Ovation (American TV channel)

Ovation TV logo, used from 2007 to 2010.

Ovation logo, used from 2010 to 2013.

The channel was launched in 1996 and relaunched in June 2007,[3] coinciding with its addition by DirecTV, which gave the channel full national coverage. In 2008, Ovation also became available on Dish Network. With the relaunch, Ovation TV claimed an "energetic" new look and a new primetime schedule revolving around "genre nights" dedicated to performance, people, and film.[4] On March 1, 2010, the channel dropped the "TV" from its name in a rebranding effort.[5]

On December 18, 2012, Time Warner Cable announced plans to remove Ovation from its own systems as well as those operated by Bright Networks (for which TWC negotiates carriage agreements). Time Warner Cable and Bright dropped Ovation at midnight Eastern Time on December 31, 2012.[6] The two providers later reached an agreement to resume carriage of Ovation on October 16, 2013, reinstating the channel on TWC and Bright systems on January 1, 2014.[7]

On April 6, 2015, Dish Network removed it from the lineup.

Ovation HD is a high definition simulcast feed of Ovation, which broadcasts in the 1080i resolution format; it was launched in July 2010.[8] Ovation HD is currently available on DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright Networks, Verizon FiOS, and AT&T U-verse.

Ovation programming is a mix of original and old television series, films, documentaries and specials, targeting a multi-generational audience of women (or females), 40 and older.

In 2013, Ovation announced the exclusive US premiere of A Young Doctor's Notebook, a four-part scripted series starring Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe, and launched the exclusive US premiere of The Artful Detective, (known in Canada and elsewhere as Murdoch Mysteries), now in its twelfth season, with season 13 premiering in 2019. In 2013, the network also premiered The Art Of, which returned with season 4 in 2015.

Ovation expanded its line-up with the docu-series, Big Ballet, featuring former Royal Ballet dancer Wayne Sleep as he assembles a troupe of plus-size dancers to perform.

Original series premiering in 2014 included The Fashion Fund, starring Anna Wintour and Diane von Fürstenberg, Capture, Young Marvels, highlighting the artistic achievements made by young people in dance,Trending Trailers, with celebrity interviews and previews of upcoming films and "Touching the Arts," a comedic web series panel show focused on contemporary hosted by Casey Jane Ellison.

Ovation logo 2013-2018

Returning series in 2014 included The Fashion Fund (season 2), A Young Doctor's Notebook (season 2) and the Song by Song franchise, highlighting the stories behind the most popular hits by Sheryl, Blondie, and Lindsey Stirling. Ovation (American TV channel) also acquired and co-produced the Sky One series The Art Show, which premiered in 2018. Another original series that premiered on and is co-produced by the network is The Wine Show, which premiered in the same year. The first show is all about the art industry similar to another show on the network, The Art Of and showcases talented artists and their paintings and also explores the paintings of ancient historical figures such as Leonardo da Vinci or Leonardo DiCaprio or Michelangelo Simoni. The other show features a team of wine enthusiasts talking to wine experts about famous wine from different wineries. The international distribution is done by the production company of the show, BBC Studios in the UK. The show airs on the BBC in the UK, while Ovation premieres the show in the US.

Ovation debuted the U.S. premiere of international series Versailles on October 1, 2016. The series lasted three seasons and starred George Blagden, Alexander Vlahos, Evan Williams, Tygh Runyan, Anna Brewster, Lizzie Brochere, Maddison Jaizani and Stuart Bowman. The series finale aired on December 8, 2018.

Ovation debuted the U.S. cable television premiere of international series Riviera on February 9, 2019. The series stars Julia Stiles, Lena Olin, Adrian Lester, Iwan Rheon, Dimitri Leonidas, Anthony LaPaglia and Roxane Duran. In August 2019, Ovation aired the U.S. premiere of Maigret, a six part series starring Rowan Atkinson as the main title character Jules Maigret. It ran for four episodes across two seasons. In 2020, Ovation began airing a new mystery block called "Mystery Alley", airing from 7-8PM (8:30 max depending on how long a program runs for on Saturdays amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring acquired crime drama mystery programming. Some of the channel's original network programming has aired on the block. Starting August 8th, Ovation began briefly airing the first season of The Code (Australian TV series), an Australian series starring Dan Speilman and Ashley Zuckerman. In September, Ovation aired the four-part British miniseries Secret State (miniseries). Currently as of October, The Fall (TV series), an Irish-British series airing that premiered on the 10th at 7PM ET. There was also a new channel section of the same name launched on the Ovation NOW streaming service app and the OvationTV.com website prior to the block's premiere. In November 2020, Ovation acquired the U.S. rights to Crossing Lines, starring William Fichtner and Marc Lavoine. It premiered on December 7, 2020, and airing Monday nights at 7PM ET, with three episodes back to back and episodes rebroadcasting on Tuesdays at 5pm ET in the first season. The Fall (TV series) will return to the block with its third and final season on January 2, 2021. New programming for the block in 2021 has been announced: the fourth and fourteenth season of Frankie Drake Mysteries and Murdoch Mysteries, respectively, have premiere dates that are currently being arranged have to be announced by Ovation (American TV channel). They will probably premiere sometime in January or February 2021 on the network's Saturday night schedule. The third and final season of The Fall (TV series) premiered on January 2, 2021. Season 14 of Murdoch Mysteries will have its US premiere on February 20, 2021. Riviera (TV series) Season 2 will also air on the "Mystery Alley" block in May 2021.

Current programming:

• The Art Of
• The Art Show
• The Fashion Fund
• A Place to Call Home
• Arts Across the Heartland special
• Boston Legal
• Chasing the Sun
• Death in Paradise
• Gordon's Great Escape
• In the Heat of the Night
• Inside the Actors Studio
• Luke Nguyen's Food Asia
• Luke Nguyen's France
• Luther
• Maigret
• McCallum
• Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
• The Pacific: In the Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill
• The Practice
• Republic of Doyle
• Travel Man
• Touching the Arts
• The Fashion Fund
• Big Ballet
• A-List Lifestyle
• Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
• Song by Song
• Masters of Photography
• Grand Designs
• Grand Designs: House of the Year
• Crossing Lines
• The Great Songwriters
• Landscape Artist of the Year
• Portrait Artist of the Year
• Remedy (TV series)
• Cracked (Canadian TV series)
• King (2011 TV series)

Mystery Alley programming:

• The Fall
• Frankie Drake Mysteries
• Murdoch Mysteries (formerly The Artful Detective)
• Midsomer Murders
• The Code
• Secret State

Future programming:

• Street Legal (Canadian TV series) (2021)

Former programming:

• Antiques Roadshow
• The Bletchley Circle
• The Borgias
• Dharma & Greg
• Fame
• Firefly
• The Halcyon
• Robin Hood
• Smash (TV series)
• The Tudors
• Two Guys and a Girl
• Versailles
• The Wine Show
• X Company
• A Young Doctor's Notebook
• Cloudstreet (miniseries)

• Chairman: Ken Solomon
• CEO: Charles Segars
• CFO: Phil Gilligan
• General Counsel: Robert Rader
• EVP, Network Strategy: Liz Janneman
• EVP, Programming & Production: Scott Woodward
• SVP, Business Development and Digital: William Marks