TVP2


TVP2 is a Polish public mainstream TV channel operated by TVP. Launched in October 1970, its varied line-up contains a variety of programming although it focuses on entertainment: stand up comedy, comic shows, cabaret, and themed talk shows.
TVP2 is broadcast as part of the nationwide, unencrypted third multiplex of digital terrestrial television. It is also available on all cable networks and satellite digital platforms in accordance with the so-called must-carry rule—a provision in the Broadcasting and Television Act requiring every television operator to offer seven specific channels: TVP1, TVP2, and TVP3, as well as four commercial ones – TVN, Polsat, TV4, and TV Puls.
TVP2 can also be watched for free online through services such as TVP VOD and TVP GO.

History

Beginnings

Program Two underwent many transformations over the years. On 2 October 1970, when the second channel of Telewizja Polska began broadcasting, the chairman of the Radio and Television Committee, Włodzimierz Sokorski, declared in a ceremonial speech that the launch of the new program was an expression of "concern for the education and culture of the nation." At first, Dwójka was an educational channel that mainly aired scientific and educational programs, including foreign language lessons; therefore, it also broadcast foreign films in their original versions as part of series such as Cinema in the Original Version or, somewhat later, The Polyglots’ Cinema. The aim was also to promote the achievements of theater, film, and quality entertainment.
Dwójka also broadcast thematic programming blocks devoted to countries of the "people’s democracies," such as Czechoslovakia Day or Yugoslavia Day, which featured documentaries, feature films, and entertainment programs from those nations. However, some Western countries were also presented, for example, French Day and Austrian Day. During that period, rerun blocks such as Studio Bis and Let’s Meet Once Again were also aired.
On Christmas, Easter, as well as on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, Dwójka prepared special film blocks such as Classics of Literature on Screen, Film Adaptations of World Literature, New Year’s Eve Cocktail, New Year’s Relaxation, and other programs dedicated to the work of a single artist, such as Author’s Day.... Throughout the entire 1970s, the channel did not yet have a distinct identity separate from Jedynka. The same announcers presented both channels, and the old graphic design and style of the program were almost identical.

The new face of the channel after martial law

After the final lifting of martial law in 1983 and the resumption of regular broadcasting, efforts began to shape Dwójka into a channel with its own, more distinct identity that could significantly diversify the overall programming offer. Initially, the focus was placed mainly on documentary series about prominent artists—especially writers —as well as travel series and cycles dedicated to masterpieces of world cinema, both in the form of auteur series and thematic series.
When Zbigniew Napierała became the director of Dwójka, more programs devoted to classical music appeared on air, which at that time accounted for as much as 11% of the broadcasting schedule. Dwójka gained a new "face" under the direction of Józef Węgrzyn, who decided to introduce more entertainment and current affairs programs, as well as an original announcer’s studio and a completely new team of hosts-presenters. It was during this period that figures such as Iwona Kubicz, Jolanta Fajkowska, and Grażyna Torbicka made their debuts on Dwójka. More and more interesting programs were broadcast, and films were scheduled so that their airtime would not overlap with those on Jedynka.

After 1989

TP2 became TVP2 in 1992, at the time Poland was opening up to capitalism and began adapting international game show formats, such as Koło Fortuny and Familiada.
Today, Dwójka is a television channel with a very diverse program lineup. Despite this variety, in recent years entertainment has dominated its schedule, although various cultural programs have also appeared. In the spring of 2016, during the tenure of Maciej Chmiel, Dwójka briefly introduced new cultural programs such as Breakfast on the Grass, educational programs like Wild Music, and a show inspired by the traditions of literary cabaret – The Comedy Stage of Channel Two.
On 7 March 2003, the channel introduced its current logo.
In March 2016, TVP2 aired the premiere episodes of Sonda 2 — a popular science program that continued the cult television series from the 1970s. The host of Sonda 2 was Dr. Tomasz Rożek. The program was moved to TVP1 in the autumn of 2017, where it was broadcast until 2018.

