Stormont Today titles

Last night's edition on iPlayer, as I can't find the titles capped anywhere.

I saw this programme for the first time in ages yesterday and realised that, if I'm remembering things correctly, it seems to still be using its original David Lowe music package. Am I right? It sounds a bit World-esque and I wonder if it was ever used for anything else. Also, does anyone know of any other obscure BBC News themes still lingering about? Is it possible that this is the longest-lasting?

EDIT: I'm aware of the World Business Report titles being discussed in the World thread at the moment, but I'm talking more about the David Lowe stuff.

That's a slightly botched version of the old Westminster Live titles, which preceded the Daily Politics.

Gosh, I didn't realise that theme was still being used! It was also used for Westminster Live on BBC2, which was the forerunner to The Daily Politics. I know for certain it was being used in 2000/2001, so it could well have been introduced in 1999. I'm almost certain it's the longest-used David Lowe music to date. I can't think of anything else that's lasted this long.

You asked about obscure DL music - well, I can remember such music being used on Despatch Box (a late night political programme - I think it was the forerunner to This Week), BBC Choice News and BBC 2W News and Sport during the 2001-ish period. There was also the DL music which was only used for one day - the September 11th anniversary music that was used in 2002 across BBC News and BBC World. And there was also a theme that was, as I recall, used for the Budget coverage one year in the early 2000s.

Oh yes - there was the theme used for North Westminster, the weekend political programme in the North West (this was when On The Record was the national Sunday lunchtime political programme and the regions had their own separate programme): http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/mivana/m.php?p=northwestminster_211001&spl=1

You may find it interesting to know that the theme used in that clip was actually the sombre titles in the BBC News 24 1999 package! To the best of my knowledge, though, it was never actually used on News 24.

Found a recording of that the other month:

That would be quite a nice theme for BBC Click! I played the Click titles along with the Despatch Box theme and it fits quite nicely.

Or it may just be me that thinks that....

Sort off. It's was nightly though and cancelled due to parliament's hours changing and a major review of political programming at the time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despatch_Box

Despatch Box was also much better than the pantomime that is This Week. Although presented by Andrew Neil, in it's later days, it was just half an hour of nightly chat about the day's events with a couple of guests. It wasn't glitzy or probably that interesting to the majority of people but it fitted in perfectly on late night BBC2.

Much of the discussion element formed part of the new Daily Politics and Newsnight has taken on more panel based discussion as opposed to just long form reports. When Westminster Live and Despatch Box were canned, it was touted that with the creation of Daily Politics and This Week, there was actually an increase in political coverage available from the BBC1 and BBC2. More airtime yes, but a programme which runs titles in the style of The Wizard of Oz in the run up to the 2010 election holds no truck with me (or Dimblebot, of course).

On the subject of political programmes, does anyone here remember ITN's two programmes for Channel 4? One was The Parliament Programme which I believe was focused on House of Commons proceedings and the other was Their Lordships' House, which - obviously - centred upon the Lords. I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of anyone who can remember them. What were their agendas/format? Who were the main presenters? When did they end and why? Were they any good - how did they shape up to the programmes on the BBC?

Not to mention...



Nighty night, don't let the political reporters doing cheesy rave dancing bite

Oh. My. God. Bring back Westminster Live, Despatch Box and On The Record... all is forgiven! Seriously, though, I do think the BBC's political programmes have become rather populist and dumbed down of late. I do like Andrew Neil, especially his interviewing (or should that be interrogating?) style, but I think the quality of the older political programmes was better. I particularly enjoyed On The Record - that was always essential Sunday viewing, along with Breakfast with Frost. I always felt the axing of all those programmes was merely change for change's sake.