Editing U&Dave (section)

===UK Gold Classics and UK Gold 2 (1998–2003)===
UK Gold Classics was UKTV's first digital-only channel. It was launched on 2 October 1998, and was only broadcast from Friday to Sunday on [[Sky UK|Sky Digital]] from 6.00pm to 2.00am.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} Around this time, [[U&Gold|UK Gold]] began to move away from older programmes and towards newer ones. Their 'classics' line-up included a number of early shows, and some black-and-white programmes, which had been acquired in the early years of the UK Gold service.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} While Gold Classics showed some recent shows from the main Gold channel, its main purpose was older shows from the early years of UK Gold.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} On weekdays, the channel was off air, showing a still caption of all the UKTV channels and start-up times.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

Some of the programmes that aired on UK Gold Classics were a repeat run of the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] comedy series ''[[Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt]]'',<ref>{{cite journal |title=TV guide |journal=The Express |date=5 March 1999 |page=61 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/904314826/?terms=%22selwyn%20froggitt%22%20&match=1 |access-date=4 March 2023}}</ref> [[BBC]] comedy series ''[[Open All Hours]]'',{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} BBC soap opera ''[[EastEnders]]'',{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} ITV police drama series ''[[The Bill]]'',{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} and ITV comedy series ''Gingerbread Girl''.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} Some of UK Gold's original commissioned programming that were recently aired on the main channel at the time (''Wow-fab-Groovy'', ''Tellystack'', ''Sports Anorak of the Year'', stand-up comedy show ''Live at Jongleurs'', ''Rowland Rivron Bites The Bullet'' and music show ''Gold Goes Pop'') also received airings on Gold Classics{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

The 'Classics' format lasted just six months; ending on 28 March 1999. The following day, UKTV announced that the channel would be relaunched as UK Gold 2 from 2 April 1999, and eventually expand its broadcast hours.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/satellite/a69/uk-gold-classics-renamed/ | title=UK Gold Classics Renamed | website=[[Digital Spy]] | date=29 March 1999 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/satellite/a71/uk-gold-2-update/ | title=UK Gold 2 Update | website=[[Digital Spy]] | date=31 March 1999 }}</ref> UK Gold 2 essentially functioned as a secondary timeshift service, with the channel screening UK Gold's programmes from the morning of that day.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} On 24 May 1999, it was officially announced that the channel would start broadcasting daily from 1 June.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/satellite/a120/uk-gold-2-to-increase-its-hours/ | title=UK Gold 2 to Increase {{as written|I|t's [sic]}} Hours | website=[[Digital Spy]] | date=24 May 1999 }}</ref>

On 11 February 2002, UK Gold 2's downtime within the day became home to [[HGTV (British and Irish TV channel)|UK Style +]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/satellite/a6201/new-services-channels-launch-on-dsat/|title=New services, channels launch on DSat|website=[[Digital Spy]] |date=11 February 2002}}</ref> On 29 May, the channel launched on [[NTL Incorporated|NTL]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/cable/a7521/new-channels-launch-on-ntlhome-digital-7521// | title=New channels launch on NTL:home digital | website=[[Digital Spy]] | date=29 May 2002 }}</ref> and eventually on [[Telewest]]. On 1 August, the channel moved from 110 to 111 on the Sky EPG, to make room for UK Gold +1, which launched that day.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/satellite/a8717/uk-gold-timeshift-channel-launches/ | title=UK Gold timeshift channel launches | website=[[Digital Spy]] | date=August 2002 }}</ref> In July 2003, UK Style + vacated the downtime slot used by UK Gold 2 and extended its broadcast hours.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

====UK G² and UKTV G2 (2003–2007)====
On 28 October 2003, it was announced that UK Gold 2 would be relaunched and rebranded as UK G2 (stylized as UK G²) on 12 November.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2003/10/28/2984/beebs_new_comedy_channel | title=Beeb's new comedy channel : News 2003 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide }}</ref> UK G2 was promoted as being an edgier alternative to UK Gold; airing programmes aimed at an 18-34 year-old youth audience. Some of the programmes that already aired on UK Gold moved to the new network, in addition to some programmes from [[Play UK]] (which had closed the year prior). The broadcast hours were also changed, with the channel now operating from 8:00pm to 5:00am.

