The Movie Channel (TMC) is an American premium channel owned by Showtime Networks, Inc., a subsidiary of CBS Corporation, which shows mostly movies, as well as special behind-the-scenes features, softcore adult erotica and movie trivia.

Although the majority of cable systems typically sell The Movie Channel as a package with sister premium channel Showtime, Dish Network and DirecTV do alternately sell The Movie Channel to non-Showtime subscribers (it is one of only two premium channels to be offered in this manner, the other being Encore).

The Movie Channel began in^[when?]1973 as Star Channel, a pay movie service of Gridtronics, delivering movies to cable systems via videotape delivered to the cable companies. Sometimes cable companies would have technical problems with the delivered tapes, especially when the tapes jammed on playback to viewers. Later in the decade, it was acquired by Warner Communications, and eventually brought into the Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment joint venture. The network was initially offered on Warner Cable systems, and later on Warner-Amex's experimental QUBE interactive service.

Movie channels are television specialty channels that present movie content.

Popular movie channels:

Lauren Helen Graham (born March 16, 1967) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore on the WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood.

Graham was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the daughter of Donna Grant, a fashion buyer, and Lawrence Graham, a candy industry lobbyist who is the current president for National Confectioners Association. Graham is Irish Catholic. Graham's parents were divorced when she was only five years old, and Graham moved to Washington, D.C., where her father became a congressional staffer.^{[citation needed]} As a girl, Graham rode horses competitively, but soon switched to acting, honing her talent at Langley High School, where she took part in the drill team. She earned her actor's equity card in 1988 after two years in summer stock at the Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan.^{[citation needed]} Graham graduated from Barnard College in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.^{[citation needed]} After moving to Texas in 1992, she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Acting Performance from Southern Methodist University.^{[citation needed]}