BBC Choice

Infobox TV channel
name = BBC Choice
logofile = BBC Choice.jpg
logosize = 200px
logoalt = A former ident
launch = 23 September 1998
closed date = 9 February 2003
owner = BBC
replaced by names = BBC Three, CBBC Channel| availability note = At time of closure
terr serv 1 = Freeview
terr chan 1 = Channel 7
sat serv 1 = Sky Digital
sat chan 1 = Channel 115 (originally 160)
cable serv 1 = NTL
cable chan 1 = Channel 11
cable serv 2 = Telewest
cable chan 2 = Channel 111|

BBC Choice was a TV station from the BBC, which launched on 23 September 1998. It was the first British TV channel to broadcast exclusively in digital format.

Initially, the main attractions of the new station were repeats of TV shows from BBC One and BBC Two that were never otherwise repeated, such as "Stressed Eric" and "Naked Video", plus behind-the-scenes specials and extended coverage of sports events and music festivals. Its own original programming was mainly concerned with celebrities, including documentary profiles and the nightly entertainment magazine "Liquid News".

Another important aspect of BBC Choice's programming was its children's output, branded CBBC On Choice and using the regular presenters from BBC One & Two children's output to present a wide range of programming for younger viewers. This took up most of BBC Choice's daytime hours and included repeats of archive shows rarely seen on the main channels, such as "Mr Benn", "Paddington", "Simon and the Witch" and "Ivor the Engine".

BBC Choice showed children's TV shows from 6am-7pm and adult programs from 7pm-midnight. BBC Three replaced BBC Choice and the CBBC Channel became a separate channel time-sharing with the service. The CBBC Channel airs from 07:00 to 19:00 while BBC Three airs from 19:00 to around 04:00; times quite similar to the format BBC Choice formed prior to closure. Another children's channel, CBeebies, was launched aiming at the younger audience CBBC on Choice had previously targeted.

There were originally regional opt-outs for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but these were discontinued in 2001.

In February 2002, CBBC On Choice was spun-off into two separate channels, CBBC and CBeebies which time-shared with BBC Choice and BBC Knowledge respectively.

In December 2002, the idents changed. Builders now began "demolishing" the BBC Choice idents, with construction of something after the idents were demolished. The next month, an ident showing what the construction was (a big "THREE", shown on an angle) appeared. Then, a countdown began. By 9 February, BBC Choice was gone, in favour of BBC Three. The THREE built in the ident appears in the new channel's ident package, but due to the channel's "blobs" (to which the graphics focus), only a portion of the lighting reveals the "THREE", which is fully shown in the channel's logo.

"EastEnders Revealed" was the only show from the original 1998 channel lineup to survive and outlive the entire life of the channel itself.