==History==
==History==
The channel started broadcasting on 3 December 1994 as ””’Orange””’ on Sky UHF pre-set channel 7. Orange broadcast between 10am and around 11:30pm and during 1995 [[Juice TV]] began broadcasting overnight when Orange went off the air. On 1 January 1997, [[Cartoon Network (Australia and New Zealand)|Cartoon Network]] began broadcasting between 6am and 4pm while Orange was not broadcasting.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} The reason to name the channel based on a colour and its brand identity be a fruit was due to the design agency, [[Martin Lambie-Nairn|Lambie Nairn]], which had also designed the [[BBC Two 1991-2001 idents|1991 BBC Two Idents]] and the 1982 Channel 4 launch idents in the [[United Kingdom]], had found out the New Zealand TV market had an overcrowded space for general entertainment networks, and thus had made the channels branding to be different.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Martin Lambie-Nairn, Lambie-Nairn, Television Branding 1996, BBC, Carlton, Disney, Arte – YouTube|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qwzffQeklhs|access-date=December 21, 2024|website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> Using an orange gave the channel a unique identity in the local television landscape.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Televisionary|url=https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/27-april-1995/televisionary/|access-date=May 5, 2025|website=Design Week}}</ref>
The channel started broadcasting on 3 December 1994 as ””’Orange””’ on Sky UHF pre-set channel 7. Orange broadcast between 10am and around 11:30pm and during 1995 [[Juice TV]] began broadcasting overnight when Orange went off the air. On 1 January 1997, [[Cartoon Network (Australia and New Zealand)|Cartoon Network]] began broadcasting between 6am and 4pm while Orange was not broadcasting.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} The reason to name the channel based on a colour and its brand identity be a fruit was due to the design agency, [[Martin Lambie-Nairn|LambieNairn]], which had also designed the [[BBC Two 1991-2001 idents|1991 BBC Two Idents]] and the 1982 Channel 4 launch idents in the [[United Kingdom]], had found out the New Zealand TV market had an overcrowded space for general entertainment networks, and thus had made the channels branding to be different.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Martin Lambie-Nairn, Lambie-Nairn, Television Branding 1996, BBC, Carlton, Disney, Arte – YouTube|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qwzffQeklhs|access-date=December 21, 2024|website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> Using an orange gave the channel a unique identity in the local television landscape.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Televisionary|url=https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/27-april-1995/televisionary/|access-date=May 5, 2025|website=Design Week}}</ref>
Orange changed its name to ””’Sky 1””’ on 1 June 1998 and introduced overnight programming, with ”[[The Simpsons]]” debuting on 7 July 1998 with the first ever episode. The channel began broadcasting 24 hours a day on 1 January 1999 when the Sky Digital service was launched; however, the UHF channel continued to screen Cartoon Network between 6am-4pm and in 2000 this was replaced with [[Nickelodeon (South East Asia)|Nickelodeon]]. {{Cn|date=January 2025}} The channel started airing WWF/WWE telecasts at the same time, after a ban on ffree-too-air television in the late 1980s.<ref>[https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/101502439/mori-television-will-screen-wwe-professinal-wrestling-free-to-air ]</ref>
Orange changed its name to ””’Sky 1””’ on 1 June 1998 and introduced overnight programming, with ”[[The Simpsons]]” debuting on 7 July 1998 with the first ever episode. The channel began broadcasting 24 hours a day on 1 January 1999 when the Sky Digital service was launched; however, the UHF channel continued to screen Cartoon Network between 6am-4pm and in 2000 this was replaced with [[Nickelodeon (South East Asia)|Nickelodeon]]. {{Cn|date=January 2025}} The channel started airing WWF/WWE telecasts at the same time, after a ban on ffree-too-air television in the late 1980s.<ref>[https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/101502439/mori-television-will-screen-wwe-professinal-wrestling-free-to-air ]</ref>
Sky 1 relaunched on 1 February 2008 and in the process its name was changed to ”’The Box”’. The rebrand was marked by premieres of new series and reality shows, as well as new seasons of existing titles.<ref>[https://m.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0712/S00429/grey-group-marketing-digest-december-2007.htm Grey Group Marketing Digest – December 2007]</ref>
Sky 1 relaunched on 1 February 2008 and in the process its name was changed to ”’The Box”’. The rebrand was marked by premieres of new series and reality shows, as well as new seasons of existing titles.<ref>[https://m.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0712/S00429/grey-group-marketing-digest-december-2007.htm Grey Group Marketing Digest – December 2007]</ref>
On 2 February 2018, exactly 10 years and one day after the channel relaunched as The Box, it rebranded for the third time in its history, as ”’Sky 5”’. The existing mix of programmes continued, but key changes included the addition of TV series based on DC Comics properties and US action shows.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sky TV’s long-running The Box channel to be replaced by Sky 5|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/99904/sky-tvs-long-running-the-box-channel-to-be-replaced-by-sky-5|access-date=December 23, 2024|website=Stuff}}</ref>
On 2 February 2018, exactly 10 years and one day after the channel relaunched as The Box, it rebranded for the third time in its history, as ”’Sky 5”’. The existing mix of programmes continued, but key changes included the addition of TV series based on DC Comics properties and US action shows.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sky TV’s long-running The Box channel to be replaced by Sky 5|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/99904/sky-tvs-long-running-the-box-channel-to-be-replaced-by-sky-5|access-date=December 23, 2024|website=Stuff}}</ref>
== Programming ==
== Programming ==
Television channel
Sky 5 is a television channel in New Zealand available on Sky.
The channel’s programmes are a variety of international shows from the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Australia, with a small amount of shows from New Zealand.
The channel started broadcasting on 3 December 1994 as Orange on Sky UHF pre-set channel 7. Orange broadcast between 10am and around 11:30pm and during 1995 Juice TV began broadcasting overnight when Orange went off the air. On 1 January 1997, Cartoon Network began broadcasting between 6am and 4pm while Orange was not broadcasting.[citation needed] The reason to name the channel based on a colour and its brand identity be a fruit was due to the design agency, Lambie-Nairn, which had also designed the 1991 BBC Two Idents and the 1982 Channel 4 launch idents in the United Kingdom, had found out the New Zealand TV market had an overcrowded space for general entertainment networks, and thus had made the channels branding to be different.[1] Using an orange gave the channel a unique identity in the local television landscape.[2]
Orange changed its name to Sky 1 on 1 June 1998 and introduced overnight programming, with The Simpsons debuting on 7 July 1998 with the first ever episode. The channel began broadcasting 24 hours a day on 1 January 1999 when the Sky Digital service was launched; however, the UHF channel continued to screen Cartoon Network between 6am-4pm and in 2000 this was replaced with Nickelodeon. [citation needed] The channel started airing WWF/WWE telecasts at the same time, after a ban on ffree-too-air television in the late 1980s.[3]
In 2005, Sky Network Television considered unencrypting Sky 1 to make it a free-to-air channel, but decided instead to purchase the existing network, Prime.[4]
Sky 1 relaunched on 1 February 2008 and in the process its name was changed to The Box. The rebrand was marked by premieres of new series and reality shows, as well as new seasons of existing titles.[5]
On 2 February 2018, exactly 10 years and one day after the channel relaunched as The Box, it rebranded for the third time in its history, as Sky 5. The existing mix of programmes continued, but key changes included the addition of TV series based on DC Comics properties and US action shows.[6]
This is a list of Sky 5’s programming as of December 2024[update], which is a mix of American, British, and Australian TV imports with a small amount of New Zealand shows.[7]
