Retro TV Idents

[Dirty Epic]

Granada's one did improve in the late 80's - mid 90's and they also used a 'In the North West' line on some of their regional programmes some of which ironically became Anglia's 'regional' output in the late 90's after their takeover LOL

Granada did have their famous Continuity Announcers like Jim Pope, Charles Foster, Colin Weston and Beverley Ashworth mind.

[Sparky]

I quite liked the "shiny" Granada idents they used during the 90's.

CGI did do some wonders there.

LWTs was 'updated' during the 90s too - but parts had been fiddled with, so to me it didn't look quite right.

Central during their lifetime, only had three "Ident" designs.

There was the first incarnation of the globe (Blue backed / White globe) animated by David Speed.

Then a large globe, featuring colours appeared around late '83 - and was still in use on paperwork well into the 90s.

In 1985, came another update - with the familiar "cake" idents as they were called. These initially were CGI.

During the early 90s' - the graphics department embarked on some new ideas using the "cake".

They made as many examples of the "cake" ident from different materials (Wood, Glass, Rubber, Neon, Metal, Fabric, Garden Turf, even a genuine sponge cake with coloured icing etc) and shot them on 35mm film via a Rostrum camera.

I saw some of these being shot in Birmingham- my favourite being an inflatble rubber one - like a large round whoopee cushion, which was placed under a rostrum camera, then each of the colours painted on in loose powder, and the "cushion" pumped up at speed to make the coloured powder explode every

After a little post production, this looked quite effective, as did the glass ones.

Sadly - these were only seen on screen for about 18months  - until Carlton (them again) rebranded it all, and it became ITV1 (or ITV Gone - depending on how you look at it!)

[D.C. Burtonshaw]

I'd forgotten about this thread, brought back loads of memories! I see to remember a few more, the ghostly sounding HTV one and the TVS one, around in the early 80's.

Tyne Tees had another later one to one uploaded here, with a different jingle, synthed sound.

I also remember Westward television which showed a sailing ship briefly.

The Southern Sun dial ident always makes me think the opening tune and titles of How! (70's version with Fred Dinage, Jack Hargreaves and Fred Harris) are going to come next!

Bit like Centrals when I expect to hear Auf Pets theme start!

Finally there was the longer running morning start of Anglia with the close ups of the rotating Knight on horseback with the very British theme tune which I remember in the weekday mornings while on school holidays!

[Sparky]

Yay Tyne-Tees!

A) "The Tube"is coming on next!

B) Or it time for "Supergran" (I am sure there's a whole new thread there).

Westward I vaguely remember - I don't think they contributed a mass amount to Network programmes. So their ident wasn't widely seen outside their own little patch in the South West.

Interestingly - I used to find, it was with Schools & Colleges progs (another thread starter...) - you'd see more of the smaller companies idents popping up - such as "Grampian" and "Border"

Was HTVs the two white lines that'd morph into the HTV logo? - Robin of Sherwood era?

Isn't it amazing that these 15second jingles are so fondly remembered and iconic?

[Arthur Pringle]

The '3-2-1' titles made good use of the Yorkshire TV logo.

[Sparky]

I used to hide behind the settee from that.

Each time the YTV ident came on - I would brace myself for it flying off.

Another "static" ident.

Though, creative use.

Can't think of too many other companies who adapted their ident - off the top of my head...

ATV - did a snow scene "end cap" for the Xmas 1981 "Bullseye"

ATV - again - did one for "Starting Science" (Around 1980)

ATV - had a modified "Tiswas" production one.

ATV had an ident shoot out the end of Zoots Saxaphone at the end of the Muppets.

Central - bounced their "globe" into the roulette wheel at the start of "Auf Pet" s2.

I am sure, I remember seeing a couple of Thames ones:

Kenny Everetts "Boobs" version. And when he used to crash through the end-cap!

Morcambe & Wises's "Here they are now...Morcambe and Wise".

The BBC used to do some specials at christmas, with their rotating models.

[Sparky]

I took this on a visit to Norwich in 1993, The Anglia Knight, on display in the old Anglia studios foyer.

It's cast silver, and stands about 2ft tall.

"It's the Quiz of the week....."

[Arthur Pringle]

The LWT comedy show 'End Of Part One' played about with the LWT logo at the start of each programme & poked fun of a few regional tv stations. Many tv shows were also lampooned & their titles messed about with.

[Sparky]

As most of the conversation has been ITV - we must be balanced an include a bit of BBC too:

This is the last BBC mechanical clock to be used on screen by the BBC. Used from around 1981-1983.

Basically, a bog standard battery and clock and a camera would be pointed at it.

The blue colouring would be added in electronically.

The BBC1 Globe from the same era.

BBC2's - used throughout the 1970s - until around 1979.

Each "line" is a rotating disk. The device would rotate the lines, to make the 2 form on completion.

[Sparky]

Those clips were hilarious!

Never seen "End of Part One".

The Nationwide parody had me in hysterics - I love the captions sailing across in the titles!