Bravo was launched on 20 December 1985 as a cable only channel, created by United Artists Programming[1] broadcasting black & white B-movies from the 1950s and 1960s and vintage TV series.

In 1993, talks were held with Tele-Communications Inc. which resulted in Flextech acquiring TCI's European programming business in exchange for shares.

Its programming output was altered around the same time, when the channel obtained many of the ITC Entertainment productions and other cult TV series including The Avengers.

In 1990, it upgraded its on-screen image with an elaborate station identifier of a modernist skyscraper under rolling thunderclouds and promoted itself as 'Timewarp Television'.

Armstrong and Miller made their first broadcast television appearance on Bravo in a series of presentation promotions during its Cult Weekend on 5 August 1995.

In 1996, a policy change to withdraw the black & white shows contributed to the channel moving on to specialise in science fiction and horror with movies from the Troma Entertainment catalogue.

[6][better source needed] With the change in hours, Bravo was given a refreshed look, being branded as "an altered species of television", applying to the increased number of adult-focused programmes.

Bravo aired World Championship Wrestling's flagship show Nitro during WCW's final year in business (2000–2001).

On 25 May 2010, Virgin Media Television unveiled new channel branding for Bravo to coincide with a major new series Spartacus: Blood and Sand.