The 101
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| Type | Satellite television network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Availability | United States, only on DirecTV |
| Owner | DirecTV, Inc. (DirecTV Group) |
| Key people | David Hill, CEO |
| Former names | Freeview |
| DirecTV | 101, 334, 580, 800 |
| Website directv.com |
|
The 101 is the name of DirecTV's in-house channel on its satellite service, available throughout the United States. It can be seen on channel 101, hence the name.
The 101 dates back to 2000. At first, it was a continuous loop of concerts known as "FREEVIEW" because it was part of all subscription packages, starting with Total Choice. Since 2005, the program schedule has expanded to include original shows.
Contents |
[edit] Original programming
The original shows on The 101 are produced under the umbrella of DirecTV Original Entertainment. Its chief executive officer, David Hill, was previously the co-founder, and is still the president, of Fox Sports. At the time, both DirecTV and Fox Sports wre part of News Corporation (although DirecTV no longer is).
The first original program was CD USA, a pop music show reminiscent of the longtime favorite American Bandstand. CD USA premieres every Saturday evening and runs all weekend long. This channel also showed American Idol Extra, a weekly recap program, on weekends throughout the 2006 season after it had premiered Thursdays on Fox Reality.
Other original shows include the Championship Gaming Invitational, Championship Gaming Series, The FIZZ, and Project My World.
DirectTV and NBC Studios announced on April 25, 2007 that new episodes of the daytime soap opera Passions would begin airing on The 101 on September 17, 2007. [1] According to the announcement, the show would retain its current 2:00 p.m. ET timeslot, with episodes rerun on weekends. Passions had aired on NBC since 1999, but in January 2007 the network announced it would not renew the show for a ninth season, and its run on NBC ended on September 7, 2007.
[edit] Movies and previews
During the Halloween period in 2006, The 101 showed several themed movies, including The Toxic Avenger.
On February 23, 2007 and February 24, 2007, The 101 aired a preview of Chiller, the new cable channel from NBC Universal dedicated to horror programming that launched on channel 257 on DIRECTV March 1, 2007. Programming featured during this preview included the two-hour pilot episode of Twin Peaks, the pilot episode of American Gothic, episodes of Monsters, Tales from the Crypt, Night Gallery, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Friday The 13th: The Series, and various horror movies. [1]
In March 2007, The 101 showed The Tudors, a new dramatic series, a few days before it premiered on Showtime.
On August 24, 2007, The 101 aired an exclusive high-definition broadcast of High School Musical 2, one week after its premiere on Disney Channel. A High Definition version of Disney Channel will launch in 2008. [2]
