Yes, it looks really cosy and welcoming. The newsroom backdrop was fantastic. I remember having a idea of actually just recreating that set in the current black/red style before the nationals got the current set. The thing which I thought made that set look good was the fact it looked high, therfore bigger and more spacious.
I've just remembered that I've had the following images sitting on some webspace since April 2002 so thought I may as well post them here again. For some reason, BBC Four News decamped to N6 (from BBC World, N9) one evening that month:
Quite a nice look, IMO. To me, that looks a lot more cosy and welcoming than the current set (and, actually looks quite spacious given its real size).
I tend to agree. There's no doubt that the current set is technically advanced, and certainly more flexible, however it doesn't look warm - which is a real problem when it's used for Breakfast. Andrew Marr's show proves that that type of set can work, but it needs a bunch of additional props to dress it up. Otherwise all you've got is walls of screens, which don't give any sense of depth or character to the set.
I also think the BBC News sets have suffered from going to much harsher colours - bright red and white nowadays, as opposed to the deeper reds and beige colours used previously, which were much softer. The use of "wood" floors in the past helped to create a more inviting appearance - now there's a bunch of plastic and white/grey/black floors depending on the set. Even the 2003 set with the endlessly changing CG newsroom worked well, although it appeared relatively cramped compared to both its predecessor and successor.
The 1999 look was iconic - the layout, the desk, the colours. It was strengthened by the 2001 refresh. But in general, the presentation of BBC News today is not a patch on what it was back then. The sets aren't quite as nice, even though they're fancier. The titles are glossier, but yet they don't feel nearly as polished. The graphics are more advanced, and yet they're not as pleasing. Part of the effectiveness of the BBC News identity rolled out in 1999 was its simplicity, and I think that's been lost in the pursuit to make things *even* better - to improve something that was already very good.
itsrobert, do you mean BBC Four News studio in 2002, was in fact, the actual WBR, Sport Today Set ?
No. Initially, in 2000, N9 (BBC World) had two sets: the main news one and the old Sport Today set (the one with the strange graduated triangles desk) which was opposite but a bit over to the left. In 2002, they added another set, the BBC Four News one. That was next to the Sport Today one and was directly opposite the main news set. That was changed in 2004 to the set used on The World. Eventually, they decided to get rid of the ST set and now have just the main set and secondary which is used for everything now; WNT, WBR, Sport Today etc.
Actually you're right. The BBC Four News Set was just next to the ST one...
Amazing thing, you can see that strange desk in the BBC 4 news opening shot ! Never saw it before.
That beige and red set looks so much better than the current one. I think that era has to be one of my favourites because it looked pleasing to the eye and was a nice set of complementary colours. In particular the aerial shots of the nationals make the set look so much bigger and realistic compared to the shoebox that followed to it and now the masses of screens. I'd happily return to that scheme any day.
I still see Pesch on BBC World, hosting his weekly programme, "Peschardt's People'. Interestingly, his wife appears to be the on-location manager. Good programme, generally.
Also interestingly, it's one year since the last appearance of a certain lady on BBC Network News. Link:
