DEF II

Programming strand on BBC2

DEF II
DEF II logo, as seen on early transmissions
NetworkBBC Two
Launched9 May 1988; 36 years ago (1988-05-09)
Closed23 May 1994; 30 years ago (1994-05-23)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Key peopleJanet Street-Porter
FormatProgramming to serve the teenage market
Original language(s)English

DEF II was a programming strand on BBC2, which aired at 6 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 May 1988[1] to 23 May 1994,[2] to serve the teenage market. It was produced by Janet Street-Porter, and followed on from her influential youth TV show Network 7 on Channel 4.[3]

Many of the presenters and staff on DEF II started their careers on Network 7[4] and had followed Street-Porter when she was "poached" by the BBC.[5] It had an ident featuring a barcode which differed from the usual idents used on BBC2.[6]

DEF II shows

Programmes shown as part of DEF II included both original content, such as Reportage, as well as those from other sources, such as American sitcoms and programmes from Europe (as seen in Jovanotti's Gimme 5.). These included:

  • Babylon II
  • DEF II: EXTRA!
  • Battlestar Galactica (Continued on BBC2 until 2001)
  • The Big Trip (1994–1996)
  • Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (Continued on BBC2 until 1997)
  • Cyberzone[7]
  • Dance Energy
  • Degrassi Junior High (1988; Four episodes, three BBC1 refused to air previously and one repeat)
  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air[8] (Continued on BBC2 until 2004)
  • Gimme 5 (presented by Jovanotti aka Gino Latino)[9]
  • Goggle Eyes
  • The Invaders (Continued on BBC2 until the late 1990s)
  • Les Lives!
  • Liquid Television
  • The Living Soap
  • Mission: Impossible (Continued on BBC2 until the late 1990s)
  • Open to Question
  • Rapido[10]
  • The Real McCoy (Continued on BBC2 until 1996)
  • The Ren and Stimpy Show (Continued on BBC2 until 1999)
  • Reportage
  • Rough Guides to the World
  • Standing Room Only[11]
  • Snub TV
  • Wayne's World (not the films but the Saturday Night Live sketches. Approx 10-minute slots)[12][13]

See also

  • BBC Switch, BBC Two's second programming block aimed at teenagers

References

  1. ^ "BBC Two England – 9 May 1988". BBC Programme Index. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Cry Freedom – BBC Two England – 2 May 1994 – BBC Genome". BBC Programme Index. 2 May 1994. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  3. ^ Ian Jones (1 October 2001). "Part One: "I Want To Subvert Mainstream TV"". Off The Telly.
  4. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Street-Porter, Janet (1946–) Biography". Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  5. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Network 7 (1987–88)". Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  6. ^ Malik, Sarita (25 October 2001). Representing Black Britain: Black and Asian Images on Television. ISBN 9781412932844.
  7. ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | CYBERZONE". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  8. ^ "BBC - Comedy Guide - The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air". 20 October 2004. Archived from the original on 20 October 2004.
  9. ^ "TVARK Media Player". tvark.org.
  10. ^ Harris, John (7 January 2010). Hail! Hail! Rock'n'roll: The Ultimate Guide to the Music, the Myths and the Madness. ISBN 9780748114863.
  11. ^ "A Football365 love letter to... Standing Room Only". 15 July 2017.
  12. ^ "COLUMN ONE : Wayne Takes on Europe : When 'Wayne's World' enters the Old World, how do you translate 'babe alert' and 'hurl'? Successfully, it turns out, with help from mock dictionaries, young comics and 250,000 pizza boxes". Los Angeles Times. 11 September 1992.
  13. ^ "BBC - Comedy Guide - Saturday Night Live". 6 April 2005. Archived from the original on 6 April 2005.

External links

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