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BBC presentation in the 90s

(February 2019)

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VM
VMPhil
Asa posted:
Controversial opinion time (and one I doubt Mumoss will like either), but I always thought the 1991 BBC1 globe seemed dated even at the time it was introduced, and certainly was well past it by 1997

Agreed. Although I do have a certain appreciation for it these days, my main view at the time was that it was just boring and too abstract. I couldn't wait for Christmas just to get something more exciting. It probably helped to make the impact of the balloon in '97 that much greater. Colour! Music! Variations! The variety of the stings was really nice though.

As I said the other week though, to have the flexibility to dive in and out of an ident within a few seconds was definitely a bonus that doesn't exist anymore.

I wonder whether it was someone at the Radio Times who decided on the purple colour logo? I don't remember it ever being used as an 'official' BBC One colour on-screen.

They are the official colours, BBC1 Indigo and BBC2 Viridian. Ref: MHP file 7017.
AR
Argybargy
Asa posted:
Controversial opinion time (and one I doubt Mumoss will like either), but I always thought the 1991 BBC1 globe seemed dated even at the time it was introduced, and certainly was well past it by 1997

Agreed. Although I do have a certain appreciation for it these days, my main view at the time was that it was just boring and too abstract. I couldn't wait for Christmas just to get something more exciting. It probably helped to make the impact of the balloon in '97 that much greater. Colour! Music! Variations! The variety of the stings was really nice though.

As I said the other week though, to have the flexibility to dive in and out of an ident within a few seconds was definitely a bonus that doesn't exist anymore.

I wonder whether it was someone at the Radio Times who decided on the purple colour logo? I don't remember it ever being used as an 'official' BBC One colour on-screen.

I remember that the Radio Times channel pages actually started using the 1991 logos a few weeks before the new idents launched on screen.
SW
Steve Williams
I remember that the Radio Times channel pages actually started using the 1991 logos a few weeks before the new idents launched on screen.


As mentioned on the previous page, they were actually in that week's issue - the first time I'd seen them. That was also the case in 1997 - they were first shown on the listings for the day they were launched.

As we know, Going Live officially launched the ident at (five past) nine, after all the other programmes that morning were introduced by all the other surrounding presentation including the slides and clock - this coming during the Gulf War where, as noted on that RT page, they were running hourly news builletins on weekend mornings.
JA
JAS84
On a side note, the Radio Times issue for the week the corporate branding launched was the first tease at the new look, (in a pre-Internet reliant world), as shown here, (also, note this was two weeks before ITV and C4 listings were added to the Radio Times);
*
Why is that ITV logo black on grey? It should be the other way around.
RE
Revolution
Ah the 90s. It felt like most food programmes on the BBC were soundtracked by woodwind instruments and synth were in fashion (looking at you Demon Headmaster).

I think the virtual globe ident was abandoned for Children in Need one year. Must've been the one time.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
I'm just going to leave this here (please try not to trip over it):
TM
ToasterMan
Back to BBC Two, you can definitely tell a shift in the channel's direction from the beginning of the bladed 2 era, (which was introduced towards the end of Alan Yentob's tenure as Channel Controller), up to 1993, when Michael Jackson had taken over. BBC Two was very much still in its art conscious phase throughout 1991 and the majority of 1992, (courtesy of Yentob, of course), not only that, but until late 1992, continuity announcers consistently referred to the channel as just "2", but after 1993, they always referred to the channel as "BBC2".

I expect it was Michael Jackson's doing, who was the new channel controller and gradually shaped BBC Two into a much more entertainment focused channel, which was also the time the logos appeared right throughout trailers, as opposed to the end, and when the first stop-motion/live-action "2" character stings made their debut.
Last edited by ToasterMan on 18 February 2019 10:34pm - 2 times in total
SP
Steve in Pudsey
not only that, but until late 1992, continuity announcers consistently referred to the channel as just "2", but after 1993, they always refereed to the channel as "BBC2".


I suspect that was a reaction to Sky becoming more established and people having more than the 4 channels to choose from. In that context building the BBC brand became more important.
JO
Josh
Asa posted:
Controversial opinion time (and one I doubt Mumoss will like either), but I always thought the 1991 BBC1 globe seemed dated even at the time it was introduced, and certainly was well past it by 1997

Agreed. Although I do have a certain appreciation for it these days, my main view at the time was that it was just boring and too abstract. I couldn't wait for Christmas just to get something more exciting. It probably helped to make the impact of the balloon in '97 that much greater. Colour! Music! Variations! The variety of the stings was really nice though.

As I said the other week though, to have the flexibility to dive in and out of an ident within a few seconds was definitely a bonus that doesn't exist anymore.

I wonder whether it was someone at the Radio Times who decided on the purple colour logo? I don't remember it ever being used as an 'official' BBC One colour on-screen.

They are the official colours, BBC1 Indigo and BBC2 Viridian. Ref: MHP file 7017.

After looking at said file, BBC2 Viridian looks less like the one on the Radio Times image and more like a lighter version of BBC1 Indigo?
RU
russty_russ
On a side note, the Radio Times issue for the week the corporate branding launched was the first tease at the new look, (in a pre-Internet reliant world), as shown here, (also, note this was two weeks before ITV and C4 listings were added to the Radio Times);
*


They were promoting the new look every week from the start of 1991 with various stars. It was advertised on the inside back cover.



SC
Si-Co
An interesting feature on the making of some of the Lambie Nairn “2” idents:

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