BBC Two

BBC Two is the second major terrestrial television channel of the BBC aimed at minority interests and more specialist areas. It was the second British television station to be launched by the BBC and Europe's first television channel to broadcast regularly in colour, from 1967, envisaged as a home for less mainstream and more ambitious programming. a result of its criticisms of the populism of ITV, the 1962 Pilkington Report recommended that Britain's third television channel should be awarded to the BBC. Prior to its launch, BBC2 was promoted on the BBC Television Service channel soon to be renamed BBC1 and later BBC One; the animated adverts featured the campaign mascots "Hullabaloo" (a mother kangaroo) and "Custard" (her joey). Prior to its formal launch (and for several years afterwards) the channel broadcast 'Trade Test Transmissions', short films made externally by companies such as Shell and BP, which served to enable engineers to test reception, but became cult viewing. ... full article at wikipedia