Sleuth Channel Gets a New Name; Meet Cloo - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 04-07-2011, 12:32 PM

From the company that morphed Sci Fi into Syfy comes another channel name destined to wreak havoc with your computer's spell check.

TV Guide Magazine has confirmed that NBCUniversal will change the name of Sleuth, its crime and mystery cable channel, later this spring. The new name? Cloo TV.

Why the name change and quirky spelling? Just as NBCUniversal realized that it couldn't trademark the words Sci Fi, it faced the same problem with Sleuth. (Or Clue, for that matter.) But it can own the word Cloo.

The name switch represents the first major change among NBCUniversal's smaller "emerging networks" following its merger with Comcast earlier this year. Besides Sleuth/Cloo, the company's emerging networks include the horror-themed Chiller and the all high-definition Universal HD channels. Sleuth/Cloo runs movies and repeats of series like NCIS, JAG, House, Monk, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Walker: Texas Ranger.

Name changes aren't an easy sell and come with the added expense of making over everything from company stationery to on-air promos. Then there's the potential blowback from viewers. NBCUniversal (back when it was still NBC Universal, two words) caught quite a bit of grief over the Syfy rebrand — with some critics questioning the use of a made-up word that was still pronounced "Sci Fi," not "siffy."

But the move to Syfy also signaled a shift in direction for that network, away from a pure sci-fi focus to one that was much broader. In the case of Sleuth-to-Cloo, it was much more of an effort to control the brand while the cable network's crime-and-mystery focus remains the same.

Type Sleuth into a search engine, and results pop up for the game of the same name or multiple movies with that title, before the channel. Cloo won't pose the same problem. Sleuth's current tagline, by the way, already hints at the channel's new name: "Get clued in."

NBCUniversal isn't ready to officially announce the change to Cloo, although at least one executive has already let the news slip via Twitter. Says an insider involved with the change: "We understand our viewers' passion for crime and mystery... While we're serious about our content, we never take ourselves too seriously."

Among other recent name changes, Discovery Communications' Science Channel announced earlier this week that it would now be known simply as "Science."

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Sleuth-N...ileid=breaking

TKMetal · 04-07-2011, 01:18 PM

They should just rename it USA 2. Then they can move away from the crime and mystery niche and add Wings as well

.

robyrob · 04-07-2011, 01:25 PM

oh geez that is stupid (oops, I mean stööpd)

...why can't they just make better programming decisions instead of trying to rebrand it with some gag name?

Regulus · 04-07-2011, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robyrob

oh geez that is stupid (oops, I mean stööpd)

...why can't they just make better programming decisions instead of trying to rebrand it with some gag name?

SECONDED!

Marvo301 · 04-07-2011, 11:20 PM

I wish they would put as much creativity into programming as they put into their branding!!!

Mr. Television · 04-08-2011, 09:12 AM

This is a wasted network.

PlayOn · 04-19-2011, 12:16 AM

where do they come up with this stuff?

80sTrivia · 04-19-2011, 04:28 AM

I thought SyFy was lame. But Cloo? We have a new Lamest Network Name winner!

04-07-2011, 12:32 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Sleuth Channel Gets a New Name; Meet Cloo From the company that morphed Sci Fi into Syfy comes another channel name destined to wreak havoc with your computer's spell check. TV Guide Magazine has confirmed that NBCUniversal will change the name of Sleuth, its crime and mystery cable channel, later this spring. The new name? Cloo TV. Why the name change and quirky spelling? Just as NBCUniversal realized that it couldn't trademark the words Sci Fi, it faced the same problem with Sleuth. (Or Clue, for that matter.) But it can own the word Cloo. The name switch represents the first major change among NBCUniversal's smaller "emerging networks" following its merger with Comcast earlier this year. Besides Sleuth/Cloo, the company's emerging networks include the horror-themed Chiller and the all high-definition Universal HD channels. Sleuth/Cloo runs movies and repeats of series like NCIS, JAG, House, Monk, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Walker: Texas Ranger. Name changes aren't an easy sell and come with the added expense of making over everything from company stationery to on-air promos. Then there's the potential blowback from viewers. NBCUniversal (back when it was still NBC Universal, two words) caught quite a bit of grief over the Syfy rebrand — with some critics questioning the use of a made-up word that was still pronounced "Sci Fi," not "siffy." But the move to Syfy also signaled a shift in direction for that network, away from a pure sci-fi focus to one that was much broader. In the case of Sleuth-to-Cloo, it was much more of an effort to control the brand while the cable network's crime-and-mystery focus remains the same. Type Sleuth into a search engine, and results pop up for the game of the same name or multiple movies with that title, before the channel. Cloo won't pose the same problem. Sleuth's current tagline, by the way, already hints at the channel's new name: "Get clued in." NBCUniversal isn't ready to officially announce the change to Cloo, although at least one executive has already let the news slip via Twitter. Says an insider involved with the change: "We understand our viewers' passion for crime and mystery... While we're serious about our content, we never take ourselves too seriously." Among other recent name changes, Discovery Communications' Science Channel announced earlier this week that it would now be known simply as "Science." http://www.tvguide.com/News/Sleuth-N...ileid=breaking
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04-07-2011, 01:25 PM	#3
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,189	oh geez that is stupid (oops, I mean stööpd) ...why can't they just make better programming decisions instead of trying to rebrand it with some gag name?
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04-07-2011, 11:20 PM	#5
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,453	I wish they would put as much creativity into programming as they put into their branding!!!
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04-08-2011, 09:12 AM	#6
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,133	This is a wasted network.
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04-19-2011, 12:16 AM	#7
PlayOn ADHD: what I have not who I am Senior Member Join Date: Jun 17, 2006 Location: I'll never tell. :p Posts: 2,745	where do they come up with this stuff?
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04-07-2011, 01:18 PM	#2
TKMetal Millennial Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 12, 2006 Posts: 280	They should just rename it USA 2. Then they can move away from the crime and mystery niche and add Wings as well .

04-19-2011, 04:28 AM	#8
80sTrivia Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 23, 2002 Posts: 21,715	I thought SyFy was lame. But Cloo? We have a new Lamest Network Name winner!
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