Anyone remember that fateful afternoon when watching TCC (The children's channel)...

hatrickpatrick

...in the middle of an episode of "Spellbinder", and then cablelink went fuzzy for a few minutes before emerging as Nickelodeon, with no explanation for the sudden changeover, even to this day?

It was literally right in the middle an episode. I'll never forget my avid horror as my then favourite show was interrupted and over the hours which followed, hideous comprehension dawned that I probably wouldn't get to see the next day's episode either, and would have to wait until Den TV, which was about 10 episodes behind TCC and only showed it every second day, caught up.

Anyone else remember when this happened?
Or, to sum up, "Where were you when TCC was bumped in favour of Nick without any warning whatsoever?"

amacachi

"I wouldn't miss it for anything!" Poor Alan Shearer had no-one to play with.

Dunjohn

I don't remember the switchover, but damnit I'd take TCC over Nickelodeon any day. Earthworm Jim! Eek the Cat! EARTHWORM JIM!

I do remember when the channel, whichever it was, would switch over to MTV on the stroke of six. It was the official start of homework time.

Smur

Don't forget the best programme that was on TCC - 'The Tick'. His one-liners were hilarious. And just for all you nostalgic people out there:

ChopShop

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

...in the middle of an episode of "Spellbinder", and then cablelink went fuzzy for a few minutes before emerging as Nickelodeon, with no explanation for the sudden changeover, even to this day?

Odds are it was because it was easier/cheaper to just go with the Paramount owned Nickleodeon. Lack of explanation, probably because it was easier to just not bother.

I can't remember when the switch happened, but IIRC, the Childrens Channel wound down at the end of the nineties anyway (?)

In the 'old days' Nickleodeon turned out some decent cartoons, Rock, Invader Zim, Agggh Real Monsters,,, and yeah even Spongebob had it's moments.

L1011

TCC was imminently closing on satellite when it happened, if it wasn't going to go mid episode it was going to vanish overnight instead.

Out here in CMI-land we got Cartoon Network instead. Far less satisfying

Smur

I had satellite at the time so had TCC to the bitter end, April 3rd, 1998 was the last day. It closed down normally, saying they'd be back tomorrow, but TV Travel Shop took over the next day.

Smur wrote: »

Don't forget the best programme that was on TCC - 'The Tick'. His one-liners were hilarious.

Nick Soapdish?

Posy

I don't recall the changeover to Nickelodeon but I remember missing some programmes that I had watched on The Children's Channel.
Wow, I'm feeling so nostalgic about TCC now. Yeah, I remember it used to change to some grown up channel at a certain time so it was always TV first, homework later. Damn right too!

icdg

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Anyone else remember when this happened?
Or, to sum up, "Where were you when TCC was bumped in favour of Nick without any warning whatsoever?"

It wasn't without warning whatsoever, it had been well flagged that TCC was closing and Cablelink had been considering a replacement. They went for Nickelodeon but Cartoon Network or Trouble might also have been considered (there weren't too many other other children's TV channels back then).

The reason TCC closed is that they shot themselves in the foot, basically. They spun off their older children's programming into a seperate channel, Trouble (those who remember that era may remember the "Looks like Trouble" teasers which aired on TCC prior to Trouble's launch). That left the original TCC with the preschool and younger kids programmes that simply didn't attract the audience that the older teen programming (the Peter Engel sitcoms mainly) did.

Obviously Cablelink's carriage deal with Nickelodeon commenced before TCC itself actually closed, although to change it mid-programme instead of overnight is a bit strange.

As I recall, NBC Super Channel also closed around the same time.

PrincessLola

I remember TCC! What year was it? Because I remember being a very young child watching it and then one day it was gone with Nickelodeon in its place:eek:

PrincessLola

PrincessLola wrote: »

I remember TCC! What year was it? Because I remember being a very young child watching it and then one day it was gone with Nickelodeon in its place:eek:

It launched on satellite and cable in the UK in September 1984, not sure when it launched on Cablelink though, probably around 1986/87. Closed on analogue satellite in April 1998.

dnme

Was "Trouble" a different channel then ?

dnme

dnme wrote: »

Was "Trouble" a different channel then ?

