BBC squashing all credits still more

Bit weird seeing Friday Night with separate credits - AFAIK they've always been run over the performer's song? Unfortunately it's now just given another few seconds over to the marketing guys to plug, plug, plug (although no ECP).

Whilst re-setting up my TV card I thought I'd compare a couple of copies of Holby City - pre and post.

http://www.asahicks.com/uploads/holbyPrePos.jpg

The credits on the left are from the new style before shrunk in a box , we then have the credits when they're in the box and on the right, the credits as they were a couple of weeks ago. Interestingly, the credits still run for the same duration so it seems they're not being quite so strict about the 25-30secs limit.

Do you have a video of that new sequence, Asa? I also missed Casualty last Saturday... I assume they have just moved the scroll to the centre like Holby?

Does anyone have a screengrab of the BBC2 ECP? I haven't seen it yet.

I've not seen the ECP used on any BBC One Wales programmes today - even EastEnders and Neighbours x2 were promo free.

Thanks for those caps Asa - proves a point and although the new shrunk credits aren't much smaller I suppose, they are generally still unreadable, especially if they're scrolling.


They should have kept the font the same size as the old one and just used the full width of the screen.

I personally don't see what the problem with the last ECPs were. They filled up half the screen and provided the viewer with the same information as now. The only thing that wasn't provided was the schedule information, which was normally, and sometimes still is, given after the programme in a tonight etc. promo. I therefore find no need to change the system or shrink the credits down to such a size that they become illegible and the mood of the programme is lost.

This is far too poor quality to put in the mocks forum (though that doesn't stop the BBC putting them on air) - mainly as I just quickly grabbed the images off the BBC ECP page - but a quick mock up of what I think would be better.


Namely - using the width of the bottom for the credits. I've just used the EastEnders credits from the page, but if this was the format they'd probably have the Character / Actor on the same line.


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y163/brekkieboy2001/mocks-other/ecp1.gif


Basically credits either scroll or are in the middle half (vertically) of the screen - and then the credits reduce to the box (so the width of the box is the width of the screen) and crop the top and bottom, leaving the middle 50% viewable.


I've also doctored the promo a bit - I don't see why on earth they're using the BBC ONE in the box when that isn't a part of the channels presentation anymore.

That's just a quick mock up though - I think probably the promo should take the full space above the credits with the BBC One logo animating on either at the beginning or end, and any programme details appearing.

Specs allow cards though right now - so you'd lose the top half of the credits.

I need a translation I think - I assume you mean like pages of credits (like ITV's), rather than scrolling.


I have tried to accomodate that by having the middle 50% of the screen available - it should be enough space, and if you look at credits on US shows (as screened in Britain), they generally only fill the middle of the screen rather than using the full height.

None of the Nations are taking the new ECPs - they're just for you unfortunates in England.

Ooh you lucky b******s.

Is that for good? We got them every day on BBC Wales for about a week or two but I've not seen them since. The last one I saw was Saturday's Casualty.