TVP2 (officially Program Drugi Telewizji Polskiej, "Programme Two of Telewizja Polska"), commonly known as Dwójka ("the second [channel"), is the second television channel of the Polish public broadcaster Telewizja Polska (TVP). It was launched on 2 October 1970. Its programming includes documentaries, historical programmes, talk shows and game shows, with an emphasis on entertainment programming such as stand-up comedy, comedy programmes, cabaret and themed talk shows, including programmes focusing on travel and foreign cultures.
TVP2 is broadcast as part of the nationwide, unencrypted (free-to-air) third multiplex of digital terrestrial television (MUX 3). It is also available on all cable networks and satellite digital platforms in accordance with the so-called must-carry rule—a provision in the Broadcasting and Television Act requiring every television operator to offer seven specific channels: TVP1, TVP2, and TVP3, as well as four commercial ones: TVN, Polsat, TV4, and TV Puls.
TVP2 is also available online free of charge through TVP VOD and TVP GO.
History
Beginnings The second channel of TVP has undergone many transformations over the years. Upon its launch on 2 October 1970, the chairman of the Radio and Television Committee, Włodzimierz Sokorski, declared in a ceremonial speech that the launch of the new program was an expression of "concern for the education and culture of the nation". At first, it was an educational channel that mainly aired scientific and educational programs, including foreign language lessons; therefore, it also broadcast foreign films in their original versions as part of series such as Kino wersji oryginalnej ("Cinema in the original version") or, somewhat later, Kino poliglotów ("the Polyglots' cinema"). The aim was also to promote the achievements of theater, film, and quality entertainment.
Dwójka also broadcast thematic programming blocks devoted to countries of the "people's democracies", such as Dzień Czechosłowacji w TP ("Czechoslovakia Day") and Dzień Jugosławii w TVP ("Yugoslavia Day"), which featured documentaries, feature films and entertainment programmes from those countries. Some Western countries were also featured, including France in Dzień francuski ("French Day") and Austria in Dzień austriacki ("Austrian Day"). During this period, rerun blocks such as Studio Bis and Spotkajmy się raz jeszcze ("Let's Meet Once Again") were also broadcast. In May 1971, the channel held Dni francuskie i japońskie ("French and Japanese Days").
On Christmas, Easter, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, Dwójka prepared special film blocks such as Klasycy literatury na ekranie ("Classics of Literature on Screen"), Adaptacje filmowe literatury światowej ("Film Adaptations of World Literature"), Sylwestrowy cocktail ("New Year's Eve Cocktail") and Noworoczny relaks ("New Year's Relaxation"). It also broadcast programmes dedicated to individual artists, such as Dzień autorski... ("Author's Day..."). Throughout the 1970s, the channel did not yet have a distinct identity separate from Jedynka (Channel One). The same announcers presented both channels, while their graphics and programme styles remained largely similar.
The new face of the channel after martial law After the final lifting of martial law in 1983 and the resumption of regular broadcasting, efforts were made to establish Dwójka as a channel with a distinct identity and a more diverse programming schedule. Initially, the channel focused mainly on documentary series about prominent artists, particularly writers, including Wielcy pisarze ("Great Writers"), as well as travel series and programmes devoted to major works of world cinema. These included auteur series featuring films by directors such as Woody Allen and Ingmar Bergman, as well as thematic series such as Kino Ameryki Łacińskiej ("Cinema of Latin America").
When Zbigniew Napierała became director of Dwójka, the channel increased its programming devoted to classical music, which at the time accounted for approximately 11% of its broadcasting schedule. Under the direction of Józef Węgrzyn, Dwójka adopted a new programming format that placed greater emphasis on entertainment and current affairs programmes, including Panorama dnia ("Daily Panorama"). A new announcer's studio was also introduced, along with a new team of hosts and presenters. During this period, Iwona Kubicz, Jolanta Fajkowska and Grażyna Torbicka made their debuts on Dwójka. The channel also expanded its programming and scheduled films at times that generally did not overlap with those broadcast on Jedynka (Channel One).
After 1989 TP2 became TVP2 in 1992, at the time Poland was opening up to capitalism and began adapting international game show formats, such as Koło Fortuny and Familiada.
In recent years, Dwójka has broadcast a diverse range of programmes, with entertainment making up a significant part of its schedule alongside cultural programming. In spring 2016, during Maciej Chmiel's tenure as director, the channel introduced several new cultural and educational programmes, including Śniadanie na trawie ("Breakfast on the Grass"), Dzika muzyka ("Wild Music"), and Komediowa Scena Dwójki ("Comedy Stage of Channel Two"), a programme inspired by the tradition of literary cabaret.
On 7 March 2003, the channel introduced its current logo (the 2 introduced in 2000 was made upright and orange became the channel's signature color).
In March 2016, TVP2 aired the premiere episodes of Sonda 2 — a popular science program that continued the cult television series from the 1970s. The host of Sonda 2 was Dr. Tomasz Rożek. The program was moved to TVP1 in the autumn of 2017, where it was broadcast until 2018.
