The Biography Channel (also known as Bio.) was a British general entertainment channel available in some European countries. The channel was launched on 1 October 2000 by a joint-venture between A+E Networks and British Sky Broadcasting in the United Kingdom. It later became available in Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium. The channel's programming, as the name suggests, is made up of the biographies of famous people, including bands, politicians and criminals. The channel ceased broadcasting at 6am on 4 November 2013 and was replaced by Lifetime.