On 8 March 2004, in-line with its sibling channels, the channel would adopt the full "UKTV" name, becoming UKTV G2. On 1 November, near the channel's first anniversary, a one-hour timeshift service, UKTV G2 +1, was launched on Sky<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/satellite/a16709/epg-debut-for-two-new-1s-wine-tv/ | title=EPG debut for two new +1s, Wine TV | website=[[Digital Spy]] | date=November 2004 }}</ref> and Telewest.,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/cable/a16710/uktv-g2-1-joins-telewest-lineup/ | title=UKTV G2 +1 joins Telewest lineup | website=[[Digital Spy]] | date=November 2004 }}</ref> broadcasting from 9:00pm to 4:00am.

On 7 October 2005, it was announced that UKTV G2 would pilot a sports programming block titled "UKTV Sport". The block would include a new show by the same name, as well as its own logo and [[digital on-screen graphic]]. The block was planned to be a pilot for a dedicated TV channel of the same name, which never came into fruition.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/oct/07/broadcasting.digitaltv |title=UKTV to launch sport channel &#124; Media &#124; MediaGuardian |publisher=Guardian |date= 7 October 2005|access-date=15 October 2009 | location=London | first=Tara | last=Conlan}}</ref>

====Expansion of broadcast hours and addition of live sports (2006–2007)====
On 10 December 2005, UKTV announced that UKTV G2 would expand broadcast hours to the daytime and begin operations at 9:00am beginning on 16 January 2006.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/media/a27205/uktv-g2-expands-hours-ups-sport/ | title=UKTV G2 expands hours, ups sport | website=[[Digital Spy]] | date=10 December 2005 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/more-hours-means-sport-on-uktv-g2/1033388.article | title=More hours means sport on UKTV G2 }}</ref> The expansion of hours was to prepare for the full launch of the UKTV Sport strand, which would fill out some of the daytime hours during sports events. Standard programmes featured included pre-watershed comedy programmes already seen on the channel, alongside the addition of popular-factual and magazine shows which were already running on UKTV People, such as ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]'' and ''[[Airport (TV series)|Airport]]''. The extended hours did not apply to UKTV G2 +1, which remained an evening-only service.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

In February 2006, UKTV obtained the rights to show highlights of the [[Six Nations Championship|Six Nations]] [[rugby union]] championship, with a highlights show broadcast on the evening of the games previously shown live on the BBC. On 16 March 2006, they announced a deal to air extensive coverage of the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]] as a sub-licensing of the BBC's rights to the tournament.<ref name="uktvworldcupdeal">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds30513.html |title=Broadcasting&nbsp;– News&nbsp;– UKTV lands huge World Cup rights deal&nbsp;– Digital Spy |website=[[Digital Spy]] |access-date=4 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061211075007/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds30513.html |archive-date=11 December 2006 }}</ref> UKTV G2 [[simulcast]] the BBC's live matches, including the opening match between [[Germany national football team|Germany]] and [[Costa Rica national football team|Costa Rica]], [[England national football team|England]]'s game with [[Paraguay national football team|Paraguay]] and the final. The channel also showed highlights of every match in the tournament.

In April 2006, the channel acquired the rights to the quarter-finals of the [[EuroLeague]] Basketball<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.c21media.net/uktv-slam-dunks-euroleague-rights/ |title=UKTV slam dunks Euroleague rights |publisher=C21 Media |access-date=19 June 2016}}</ref> and in August, UKTV G2 also picked up rights to the [[2006 FIBA World Championship]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.c21media.net/uktv-slam-dunks-new-basketball-deal/ |title=UKTV slam-dunks new basketball deal |publisher=C21 Media |access-date=19 June 2016}}</ref> forming the programme 'UKTV Slam'.