ITV Discussion Thread

I'm not so sure that you're right there, Chie.

The original reason given for 'straightening' the BBC logo was to make it easier to produce in other media. As the resolution has increased throughout all forms of media, particularly t'internet and mobile, it means that they can do more with the logo in the future without fundamentally changing it.

It was a very expensive exercise for the BBC to change their logo back in the late 1990s, so I don't think they will want to drift away from that core brand any time soon. It's certainly not 'timeless', but it's also not really dated and I think it has more than another decade left in it yet.

Notice CITV has a new look, with a new logo with a 3D C in the shape of an old fashioned TV - complete with hideous brown DOG to go with it. Shame, as their previous DOG was as they should be - fairly subtle and unobtrusive.

Actually when it first launched, the DOG was very transparent, but they've since made the decision to make it brighter.

ITV of late seem to really love full colour DOGS. First ITV2 3 and 4 got them, then CITV got one, and now ITV1 HD has a full colour DOG. Knowing them, they will probably put a coloured DOG on ITV1

Have they realised that the higher resolution means it can be smaller than the SD DOGs? I'm guessing no...

Haha, don't be silly. If anything, they will make it bigger to make it look more impressive in HD

I really don't understand why all ITV's DOGs are in colour though. I don't mind DOGs if they are faded and translucent, but noo they go in the opposite direction for some stupid reason.

I actually wonder if the person in charge of DOGs and other on screen presentation doesn't actually watch TV

ITV1 has a brilliant schedule for 2010 from what I've read here and there.

Drama:

Married Single Other , a new romantic comedy with an ensemble cast, from the man behind Cold Feet Andie Harries. Supposed to be very good, I can see this being a big hit if it's scheduled right.
Father and Son , a four-part draama about a gangland boss whose son is found with a gun
The Prisoner , lavish 6-part remake of the cult classic featuring Ian McKellen
U Be Dead , a thriller, story of an obsessive stalker, starring David Morrissey
Identity , starring Aiden Gillen and Keely Hawes, story of the modern day Jekyll and Hyde
Above Suspicion 2: The Red Dahlia , the sequel to the highly successful first run
Agatha Christie's Marple , several new 2 hour films
Foyle's War returns
Wild at Heart returns to Sunday nights
Poirot returns with 4 new films
Lewis returns with 4 new films
David Jason's A Touch of Frost concludes forever in 2 final films
Whitechapel returns for a series after its highly successful pilot this year
The successful Law & Order: UK returns for a a new 7 episode run

Factual series:

Piers Morgan on … Shanghai/ Marbella/ Vegas
The Lakes
Amanda Holden Fantasy Lives
Greatest Cities of the World with Griff Rhys Jones
Ray Mears Field Guide to Britain
Joanna Lumley’s Jewel of the Nile
Island Race
Ray Mears Survival
David Suchet on the Orient Express
Alan Titchmarsh Walks of Fame
Martin Clunes Horsepower
Sir Trevor’s Secret Mediterranean

Entertainment:

The Cube
Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
Ant and Dec's Push the Button
All Star Mr & Mrs
All Star Family Fortunes
The X Factor
Britain's Got Talent
Dancing on Ice
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!

All sounds really good. If only they'd update the channel's visuals for a bit of a refresh too! (I know I sound like a "stuck record", Brekkie, but all I'm asking for is some new idents and perhaps tweaked trailer styles etc) the ITV1 logo is brilliant and when used correctly is really lovely.

I think the best plan for the outputs would be this:

Sundays 9pm - Wild at Heart, Married Single Other

Mondays 9pm - Monday Night Thrillers (Law & Order, The Prisoner, Above Suspicion, Whitechapel, U Be Dead, Identity)

Tuesdays 9pm - Authorial Documentaries (Greatest Cities of the World, Ray Mears Survival etc)

Wednesdays - Football or the new 2 hour dramas (Frost, Poirot, Marple, Midsomer)

Thursdays 9pm - The Bill

Where's the information from? Interesting that they've decided to public all information for the full year, very random to. Which programmes are actually in the winter schedule?

I know what you mean about ITV1's identity Pad. I think the problem with the non idents of ITV1 is the use of just black, it's the same with ITV2 & white, ITV2 looked much better with the mixed green idents & presentation. ITV1 could do with creating an identity similar to the old ITV Day idents with yellows, oranges & some reds, to tie in with the yellow, brighten it up from the black & doing something a bit different from just using yellows & golds.

Much of it is from press releases and the Upfronts 2010 thing they had recently.

I completely agree. The yellow/black colour scheme has so much potential to look exciting, fresh, current and classy at once - glimpses of it are seen in the understated trailer endboards at the moment with the specks of light.

As for the idents I agree. I think the "Alive with Colour" brief is good, but the current idents are cack. I don't know why some people think they're okay, they're just not. They're dull as hell, the music is a big factor but the visuals don't create a strong enough identity. They connotate dullness and identity crisis.

I'd like to see some warmer idents across a range of styles, all keeping the yellow theme in some way. Preferably with the logos the same size and with a variety of music styles (the same melody is fine, but remixed and remodeled for various styles of ident).

ITV have a ton of serious drama coming next year - it would be great to see some new idents which are dramatic and emotional and momentous, suited to preceding something gritty like Law & Order.

Then, some idents to accompany the big, shiny entertainment formats. Something explosive and lively for the Britain's Got Talent episodes, The X Factor and other Saturday night entertainment. And finally some lighter idents for the daytime schedule. They just need to get a good agency in, give them the ITV1 logo, brief them to create 8 idents or so:

- 2 standard idents for the daytime/news
- 3 upbeat/explosive/exciting idents for entertainment
- 3 dramatic/sombre/momentous idents

It would make such a difference to the channel IMO. Then simply they would need to refresh the breakbumpers/trailers, but I'd keep the understated black style as now, just adding a bit more slickness, maybe more of the fluttering embers of light, and a regular font size for the text.

I just wish they'd make the effort to get an identity that CAN last for ages rather than leaving a mediocre one there for year after year. Especially with such a great raft of programming for 2010.

What will STV be dropping out of that? there have to drop something to make room for Underbelly.

also I see nothing about Paul new show

Embers

It's meant to be dust particles floating through a beam of light, like a cinema projection.

Is it just me ITV1's promo style gone downhill? What I mean is that if you look at how a typical ITV1 promo is put together, it just seems rather bland. The voiceover always mostly seems be to 'dry' there's no excitement in the programme they're promoting. I dislike how music used in promos are just faded out abruptly towards the end, with a bland voiceover. I was having a look on YouTube the other day, and it seemed during the Hearts era and even after the nationalisation rebrand they put a bit more effort into promos.