[WillPS]

Another example of what appears to be a random 5am showing then, alongside Bridge of Lies and The Crystal Maze recently.

Can we still assume these will be making their way to the 'On Demand' section. I see there are a couple programmes on demand but only by doing a search for them i think (Cash in the Attic and Weakest Link were two examples i found). Either that or they will soon gain a more prominent place in the schedule presumably, they clearly have the rights to them.

Just speculating - but in my opinion it's more likely they have some sort of rights which would expire completely unless 'activated' in 2023. Hence 1 single episode from each 'series' of The Crystal Maze (the 'Specials' seem to exist as one series, even though that wasn't how they were produced), not including the 2 Tudor-Pole series which presumably are either not held or do not expire in the same fashion.

Not inconceivable that rights were acquired allowing a broadcast by the end of 2023 followed by x repeats within no more than y months/years, in which case Sky have essentially retained the rights for the 'repeat' portion with a few throwaway 5am broadcasts.

Why rights might have been acquired but not used, I couldn't say, but it doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility.

The On Demand theory would make sense if the Challenge on demand section was updated in any meaningful way and if the series aired in full.