Happy Birthday BBC TWO

I have a feeling that the first series was on BBC1, but wasn't fully networked. Thus for many parts of the country the BBC2 showing was the first.

Might be wrong about that though.... can't remember where I heard it

The first series was on BBC2. My dad, who was 19 at the time (and hooked on the show from day one), confirms this. The first series was repeated on BBC1 a few months later.

After all, if it had aired on BBC1, it would highly unlikely have been produced in colour seeing as BBC1 weren't even broadcasting in colour until a few weeks after python started.

The first three series of Monty Python aired on BBC1. Absolutely definitely. It's very, very well documented. RT have made a tremendous cock-up.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/m/montypythonsflyi_1299002137.shtml

I trust Mark Lewisohn.

Actually, anyone near Birmingham could go to their main library, photocopy the relevant parts of their Radio Times archives and prove this...

Python Broadcast Date guide http://web.ukonline.co.uk/sotcaa/pythonpages/python_broadcasts.html

some of the corpses and amusing python guide

Thanks Steve, you've enlightened me! I only ever remember it being silent - must have been at school at startup times.

I'm sure I remember the fanfare from other times than just start-up. Mind you, start-up for 2 in those days was pretty late (a bit like those new-fangled part-time BBC3 & 4 channels nowadays )

I really like this, for one reason.

It can be seen to full effect in this piccy. It reminds me of the 1991-2002 idents because it looks REAL, it doesn't look as if it has come from a computer, but as if it has been hand crafted, stuck on some rollers, a reflection shined at it, pushed and then filmed. Possibly executed a bit better than that but you get the picture.

I was wondering what the BBC 2 Ident would be for the big 40. Very inventive! Makes a change from the usual 'topple tower'

On the BBC News console there is a link to a BBC TWO special showing clips from various shows over the 40 years. These are all preceded by various idents and clocks - from the very first b&w, thru the multi-striped blue and white 2 and finishing after the Little Britain clip at 14.46 with a full length remote-control blue 2!

Oddly, though, all the underlined /B/B/C/ logos from the 80s-90s 2s have been removed and the idents stretched vertically, yet all the other idents appear untouched.

As an aside, my favourite must be the 'approaching' drums on the very first ident before 'Play School' !

The /B/B/C/ logo was overlaid live upon transmission by pres.

I had a feeling that may be the case, but the distortion on the images is almost as if they were being deliberately stretched to cut the /B/B/C/ from view.

05/12/74 - Series 4, Show 6 ('Party Political Broadcast')

I was surprised to find the other day that I have this episode on tape. Presumably it was recorded when it was repeated on 17/10/99, it followed Monty Python's Meaning of Life.