Timetable

  • 2 October 1970, 6:55 p.m. – The broadcast of Telewizja Polska’s Second Channel began. Dwójka launched with an inaugural speech by the chairman of the Radio and Television Committee, Włodzimierz Sokorski, who declared that Program II was being launched as an expression of "concern for the education and culture of the nation." Immediately after his speech, A Feature from the Future featuring Stanisław Lem was aired. Dwójka was intended as an educational channel, initially broadcasting five days a week with a predominance of educational and scientific programs, including foreign language lessons. It was also meant to popularize achievements in theater, film, and quality entertainment. At first, Dwójka was available only to viewers in Warsaw, Łódź, Katowice, and Kraków, broadcasting five days a week from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
  • 18 March 1971 – After several years of experimental broadcasts, half-hour color programs began airing once a week.
  • 22 July 1971 – The first color theatrical performance was broadcast: an adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco, directed by Jerzy Antczak.
  • 6 December 1971 – Daily color transmissions began, featuring live coverage from the congress of the Polish United Workers’ Party.
  • 1973 – Dwójka began airing Gallery of 33 Million, a series on contemporary art created and hosted by Franciszek Kuduk. Each episode focused on a prominent Polish artist, such as Stefan Gierowski, Czesław Rzepiński, Edward Dwurnik, Zdzisław Beksiński, Władysław Hasior, and Mieczysław Wejman. The series was filmed in artists’ studios, allowing for direct conversations and art presentations. The show earned high praise from both viewers and critics, greatly contributing to the popularization of visual arts in Poland. It continued for 20 years under various titles, later known as Gallery of 38 Million.
  • 4 February 1974 – Program Two began daily broadcasting.
  • 30 November 1974 – The legendary entertainment show Studio 2, conceived by Mariusz Walter, premiered. It was a variety show featuring popular stars and quickly moved to TVP1. After the end of Edward Gierek’s era and television’s "golden age," Studio 2 returned to Dwójka as a more modest weekend program block.
  • 13 December 1981 – Broadcasting of Dwójka was suspended due to the introduction of martial law.
  • 8 February 1982 – Broadcasting resumed. Alongside the local program and Television News Journal, Dwójka aired In the Old Cinema.
  • February 1982 – Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences could now watch the main edition of Dziennik Telewizyjny with a sign language interpreter. The program aired on weekends until 1987, with over 500 editions produced for the hearing impaired.
  • July 1 – 23 December 1983 – Another suspension of broadcasting; initially on all days, and later only on weekends.
  • 1985 – Premiere of the journalistic program Reporters’ Express, edited by Blanka Danilewicz.
  • 15 October 1986 – First episode of the Crime Magazine 997, hosted by Michał Fajbusiewicz.
  • 30 March 1987, 9:30 p.m. – First edition of Dwójka’s daily news program Panorama dnia.
  • 9 August 1987 – Premiere of The Homeland of the Polish Language, hosted by Professor Jan Miodek.
  • 1988 – Premiere of Closer to the World, an 85-minute weekly news magazine presenting global highlights using satellite footage and commentary from foreign correspondents based in Poland.
  • 1988–1994 – Broadcast of the satirical program To Be Continued... .
  • 30 December 1988 – Premiere of Poland’s first soap opera, In the Labyrinth, aired until 1990.
  • 26 October 1989 – Premiere of Pearls from the Attic, a program featuring classic films preceded by commentary from Zygmunt Kałużyński and Tomasz Raczek.
  • 2 September 1991 – First edition of Panorama.
  • 20 April 1992 – Premiere of the talk show Desert Island hosted by Nina Terentiew.
  • 2 October 1992 – Premiere of the game show Wheel of Fortune .
  • 1993 – Regular on-screen channel logo introduced.
