Retro TV Idents

[Arthur Pringle]

Facinating photos, who wouldn't prefer these simple contraptions over soulless digital effects? Everything looked & sounded so much richer & 'real' then & you had a sense of a human hand in it.

[Sparky]

Exactly!

Something a bit "british" and "knock it up from bits in the shed".

Never been too keen on the computer idents.

When at Central and visiting Birmingham some years ago - I was shown around the Presentation Department.

In an office, on top of a shelf sat the old Mechanical ITV Schools and colleges clock.

I was amazed that this was mechanical; and always assumed it was animated on film, and played in 60sec before the start of the next programme.

Not so - this clock was in use until the mid 1980s, mounted inside a box, and a small  B/W camera used to capture it in operation.

At the end of the 60sec, the clock would be re-wound for the next programme.

The transmission director had controls to Start/Stop and Rewind it, as well as a button to release a card caption to drop in front (for th e next programme). A bit like this old 70s record players, where you stacked 3 or 4 singles up, and they would each drop in one by one.

The captions were prone to getting stuck, so by 1985, the captions were overlayed.

The clock itself measured 12inch x 10", with a slit at the 12.00 position. From here, a spiraled shutter would rotate out from behind, obscuring the timeline/dots as it progressed.

Genius!

[Arthur Pringle]

This BBC ident appears before episode 4 of the 1955 BBC serial 'Quatermass 2' as an announcer gives a warning about the content of the episode ( hence subtitles ). This was the only episode to have such a warning.

This effect on the opening titles was created by blowing smoke or dry ice through the letters which were cut outs on a stencil.

[Sparky]

Now, that Ident from Quatermass....

That was nicknamed the BBC "Batswings" - and was a mechanical model (see pic) designed and constructed by the chap stood next to it.

Sadly - I can't remember just who that is - but I am sure I read somewhere, he was an artist.

This is possibly from the 1950s, but just see how close they were to 3D TV (even though no one could receive it!)

[Arthur Pringle]

Here's the BBC online article all about the ident & its designer. I'm glad I posted those screencaps, although I recognise some of his posters I'd no knowledge of Abram Games. Thanks for the info Sparky.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25168633

[Arthur Pringle]

[D.C. Burtonshaw]

Brings back memories! I also remember at the start of (mainly the second series) of Life On Mars, there was a retro style intro with the spinning globe as per the 70's and a voiced intro done like a 70's announcer! I wondered if the globe used for the LOM intro was the original they got working again or a repro or perhaps done with "noughties" computer graphics.

[Sparky]

The use of the BBC Globe on S2 of "Life on Mars" was inspired - and a great touch to make it all the more authentic.

I think it'd gone too far had they made it look like it was shot on scratched 16mm film!

There was speculation over if the BBC Globe used was an actual one - or if it was actually a CGI recreation.

I seem to think it was CGI created. Though it looked well.

Another touch they added was with the picture signal fizzling out from the then current BBC ident, test card popping up, a few flash frames of a 70s edition of "Points of View" with Barry Tooke, and then cutting to the 70s Globe - as if our TV's had gone back in time!#

I'd have loved S1 of "Life on Mars" to have opened with the Thames ident, and then a 3minute teaser before the main titles... which of course should have been tinted blue.... or is that going too far? :-D

[Arthur Pringle]

At the start of this clip you get a good view of the Anglia knight & some info on it.

[The Saint]

Just been catching up on this thread, fascinating clips and information 👍

The Saint