DEF II

DEF II
DEF II logo, as seen on early transmissions
NetworkBBC Two
Launched9 May 1988; 36 years ago (1988-05-09)
Closed23 May 1994; 30 years ago (1994-05-23)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Key peopleJanet Street-Porter
FormatProgramming to serve the teenage market
Original language(s)English

DEF II was a programming strand on BBC2, which aired at 6 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 May 1988[1] to 23 May 1994,[2] to serve the teenage market. It was produced by Janet Street-Porter, and followed on from her influential youth TV show Network 7 on Channel 4.[3]

Many of the presenters and staff on DEF II started their careers on Network 7[4] and had followed Street-Porter when she was "poached" by the BBC.[5] It had an ident featuring a barcode which differed from the usual idents used on BBC2.[6]

  1. ^ "BBC Two England – 9 May 1988". BBC Programme Index. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Cry Freedom – BBC Two England – 2 May 1994 – BBC Genome". BBC Programme Index. 2 May 1994. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  3. ^ Ian Jones (1 October 2001). "Part One: "I Want To Subvert Mainstream TV"". Off The Telly.
  4. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Street-Porter, Janet (1946–) Biography". Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  5. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Network 7 (1987–88)". Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  6. ^ Malik, Sarita (25 October 2001). Representing Black Britain: Black and Asian Images on Television. ISBN 9781412932844.