5 Select

Daytime schedule

5 Select opens the day with a long block of shopping and travel strands. From 06:00, JML Presents and Shop: Thane Offers fill the first hour, followed by back-to-back editions of Cruise TV with LoveitBookit at 07:00 and 08:00 (the latter marked as a new episode). These extended sales and holiday promotions occupy the breakfast hours, giving the channel a distinctly commercial flavour before the factual output begins.

Mid-morning sees a shift into countryside and adventure programming. Two consecutive episodes of The Yorkshire Vet run from 09:00 to 11:00, followed by Reuben: Life in the Dales at 11:00. The outdoor theme continues at 12:00 with Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild, which takes up the hour before lunch.

The early afternoon turns to crime drama. Murder She Wrote occupies two back-to-back slots from 13:00 to 15:00, then a longer 90-minute outing for Columbo: Playback runs from 15:00 to 16:30. That extended runtime gives the classic detective tale room to breathe before the schedule shifts again.

Late afternoon brings a travel and exploration flavour. Around the World by Train with Tony Robinson takes a half-hour slot at 16:30, followed by Cyprus: Jewel of the Med at 17:00. That hour-long look at the island leads neatly into the early evening, where Abandoned Engineering at 18:00 begins a run of more serious factual material. The daytime line-up on 5 Select is broadly split between retail promotion, rural life, crime drama and travelogues, with the news-free schedule moving briskly from one strand to the next.

Evening and primetime

The evening on 5 Select builds steadily from factual fare into a long-running crime drama. Abandoned Engineering opens the night at 18:00, examining derelict structures and their histories. That leads into a sizeable run of Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild, with consecutive episodes at 19:00 and 20:00. The two-hour stretch gives viewers a substantial dose of the series, following individuals who have chosen remote and unconventional lives.

The centrepiece of the evening arrives at 21:00 with Taggart, which runs for a substantial 125 minutes until 23:05. That extended runtime suggests a feature-length instalment of the long-running Glasgow-set detective series, and it anchors the rest of the night. The primetime slot is given over almost entirely to this one programme, with no news bulletins or interruptions breaking up the schedule.

After Taggart concludes, the tone shifts dramatically. Prisoner: Cell Block H begins at 23:05 with a 65-minute episode, followed immediately by a second instalment at 00:10, each running for an hour. The back-to-back prison drama carries the schedule into the early hours, offering a double dose of the cult Australian series. The pairing is notable for its length — the first episode runs five minutes longer than the standard hour, a small scheduling quirk.

Late night moves into familiar territory. The Yorkshire Vet returns at 01:10 with two consecutive episodes, running until 03:10. Abandoned Engineering then takes a 50-minute slot at 03:10, shorter than its earlier evening outing, before the channel hands over to Teleshopping at 04:00 for a two-hour stretch that runs to 06:00. The night is dominated by long-form drama and repeated factual strands, with the crime double-header of Taggart and Prisoner: Cell Block H providing the clear highlights of the evening.

Daytime schedule

The day opens with a block of paid programming, as JML Presents at 06:00 and Shop: Thane Offers at 06:30 lead into Cruise TV with LoveitBookit at 07:00. That hour-long cruise strand returns at 08:00 with a new episode, marking the last of the teleshopping content before the main daytime schedule kicks in.

From 09:00, 5 Select settles into a marathon run of Murder She Wrote, with ten consecutive hour-long episodes taking the channel through to 19:00. This is a full morning, afternoon and early evening of the classic mystery series, with no news bulletins or other interruptions breaking the flow. The run is a straightforward stack of episodes, each filling its hour slot exactly, so viewers can dip in and out at any point through the day. The consistency of the schedule means there is no variation in tone or pace from mid-morning right through to the early evening.

The lunchtime and afternoon periods are entirely given over to this Murder She Wrote block, which makes up the bulk of the channel's daytime output. There are no breaks for other programmes, no short-form strands and no change of pace between 09:00 and 19:00. The late afternoon continues the same pattern, with the final two episodes of the run airing at 17:00 and 18:00. It is a single, unbroken stretch of programming that defines the channel's daytime identity, offering a steady, familiar option for viewers who want a long run of the series rather than a varied schedule.

