At last, the ad break that never ends

The endearing little Hovis boy? That handsome Latino stripping off his Levi’s? "Smash" aliens? Leonard Rossiter’s Cinzano? Or the artistry of Guinness’s galloping horses?

We have all thought it at some time - television adverts are masterpieces, often more entertaining than programmes, and we could watch them 24/7.

Now we have what we secretly wished for, the world’s first TV channel entirely dedicated to the art form.

They generate a powerful mix of entertainment, nostalgia and profit, and will be shown round the clock on the Advert Channel. From 6 September, it will broadcast from the nether reaches of Channel 694 on the Sky digital network.

However, following the massive interest generated by the channel’s recent "soft launch", its creators are already negotiating for a better berth.

Research has revealed that "web-heads" are downloading up to 4,000 classic adverts every day.

The channel is free; profits will come from paid-for advertising and revenue from websites and phone lines for interactive programmes.

"It focuses on adverts as a form of entertainment," said the Advert Channel’s founder, Chelsey Baker.

She added: "We asked what was wrong with British TV, and the answer that came back was that it wasn’t very good.

"Adverts, on the other hand, draw us to our past and inform the present.

"Start a conversation about them and the chat will go on all evening as people unveil their favourites."

Historically, television ads exert huge influence, burning themselves into our psyche.

Ms Baker said: "What does Shake ’n’ Vac do ... that’s right, ‘it puts the freshness back’.

"Who can forget the Cinzano ads with Leonard Rossiter and Joan Collins? Nick Kamen’s Levi’s? The Heineken ‘Water in Majorca’? The Milk Tray man?

"More recent additions would include the Honda ‘cog’ advert, where a car slowly rolls together. That was world-class."

The channel has a number of interactive shows lined up - Ad Chat, a discussion programme about advertising; Advert Focus, examining ads in the news; Adverts for You, featuring old favourites and Adverts Today, which examines how they are created.

Themed shows will feature commercials of a certain era, from the Sixties until the present, and examine adverts from around the world.

And there is a huge market for the channel, according to Ms Baker.

She said: "We will focus on adverts of all kinds as entertainment, culture and from the artistic and creative aspects."

Audience figures have surpassed expectations, and the channel is confident that it will attract higher viewer numbers after the launch proper.

The channel has already attracted a viewer base from the makers of the adverts themselves.

Ms Baker added: "We’ve generated a lot of interest. There is a great deal of information to be garnered from the public feedback we get.

"It is an indicator to the advert-makers of how people’s minds are working."

The channel is also planning to challenge its viewers with a "do it better than the professionals" show.

Ms Baker said: "The bottom line is that, joking apart, millions of viewers do prefer ads to the programmes.

"They have attracted the biggest directors, such as Ridley Scott and Alan Parker.

"How many times have you heard fierce debates about the best and worst adverts?

"I decided it was time that Britain’s TV addicts got more of what they love."

She added: "But we promise to have some programmes running between the ads, in case viewers want to make a cup of tea."