ITV thread

The continuity anno as we have it now is the absolute worst of all worlds.

This practice of talking over a piece of music and dipping the sound half-way through is grating and unprofessional. The BBC didn't have it (they spoke over a silent ident), C4 didn't have it (the music stopped before the speech began) and ITV certainly didn't have it (preferring IVC instead).

The current system was born out of a nasty compromise -- ITV companies stopping in-vision in the name of branding then using their existing tools to fill in the gaps. I've always despised it, and it's only got worse over the years with ever-more bland, non-descript ident schemes.

Either have a snappy, silent few seconds where an anno speaks over an optic, have a full-fledged presentation style (essentially what UTV has now with Julian Simmons but with a bit more polish) or do away with announcers altogether. An ident should never last longer than 5 seconds and should never have a voice talking over it IMO.

now another Story:

it been a years since The Media Merchants shut down and moved to London Hit entertainment offices.


I believe apart from the news Maidstone has nothing there anymore apart from the loft that need baldy cleaned out

"I just been watching ITV1 this evening and they have started to advertise new programming coming soon. And it looks like they are showing new graphics along with it.

First they were advertising a new soap and then later a new drama, and the graphics used to promote them look similar. To me it looks like the graphics you'd have on five."

From someone on DS. Anyone else notice these?

Yes. They started advertising some of the new programmes on Christmas Eve. I saw an advert for Honest and Echo Beach/Moving Wallpaper.

But how do they differ from normal styles?

The one for Echo Beach/Moving Wallpaper I have seen. It starts with Moving Wallpaper, and shows clips of Ben Miller waltzing around shouting at people, and then saying how he's the big cheese, before (within the same trailer) linking into Echo Beach.

I presume what they meant is that the endcap is white, the screen is horizontally split and has Ben Miller in the top half and Jason & Martine in the bottom with the ITV1 logo to the right.

I've also seen a promo for The Royal Today that uses the usual endcap, so I wouldn't look too much into it.


And whilst we're on ITV pres. I just don't understand why they couldn't do an ident based on the breakbumper, and adding a few jingles over the top of the usual music. You can't even say it's lack of effort, as they've had the graphics made, but haven't used them.

2003 is still ITV's (as a whole) strongest Christmas pres. wise, with themed bumpers, idents, ECP's, endcaps, that all looked gorgeous. Why they don't bother is beyond me.

The Honest trailer had the yellow ITV1 logo in the bottom left hand corner throughout, and then the caption at the end was light purple/lilac in colour and had brand new followed by Honest in big letters and "coming soon" underneath.

The Moving Wallpaper/Echo Beach trailer had a split screen as the end caption, one for MW and one for EB.

I just captured the 'Honest' promo. It seems ITV1 maybe going in a show related style with it having it's own endboard related to the programme itself. The ITV1 logo in the left hand corner is the consistent element.

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/9030/cap00001yq9.jpg

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/2928/cap00002ur3.jpg

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/8181/cap00003ti2.jpg

Video: http://www.watelevision.com/site/upfiles/ITV1_Honest_Promo.avi

I wouldn't read much into graphics at all at the moment. Usually when ITV promote brand new stuff the end caps often include the programme logo - though the logo used in the promo quite often is different to the logo used on the show.


I'm still betting on Moving Wallpaper / Echo Beach being the first flop of 2008. On the one show you've got them sending up "Echo Beach", and then Echo Beach itself which loses any credibility even after sitting through the trailer for Moving Wallpaper, never mind a full half hour - ITV should have left the "soap" as an ITV2 spin-off.

Is it my tv or have the ITV 2/3/4 dogs all been dulled down somewhat?

Indeed they have, their not as bright.

Definitely. Whilst not ideal they're a little more tolerable now.