Yes, it launched in 1997 and timeshared with Bravo on satellite.

starviewadams

TCC had gone way downhill,I remember all they used to show was loads of the really old 60's era Batman series,that and Art Attack.Woke up one Saturday morning and Nick was just there,I was delighted!

We had won a years subscription to Sky Movies/Sports and The Disney Channel which opened my young eyes up to actual good teen shows like Boy Meets World and Home Improvement.When the year ran out I had to get used to crappy old TCC again but luckily Nick came along with the likes of Doug,Hey Arnold,Kenan and Kel,Sister Sister,Alex Mack and of course the Renford Rejects!

Always hated the way Cablelink used to switch it off at 7pm though!

starviewadams

starviewadams wrote: »

TCC had gone way downhill,I remember all they used to show was loads of the really old 60's era Batman series,that and Art Attack.Woke up one Saturday morning and Nick was just there,I was delighted!

We had won a years subscription to Sky Movies/Sports and The Disney Channel which opened my young eyes up to actual good teen shows like Boy Meets World and Home Improvement.When the year ran out I had to get used to crappy old TCC again but luckily Nick came along with the likes of Doug,Hey Arnold,Kenan and Kel,Sister Sister,Alex Mack and of course the Renford Rejects!

Always hated the way Cablelink used to switch it off at 7pm though!

Yes, the teenage programming which was moved to Trouble was part of what kept the channel going, without that they really only had the 90s remake of Dennis the Menace, the 60s Batman, Art Attack, Earthworm Jim and The Tick (the latter two being epically brilliant though!). The Tiny TCC strand remained to the end and actually moved to Living after TCC was closed.

Nickelodeon always closed at 7pm in the analogue days, Paramount took over the satellite transponder at that time. When Sky Digital launched they expanded their hours until 10pm but Cablelink/NTL kept the old analogue divide and UPC still retain it.

I left Dublin in 1996 so don't have much knowledge of Nickelodeon on Cablelink, did they still show the Link channel after 7pm?

starviewadams

Karsini wrote: »

Yes, the teenage programming which was moved to Trouble was part of what kept the channel going, without that they really only had the 90s remake of Dennis the Menace, the 60s Batman, Art Attack, Earthworm Jim and The Tick (the latter two being epically brilliant though!). The Tiny TCC strand remained to the end and actually moved to Living after TCC was closed.

Nickelodeon always closed at 7pm in the analogue days, Paramount took over the satellite transponder at that time. When Sky Digital launched they expanded their hours until 10pm but Cablelink/NTL kept the old analogue divide and UPC still retain it.

I left Dublin in 1996 so don't have much knowledge of Nickelodeon on Cablelink, did they still show the Link channel after 7pm?

Yep,they either showed the Link channel or sometimes they showed all the other channels available on cablelink in tiny little squares,the odd time someone must have forgotten to switch the feed off and the Family Channel would come on

icdg

The Link channel lasted well into the NTL era. It was renamed "NTL Information Service" when the name changed but quitely reverted back to Link. It was finally closed in January 2004 and replaced with Paramount Comedy.

Meant the loss of the TVE/ZDF/RAI news bulettins which Cablelink used to carry on the channel along with cheap local programming.

DCTV is somewhat similar to what Link used to be.

Fittle

Aw Kenan & Kel..who just mentioned that? My nephew used to love it, and when he was having sleepovers at our house (his grans), I used to watch it on the sly with him..I was way too old for it, but loved it.

And it is recently being repeated on one of the Nick channels at 9pm midweek:D

My son (who shouldn't be up at 9pm during the week!) just loves it too....:D

Econoline Van

Sent a crisp in to the "Risk a Crisp" section of one of the shows on TCC and never saw it selected. Still sore about it :mad:

hatrickpatrick

icdg wrote: »

It wasn't without warning whatsoever, it had been well flagged that TCC was closing and Cablelink had been considering a replacement. They went for Nickelodeon but Cartoon Network or Trouble might also have been considered (there weren't too many other other children's TV channels back then).

