Being a fan of anime (Japanese animation) in the UK involves a lot of looking at the size of the US market jealously. Over the past couple of years one of the biggest sources of this has been that the US fan base is large enough to support two 24-hour anime channels (The Anime Network and now the horribly monikered Funimation Channel). Whereas DVDs and books can be imported, there's no getting round they are out or our reach! This week the news broke that the Anime Network is going to be making it's UK debut as a two-hour branded block showing on Sky Channel 195 on Sundays from the 3rd of June. Luckily for me of the 4 shows making up the initial line-up I've only seen one of them already (Evangelion, a classic of anime that 99% of fans must have seen by now). Unluckily for me it's on at the same time as 24, meaning I'm going to have to shift my 24 viewing to it's repeat showing on Saturdays just as it enters the final few hours. Never mind, musn't grumble!

the offical site