Compared to other ITV regions Central was cutting edge, many were using slides and IVC still at this time.The announcers had so much character too. Idents and graphics didn't have to mean anything, no marketing babble about bringing people closer etc just lots to look at, nice graphics (for the time) and a short burst of some background music.
I think you first have to consider it was over 20 years ago but also that Central's presentation style was to immediately talk over any ident or aston rather than let it play out with just music. That's why the changed the music on the 1989 generic ITV ident which was designed to be played out in full before the CA spoke. The Central music worked well enough with that sort of continuity style.
Ooh. Is there a clip of their generic look with their own music?
And yeah, I know it was years ago but the elevator music burns my ears!
I think you first have to consider it was over 20 years ago but also that Central's presentation style was to immediately talk over any ident or aston rather than let it play out with just music. That's why the changed the music on the 1989 generic ITV ident which was designed to be played out in full before the CA spoke. The Central music worked well enough with that sort of continuity style.
Ooh. Is there a clip of their generic look with their own music?
And yeah, I know it was years ago but the elevator music burns my ears!
Quite a few different ones, actually
(first clip)
This is about as close as it got to the original ident, I don't think they even used the Dundas music
(at 3.06)
At the same time they introduced a new ident package that was aesthetically similar to the generic graphics
:-(
A former member
I always liked the conceit of having both identities play out on screen at the same time...
It becomes increasingly obvious the more Central presentation you see, it appears to have been deliberately done in a modular way - most of the music, the cake animations, sticking two or three idents together to make a new one - one can easily mix and match the entire package, not something that could easily happen with the 1989 look, though I see from the "Central TV Continuity Ads 13-02-90" video above at 3:06 they had a good go at it.
In some ways its a tremendous shame what happened to Central over the years - they made shed-loads of programmes, ran Children's ITV for the best part of 20 years, did a significant chunk of "ITV Sport" broadcasts and ITV Schools. The company practically fed the network for a large chunk of the day either through its programmes or its services and Central was a very successful company. Where is it now? Relegated to an office in Gas Street. There's gratitude for you.
In some ways its a tremendous shame what happened to Central over the years - they made shed-loads of programmes, ran Children's ITV for the best part of 20 years, did a significant chunk of "ITV Sport" broadcasts and ITV Schools. The company practically fed the network for a large chunk of the day either through its programmes or its services and Central was a very successful company. Where is it now? Relegated to an office in Gas Street. There's gratitude for you.
I think if it had made any programmes that were long running and still on air today I would like to think that Central would be a lot stronger, it's pretty much established that Crossroads in 2001 was basically do or die for Central studios etc, and all of this happened at a time of strong consolidation, sadly Central was the easiest region to nitpick, cut back and relocate. Such as CITV being relocated to Granada, Transmission joining their Northern neighbours in Leeds, Central News East being moved west, I think they were unlucky.
It also didn't help that there were few efforts to make new Central programmes for the Network in the late 1990s, Nottingham studios seemed to make an awful lot for Carlton's ("widely watched") channels.
:-(
A former member
We did talk about central in a bit on one of those history thread. Central did have number shows including Catchphrase, Kavanagh QC, Peak Practice, Supermarket sweep, Des O conner tonight, Barbara and crossroads, but between 1999 - 2002 all these just stopped, due to other reasons etc. Around that time the two companies Carlton and Granada were pee-ing out money because of the ITV digital crisis, rising costs, and getting ready for the big merger. Im surprised Carlton let go its one and only studio complex since both LWT and Granada well......
I know what you mean but I was refereeing to the time period around the late 90s and early 00's which reflects the list. Im sure I have mist a few others which were made around that time. Blockbusters could have been kept beyond 1993, but was mucked around with. Bullseye was the same. Carlton should have never placed all its eggs in one basket. Of course we have to remember alot of series have now moved away from studio based content, instead filming on location. A office is an office! look at the bbc Glasgow has a tone of office for network shows.
Yes, of all the regions lost losing Central is a huge shame - there isn't even a legacy in Birmingham now of what was there before.
:-(
A former member
Brum hasn't been in proper use for 24 years now. Brum was never Elstrees replacement that was Nott's.
Its been well noticed by the very early 90s most content had moved to Nottingham. Most of the studios were never used, nor the production offices. All that was left in Brum was CITV, CA and archive.
For the life of me I still cant understand why Central brought Broad Street studios complex in 1991( which it rented for many years, and was after the point in time everything had moved north) It was in 1994 plans were made for a new smaller complex dealing with news and CA.
Unless it was Central long term plan to sell off the site for big money.
