NBC Universal will launch its crime-themed cable network, Sleuth, with a marathon of pilots on New Year’s Day. At 6 a.m. Jan. 1, the 24-hour Sleuth will kick off with the pilots of crime shows The A-Team, Knight Rider, Simon & Simon, Karen Sisco, Homicide: Life on the Street and EZ Streets.
The network will continue its “From the Beginning of Crime” theme throughout the week, including running the two-hour pilot of Miami Vice during a Jan. 2-3 marathon of the series and showing the pilot of Columbo Jan. 3, the pilot of The Rockford Files Jan. 4, the pilot of Magnum, P.I. Jan. 5 and the pilot of JAG Jan. 6.
After a standard-definition launch reaching 5 million digital cable customers on Time Warner Cable, the network will also offer an HD simulcast channel and a video-on-demand channel schedule later in 2006.
Sleuth will draw upon NBC Universal’s library of movies, documentaries and TV shows for programming, including movies such as Scarface and Casino on the standard-def and high-def lineups. The on-demand channel will offer at least 20 hours of content at any time.