The reason TCC closed is that they shot themselves in the foot, basically. They spun off their older children's programming into a seperate channel, Trouble (those who remember that era may remember the "Looks like Trouble" teasers which aired on TCC prior to Trouble's launch). That left the original TCC with the preschool and younger kids programmes that simply didn't attract the audience that the older teen programming (the Peter Engel sitcoms mainly) did.

Obviously Cablelink's carriage deal with Nickelodeon commenced before TCC itself actually closed, although to change it mid-programme instead of overnight is a bit strange.

As I recall, NBC Super Channel also closed around the same time.

When I say without warning I mean that it was literally right in the middle of an episode:

I still think I have the ep on tape (taped it every day)
"Banish him to the wastelands, then!"
"Where are the waste-" PFFFFFFFFFFFFT!!!!!!!! (static noise)
(coloured static)
--PLEASE INSERT CARD-- (WTF?)
(coloured static)
"Say Kel. When you walked out of the bathroom... DID YOU EVEN TURN THE WATER OFF?!?!?" "Uh, sorry Kenan, I..." "WHYYYYYY!!!!!"

And what was it. No explanation or announcement. Was a confusing time.

Floppybits

Econoline Van wrote: »

Sent a crisp in to the "Risk a Crisp" section of one of the shows on TCC and never saw it selected. Still sore about it :mad:

I remember watching the TCC express one saturday morning and they did the risk a crisp slot and someone from Ireland had sent in a Burger bite and it was perfect when the opened up the packaging but they disqualified it because they said it wasn't a crisp. Remember the professor or something and all he did was try to draw the perfect circle.

Xivilai

So thats what happened to TCC

I miss those old days watching Sonic, Mario & Gigantor

Sisko

earthworm jim cartoon was good too. Didnt witness the switch but I do remember the day , turning on the tv and it was nick

Spunge

Now im googling all those ****ty australian sci-fi kids shows i forgot about when i should be working.
The girl from tomorrow, half-way across the galaxy and turn left, escape from jupiter.

I just nostalgia'd all over my monitor

oal22

Spunge wrote: »

Now im googling all those ****ty australian sci-fi kids shows i forgot about when i should be working.
The girl from tomorrow, half-way across the galaxy and turn left, escape from jupiter.

I just nostalgia'd all over my monitor

Round the twist

vangoz

X-men at 3pm...... had to sprint home!

hatrickpatrick

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

When I say without warning I mean that it was literally right in the middle of an episode:

I still think I have the ep on tape (taped it every day)
"Banish him to the wastelands, then!"
"Where are the waste-" PFFFFFFFFFFFFT!!!!!!!! (static noise)
(coloured static)
--PLEASE INSERT CARD-- (WTF?)
(coloured static)
"Say Kel. When you walked out of the bathroom... DID YOU EVEN TURN THE WATER OFF?!?!?" "Uh, sorry Kenan, I..." "WHYYYYYY!!!!!"

And what was it. No explanation or announcement. Was a confusing time.

I'd love to see that myself.

Bajingo

I remember when TCC would end at 6 or whatever..the odd time might mouse would come on for a few minutes before going to fuzz...we were told that it went to fuzz because we were moving and so we'd be bullet still on the bed when it came on :P

Burky126

Going to go out on a limb but does anyone remember when TCC used to close for the day,they would show this strange Italian kids show with this worm/caterpillar puppet? I don't know if I was more terrified or intrigued since this was the first time I ever heard Italian in my life.Can't find anything about it online...

BornToRun88

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

...in the middle of an episode of "Spellbinder", and then cablelink went fuzzy for a few minutes before emerging as Nickelodeon, with no explanation for the sudden changeover, even to this day?

It was literally right in the middle an episode. I'll never forget my avid horror as my then favourite show was interrupted and over the hours which followed, hideous comprehension dawned that I probably wouldn't get to see the next day's episode either, and would have to wait until Den TV, which was about 10 episodes behind TCC and only showed it every second day, caught up.

Anyone else remember when this happened?
Or, to sum up, "Where were you when TCC was bumped in favour of Nick without any warning whatsoever?"

I thought TCC UK closed completely here at 4.59p.m on 3rd April 1998? I know over in the UK it continued until October of that year with the Nordic feed.