BBC Two: new idents from Sunday 18 February

For once, I have to agree with you, I'd never seen it either.

However I can't help feeling you wouldn't be so critical of spending precious licence fee money if it was invested in programme slides and a clock

That's the kind of thing I'd like to see, although I still prefer the 1991 2 idents which were far superior to anything else.

I doubt anyone can argue with that! Seems like the classic 2's will remain unrivalled for some time.

Although, speaking of which, to this day I still wonder whether they were cut short...

The number of new idents were brought in for the millennium, most of which were IMO absolutely superb -- only for them to be axed late the following year along with the rest of the remaining set. Didn't get much mileage out of that last batch then, did they? Bit of a waste, really - should've at least continued until '04 or '05.

And I do wonder whether they could be released commercially on BBC DVD some day. The 2's weren't your ordinary idents and they did receive fanmail during their lifetime. Perhaps they could stick the related segment from that 1995 episode of 'How Do They Do That?' on there too which would accompany it nicely...

Perhaps this is all wishful thinking on my part, but hey!

The original remark was more of a general comment on the way television branding has been going for the last few years, rather than specifically to do with the BBC. So many channels now use idents that involve live action and/or people - including all of the other four main analogue channels - the current BBC2 idents that are entirely computer generated do stand out from the crowd. But if the rumour is true, the new ones probably won't.

As for the logo, seeing as BBC1 has a new logo which looks specifically designed to work with its idents, I wouldn't be surprised to see the introduction of a custom BBC2 logo as well. We already see no commonality between the BBC channels' trailer styles - I think the logos are going the same way. Just like in the 1970s and 80s in fact.

I wouldn't be entirely surprised if, instead of a new BBCtwo logo, we just get something like this instead:

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/3000/bbc2rw4.gif

If they're finally sundering the interchannel commonality that was weakened by the launch of BBC THREE with a non-Gil Sans logo.

AMV producing a channel identity is one thing, but don't forget they produce trails periodically, a fact which is less likely to please licence fee critics.


Perhaps because they're a throwback to the original concept. The canine 2 would have been perfect in a Christmas ident (or series of); it might even have been a cheaper option than CGI. But it's not going to happen now, which is a shame.

With so many channels now available, its more important to make each channel stand on its own, and stand out with its own content and style, than it is to make all the channels look the same.

They still cross promote, and the BBC logo is still present, so they can still show themselves as a BBC Family of channels.

Brothers and Sisters, rather than Identical Twins

I had thought of this too. a bit like they did between 1991-1997. if they went with this logo do you think they would have it on screen during the idents or simply have the BBC logo with the numerical 2 above it ala 1991-97?

My money on the 2 disappering!

as bbc one has no 1 in it ideant anywere,

I;m sure it been said before around here, my Squares for BBC2
then
Triangles for BBC3
etc

Maybe you need to look back to pg20, the 2 is staying. im not sure what BBC one not having a '1' in their idents anymore has to do with BBC TWO's rebrand as its been like that for nearly 10 years. why destroy a perfectly good and well-known symbol? channels need to be different from each other even if they are all BBC channels. the BBC logo should be the link.

Does anyone know when they will launch though?

Though I'm unsure about the live action and use of people if the numeric '2' is staying then it might not be so bad as, unlike BBC One's dancers, the '2' will be the centre of attention and not the people, which is the major let down of many others in the past.
I'm still a little dubious about the initial source - it would be beneficial if someone else could confirm whether or not people will star in them.