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Yes, although there was actually a series with virtually the exact same concept, made by YTV and hosted by Anne...
http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6f59180a

Some excellent comedy from Rowan Atkinson, I think this is from the 1990 Royal Variety Performance:

On a similar theme, this Rowan Atkinson spoof of the failed BBC2 launch, made for the channel's 25th anniversary in 1989.

Something slightly different, a recording of an Emergency Alert System Test from 2011, as seen on the American Nickelodeon. These must freak the hell out of anybody who isn't used to them with their piercing tone and they certainly grab your attention which I suppose is the whole point of such a system.

Actual test starts at 5:30. Notice warning ticker appears ABOVE the channel graphics from 16 seconds in.

That (I believe) was one of the few national tests they've attempted. The feedback loop in that example was just one of the problems that occurred with various rebroadcasts.

I don't know if this has been posted already but there's now an official Rainbow channel. Featuring quite a few episodes from the not-often-seen Series 1 (before George was introduced).

Series 1 Episode 1:


Good God, everybody looks like they're on crack in the first series! Zippy has really big eyes, Bungle looks really scary and the entire premise looks like a surreal lift of Play School!

It took me longer than it should've done to stop laughing at that...


http://i66.tinypic.com/eit47m.png "The paycheck better be worth this s**t."

There was a career retrospective of Peter Hawkins in the Doctor Who mag a year or so ago based on his notes and scrapbooks. Needless to say, he didn't think too highly of Rainbow and left after the first series!

Without having the issue at hand, AFAIK he was frustrated that he was allowed no input whatsoever for what was obviously a shaky and somewhat patronising format. Interestingly enough, Roy Skelton (his successor, and the Zippy we all know and love) went on to write many many episodes!

Well its hardly surprising based on the first series of Rainbow that anybody didn't think too high of it, a clear and classic case of Early Instalment Weirdness. Very weird in this case. But something must have happened ratings-wise in order for it to get a second series and to evolve.

"Early Installment Wierdness"- someone's been reading TV Tropes

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