drama, building into recent boxset hits before peak. Prime time opens with family favourites at 19.00 and 20.00, moves to classic UK drama at 21.00, then offers a second chance for recent Channel 5 titles at 22.00. Each night closes with a double bill of Australian drama.
- Weekday peak: family favourites at 19.00/20.00 and classic UK drama at 21.00
- Late night: second-run titles such as The Cuckoo, The Catch and Cold Call
- Saturday: “super sleuths” from Jessica Fletcher to Inspector Dalgliesh
- Sunday: UK drama marathons
Named in the launch are All Creatures Great & Small, The Madame Blanc Mysteries, The Hardacres, Ellis and Dalgliesh. 5Drama will also carry boxsets from 5Streaming, including Gilmore Girls, A Million Little Things and Waterloo Road. Soon after launch, the channel will air Home & Away from the very first episode.
A portfolio play, not just a channel swap
5Drama joins 5, 5Action, 5Star and 5USA in the broadcaster’s line-up. At the same time, 5 is expanding its YouTube portfolio with 5Docs, a new home for factual talent such as Michael Palin, Dan Snow and Steve Backshall. 5Docs joins 5Sport, live NFL games on the main 5 YouTube channel, 5 News, Jeremy Vine & Daytime and Milkshake!.
For media planners, the move matters because it gives Channel 5 a clearer genre promise. The broadcaster is using a linear channel to make drama easy to find, while the grid is designed to feed viewers from afternoon nostalgia into peak originals and late boxsets. It also connects broadcast slots to 5Streaming and YouTube, so linear becomes a shop window for library depth.
“Award-winning drama is increasingly at the heart of what 5 offers viewers, so it’s the right time to give it a dedicated home.”
Reemah Sakaan, president of 5, framed the change as sharpening the channels and giving viewers a clear offer across linear, 5Streaming, Freely and YouTube.
What to watch
The announcement contains no viewership or carriage figures, so the test is execution. Media teams should watch whether the higher EPG slot and fixed drama slots lift reach, and whether 5Drama drives sampling of 5Streaming titles. Fixed 21.00 and 22.00 slots may also become a simple buying shorthand for drama-heavy audiences.
Source: C21media