Evening and primetime

The Murder She Wrote marathon finally ends at 19:00, handing over to Abandoned Engineering for an hour. That programme, which explores the stories behind derelict structures, runs from 19:00 to 20:00 and marks the shift from the daytime crime drama block into the evening's history and engineering-themed lineup.

Primetime proper begins at 20:00 with WWII Battles in Colour, a one-hour programme bringing archive footage of wartime engagements to life in colourised form. It is followed at 21:00 by the first of three consecutive episodes under The Dambusters banner. The Dambusters: A Daring Plan airs from 21:00 to 22:00, setting up the story of the famous raid. The Dambusters: Race Against Time follows at 22:00, continuing the narrative, and the trilogy concludes with The Dambusters: Attack!... at 23:00, each instalment running a full hour. This three-part run gives the evening a clear thematic arc, with the 20:00-22:00 slot dominated by the opening two parts of the Dambusters story.

After the Dambusters trilogy concludes at midnight, the schedule moves into late-night drama with Prisoner: Cell Block H. Four episodes air back to back from 00:00, with run lengths varying slightly: the first runs 65 minutes to 01:05, the second is a standard hour to 02:05, the third again runs 65 minutes to 03:10, and the fourth is a shorter 50-minute episode ending at 04:00. The night then closes with a two-hour block of Teleshopping from 04:00 to 06:00, bringing the channel's output full circle after the paid programming that opened the day. The late-night Prisoner: Cell Block H run offers a distinct change of tone from the history-focused primetime, rounding out the evening with a long stretch of classic serial drama.

Daytime schedule

The day opens with a block of shopping and travel programming. From 06:00, JML Presents and Shop: Thane Offers fill the first hour, followed by Cruise TV with LoveitBookit at 07:00. A second hour of Cruise TV with LoveitBookit follows at 08:00, marked as a new episode. This gives the morning a distinctly promotional feel before the schedule shifts into something more leisurely.

From 09:00, the channel settles into a triple run of Summer in the Scilly Isles, with three consecutive hour-long episodes airing through until 12:00. This is a substantial stretch of armchair travel, and the back-to-back nature of the run means viewers can settle in for a full morning of coastal scenery.

Lunchtime brings a change of pace with Reuben: Life in the Dales, which occupies three consecutive hours from 12:00 to 15:00. The afternoon continues in similar vein, with two further episodes of Reuben Owen: Life in The Dales running from 15:00 to 17:05. That makes five straight hours of the same series across the middle of the day — a clear thematic strand for anyone after rural life content.

At 17:05, the tone shifts abruptly with An Invitation to Murder, which begins a 65-minute run before a five-minute Entertainment News on 5 bulletin at 18:10. The programme then resumes at 18:15 for a further 45 minutes, taking the schedule through to 19:00. This is a day of long, immersive runs rather than quick-fire variety, with the only interruption being that brief news update in the early evening.

Evening and primetime

The evening proper begins at 19:00 with Royal Heirs and Spares: Rivalry & Resentment, a 90-minute programme that runs until 20:30. This sets a royal theme for the night, and it hands over directly to The Day Diana Died at 20:30, another 90-minute slot that occupies the heart of primetime until 22:00. These two substantial programmes dominate the evening, and together they form a coherent block of royal history and reflection.

At 22:00, the schedule moves to The Castle of Mey: The Queen Mother's Hideaway, a one-hour programme that continues the royal connection, this time focusing on a specific location. It finishes at 23:00, at which point the channel switches to drama with Taggart. This 125-minute film-length episode runs until 01:05, providing a late-night option for viewers after the earlier factual fare.

After Taggart concludes, the schedule moves into archive drama territory with Prisoner: Cell Block H. Three episodes air in quick succession: the first from 01:05 to 02:05, the second from 02:05 to 03:10, and the third from 03:10 to 04:00. These are staggered run lengths — 60, 65 and 50 minutes respectively — which suggests different episode cuts or edits across the stack.

