Trouble

Trouble was a pay-television channel serving the United Kingdom and Ireland, with a programming brief focused mainly on teenagers and young adults, particularly viewers in the approximately 15-to-24 age range. The channel developed from TCC, a teenage programming block that had been carried by Flextech's The Children's Channel. Rather than remaining a block within a broader children's service, Trouble became a standalone channel on 3 February 1997, initially sharing broadcast capacity with Bravo. Its schedule concentrated on imported entertainment, especially American and Australian sitcoms and youth-oriented series, with a comparatively small proportion of British-produced programming. The channel's creation reflected a wider restructuring of multichannel television in the United Kingdom during the 1990s. Flextech identified teenage programming as a stronger opportunity than the increasingly competitive children's television market. Trouble therefore inherited much of TCC's teenage-oriented programming, continuity presentation, and online presence. After The Children's Channel closed in April 1998, Trouble expanded its hours and became the principal home for the company's teenage-focused strategy, while a limited selection of younger-skewing TCC programmes continued for a period. Trouble was distributed through major British television platforms, including Sky Digital and the cable systems operated by NTL and Telewest. Its placement varied by platform: it was initially listed in children's sections on some electronic programme guides even though parts of its schedule were directed at older teenagers and young adults. In 2003, the channel began commissioning more original programming, including the dating format Date My Mate and the chat show Talk to the Hand. That year also brought Trouble Reload, a delayed version of the main service that repeated programming later in the day. A major repositioning took place in 2005. Trouble received a new visual identity developed by Addiction, including the mascot Phinneas and a clearer emphasis on viewers aged 13 to 24. The refresh introduced Trouble Later, a post-watershed strand intended for young adults, and coincided with the channel's transfer from children's packages into general-entertainment sections on Sky and NTL. Trouble Reload was subsequently reduced to a one-hour timeshift service and renamed Trouble +1. Trouble was ultimately closed as its owner reorganised its portfolio of entertainment channels. Trouble +1 was withdrawn in February 2009, and Virgin Media Television announced in March that the principal channel would also be discontinued. Trouble ceased broadcasting on 1 April 2009 after twelve years on air. Its capacity was temporarily used for Living +2, a timeshift service associated with Living, while the wider plans for additional Living services later developed into Living Loves. Trouble is therefore remembered as a transitional youth-entertainment brand from the early era of British digital multichannel television rather than as an ongoing media business.

Trouble originated in Flextech's effort to develop a dedicated teenage television proposition. In 1992, The Children's Channel introduced TCC, a late-afternoon block aimed at teenage viewers. The block initially occupied an evening slot, but its scheduling changed in 1993 as the channel's daily hours were reorganised around the launch of The Family Channel and the expansion of Sky's multichannel offering. On 3 February 1997, Flextech converted TCC into a separate channel called Trouble. The new service inherited the block's teenage programming, much of its on-screen continuity, and aspects of its web presence. It initially broadcast from midday until 8 p.m. while sharing capacity with Bravo, whose schedule had shifted toward adult male-oriented programming. Trouble's output differed from the original children's-channel environment: it relied more heavily on sitcoms and other youth-oriented entertainment than on cartoons. The Children's Channel closed in April 1998, after Flextech concluded that the teenage market offered better prospects than a general children's service facing substantial competition. Trouble responded by extending its transmission hours, although some preteen material from TCC remained in the schedule until 1999. The channel was subsequently carried on Sky Digital and the digital cable platforms of NTL and Telewest. Its electronic programme-guide classification was not uniform, and some platforms placed it among children's channels despite the presence of programming intended for older teenagers and young adults. Trouble's business developed beyond the basic linear channel. In 2002, Flextech announced a planned radio-based companion called Trouble Radio as part of a broader broadcast agreement with Sky, but that service did not launch. In 2003, Trouble began commissioning additional original content, including Date My Mate and the talk programme Talk to the Hand. It also introduced Trouble Reload, a delayed version of the service that repeated the main channel's programmes thirty minutes later and initially operated for much of the daytime. In 2005, Trouble underwent a substantial branding and scheduling refresh. Design agency Addiction created a new visual package featuring Phinneas, a mascot intended to make the service more distinctive to its core audience. The channel explicitly targeted viewers aged 13 to 24 and added Trouble Later, a post-watershed strand for young adults. At the same time, Trouble moved out of children's channel packages on Sky and NTL and into general-entertainment groupings. Trouble Reload was reduced to a one-hour timeshift service and renamed Trouble +1. The channel's final phase was shaped by portfolio rationalisation. In February 2009, Trouble +1 was scheduled for closure and its capacity was allocated to Living2 +1. Virgin Media Television then announced that the main Trouble service would also be withdrawn. Trouble ended transmission on 1 April 2009, twelve years after its launch, and the slot was used for Living +2 pending further development of the Living brand. The proposed additional Living service later became Living Loves. No continuing Trouble-branded television service followed the closure.

