Trio (stylized as TR!O) was an American cable and satellitetelevision network owned jointly by USA Networks and NBCUniversal.
Trio went on the air in 1994, then originally owned and operated jointly by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Power Broadcasting Inc. (a subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada) along with 24-hour international news channel Newsworld International. The channel served as a venue for airing the CBC's arts, culture and entertainment programming in the United States. It was sold to USA Networks in 2000,[1] and was subsequently transferred to Vivendi Universal and later NBC Universal.
With the slogan, "pop, culture, TV", Trio programming under Vivendi/NBC Universal ownership focused on television as a cultural tool and art form.
, eliminating about two-thirds of the homes that could receive the network.
On November 21, 2005, NBC Universal announced that the Trio brand would be transferred to a broadbandInternet TV initiative under the Bravotv.com banner on January 1, 2006.
Cable and satellite providers still carrying Trio were offered a new NBC Universal cable network instead, called Sleuth, which was renamed Cloo in 2011 and continued on until its sudden closure on February 1, 2017.
Notable Trio programs
Original
The N-Word, Peabody Award–winning documentary starring Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson and many other African American celebrities discussing the origin and power of the word nigger.[2]
Outlaw Comic: The Censoring of Bill Hicks, documentary hosted by Janeane Garofalo, focusing on his David Letterman appearances, especially his last one, where he was cut from the program.
The Award Show Awards Show, examination of America's obsession with awards
The Christmas Special Christmas Special
Film Fanatic, cinema, hosted by Amy Sedaris
Flops 101: Lessons from the Biz
TV's Most Censored Moments, a documentary about censorship in television.
The Blockbuster Imperative, a documentary about Hollywood's obsession with blockbuster movies.
Saturday Spin Theatre, feature films like Leon the Pig Farmer and The Legend of the North Wind.
Reruns
Adrenaline Junkies (a.k.a. Medivac) (1999–2002)
Airline (1999–2002)
All Saints (1999–2002)
Battle of the Network Stars (2003–04)
Black Harbour (1998–2004)
Blue Heelers (1996–2004)
Brides of Christ (1993–96)
Bugs (1999–2002)
Coming Home (1999–2001)
Coronation Street (1999–2004)
Counterstrike (1994–1999)
Cracker (1999–2002)
The Dame Edna Experience (2002–04)
The Damnation of Harvey McHugh (1999–02)
Brilliant But Cancelled
This was the umbrella title under which Trio aired repeats of series that had very short lives on mainstream broadcast television, yet were still considered to be programming that "broke the mold" of what was normally expected from the "Big Three" networks. Series that appeared under the Brilliant But Cancelled umbrella included:
Brilliant But Cancelled was later used by Universal as a title for a series of DVDs that feature samples of short-lived series. Two of these have been released—one being a sampler of short-lived crime drama series, while the other was selected episodes of EZ Streets.
Action
Bakersfield P.D.
Brideshead Revisited
Charlie Cobb: Nice Night for a Hanging
Diner (pilot)
East Side/West Side
The Ernie Kovacs Show
EZ Streets
Fargo (pilot)
God, the Devil and Bob
Flops
Special airing of shows that flopped.
(The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer was supposed to air, but was pulled due to the controversial nature of the program, which played for laughs during the relationship between a black nobleman and President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War).
