The Newsroom

Best and Worst Regional Titles and Themes

Pre Corporate Era (August 2020)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
MA
Meridian AM
I recall seeing that version when visiting family at the time and being astounded by that set design. It looks like they're presenting from the Headmaster's Study at an expensive private school. Whoever thought that was a good idea was clearly using a controlled substance. Shocked


Demented set. In that period they also had Bob Greaves and Stuart Hall doing a regular Lighter Side Of The News feature which they presented from two thrones. The titles aren't very good either, it's nice that they make reference to the classic Granada arrow, but it's the spinning letters that make no sense, as they spell out Granada Tonight, but the Tonight is backwards. So the spinning GT is alright, as that is the initials of the programme, but then you have a spinning RH and AG. What's that supposed to mean?

Yes I've always wondered what GRANADA THGINOT was

Regarding Bob Greaves, I'm guessing it was a way to keep him on the programme after he stopped doing the news


This one from Central is probably the most over the top, even for them
https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=98298
Slightly ruined by the weak voiceover at the end though.
Central News East had a similar version, but I don't think Wesley Smith in the south ever got his face in the titles



I recall seeing that version when visiting family at the time and being astounded by that set design. It looks like they're presenting from the Headmaster's Study at an expensive private school. Whoever thought that was a good idea was clearly using a controlled substance. Shocked


Demented set. In that period they also had Bob Greaves and Stuart Hall doing a regular Lighter Side Of The News feature which they presented from two thrones. The titles aren't very good either, it's nice that they make reference to the classic Granada arrow, but it's the spinning letters that make no sense, as they spell out Granada Tonight, but the Tonight is backwards. So the spinning GT is alright, as that is the initials of the programme, but then you have a spinning RH and AG. What's that supposed to mean?

Yes I've always wondered what GRANADA THGINOT was

Regarding Bob Greaves, I'm guessing it was a way to keep him on the programme after he stopped doing the news


This one from Central is probably the most over the top, even for them
https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=98298
Slightly ruined by the weak voiceover at the end though.
Central News East had a similar version, but I don't think Wesley Smith in the south ever got his face in the titles



The voiceover was newsreader Jonathan Ray, who was a main stand-in for Llewela Bailey and Marie Ashby.

https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=94181
SO
Soupnzi

Demented set. In that period they also had Bob Greaves and Stuart Hall doing a regular Lighter Side Of The News feature which they presented from two thrones. The titles aren't very good either, it's nice that they make reference to the classic Granada arrow, but it's the spinning letters that make no sense, as they spell out Granada Tonight, but the Tonight is backwards. So the spinning GT is alright, as that is the initials of the programme, but then you have a spinning RH and AG. What's that supposed to mean?

Yes I've always wondered what GRANADA THGINOT was

Regarding Bob Greaves, I'm guessing it was a way to keep him on the programme after he stopped doing the news


This one from Central is probably the most over the top, even for them
https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=98298
Slightly ruined by the weak voiceover at the end though.
Central News East had a similar version, but I don't think Wesley Smith in the south ever got his face in the titles




Demented set. In that period they also had Bob Greaves and Stuart Hall doing a regular Lighter Side Of The News feature which they presented from two thrones. The titles aren't very good either, it's nice that they make reference to the classic Granada arrow, but it's the spinning letters that make no sense, as they spell out Granada Tonight, but the Tonight is backwards. So the spinning GT is alright, as that is the initials of the programme, but then you have a spinning RH and AG. What's that supposed to mean?

Yes I've always wondered what GRANADA THGINOT was

Regarding Bob Greaves, I'm guessing it was a way to keep him on the programme after he stopped doing the news


This one from Central is probably the most over the top, even for them
https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=98298
Slightly ruined by the weak voiceover at the end though.
Central News East had a similar version, but I don't think Wesley Smith in the south ever got his face in the titles



The voiceover was newsreader Jonathan Ray, who was a main stand-in for Llewela Bailey and Marie Ashby.

https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=94181

There’s a later version of these awful/brilliant talent-opener titles which also have the presenters’ signatures animating on.

As the camera pans away from Dame Llewela on the CNW titles above, she looks like someone who knows it’s all a bit too silly
PI
pip2
Without doubt the best is the original London Tonight, I'm a sucker for strings.


https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=102032
AN
all new Phil
The best regional theme is, of course, North East Tonight from 1996 onwards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8kPJ4UZQc4
(2:09)

I absolutely love how Mike says Channel 3 North East through clearly gritted teeth.
MA
Meridian AM
Yes I've always wondered what GRANADA THGINOT was

Regarding Bob Greaves, I'm guessing it was a way to keep him on the programme after he stopped doing the news


This one from Central is probably the most over the top, even for them
https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=98298
Slightly ruined by the weak voiceover at the end though.
Central News East had a similar version, but I don't think Wesley Smith in the south ever got his face in the titles



Yes I've always wondered what GRANADA THGINOT was

Regarding Bob Greaves, I'm guessing it was a way to keep him on the programme after he stopped doing the news


This one from Central is probably the most over the top, even for them
https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=98298
Slightly ruined by the weak voiceover at the end though.
Central News East had a similar version, but I don't think Wesley Smith in the south ever got his face in the titles



The voiceover was newsreader Jonathan Ray, who was a main stand-in for Llewela Bailey and Marie Ashby.

https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=94181

There’s a later version of these awful/brilliant talent-opener titles which also have the presenters’ signatures animating on.

As the camera pans away from Dame Llewela on the CNW titles above, she looks like someone who knows it’s all a bit too silly


Yes, they went a bit too far with the 'presenters in the titles' idea by the end.

The original titles were slightly less over the top, concerning presenters in titles:

https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=94181
AN
Anthony_1984
I quite liked the way in the late 2000s / early 2010s that Anglia sneaked the knight into the news titles, as one of the generic set of "local scenes" was a group of schoolchildren drawing it, with it standing on a table in front of them.
W1LL, Siggy and Anglialad gave kudos
RO
rob Founding member
I quite liked the way in the late 2000s / early 2010s that Anglia sneaked the knight into the news titles, as one of the generic set of "local scenes" was a group of schoolchildren drawing it, with it standing on a table in front of them.


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JW
JamesWorldNews
A one-stop shop here with a whole host of looks. One of them was rather purply Newsnighty! (Thanks to the author and to TV Ark for the clip).

JW
JamesWorldNews
My most favourite of these (by far) was the version with the thistle-themed spinning film reel and thistle-themed newsdesk.

Thanks again to Thomas for the use of.

ET
ETP1 Forever
Really love the uber-creepy-radiophonic Newyddion theme tune from 1982 Cool
ST
Stuart
This one from Central is probably the most over the top, even for them
https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=98298
Slightly ruined by the weak voiceover at the end though.

Oh dear, that's awful. 'Presenters rotating' in a title sequence reminds me of the parody of programme slugs done on Family Guy many years ago . . . Shocked

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CO
Colm
From the era when UTV title sequences had an unhealthy obsession with lens-flare, and the climax to the 'UTV Live' theme tune was, well, an anti-climax:

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