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30 years ago today: the smokey globe and the 2s

(February 2021)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
VM
VMPhil
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Philip and Sarah introduce the new globe on Going Live: https://tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=127836
First showing of 'Paint' (with no BBC logo generator): https://tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=119844

The last traditional silent/looping globe, and the 2s that went on to be used on and off all the way until 2018. Happy birthday to these design classics, and RIP Martin Lambie-Nairn.
PF
PFML84
Only really noticing now, when they are side by side, just how small the 1 symbol was on screen in the idents compared to the 2.
AndrewPSSP, Brekkie and fanoftv gave kudos
RW
Robert Williams Founding member
How can it be 30 years? This is a newspaper cutting that I've kept from where I first learnt about the upcoming rebrand:

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I was a bit perturbed because first of all, I liked the BBC1 globe as it was and didn't want it to change, and this new globe looked a bit odd - why does Australia appear twice at the same time?

The BBC2 symbol also looked rather strange, and I couldn't work out what they meant by "nine different versions of the figure 2" - the concept of a set of multiple idents that BBC2 was about to pioneer just didn't exist at that time.

When the globe finally turned up to link into Going Live I really was appalled at the "complete and utter mess" (as I described it in my diary) - I couldn't believe the beautiful gold-and-blue world had been replaced by this incoherent mess with the continents barely visible for much of the time.

Then that afternoon at 2.45 I put BBC2 on to see their new look for the first time - but rather than the Blade ident that I had been expecting to see, instead there was the same shape 2 with paint being flung onto it sideways. At that point it instantly became clear what the newspaper report had meant - the idents before the programmes would vary, with the same figure 2 appearing in nine different situations. Again, this new ident was something of a shock to the system - up to now, channel symbols had always been serious, sobre affairs, so this Paint ident seemed a very strange and unexpected way to identify a television channel - but then, I suppose that's exactly the reaction they were hoping for.

Although these new BBC2 idents did take some getting used to I soon grew to like them, but I'm not sure I ever really liked that BBC1 globe.
TG
Tim Goodwin1
I never really liked the smoky globe. Thought it looked a mess. I liked the balloons and the COW
Parker and Cold Open gave kudos
IS
Inspector Sands
I remember being really disappointed by the new 2 idents on the first day, they just seemed so cold and a bit poncy - even more so than the one they replaced. My impression of the first one I saw was its just a 2 with a blue line across the screen. It took a few days to appreciate them and realise that there were a variety of idents.
London Lite and Brekkie gave kudos
CA
Caly123
It also marks the 30 years since the sans-serif '2' symbol was launched as well.
WH
Whataday Founding member
Only really noticing now, when they are side by side, just how small the 1 symbol was on screen in the idents compared to the 2.


Of course it could be argued that the symbol is not only the 1, but the 1 surrounded by the globe. In which case they are similar sizes.

This particular BBC 1 globe is often referred to as CGI but is actually a physical model enhanced with computer trickery.
CO
commseng
To me the globe was a backwards step, the COW was just simple and very classy, which fitted BBC 1. The replacement was messy.
However the replacement of TWO with these idents was a big step forward, the letters on a white background just looked cold.
Somewhere I have a VHS of those original 2 idents taken from the discs at TVC.
We did Christmas Revues in our bit of Outside Broadcasts, and used several 2 idents as live action with the correct music behind them.
The best one was the lights blinking on and off - done by moving two vehicle inspection lights around a cardboard 2......
Look it was 1991 and life was so much simpler back then......
RO
rob Founding member
It also marks the 30 years since the sans-serif '2' symbol was launched as well.


Yes, I think we're already aware of that through the original post.
LS
LoganStuff
I'm still a bit sad that the 2 is no longer in use on BBC Two, after having served 27 years on screen. It's understandable, though, considering the way the symbol was butchered for the last 5 or so years of it's life.
bkman1990 and Roger Darthwell gave kudos
CA
Caly123
Going off topic here, but November 19th will be 20 years since the Personality 2s launched and Thursday will be 14 years since the Window on the World package was launched.
SP
Spencer
First showing of 'Paint' (with no BBC logo generator): https://tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=119844


Does anyone know the particular reason why the BBC logo was added live to the idents, rather than being burnt-in on the recordings?

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