Unwind with ITV is an ITV ambient television programme. It broadcasts footage of various peaceful environments and computer graphics, over ambient music. Its introduction was, partially, a part of ITV's Britain Get Talking campaign, and is produced by Plymouth-based Rock Oyster Media in collaboration with mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably, with music coming from the libraries of the music conglomerate BMG.[1] It started broadcasting on 2 October 2021.[2] In November 2022, Unwind was discontinued on STV, with it being replaced by Night Vision, which features news, sport and weather from across Scotland. However, in July 2023, Unwind returned to STV following the collapse of Ideal World and now shown alongside Night Vision.
Since November 2022, a round-the-clock feed of Unwind footage is available as part of the line-up of FAST channels offered within the 'Live TV' section of ITVX.[3][4] The show is also available for late-night viewing on ITV channels 1–4 and ITVBe. Select episodes previously broadcast on ITV1 are available on ITVX under the title Unwind with ITV1. Indeed, unlike ITV Nightscreen, which presented the TV listings for ITV1 alone across the ITV network, distinct editions of Unwind with ITV air on the same night from channel to channel and are labeled accordingly on ITVX's TV listings.
Origins
Unwind with ITV replaced an earlier programme called ITV Nightscreen, which was an overnight filler programme of promotional information about upcoming ITV shows that ran over the late hours of ITV's night-time service. The programme was used to fill the station's overnight downtime, where a closedown would have once been used at the end of programmes. However under ITV's public service broadcasting requirements, the channel is required to operate a 24-hour-a-day service. ITV classified ITV Nightscreen as a regional programme. In 2017, the programme was said to account for more than a third of ITV's regional programming hours. Ofcom considered this an inappropriate means of fulfilling regional quotas and took action to remove the loophole.[5]
Content
Each episode consists of either ambient aerial, landscape or natural scenery (done by either drone or static cameras) or geometric, morphing digital graphics. These visuals are accompanied by soft, ambient music.
Broadcasts
Though broadcasts of Unwind with ITV are subject to change to accommodate other programs, Unwind with ITV1 typically airs from 3:50 to 5:05 am between reruns of ITV programming. The remaining four channels air their editions of Unwind with ITV1 prior to their scheduled teleshopping hours in the early morning. Unwind with ITV2 is followed by teleshopping at 3:00 am, Unwind with ITV3 at 2:30 am, Unwind with ITV4 at 3:00 am, and Unwind with ITVBe at 1:00 am. Editions of Unwind with ITV on these channels range from a minimum of 5 minutes to in excess of 30 minutes.
Beginning in Easter 2024, ITV greatly reduced the time afforded to teleshopping on ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, and ITVBe to a mere half-hour from 5:30 am to 6:00 am on ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4, and 5:30 am to 7:00 am on ITVBe. As a result of this change in scheduling, Unwind with ITVBe has an extended run starting at 1:00 am or thereabouts while Unwind with ITV2 typically runs in excess of 90 minutes prior to 5:30 am; Unwind with ITV runs for a maximum of 75 minutes before closing for a brief commercial break after which it resumes until the total scheduled runtime is reached. Meanwhile, ITV3 and ITV4 extended their repeated programming into the early hours of the morning while their editions of Unwind with ITV were retained to run for a minimum of 5 minutes prior to teleshopping. And in Early May 2024. Unwind returned to the old use on ITV's sister channels and teleshopping returned to starting at 1am on ITVBe, 2:30am on ITV3, and 3am on ITV 2 and ITV 4.
See also
The Landscape Channel – A British defunct television channel that showed landscapes over ambient music
