Rewind TV is starting its June lineup before June even arrives, with The New Statesman set to begin on May 26 at 9:00pm and Two’s Company following on June 1 with two daily showings at 10:30am and 7:00pm. The nostalgia-focused channel, which is available on Freeview Channel 81, is using the early start to roll out classic comedy well ahead of the new month.

Jonathan Moore said the schedule gives viewers “something completely different” while the World Cup dominates much of television elsewhere, adding that the channel is offering “classic comedy, cult favourites and timeless television packed with unforgettable characters and huge performances.” It is a line that fits a channel built around old favourites, but the programming shift also shows how Rewind TV is trying to make its place in a crowded broadcast calendar.

The first title out of the gate is The New Statesman, with Rik Mayall starring as Alan B’Stard in the series created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran. The show ran on ITV from 1987 to 1992 and returned for a final special in 1994. Rewind TV follows that with Two’s Company, starring Elaine Stritch as Dorothy McNab and Donald Sinden as Robert Hiller, a pairing that extends the channel’s focus on classic British comedy.

That focus has been central to Rewind TV since it launched on Sky in May 2024 and then expanded to Freeview in September 2024. The channel now sits on Sky Channel 182 and Freely Channel 141 on the aerial-connected version of Freely, but it remains absent from Sky Stream, Sky Glass and Freesat and still has no streaming app. For viewers who want this kind of programming without chasing it across platforms, Freeview is the easiest route in.

The timing matters because Rewind TV is leaning into the gap left by football coverage and the seasonal churn that pushes familiar comedy off the schedule. With The New Statesman and Two’s Company arriving before June begins, the channel is making a simple pitch: if viewers want something less predictable than sport and fresher than a rerun buried in the late-night listings, it is already there on Channel 81.