• 2009

  Trouble closes

  [1]Trouble (TV channel)en.wikipedia.org

  Trouble +1 was withdrawn in February, followed by the closure of the main channel on 1 April and its replacement by Living +2.

• 2005

  Brand refresh and Trouble Later launch

  [1]Trouble (TV channel)en.wikipedia.org

  The channel adopted a new identity, introduced Phinneas, sharpened its youth positioning, and added the Trouble Later post-watershed strand.

• 2003

  Original programming and Trouble Reload arrive

  [1]Trouble (TV channel)en.wikipedia.org

  Trouble expanded its commissioned programming and launched a delayed repeat channel named Trouble Reload.

• 2002

  Trouble Radio is announced

  [1]Trouble (TV channel)en.wikipedia.org

  Flextech announced a radio spin-off, but the planned service was never launched.

• 1998

  The Children's Channel closes

  [1]Trouble (TV channel)en.wikipedia.org

  The closure of TCC enabled Trouble to expand its hours and become Flextech's main teenage-market television service.

• 1997

  Trouble launches

  [1]Trouble (TV channel)en.wikipedia.org

  The TCC block was separated into a standalone channel on 3 February, initially sharing transmission capacity with Bravo.

• 1992

  TCC teenage programming block begins

  [1]Trouble (TV channel)en.wikipedia.org

  Flextech's The Children's Channel introduced TCC as a programming block focused on teenagers, providing the direct predecessor to Trouble.

A youth-focused pay-TV entertainment channel targeting teenagers and young adults, combining imported sitcoms and series with a smaller slate of original programming.

• Pay television channel · 1997

  Trouble

  The core Trouble service was a UK and Irish pay-TV channel aimed at teenagers and young adults. Its schedule was built largely around imported American and Australian sitcoms and youth entertainment, supplemented by a smaller amount of British content. The channel later added more commissioned programming and a post-watershed strand for older viewers.

• Timeshift television channel · 2003

  Trouble Reload

  Trouble Reload was introduced in 2003 as a delayed repeat service. It showed Trouble programming later than the main channel and initially operated across a substantial daytime schedule on digital satellite and cable platforms.

• Timeshift television channel · 2005

  Trouble +1

  Trouble +1 was the later one-hour timeshift version of Trouble Reload. It repeated the main channel's programming one hour after the original transmission and was withdrawn in February 2009 during the reorganisation of Virgin Media Television's channel portfolio.

• Programming strand · 2005

  Trouble Later

  Trouble Later was a post-watershed programming strand introduced during the 2005 repositioning. It extended the brand toward young adults and allowed the channel to present material less suited to its earlier children's-package placement.

• 2005Trouble brand refresh

  United Kingdom · Ireland

  Trouble introduced a new on-air identity created by Addiction, centred on the Phinneas mascot and a more explicit focus on viewers aged 13 to 24. The refresh was paired with the Trouble Later strand and a move into general-entertainment platform categories.

  Outcome. The refresh repositioned the channel more clearly as youth entertainment rather than a children's service, although the brand was later discontinued in 2009.

  Source

• 2009

  Retire the Trouble brandStrategy

  Background

  Virgin Media Television reorganised its entertainment-channel portfolio and planned to use Trouble's broadcast capacity for Living-related services.

  Action taken

  The owner first closed Trouble +1 and then ended the main Trouble service on 1 April, replacing it with Living +2.

  Aftermath

  Trouble disappeared after twelve years on air; later plans for an additional Living service eventually produced Living Loves.

  Source

• 2005

  Reposition Trouble for older youth audiencesStrategy

  Background

  Trouble's programming and audience extended beyond the children's-category positioning used on some platforms.

  Action taken

  The channel adopted a new visual identity, introduced Trouble Later, and moved into general-entertainment sections on Sky and NTL.

  Aftermath

  Trouble presented itself more directly as a 13-to-24 entertainment service, while its timeshift offering was reduced and renamed Trouble +1.

  Source

• 2003

  Expand original programming and launch Trouble ReloadProduct launch

  Background

  The channel sought to develop a more distinctive schedule while making its existing programming available through a delayed service.

  Action taken

  Trouble commissioned programmes such as Date My Mate and Talk to the Hand, and launched Trouble Reload as a timeshift channel.

  Aftermath

  The brand broadened its output beyond imported programming and added a secondary digital distribution service.

  Source

• 1997

  Spin off TCC into a dedicated teenage channelStrategy

  Background

  Flextech considered teenage programming a stronger opportunity than operating The Children's Channel in an increasingly competitive children's television market.

  Action taken

  The company launched Trouble as a standalone service while retaining much of TCC's teenage content and presentation infrastructure.

  Aftermath

  Trouble became Flextech's principal television brand for teenage and young-adult viewers and later expanded its broadcast hours.

  Source

1. 1Trouble (TV channel)en.wikipedia.org