BBC Christmas Idents

Is it me or does the music on the idents sound like the Carlton idents?

I remember the BBC 12 days of Christmas idents from the mid-90s, but thought it was strange they didn't use them for the whole of the christmas season. Didn't UK Gold use to keep their idents on till 6 January?

Yes! I was just about to post this. I've been thinking it for days! The very prominent three chimes at the start of the BBC ONE short ident are very close to the audio ID used in the Carlton 1999 Christmas idents.

The only example I could find was on TV-Ark so I hope the link works:
http://hub.tv-ark.org.uk/dsplus/m.php?p=carltonxmas1999b.rm

Looking back, I know Carlton was the start of the nasty corporateness at ITV but those "star at the heart of the network" idents really were fantastic. The swans ident still looks great to me.

Carlton in a nutshell. Great idents, crap programmes! (Brighton Belles anyone?)

They made Police, Camera, Action, which I thought was a good show - and still runs today!

Personally, every time I hear the three-note motif played on doorbell chimes, I start humming the 'Bless This House' theme.

I look at the ident and think 'Knots Landing'

http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/13686751/homepage/name/homepage.jpg?type=sn

http://chud.com/nextraimages/Knots1.jpg

Now that it's Christmas Eve, I want to record all the Christmas idents / other pres across all channels on Freeview.

The Eight BBC Channels
BBC One launched its Christmas ident way too early this year on 11 December. Not exactly Christmassy is it?

I've noticed BBC Two is using the same Christmas idents as the last 3 years, and BBC Four is using the 4-window snow scene ident again. Has BBC Three got Christmas idents this year? What Christmas pres is on CBBC, CBeebies, BBC News Channel and BBC Parliament?

Other Channels
Which of the other channels on Freeview have got Christmas idents / other pres? I've seen the Christmas idents on ITV1 and Five. What about ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, CITV, Fiver and Five USA? Have the Channel 4 family of channels (Channel 4, E4, More 4, Film 4) bothered with Christmas pres?

Could someone put up a list of the channels I should do Christmas pres spotting on, so I know which ones not to bother with?

ITV2 have festive break bumpers and a festive promo, haven't seen anything on ITV3 and 4 but don't watch them much.
Don't think BBC Three has a new ident, but I think they have a sparkly sting, not sure about BBC Four, guessing they are using the same ident they use every Christmas.

Channel 4 have done nothing yet again, Don't think E4 has done anything, but Film 4 has festive idents. Not sure about More4.
Can't help with Fiver and Five USA.

BBC1 is back to normal today.

I never understand why you'd go back to normal idents on New Year's Day, it's still part of the holiday. Major festive programming is airing today with normal idents.

Really? I haven't turned my TV on yet today so haven't seen what idents the BBC channels are using today.

Due to the bonus bank holiday Monday 3 January 2011, to compensate for today being Saturday, wouldn't it have been better for the BBC to have begun their Christmas idents on Saturday 18 December (instead of 11 December), and kept them going till 3 January, then returned to normal idents Tuesday 4 January?

Never understood it. They launch the Christmas presentation a week before any festive programmes start then take it off with specials still to air.

BBC Two are still in Gremlin mode until tomorrow. Any ideas what the nations are doing? BBC One Scotland are using the Christmas endboards to advertise programmes airing on Bank Holiday Monday.