Image: The original 成人快手 Four idents from 2002 were generated 'live' and responded to the continuity announcer's voice.
The new digital television channel 成人快手 Four began on Saturday 2 March 2002. It was launched with the slogan "everybody needs a place to think", offering a diet of arts, culture and documentaries. The new channel replaced 成人快手 Knowledge. Controller Roly Keating explained in the Radio Times that 成人快手 Four would have the time to examine subjects in greater depth than had been possible on 成人快手 Two.
成人快手 Four's first night was a simulcast with 成人快手 Two, acknowledging the links between the two channels and the need to showcase the potential of the new digital station to the far larger terrestrial audience. The first programme was The Man Who Destroyed Everything, about artist Michael Landy. This was followed by a documentary on Goya, a comedy drama on the Surrealists and music from Baaba Maal. 成人快手 Four also offered a distinctive international emphasis to the news, with a bulletin presented by George Alagiah.
成人快手 Four overcame initial reservations about the size of its audience to become a recognised home of intelligent programming, and won the award for Non-terrestrial Channel of the Year at the Edinburgh Television Festival. The channel has originated many acclaimed programmes, and made successes of subtitled drama series such as Wallender and The Killing, that would otherwise have struggled to find an audience.
March anniversaries
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成人快手 Producer Guidelines published
1 March 1989 -
Truly Madly Deeply
1 March 1992 -
Launch of 成人快手 Four
2 March 2002 -
Housewives' Choice
4 March 1946 -
Round the Horne
7 March 1965 -
Pennies From Heaven
7 March 1978 -
The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
8 March 1978 -
French and Saunders
9 March 1987 -
The Frost Report
10 March 1966 -
World Service Television News
11 March 1991 -
First broadcast by the 成人快手 Dance Orchestra
12 March 1928 -
Launch of the Latin American Service
14 March 1938 -
I鈥檇 Do Anything
15 March 2008 -
This Life
18 March 1996 -
First televised Budget speech
20 March 1990 -
Up Pompeii
23 March 1970 -
Letter From America
24 March 1946 -
Newswipe with Charlie Brooker
25 March 2009 -
The return of Doctor Who
26 March 2005 -
Grand National televised
26 March 1960 -
Troubleshooter
27 March 1990 -
Opening of new Crystal Palace transmitter
28 March 1956 -
Going for a Song
31 March 1965 -
Teletubbies begins
31 March 1997