BBC Two to be launched (starting on 21 April 1964), and from 1 July 1967, Europe's first television channel to broadcast regularly in colour. It was envisaged as a home for less mainstream and more ambitious programming, and while this tendency has continued to date, most special-interest programmes of a kind previously broadcast on BBC Two, for example the BBC Proms, now tend to appear on BBC Four instead. British television at the time of BBC2's launch consisted of two channels: the BBC Television Service and the ITV network made up of smaller regional companies. Both channels had existed in a state
BBC Choice issues discussed. "Crimewatch Extra" provided follow-up detail on the cases involved in the main programme, and "Row Z" was a football discussion forum that aired after "Match of the Day" finished on BBC One. The 'Hotlink' format has since been adopted by many other channels, particularly both ITV2 and E4. The channel was presented as an alternative to the normal BBC One and BBC Two schedules. This was reflected in its original on-screen presentation which featured groups of threes. For the first year of BBC Choice, children's programming would air on weekend afternoons as CBBC Choice, and included strands like