The news has come as a blow to cinema lovers.
TCM Movies, one of the best TV channels for movies, has shut down in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Previously available through Sky and Virgin Media, TCM stood for Turner Classic Movies. The channel was known for airing classic films, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner Bros. libraries, which included many Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) titles.
In a statement announcing its closure, the channel wrote on its social media:
“Thank you for joining us on our journey and for loving classic movies as much as we do.
“It’s been a wild ride.”
TCM Movies is now closed in the UK & Ireland. Thank you for joining us on our journey and for loving classic movies as much as we do. pic.twitter.com/xTjMrkiwSO
— TCM UK (@tcmuk) July 6, 2023
According to The Desk, the closure has come as the ex-channel’s owner, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), is seeking to streamline its business in Europe. This comes as reportedly more and more people are watching movies and TV via streaming services as opposed to through television channels.
The news has come as a blow to cinephiles, with Succession star Brian Cox voicing his displeasure with the move in a recent interview.
Speaking to Above the Line, he said:
“I’m horrified… I mean, who’s an expert on film? I just love that sense of who we are, where we’ve come from, and our history. It’s vital to me that we see that and live it.
“For me, the history of cinema, the watching of it, and the way that TCM presents it are incredible resources because they really make me understand how far we’ve traveled. But also how far we haven’t traveled.
“You know, we’ve traveled technically, but in terms of the truth of acting, there are no more true players than Spencer Tracy or Katherine Hepburn. And you see them together in what they create, so the cinema has always been vital to me. Absolutely vital.”
In the statement announcing its closure, TCM Movies stated that “some of your favourite classic Warner Bros. films” can now be watched on another WBD channel – Quest
Meanwhile, the American equivalent of TCM Movies is still available in the United States.
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