Yes, there was - it lasted exactly one year, from 1 September 1996 to 31 August 1997. Sky was hoping that by putting first runs of its most popular shows on Sky 2, they would be able to force cable operators into taking both channels (=MORE LOVELY MOOLAH FOR SKY!!). But very few cable operators were willing to put up the extra cash, so it was all a bit of a flop in the end.