[harshy]

It's not that suppressed, all 7 episodes are available (unofficially) on YouTube:

youtu.be 

Love the theme tune, some proper drumming going on there.

[WillPS]

Pretty much no BSB content made it to Sky, TV Ark had a clip of Sky One showing "Cool Cube", which was a kid's magazine programme (made by Granada) that went out originally on Galaxy, and Sky News showing Now Sir Robin. I don't think either lasted long, and I can't think of anything else that transferred over (nearly a third of Jupiter Moon was infamously not seen until Sci Fi showed it years later), so they probably wouldn't have taken Heil Honey no matter what the reputation was.

Not quite true, they even created The Comedy Channel to burn off some of the rights for programmes intended for airing on Galaxy.

Edit: depending what you define as 'BSB content' I suppose!

[James2001]

I think the Comedy channel only showed acquired content rather than anything made for BSB though.

---

It's not that suppressed, all 7 episodes are available (unofficially) on YouTube:

youtu.be 

Well, you know what I mean, they won't let it be released or repeated officially, someone had to sneak copies out of the ITV archive

[nwtv2003]

I get the feeling anything of BSB that went beyond the merger was entirely contractual, such as the requirement for arts programmes on DMAC (Sky Arts) and the creation of The Comedy Channel which was essentially the BBC and US imports BSB had, which by sheer coincidence closed down when UK Gold launched.

The Power Station ending just a little a year after it started I think could also fall into that category. The only shows that spring to mind that Galaxy had that Sky One took as their own were Teenage Mutant Hero/Ninja Turtles and Murphy Brown, if I’m not mistaken.

[WillPS]

I think the Comedy channel only showed acquired content rather than anything made for BSB though.

Yes, sorry, realised what you meant after reading it - BSB Original Content was indeed largely dead and buried.

An interesting legacy of the BSB rights is that some of the first run movie rights were assigned specifically to 'The Movie Channel', which meant that brand lived on until the mid 90s even though it was increasingly out of step with the naming of the rest of the Sky Movies empire.

Well, you know what I mean, they won't let it be released or repeated officially, someone had to sneak copies out of the ITV archive

Rather a lot of supposition there on your part. Who would release such a thing? Aside from the taste issue it is remembered by such a tiny number of people.

[Stooky Bill]

I get the feeling anything of BSB that went beyond the merger was entirely contractual, such as the requirement for arts programmes on DMAC (Sky Arts) and the creation of The Comedy Channel which was essentially the BBC and US imports BSB had, which by sheer coincidence closed down when UK Gold launched.

The Power Station ending just a little a year after it started I think could also fall into that category. The only shows that spring to mind that Galaxy had that Sky One took as their own were Teenage Mutant Hero/Ninja Turtles and Murphy Brown, if I’m not mistaken.

Well there's one thing that has lasted from BSB that has done rather well for Sky over the years and that's The Sports Channel which became Sky Sports.

Now that they've removed the B's from the company name that's the main legacy of BSB... that and the film Memphis Belle

[i.h]

Dished (already mentioned in this thread I believe) adds more meat to the idea that the "merger" was really a takeover, with Murdoch's people instantly setting up shop at Marco Polo house, right down to taking down the no smoking signs (I suppose that was a novelty back then) and lighting up

[lookoutwales]

Jools Holland's Happening - produced originally for Galaxy - did get a few repeat runs post-BSB on Channel 4.

And I think at least some BSB content did find its way, at least off-peak onto Sky - this Norman Lovett stand-up show, for example.

www.youtube.com 

Alas, both shows were the product of contracting out a huge chunk of their light entertainment output (Heil Honey, included) to Noel Gay Television, who promptly junked the lot.

[Stooky Bill]

Dished (already mentioned in this thread I believe) adds more meat to the idea that the "merger" was really a takeover, with Murdoch's people instantly setting up shop at Marco Polo house, right down to taking down the no smoking signs (I suppose that was a novelty back then) and lighting up

The shareholding of BSkyB was 51/49 with Sky's owners taking the bigger share, so they got to call the shots

[VMPhil]

Ironically, Marco Polo House was later home to ITV Digital, another failed Sky competitor