Why?

Pretty simple, really: there used to be a couple of really great sites that would tell you what films were available on Freeview, but they all seem to have fallen by the wayside and are no longer working. And I understand why: getting the available programming for Freeview channels in the UK is, surprisingly, bonkers-difficult. But it was purely because these other services seem to have been abandoned that I felt there was sufficient need for one.

How does it work?

Every day we gather the listings for all the major channels available on Freeview, sift through them to find only the films, and then we list them out. And that’s it!

Why are some channels listed as ‘London’?

That’s a quirk of grabbing the TV listings for a national-level service that serves regional channels: ultimately, you do have to pick a region to say where you’re based, and there isn’t an ‘I’m-in-England’ option. Regardless, despite the regional differences when it comes to news programmes & such, it shouldn’t* have an impact on the film listings themselves.

*it still might, though

Why are some films showing as much shorter than they really are?

This is, again, an unfortunate quirk of grabbing the TV listings where some channels choose, for whatever reason, to insert a news segment or ‘entertainment news catchup’ in the middle of a film. As a result, the film gets split in two, and we’re only able to get the ‘first half’ of its duration. Don’t worry though, the whole thing is definitely being shown.

Why am I seeing yesterday’s films?

Probably because you’re too quick off the mark. The site tries to grab the TV listings around midnight, but it still takes a couple of minutes to collate all that information. Give it a few minutes and you’ll see the listings appear.

Can I request a sparkly new feature?

Feel free to let me know via the bird site and I’ll see what I can do. Politeness goes a long way, because I’m into doing neat stuff! Rudeness is the shortest possible distance to instablock and a guarantee I will do my damnedest to never implement the thing you want, purely out of spite.