BBC One Christmas 2018

It's been 13/14 degrees across much of the country today.

I'm in two minds about these BBC One idents. On the one hand, it would be nice to have a little more "life" to them. On the other hand, I really like the music and the general theme (even if it is a rehash of last year's). I don't think they're depressing.

Remember when BBC1 made song and dance about the programmes:

I think the pier and the tree idents are rather lovely. As predicted though, the surrounding pres is rather iffy.

Yes - but I think the point is it's winter.

All nations closing tonight with the Tree ident but with softer music.

My dad used to swear every time that came on the TV.

The narrative reason for presentation is a nice idea even if it's kind of a redo on last years idea and...not sure if it works as well.

Not everyone will see the Wonderland story video first - I saw it after the 2 idents which, without that context, makes the scene look a little dead to viewers or as if the BBC couldn't be bothered to pay for extras. I love the layout of the Christmas Tree ident and the music, but the weird mesh of frozen crowd + mum and son wondering about is a bit weird and distracting, same goes for dodgems ident.

I do like the themes approached, of the mother struggling to make time for both work and family, and a son who's in an awkward phase where he best communicates or buries his feelings via technology to cope.

I was hoping the system glitching would lead to them being sucked into the system - and maybe they have to tackle digital manifestations of the mothers work pressures and the sons bottled feelings and loneliness rather than just "time stop means they can spend time together". Leading to an ending where both understand each other better and also work on their issues. Mum more willing to firmly draw the line at work or explain to her coworkers/boss the situation, son trying to be more open to others - the benefits of both seen when they escape the glitch (which is also messing with the light-switch on) and they attend the event together in the end.

That's really the main issue with using the time stop device too. Both mum and son are fairly everyday characters, but they do nothing about their problems, which makes them getting the time freeze at expense of everyone else feel awkward - why doesn't *everyone* deserve that extra time with family or why does this specific family deserve a little extra "magic" as it were?

In last years version, dad and daughter don't get their solution magically handed to them. Daughter works hard at her dance while Dad's working and getting the place ready for Christmas. He gets a little lost in all that, but it was still down to him to reject a further work call and attend the talent show, even if that might get him in trouble later.

I get they have a limited budget so maybe some of my thoughts were not workable anyway. But they had a really nice chance to explore a very common relationship between parent and child in 2018 with a bit more effort behind the storytelling aspect of it.

That or they could of just continued Oneness with random people staring at the audience while christmas lights blink in the background I suppose. Careful what you wish for and all that jazz.

Anyone else noticed, last year it was father and daughter, and this year its a a mother and son?

Blow me down the pier ident has daytime version!

Now if only they used a drone and flew past the pier with the Christmas tree etc then that would be more stunning.

The dodgems on the other hand, if you don't know the context beforehand then you would think they would pass any old tat as an ident these days.

Daytime Pier as aired across the nations:-

Network


Northern Ireland


Scotland


Wales