ITV Studios Front-Cap

Is anyone aware of any reason why old programming such as The Protectors and UFO would have a 'modern' front-cap? I know most old shows have the original cut, a few have them left in, but why use a new one at all?

The Protectors (shown on ITV4) - silent:



UFO (shown on ForcesTV) - with jingle:

ITV edited the tape I think

Branding exercise, pure and simple. or maybe it's a trend that's come back again, now that the likes of Netflix and Amazon have started using them. They were originally all over ITV in the 1970s and 1980s before being phased out.

When ITV Studios sold ATV episodes of Crossroads to Big Centre TV (who then didn't air most of them but we won't talk about that) they replaced the famous ATV Zoom 2 Ident with an ITV Studios one, but didn't bother sticking one on the end.

Sky use them for their original shows aswell. It’s just a sting with “A Sky Original” written on it.

The itv Studios frontcap (and indeed an endcap) also appears on much programming, purchased from iTunes and, made by them including a couple of series produced for the BBC. These devices being omitted when transmitted.