Channel 5 to show Home and Away from the very beginning

Channel 5 is launching a new channel – 5Drama – and it’s set to show Home and Away from the very beginning!

5Drama will launch on 21st October, and is described as being “a dedicated home to the very best of 5’s hit UK drama, as well as a range of US and Australian series.”

The channel has announced that it will air the first two series of Home and Away, beginning with the first series “soon after launch”.

“Fans will be able to relive the show from the beginning, catching up with classic characters like Alf Stewart and Sally Fletcher in Summer Bay back in 1988, and following the storylines that have kept UK viewers hooked ever since,” a press release reveals.

“It’s fantastic to know that Home and Away is continuing to find new audiences in the UK, and now viewers can go right back to the beginning on 5Drama,” says Ray Meagher, who has played Alf Stewart since the very first episode in 1988.

“There’s a lot of history in those early episodes — and a lot of memories for Alf and the whole Summer Bay community. I hope fans enjoy taking a trip back to where it all began.”

“It’s so special to think that UK fans can revisit the very beginning of Home and Away on 5Drama,” adds Emily Symons, aka Marilyn Chambers.

“Marilyn has been such a huge part of my life, and seeing those early episodes again is a wonderful reminder of where her story began. I know there are so many Home and Away fans in the UK who have grown up with these characters, so I hope they love going back to Summer Bay and rediscovering some of those early stories.”

While no time slot has yet been announced for the early Home and Away episodes, the release states that “each day will close with a double bill of Australian drama.”

On top of Home and Away, the new channel will also feature All Creatures Great and Small, The Madame Blanc Mysteries and The Hardacres, and detective dramas, including Ellis and Dalgliesh. It will also air boxsets currently available on 5’s streaming service, including Gilmore Girls, A Million Little Things and Waterloo Road.

5Drama launches Wednesday 21st October.

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