BBC Entertainment to launch across 12 million households in Europe and the Middle East on 11 November

The pan-regional BBC Entertainment channel will offer viewers an award-winning, fresh and contemporary on air look, creating a high quality environment around much loved BBC content and a number of new premieres.

As part of BBC Worldwide Channels' ongoing commitment to offer viewers channels of the highest quality, the improved on-air look for BBC Entertainment is coupled with a recent investment in new programming hours.

New dramas set to premiere on the channel from November onwards include the five-part series Mine all Mine, penned by Russell T. Davies, Waterloo Road S3, The Gill Mayo Mysteries and Blackjack, while upcoming comedy includes Lead Balloon S2, The Omid Djalili Show and Jack Dee: Live at the Apollo.

The channel will air blocks of documentary, lifestyle and children's programming in off-peak hours and will continue to be the home of popular long-running serials such as Eastenders, Holby City and Casualty.

Dean Possenniskie, General Manager and SVP EMEA, BBC Worldwide Channels, said:

"Launching BBC Entertainment in over 12 million households in Europe is a significant step in our ongoing commitment to provide audiences with channels that reflect the quality synonymous with the BBC brand. I'm sure viewers will appreciate the fresh and contemporary on-air look for BBC Entertainment and will enjoy the hundreds of hours of fresh programming that will hit their screens this year."

The change to BBC Entertainment will take place at 06.00 CET on 11 November. This change will take place automatically and viewers do not need to make any changes to their set top box, satellite or smart card to commence enjoying the new look channel.

BBC Prime first launched in 1995 and is currently available in 12 million homes across Europe and the Middle East. The rebrand of BBC Prime to BBC Entertainment will bring the channel in line with BBC Worldwide Channels global portfolio of BBC-branded thematic channel brands - BBC Entertainment, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Knowledge, CBeebies and BBC HD.

BBC Entertainment first launched as a fully localised channel in Asia in 2006 and since then has launched across India, Poland, Africa, Scandinavia and Latin America.