Timetable
2 October 1970, 6:55 p.m. – The broadcast of Telewizja Polska's Second Channel began. Dwójka launched with an inaugural speech by the chairman of the Radio and Television Committee, Włodzimierz Sokorski, who declared that Program II was being launched as an expression of "concern for the education and culture of the nation." Immediately after his speech, A Feature from the Future featuring Stanisław Lem was aired. Dwójka was intended as an educational channel, initially broadcasting five days a week with a predominance of educational and scientific programs, including foreign language lessons. It was also meant to popularize achievements in theater, film, and quality entertainment. At first, Dwójka was available only to viewers in Warsaw, Łódź, Katowice, and Kraków, broadcasting five days a week from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. 18 March 1971 – After several years of experimental broadcasts, half-hour color programs began airing once a week (every Thursday). 22 July 1971 – The first color theatrical performance was broadcast: an adaptation of Anton Chekhov's On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco (O szkodliwości palenia tytoniu), directed by Jerzy Antczak. 6 December 1971 – Daily color transmissions began, featuring live coverage from the congress of the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR). 1973 – Dwójka began airing Gallery of 33 Million (Galerii 33 milionów), a series on contemporary art created and hosted by Franciszek Kuduk. Each episode focused on a prominent Polish artist, such as Stefan Gierowski, Czesław Rzepiński, Edward Dwurnik, Zdzisław Beksiński, Władysław Hasior, and Mieczysław Wejman. The series was filmed in artists' studios, allowing for direct conversations and art presentations. The show earned high praise from both viewers and critics, greatly contributing to the popularization of visual arts in Poland. It continued for 20 years under various titles, later known as Gallery of 38 Million (Galeria 38 milionów). 4 February 1974 – Program Two began daily broadcasting. 30 November 1974 – The legendary entertainment show Studio 2, conceived by Mariusz Walter, premiered. It was a variety show featuring popular stars and quickly moved to TVP1. After the end of Edward Gierek's era and television's "golden age", Studio 2 returned to Dwójka as a more modest weekend program block. 13 December 1981 – Broadcasting of Dwójka was suspended due to the introduction of martial law. 8 February 1982 – Broadcasting resumed. Alongside the local program and Television News Journal (Dziennik Telewizyjny), Dwójka aired In the Old Cinema (W starym kinie). February 1982 – Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences could now watch the main edition of Dziennik Telewizyjny with a sign language interpreter. The program aired on weekends until 1987, with over 500 editions produced for the hearing impaired. July 1 – 23 December 1983 – Another suspension of broadcasting; initially on all days, and later (from 1 October) only on weekends. 1985 – Premiere of the journalistic program Reporters' Express (Ekspresu reporterów), edited by Blanka Danilewicz. 15 October 1986 – First episode of the Crime Magazine 997 (Magazynu Kryminalnego 997), hosted by Michał Fajbusiewicz. 30 March 1987, 9:30 p.m. – First edition of Dwójkas daily news program Panorama dnia. 9 August 1987 – Premiere of The Homeland of the Polish Language (Ojczyzny polszczyzny), hosted by Professor Jan Miodek (aired until 2007). 1988 – Premiere of Closer to the World (Bliżej świata), an 85-minute weekly news magazine presenting global highlights using satellite footage and commentary from foreign correspondents based in Poland (aired until 1991). 1988–1994 – Broadcast of the satirical program To Be Continued... ( by Wojciech Mann and Krzysztof Materna. 1988–1992 – Broadcast of the talk show 100 Questions for... (100 pytań do...) (later moved to TVP1 from 1992 to 1995). 30 December 1988 – Premiere of Poland's first soap opera, In the Labyrinth (W labiryncie), aired until 1990. 26 October 1989 – Premiere of Pearls from the Attic (Perły z lamusa), a program featuring classic films preceded by commentary from Zygmunt Kałużyński and Tomasz Raczek (aired until 1999). 2 September 1991 – First edition of Panorama. 20 April 1992 – Premiere of the talk show Desert Island (Bezludna wyspa) hosted by Nina Terentiew (aired until 2006). 2 October 1992 – Premiere of the game show Wheel of Fortune (Koło Fortuny) (aired 1992–1998, 2007–2009, and again since 2017). 1993 – Regular on-screen channel logo introduced. 14 November 1993 – Premiere of the talent show Chance for Success (Szansa na sukces) (aired until 2012 and revived in 2019). 1994–2016 – Broadcast of Grażyna Torbicka's film art program I Love Cinema (Kocham kino). 1 January 1994 – Dwójka switched from the SECAM to PAL color broadcasting system. 3 June 1994 – Premiere of the quiz show One Out of Ten (Jeden z dziesięciu), hosted by Tadeusz Sznuk (later moved to TVP1 from 2018 to 2024). 17 September 1994 – Premiere of the game show Family Feud (Familiada), hosted by Karol Strasburger. 11 March 1995 – Premiere of the satirical program KOC – The Comical Cyclic Episode (Komiczny Odcinek Cykliczny), by Grzegorz Wasowski and Sławomir Szczęśniak (aired until 2000). January 1997 – Together with TVP1, Dwójka began stereo sound broadcasting using the NICAM system. 15 June 1997 – Launch of a separate teletext service for TVP2 (previously, TVP1 and TVP2 shared the same teletext). 26 December 1997 – Premiere of the soap opera The Złotopolskis (Złotopolscy), aired until 2010. 12 September 1998 – Premiere of Robert Makłowicz's culinary show, which continued under various titles until 2017, the last being Makłowicz in Travel (Makłowicz w podróży) 6 October 1999 – First edition of Reporters' Express Magazine (Magazynu Ekspresu Reporterów) (moved to TVP1 in 2019). 7 November 1999 – Premiere of the medical soap opera For Better and for Worse (Na dobre i na złe). 23 January 2000 – Premiere of the sitcom Holy War (Święta wojna), aired until 2008. 20 April 2000 – Change of logo: the thick white "2" was replaced by a slimmer, slightly italicized design. 4 November 2000 – Premiere of the soap opera L for Love (M jak miłość).