Granada Talk TV was a channel owned and operated by Granada Sky Broadcasting, a joint venture between
British Sky BroadcastingBritish Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
and
Granada TelevisionGranada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
. It launched on 1 October 1996 with the other channels of the bouquet. Hosted by the well known Roy Greenslade, but due to low viewership the channel ceased broadcasting in 31 August 1997.
The channel is perhaps best known for helping launch the careers of
Sacha Baron CohenSacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist. He is most widely known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictional characters: Ali G, Borat, and Brüno...
(presenter of anarchic children's show
F2F),
Natasha KaplinskyNatasha Margaret Kaplinsky is a British newsreader and television presenter, currently employed by ITV having previously worked for Channel 5, Sky News and the BBC...
(co-presenter of the
Paul RossPaul Ross is an English television and radio presenter, journalist, and media personality. He is the son of Martha Ross and the elder brother of Jonathan Ross.-Early life:...
Show) and
Graham NortonGraham William Walker, known by his stage name Graham Norton , is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist...
(regular guest presenter on
F2F). It also bred some of British television's most successful production talent, including Layla Sabih (later commissioning editor at the ITV Network), Mark Cowley (the creative force behind the legendary 'bushtucker challenges' on ITV's
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!) and Rob Burley (later editor of the
Jonathan DimblebyJonathan Dimbleby is a British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, a political commentator and a writer. He is the son of Richard Dimbleby and younger brother of British TV presenter David Dimbleby.-Education:Dimbleby was educated at Charterhouse School, a...
programme and the driving force behind ITV's Sunday political output).
Channel controller Will Smith became head of Granada London's Factual department, best known for the hit series
Airline.
Due to the
death of Diana, Princess of WalesOn 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
in the early hours of 31 August 1997, the final day's broadcasts were a simulcast of
Sky NewsSky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
.
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