  • 14 November 1993 – Premiere of the talent show Chance for Success .
  • 1994–2016 – Broadcast of Grażyna Torbicka’s film art program I Love Cinema.
  • 1 January 1994 – Dwójka switched from the SECAM to PAL color broadcasting system.
  • 3 June 1994 – Premiere of the quiz show One Out of Ten, hosted by Tadeusz Sznuk.
  • 17 September 1994 – Premiere of the game show Family Feud, hosted by Karol Strasburger.
  • 11 March 1995 – Premiere of the satirical program KOC – The Comical Cyclic Episode, by Grzegorz Wasowski and Sławomir Szczęśniak.
  • January 1997 – Together with TVP1, Dwójka began stereo sound broadcasting using the NICAM system.
  • 15 June 1997 – Launch of a separate teletext service for TVP2.
  • 26 December 1997 – Premiere of the soap opera The Złotopolskis, aired until 2010.
  • 12 September 1998 – Premiere of Robert Makłowicz’s culinary show, which continued under various titles until 2017, the last being Makłowicz in Travel
  • 6 October 1999 – First edition of Reporters’ Express Magazine .
  • 7 November 1999 – Premiere of the medical soap opera For Better and for Worse.
  • 23 January 2000 – Premiere of the sitcom Holy War, aired until 2008.
  • 20 April 2000 – Change of logo: the thick white "2" was replaced by a slimmer, slightly italicized design.
  • 4 November 2000 – Premiere of the soap opera L for Love.
  • 2 September 2002 – First edition of the morning show Question for Breakfast.
  • 7 March 2003 – Change of logo and graphic design, aligning with other Polish Television channels.
  • 12 October 2003 – Premiere of The Weekly of Moral Anxiety, aired until 2006.
  • 15 December 2005 – Premiere of the crime drama Pitbull, aired until 2008.
  • 2 September 2006 – Final episode of the game show The Great Game.
  • January 2007 – Studio Teatralne Dwójki, showcasing contemporary Polish drama, was removed from the schedule.
  • 27 September 2007 – Premiere of the soap opera Colors of Happiness.
  • 7 September 2008 – Premiere of the historical-war drama Days of Honor, aired until 2013.
  • 26 September 2009 – Premiere of TVP2 Cabaret Club, aired until 2012.
  • 18 November 2009 – Test broadcasts in widescreen 16:9 format.
  • 27 October 2010 – Regular digital broadcasts of TVP1 and TVP2 in SD quality on the third multiplex of terrestrial digital television.
  • 30 December 2010, 4:00 p.m. – Dwójka aired its last regional programming from Telewizja Polska’s regional centers.
  • 14 February 2011 – Panorama began regular widescreen 16:9 broadcasting.
  • 2 March 2011 – Premiere of the comedy series Rodzinka.pl, aired until 2020.
  • 5 March 2011 – Premiere of the game show Bet on a Million, hosted by Łukasz Nowicki.
  • 3 September 2011 – Premiere of the talent show The Voice of Poland.
  • 14 December 2011 – Regular SD broadcasts of TVP1 and TVP2 began on the first multiplex of terrestrial digital television.
  • 31 May 2012 – Launch of regular HD broadcasting under the name TVP2 HD.
  • 1 March 2013 – Premiere of the live comedy show Thank God It’s Weekend, aired intermittently until 2016.
  • 12 February 2014 – Premiere of the medical series Na sygnale.
  • 15 March 2014 – The SD version of TVP2 was replaced by Stopklatka TV on multiplex 1.
  • 5 September 2014 – Premiere of the comedy-drama Don’t Worry About Me, aired until 2021.
  • 7 April 2017 – The SD version of TVP2 ceased broadcasting on the Hot Bird satellite.
  • 3 September 2021 – 28 August 2023 – Change of logo and graphic design; however, the existing on-screen logo and website branding remained.
  • 14 February 2022 – TVP2 became available for free through the TVP GO app on iOS and Android.
  • July 25 – 18 November 2022 – Dwójka was available on TVP’s test multiplex in the DVB-T2/HEVC standard.
  • 1 June 2023 – TVP2 became available for free on the TVP VOD website and app.
  • 20 December 2023 – 10 January 2024 – Suspension of Panorama broadcasts due to changes in TVP leadership made by Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz.
  • 1 September 2024 – Final broadcast of Panorama on TVP2.