TV Home Forum

Top of the Pops

1990 on BBC Four (January 2018)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
JA
james-2001
Though there were still plenty of shows in 1990 (and even a few beyond) still using the old BBC logo and font for the copyright dates (though TOTP didn't use the usual font for the copyright date in 1989.... or between 1983 and 1987 for that matter.

This video shows the first TOTP of 1991 still has a "BBCTV MCMXCI" copyright caption in the same font as the rest of the credits:


Still seems strange how piecemeal the 1987 BBC logo was phased in over the period of several years. Unlike 1997 where it happened pretty much overnight (bar EastEnders which kept the old logo until the end of the year, anyway).
Last edited by james-2001 on 7 August 2020 10:26am - 2 times in total
CO
Colm
When the BBC began using Aston machines for end credit rolls, they couldn't include their logo until they acquired the Linotype Audio Pi font towards the end of 1984 - the character map was primarily German TV station logos, including the then-new one for ARD Das Erste, and also had 'B' and 'C' lozenges so the contemporary BBC logo could be created.

More speculation: While the typeface was compatible for use with Aston devices, it wasn't for the Cypher system?

Further evidence may be provided by examining Children's BBC presentation between 1991 and 1994 - from what I've seen, lower-thirds used the Kabel Condensed font as TOTP did from April-December 1990; while the animated end credit sequence featured Kabel Bold as TOTP did from January to April 1990, and again from Christmas 1990 to September 1991.
SW
Steve Williams
Colm posted:
Fair warning: there may be plenty of graphics chat on this thread as we get into 1990 and beyond - when it happens, of course!


I'm so excited about the Cypher graphics, I would perhaps go as far as to say they were my favourite thing about Pops at the time, and I was devastated when they went back to that horrible static set.
JA
james-2001
I certainly like those graphics, not least because they were imaginitive and they created all sorts of bespoke animations for various songs and artists. After the 1991 revamp it was just the same standard animation and style on every caption.
JA
JAS84
Colm posted:
When the BBC began using Aston machines for end credit rolls, they couldn't include their logo until they acquired the Linotype Audio Pi font towards the end of 1984 - the character map was primarily German TV station logos, including the then-new one for ARD Das Erste, and also had 'B' and 'C' lozenges so the contemporary BBC logo could be created.


You can see it here: https://www.dafontfree.net/freefonts-linotype-audio-pi-f132678.htm
AJ
Anthony Jarvis
I wonder if Going Live ever used cypher? I know they were fond of large captions animated through the Charisma. Sorry, slight OT.
JA
james-2001
JAS84 posted:
Colm posted:
When the BBC began using Aston machines for end credit rolls, they couldn't include their logo until they acquired the Linotype Audio Pi font towards the end of 1984 - the character map was primarily German TV station logos, including the then-new one for ARD Das Erste, and also had 'B' and 'C' lozenges so the contemporary BBC logo could be created.


You can see it here: https://www.dafontfree.net/freefonts-linotype-audio-pi-f132678.htm


Looks like the font was updated after 1984, there's quite a few post-1984 logos on there, like Eins Plus, which didn't launch until 1986, and the 1987 & 1992 ZDF logos.
Last edited by james-2001 on 9 August 2020 12:55pm
JA
JAS84
1986 SAT.1 and 1988 RTL Plus logos as well. And MDR which launched in 1991.
NG
noggin Founding member
I wonder if Going Live ever used cypher? I know they were fond of large captions animated through the Charisma. Sorry, slight OT.


I doubt it - Cypher would have been quite a big-ticket item for a kids show. Charisma had an internal cost, but the BBC owned them, along with still stores (The BBC-designed Rank Cintel Slidefile and then Quantel PictureBox) and Cap Gens (Aston 4/Caption then Ethos/Motif). As BBC children's shows usually had quite tight budgets I doubt they were going to have the budget to hire in a Cypher and the freelance operator to drive it. (Even if they had had to hire in CGs and ops, it would have been cheaper to hire an Aston and op)
IS
Inspector Sands
So the BBC had a system called Cypher for graphics and a system called Sypher for audio? Rolling Eyes
JA
james-2001
Not that the BBC named the graphics system, it was a Quantel system.
BU
buster
The Going Live (and later Live and Kicking) full screen graphics that they used to introduce performances and pop videos (and display the postal address) tended to look very pixellated...it never looked great. Indeed when L&K made a thing of shouting out the "6LA" part of the address they would zoom into that bit of the address which looked even worse! I think it was the 1997/8 series when they finally introduced some animated, higher-definition graphics but in much the same massive-text style.

Newer posts