Anime tv channel return in the UK?

I was born in 1994. Some of my most precious memories of childhood are staying up on the weekends to watch shows like Outlaw Star and Dragon Ball Z/GT on Toonami. I'd love for the younger generation to have something similar.

However, I think the landscape is entirely different now, in 2024 compared to what it was back then. I'm not sure if there is the same demand for an anime TV channel due to the rise of streaming services. Back in the day you'd have to wait days or weeks to watch the next episode of something and there would come a point when the channel showing the anime ran out of episodes they could show - and so they would then just show reruns until they acquired the rights to show the next part.

I think because of modern binge watching and people's short attention spans nowadays, there wouldn't be enough appetite for an anime TV channel. Of course, I could be wrong though.
 
I suppose that's true! The older generation will love it as well though haha (original toonami uk viewers)
Perhaps as a block first on Cartoon Network UK, and then if the demand is high then its own channel?
And for those who like binge watching (perhaps its own on-demand player like BBC iPlayer?)
I tried emailing CNUK about if toonami could be revived but no reply sadly
 
Definitely. I think if it were ever to gain any kind of traction again, it would have to start as part of a larger TV channel. Maybe having its own time slots, etc.

I remember when Film4 showed feature-length anime films and the like - not sure if they still do nowadays. But perhaps something like that would be cool.

M0nsoon said:
And for those who like binge watching (perhaps its own on-demand player like BBC iPlayer?)
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Sadly, I think this is what the likes of Crunchyroll's streaming service already provide.

There is something called PlutoTV where they have specific channels that just show one specific show on repeat all day (e.g., shows like South Park, CSI, Most Haunted, Hell's Kitchen, basically any crap TV). Perhaps something like that for anime would be pretty cool and could give off that old-school Toonami vibe.
 
On BBC iplayer, they have One Piece now plus DBS and most of the pokemon series!
If CNUK won't do it, then maybe the BBC can via BBC3 which starts at 7pm at night??
I would defo stay up till midnight if it went on that long (if it was a block!), I suppose there could always be an independent channel thats just anime 24/7 (Not the toonami brand)
Either way, it would be very cool (I currently watch anime illegally as crunchyroll is quite expensive)
 
A lot of the channels you would expect to show anime are extremely restricted in what they can show. If a channel is categorised as for children they can't show content above a PG rating. Hell they even have to censor some US content aimed at children to comply with these restrictions, that's why Toonami was a seperate channel in the entertainment category.
 
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if enough of us ask, perhaps they might put on a 'TOONAMI' block on CNUK in the evenings?
They have an email on their website!!! or maybe tag em on twitter/X?
even if its a 2hr block, it'll be good!!
 
You were born in the 21st Century and you still watch television? That thing you have to watch at a set time with ads you can’t skip or block? I think you might be in the minority there, I’m from the previous century and not even I do that any more. Not to dampen your enthusiasm but I can’t think what TV could offer that streaming doesn’t already do better, particularly where anime is concerned.
 
hey i mean if US Toonami is running still perhaps we can use that in the UK?
On a Friday night? then if you miss the episodes, then they're shown on sunday/saturday?
if it goes well, then turn into a proper channel?
 
M0nsoon said:
if enough of us ask, perhaps they might put on a 'TOONAMI' block on CNUK in the evenings?
They have an email on their website!!! or maybe tag em on twitter/X?
even if its a 2hr block, it'll be good!!
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They literally can't do that due to broadcast regulations. It doesn't matter what time slot it's put in it can't exceed a BBFC PG rating, even at 2am where you could put pretty much anything on another channel.

Iirc you can't even use the same transponder as a children's channel to put a part time channel without the same restrictions, it's the reason Adult Swim is a paid for programming block on Channel 4 as opposed to being run on Cartoon Network like in the US.
 
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Surprised to see the Pluto one has GE999 in the UK, the last time I remember anyone having that, it was region locked.

But yeah, I think Retro Crush was the first online service I’d seen running a TV-style stream with a range of shows at different times of day, but that is region locked.
 
Well yeah but Adult Swim in the UK is pretty rubbish tbh (Literally the only popular shows they do are Rick and Morty, Robot Chicken, and Samurai Jack)
If toonami was its own channel then (rather than a block if it wont work as a block), then they obvs buy the licenses for uk showings of anime?
Either way, should still ask lmao
Another question- should toonami be free to watch or part of a subscription if it came out? think maybe more people will watch if its free- if free then ads/promos for their other shows will be used to get revenue?
Or if CNUK buy adult swim, then perhaps then they could do it? (idk why it ever went to channel 4)
 
M0nsoon said:
Well yeah but Adult Swim in the UK is pretty rubbish tbh (Literally the only popular shows they do are Rick and Morty, Robot Chicken, and Samurai Jack)
If toonami was its own channel then (rather than a block if it wont work as a block), then they obvs buy the licenses for uk showings of anime?
Either way, should still ask lmao
Another question- should toonami be free to watch or part of a subscription if it came out? think maybe more people will watch if its free- if free then ads/promos for their other shows will be used to get revenue?
Or if CNUK buy adult swim, then perhaps then they could do it? (idk why it ever went to channel 4)
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Channel 4 are a publicly funded broadcaster and sell time slots to anyone who wants them, Adult Swim is a paid for time block by WB UK.
 
I think the biggest obstacle now is the dwindling relevancy of television, especially with the younger demographics that anime tends to target. That demographic is far too used to streaming services nowadays, and anime is plentiful there (even when we exclude Crunchyroll and focus on the more general streamers like Netflix).

Crunchyroll did launch a television channel in the US last year (LINK), but given the difference in sale between their market and ours, I can't see there being any incentive to launch one here. A client of mine at work recently started a television channel (not anime related), and it's an extremely expensive endeavour - just getting on Sky can cost tens of thousands. Back in the day, we also had AnimeCentral (2007-2008), and that only ran from 9pm-6am because it shared a broadcasting spot with PopGirl (which led to some hilarity like Fullmetal Alchemist playing while the channel still had the PopGirl watermark).

With Adult Swim, I wish Warner Bros. could actually sort out their distribution pipeline in general. Over here, Channel 4 seems to have a deal with Adult Swim, hence why things like My Adventures with Superman and Uzumaki end up on their streaming service. My Adventures with Superman was apparently later broadcast on E4, so they're probably the ones you might want to prod about a potential block returning here.
 
M0nsoon said:
why doesn't WBUK want to bring back toonami?
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I think in general, the answer to why a huge multinational corporation doesn’t do something is “because it wouldn’t be profitable (enough)”. I don’t have access to the figures of course, but my strong suspicion is that the majority of anime watchers now use streaming and a TV block simply wouldn’t have enough viewers to generate the kind of ad revenue that would make it worth their while to run. I doubt it would attract enough people away from Crunchyroll and the like, where they’re used to watching what they want when they want for a fraction of the price of buying discs (and I remember the days when you had to buy 4-7 individual volumes, each 2-3 times the cost of a one month sub to CR to collect a single series). Broadcast TV is not really a smart investment for anyone in the current media climate, streaming subs give companies a guaranteed income so they don’t have to rely on ads and as less people are watching TV, those ads only get less profitable.

Dammit @Joshawott, sniped with basically the same points. 😛
 
ive tweeted both Adult Swim UK and Warner Bros UK about it!!
I'll email channel 4 then maybe!!
A lot of people my age who love anime still watch tv, and people younger too!
Either way would be much more better than what CNUK do nowadays (who even watches ttgo anymore lmao)
 
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