BBC Three is back with a bang

BBC Three has returned to our TV screens, after five years off-air.

The channel, which relaunched on February 1, has so far shown repeats of beloved programmes like This Country and Young Offenders, as well as hosting the worldwide premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World.

An exclusive spin-off of the Drag Race franchise, UK vs The World invites drag queens from international seasons to compete together, attracting 375,000 live viewers according to industry magazine, Broadcast.

Previously, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK was released exclusively on BBC iPlayer, which became the official home of BBC Three when the channel moved online in February 2016.

Fan favourites such as Fleabag and Normal People were uploaded straight to iPlayer upon first release, during which time research by City, University of London found that up to 70 per cent of the channel’s audience was lost.

Prior to this, BBC Three’s highest viewed programme was Eastenders Live: The Aftermath, which attracted 4.5 million people in February 2010.

Last year, the BBC announced the channel would be making a comeback to Freeview television, bringing new documentaries, sports coverage and a tractor racing competition show.

The return of the channel reminded young adults of their childhoods, with one Twitter user saying: “Most people watching BBC Three on TV tonight are millennials tuning in out of nostalgia, discovering how old they’ve become.”

Programmes once shown on the channel since its initial 2003 launch include Some Girls, World’s Strictest Parents and Don’t Tell the Bride.

“All I’m saying is BBC Three would be the perfect home for Big Brother,” said a Twitter user, reminiscing over the golden age of British reality TV.

Under new regulations, at least 75 per cent of broadcast content on BBC Three must be original programming, meaning plenty of new series are in the works, including a second season of comedy Starstruck, and a new drama series called Mood.

BBC Three runs from 7pm every night on Freeview channel 23, or 109 for HD.