''Network First'' is a wide-ranging documentary strand broadcast on

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

in the U.K. from January 1994 to December 1997, and was a part replacement for First Tuesday. Unlike other documentary series on ITV such as ''

World in Action ''World in Action'' was a British investigative current affairs programme made by Granada Television for ITV from 7 January 1963 until 7 December 1998. Its campaigning journalism frequently had a major impact on events of the day. Its producti ...

'', ''Network First'', was not centred on current affairs or politics, but broadcast a range of one-off programmes covering various subjects such as biography, history, and science. Programmes were usually transmitted in the 22:40 slot after '' News at Ten'', each usually running for an hour. The strand was not "owned" by any one ITV franchise, and individual programmes were contributed by the various ITV companies. As a strand, ''Network First'' never became a household "name" - unlike the likes of ''World in Action'' or ''This Week'' - possibly because of its diverse subject matter. The series appears to have been dropped quietly by ITV in the lead up to the high-profile axing of both ''World in Action'' on 7 December 1998 and ''News at Ten'' on 5 March 1999.

External links

*
''Network First''
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

. 1990s British documentary television series 1994 British television series debuts 1997 British television series endings British television documentaries ITV documentaries Carlton Television English-language television shows Television series by ITV Studios Television shows produced by Central Independent Television {{UK-nonfiction-tv-prog-stub