Happy 10th birthday to ITV2!

I don't see that there's much to celebrate. At launch ITV2 was it's own channel with it's own remit and it's own way of doing things (e.g. using IVC when all Carlton/Granada ITV stations had ditched it by then). Although inevitably it would be used for reruns and repeats it also aired things which had never been shown on the ITV Network and was trying to sell itself as a fully fledged channel in it's own right, not just a backup/repeats operation or a component of a channel portfolio.

Sadly, ITV2 as launched was effectively dead by mid-2001, from then on it more or less became an 'ITV1 Extra' type channel, and more recently has been watered down further into an 'ITV1 Daytime repeated constantly with some soap reruns thrown in' channel.

Frankly, I'd be amazed if the 10th anniversary is acknowledged, or even remembered by anyone now involved with it.

Apart from the fact that it's one of the most watched digital multichannels (i believe it holds the record for the most viewers of a non-sport digital channel) with a good balance of original programming and imports, and the imports it shows are of substantial quality.

I think your opinion is a few years out of date, it has moved from just being ITV1 repeats with more and more ITV2 exclusive programmes every year

Well the 10th December 2008 happens to be a Wednesday. Will ITV2 be doing anything special, e.g. using the original set of idents that day? I suppose I'd better set my video to record every single ITV2 programme junction that day.

Er... is that a joke?

Perhaps that Year in 60 Seconds promo will become 10 Years in 60 seconds on its birthday.

It wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't. Honestly this is ITV we're talking about. They're not going to do anything i'm sure.

when I first got OnDigital I use to love ITV2. I think the channel started to go downhill when it was during the black idents with the yellow squares, and now since the green era, its even worse. Its just the trash from ITV1, Corrie cos they cant ditch that otherwise WW3 would kick off in the media, and then american leftovers that E4, Sky1 didn't want.

Its funny that how over the years, and rebrand after rebrand, that channels get worse and worse. I use to watch these below old channels, but dont watch their current channel these days:

ITV2 old-school - Loved - ITV2Now - Never watch.
Plus was better than ITV3
M&M back in its heyday is better than ITV4
BBC choice is better than BBC3

For me, it was when channels came available on freeview they went down hill. Back in the day when channels were quite neice and very few people had digital TV, channels put in a lot more effort. Not, cos almost everyone has got someform of digital, channels just churn out mass market reality and american import crap.

These are the ITV2 idents I meant, the ones they were using at the start back in December 1998.

shut up.

I really like ITV2 at the moment to be honest. Particular favourites are Celebrity Juice and Xtra Factor, and I really like the recent refresh of the presentation.

Sorry, I'm confused. What's a video?

ITV2 used to be great with the likes of the Late Show With David Letterman, Third Rock From The Sun, Married With Children, etc. Now it doesn't really interest me too much.