Very clever - I liked the virtual set, and have come to appreciate it more over the years. This is probably down to 2 factors, one being learning of the technical achievements, and the other being that I just plain like the blue scheme!
I liked the era, I especially like the opening themes, with the subtle differences each bulletin brought with colour and the way the headlines were introduced.
I liked the era, I especially like the opening theme,
Each programme had a diffrent theme tune - a new version of the previous tune
That's right. Although they were all performed by the same orchestra and so sounded alike, the various bulletins did have their own themes. Even the weekend evening news (though not late news) had its own variation of the Nine theme. I really liked all those themes used during the Virtual Era. I don't think there's been better music used on any news bulletin in the UK since.
One poster above said that the headlines were all dealt with in a different way. I remember the Six, Nine and Weekend ways:
Six - titles, first headline, other headlines with headline music.
Nine - headlines with music, titles
Weekend - titles, headlines (no music)
However, I don't remember the One at all. How did they handle the headlines on that bulletin?
That's right. Although they were all performed by the same orchestra and so sounded alike, the various bulletins did have their own themes. Even the weekend evening news (though not late news) had its own variation of the Nine theme. I really liked all those themes used during the Virtual Era. I don't think there's been better music used on any news bulletin in the UK since.
Heard them again on the net recently and they're a bit of a dirge, especially the 6 o clock news theme. The '9' theme (with the transmitter titles) was also the weekend and short bulletin theme. Think I'd have prefered them to write them from scrath rather than orchestraise the old ones.
Quote:
One poster above said that the headlines were all dealt with in a different way. I remember the Six, Nine and Weekend ways:
Six - titles, first headline, other headlines with headline music.
Nine - headlines with music, titles
Weekend - titles, headlines (no music)
However, I don't remember the One at all. How did they handle the headlines on that bulletin?
On the
One
, the sequence was a brief sting, followed by the headlines, then the titles.
The
Six
did titles, headlines, then a sting as an incredibly tacky visual effect saw the video break away from the screen and stick itself on to the glass wall.
The
Nine
did it in a similar way to the way all the bulletins do it now - headlines then titles.
IIRC the weekend and holiday
BBC News
bulletins didn't use a headlines sequence, and simply went straight from the titles into the first report. It used a very messily (IMO) abridged version of the
Nine
's theme tune, which was also used for breaking news reports pre-News 24.
As for the theme tunes, I never liked the theme tune for the
One
, the theme for the
Six
used to terrify me, but the
Nine
's theme tune was utterly brilliant, as it was simply carried over from the transmitter titles with a few minor revisions.
I must say that the
Six
theme tune sounded a lot better from 1984-93. But I can see why it was re-recorded as it probably sounded somewhat dated.
On the
One
, the sequence was a brief sting, followed by the headlines, then the titles.
The
Six
did titles, headlines, then a sting as an incredibly tacky visual effect saw the video break away from the screen and stick itself on to the glass wall.
The
Nine
did it in a similar way to the way all the bulletins do it now - headlines then titles.
IIRC the weekend and holiday
BBC News
bulletins didn't use a headlines sequence, and simply went straight from the titles into the first report. It used a very messily (IMO) abridged version of the
Nine
's theme tune, which was also used for breaking news reports pre-News 24.
As for the theme tunes, I never liked the theme tune for the
One
, the theme for the
Six
used to terrify me, but the
Nine
's theme tune was utterly brilliant, as it was simply carried over from the transmitter titles with a few minor revisions.
I must say that the
Six
theme tune sounded a lot better from 1984-93. But I can see why it was re-recorded as it probably sounded somewhat dated.
What a splendid post!!! And what a splendid memory!!!
Looking at that clip of the One O'Clock News from 1994, did they always just read one headline during the intro sequence? Seems a bit daft really if they did. Why not do a few like they did on other bulletins?
I must say that the
Six
theme tune sounded a lot better from 1984-93. But I can see why it was re-recorded as it probably sounded somewhat dated.
I think both the original Six O'Clock News music and titles had become very tired long before 1993; I found it slightly annoying that the far superior Nine O'Clock News opening introduced in 1985 was ditched after only three years, whereas the dull old Six titles stayed the same for nearly nine years!
However I think all of the reworked theme tunes introduced in 1993 were too over-the-top and pompous, although the graphics were nice.
I must say that the
Six
theme tune sounded a lot better from 1984-93. But I can see why it was re-recorded as it probably sounded somewhat dated.
I think both the original Six O'Clock News music and titles had become very tired long before 1993; I found it slightly annoying that the far superior Nine O'Clock News opening introduced in 1985 was ditched after only three years, whereas the dull old Six titles stayed the same for nearly nine years!
However I think all of the reworked theme tunes introduced in 1993 were too over-the-top and pompous, although the graphics were nice.
I actually disliked the virtual studio, and IMO it was too cold, OTT, bureaucratic-looking and pompous. True, the
One
and
Six
themes were pompous and OTT, but I've always had a soft spot for that
Nine
music.
However, the point you made about the 1985
Nine
theme is quite true - it was strong, powerful and still had quite a lot of life in it. However at the same time the weekend and holiday bulletins needed a revamp from the dreadful (IMO) venetian blinds titles.
Perhaps if the 1984
Six
music, the 1985
Nine
music and the transmitter music were to be re-recorded in the right way, it would sound incredibly modern and bang up-to-date.
Not so sure about the
One
though - that bulletin's titles and music pre-1999 always sounded dull, boring and aristocratic to me.
And of course...not forgetting Breakfast News with its completely over the top introduction! IIRC, it began with the opening titles, welcome, then into headlines (with bed?)
It is a shame with that set how everything looked too similar...IMO Breakfast News should have had a different appearnce of the set, instead it just looked like the Six but with hints of pink..., at least the Nine looked sufficiently different.
The general gist of the breakfast theme could be heard on some of the BBC morning programmes since it began until 2005 when 'Breakfast with Frost' was axed....