The night closes with Teleshopping from 04:00 through to 06:00, a two-hour block that brings the channel full circle to the retail content that opened the day. The overall shape of the evening is clear: a royal-themed double bill in primetime, a single drama at 23:00, and then a late-night run of Prisoner: Cell Block H before the shopping returns.

Daytime schedule

5 Select opens the day with a block of shopping and promotional programming, starting with JML Presents at 06:00, followed by Shop: Thane Offers at 06:30 and then a full hour of Cruise TV with LoveitBookit from 07:00. A second consecutive hour of Cruise TV with LoveitBookit airs at 08:00, this one flagged as new, before the channel moves into factual and entertainment territory.

From 09:00, there is a run of two back-to-back episodes of The Yorkshire Vet, filling the mid-morning slot. At 11:00, Reuben: Life in the Dales takes over for an hour, followed by Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild at 12:00, which sets the tone for the lunchtime period. The afternoon shifts into classic crime drama with a pair of consecutive Murder She Wrote episodes from 13:00. That leads into a longer 90-minute instalment of Columbo: Requiem for a Falling Star at 15:00, which runs until 16:30.

The late afternoon brings a change of pace: Around the World by Train with Tony Robinson occupies the half-hour from 16:30, and then Cornwall: A Year by the Sea fills the hour up to 18:00. There is no news bulletin in this daytime stretch; the schedule is built around repeated factual strands and drama, with the shopping and cruise content confined to the early morning. The Yorkshire Vet returns later in the night, but between breakfast and early evening, the channel offers a steady mix of rural life, travel and detective series.

Evening and primetime

The evening opens at 18:00 with Abandoned Engineering, a one-hour look at derelict structures, which runs through to 19:00. From 19:00, Ben Fogle takes over the schedule for a substantial stretch. An episode of Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild airs from 19:00 to 20:00, followed by a second consecutive episode from 20:00 to 21:00. The Ben Fogle strand continues with a 90-minute special, China with Ben Fogle, from 21:00 to 22:30, meaning the presenter anchors nearly three and a half hours of primetime across the evening.

At 22:30, Battlefront: WWII Road to Victory provides a half-hour history slot, leading into the late-night drama block. From 23:00, Prisoner: Cell Block H airs as a run of two back-to-back episodes, each an hour long, taking the schedule through to 01:00. The overnight hours then revert to a pair of consecutive episodes of The Yorkshire Vet from 01:00 to 03:00, followed by a 50-minute Abandoned Engineering repeat slot at 03:00. A ten-minute Entertainment News on 5 bulletin rounds off the night at 03:50, before Teleshopping takes over from 04:00 until the early morning.

The primetime peak is dominated by Ben Fogle, with the 20:00 and 21:00 slots both given over to his programmes, while the late evening hands off from history to classic prison drama and then to factual repeats before the shopping block closes the day.

Daytime schedule

The day opens with a lengthy stretch of shopping and promotional programming, running from 06:00 through to 09:00. Three back-to-back blocks — JML Presents, Shop: Thane Offers, and two consecutive hours of Cruise TV with LoveitBookit — fill the early morning, with the second Cruise TV hour marked as a new episode. It is not until 09:00 that the schedule proper begins, with a pair of consecutive episodes of The Yorkshire Vet settling into the mid-morning slot.

At 11:00, Reuben: Life in the Dales takes over for an hour, before Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild occupies the noon hour. The early afternoon shifts into familiar crime territory: two consecutive episodes of Murder She Wrote run from 13:00 to 15:00, followed by a two-hour film-length slot for Columbo: Negative Reaction, which carries the channel through to 17:00.

The late afternoon brings a change of pace with Cornwall: A Year by the Sea at 17:00, rounding out the daytime line-up. Across the daytime hours, the pattern is one of long, uninterrupted blocks — two-hour stretches are common, and there are no news bulletins to break up the flow. The channel leans heavily on established factual and crime strands, with the Yorkshire Vet and Murder She Wrote both given generous double helpings, while the afternoon Columbo film provides a substantial centrepiece before the evening schedule begins.

Evening and primetime

The evening opens at 18:00 with Abandoned Engineering, a single hour that sets a factual tone for the rest of the night. At 19:00, Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild returns for two consecutive episodes, running through to 21:00 and forming the backbone of the early evening. This double bill gives viewers a substantial stretch of the series, with the second hour leading directly into the 21:00 start of Alexander Armstrong Across America.

That programme occupies the 21:00 hour, the final full-length slot of primetime, before the schedule shifts to shorter-form content. At 22:00, Battlefront: WWII Road to Victory airs two consecutive half-hour episodes, taking the night through to 23:00. From there, the late evening hands over to drama: Prisoner: Cell Block H runs for two instalments, the first lasting 65 minutes from 23:00 and the second a standard hour from 00:05, carrying the channel past midnight.

The post-midnight hours see a return to earlier strands. The Yorkshire Vet airs two consecutive episodes from 01:05, followed by Abandoned Engineering at 03:00, a 50-minute run that gives way to a brief ten-minute Entertainment News on 5 bulletin at 03:50. Teleshopping then takes over from 04:00, closing out the night with a two-hour block. The overall shape of the evening is one of long, continuous runs — back-to-back episodes dominate from 19:00 onwards, with only the 22:00 Battlefront double bill breaking the pattern of hour-long instalments before the late-night Prisoner: Cell Block H stack.

Daytime schedule

The day opens with a block of shopping and travel programming, as JML Presents at 06:00 gives way to Shop: Thane Offers at 06:30. From 07:00, Cruise TV with LoveitBookit takes over for two consecutive hours, the second of which is flagged as a new episode, easing viewers into the morning with a focus on holiday inspiration.

At 09:00, the tone shifts to factual entertainment with back-to-back episodes of The Yorkshire Vet, running until 11:00. That veterinary strand hands over to Reuben: Life in the Dales for an hour, followed by Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild at 12:00, kicking off a run of that series that will continue into the evening.

Lunchtime brings a change of pace with two consecutive episodes of Murder She Wrote from 13:00, offering a solid two-hour stretch of classic crime-solving. At 15:00, a 95-minute feature-length outing of Columbo: Lovely But Lethal takes viewers through to 16:35, a longer-than-usual slot that dominates the mid-afternoon. The shorter 25-minute Around the World by Train with... follows at 16:35, leading into Cornwall: A Year by the Sea at 17:00.

The final hour before evening is given over to Abandoned Engineering at 18:00, rounding out a daytime line-up that moves from retail and travel through rural life, wildlife, crime drama and engineering history. There are no news bulletins in this daytime schedule; instead, the afternoon is built around long, immersive programme blocks, with the two-hour Murder She Wrote run and the extended Columbo film standing out as the main draws.

Evening and primetime

The evening opens at 18:00 with Abandoned Engineering, an hour of structural and historical investigation that bridges the daytime factual strand into the night. At 19:00, Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild returns for a second appearance of the day, and this time it is given a two-hour run, with consecutive episodes airing from 19:00 and 20:00. That stack places the series at the heart of primetime, offering a substantial chunk of rural-resettlement stories across the 20:00 to 21:00 slot, which is traditionally the most competitive part of the evening.

At 21:00, Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time takes over for an hour, shifting the focus to medical and social history. That programme leads into a 70-minute showing of Keeping Faith at 22:00, a longer-than-standard slot that stretches the Welsh drama to 23:10. The night then winds down with Prisoner: Cell Block H at 23:10, the classic Australian prison series running for an hour to close the schedule just after midnight.

The hand-off between strands is clean: Abandoned Engineering at 18:00, the double helping of Ben Fogle from 19:00, Alice Roberts at 21:00, and then the drama double of Keeping Faith and Prisoner: Cell Block H carrying the late evening. The 20:00 to 22:00 window is given over entirely to Ben Fogle and Alice Roberts, both factual-led titles that should appeal to viewers who favour real-life stories over scripted drama. Keeping Faith’s 70-minute length is the only notable deviation from the standard hourly blocks, giving it a slightly extended feel before the late-night slot begins.