How the LWT Building (Kent House) was built...

Just came across an interesting video on YouTube:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=O4XrXCDzdXQ - Part 1
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ir_pHBHi820 - Part 2

It shows them installing the playout gallery as well (1970's)

On the same channel I notice this LWT Hearts Ident:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip4JwOD3ezw
I don't remember this being shown

Interesting find, especially the hearts ident, makes you wonder how many different variants they did.

On that note does anyone have the Anglia ident that Asa had on his website & those ones that were on another website which had a completely different end board, if anyone can recal those ones

Good find. Love the old lighting console. I've played with on of those (long after it came out of service, I might add).

Funny to see the singing (and smoking) tradesmen - as well as the obligatory porno pics stuck up on the walls of the job site!

Funny how all the unused ITV hearts idents were much better executed than what eventually reached our screens!

I don't think that one is real, it would have had the coulers in it

Not neccessarily the really early hearts idents (of which seem to have dissapeared off of the net since the Continunity booth shut down) had the LWT logo in single colours.

There was an Anglia variant which did have a coloured Anglia logo & that layout but with a different background, Asa had it on his site he used to run, along with an 2002 ident with Chris Tarrant & the ITV1 London logo

I remember the beautifully executed hearts idents which never made it on to our screens, it had much more powerful music as well.

Some almost-used edits of the hearts idents resolved into a 'frosted' background of the intro film, rather than the spinning blue hearts that were eventually used. ISTR Asa said that the Anglia edit he had on his site was taken from a promo film, and he overlaid the hearts music himself.

Earlier versions also had all the station logos done in yellow and blue rather than multicoloured.

This is either an earlier edit, or a mock (possible mock because you do see the red, white and blue LWT colours for a split second). Either way it wasn't used onscreen.


The hearts look in general was an amazing example of squandering. Rafts and rafts of material was created to keep the look varied and fresh, were it all properly executed it could have been a brand identity still around now.

As it was the package was half-launched with existing non-generic station idents used alongside the new material for a whole year until the hearts idents were finalised.

Even when it was 'fully implemented' in late 1999 little of what was produced was ever used on screen, and for some bizarre reason even the 'subset' that they decided to use was quickly pared down further until 'lines' along with that f**king strings jingle was all that was ever used. Then only a few short years later the whole lot was thrown away and they've not had a decent presentation package since.

most interesting, thanks for shairing

like the lack of safety, not even hard hats

It said something when Tyne Tees and YTV created superior packages, used only for regional programming.

The Original 1998 package was the best (the one on TCB with the Heart animated and spinning with the strong music playing in the background), why they couldn't have used that I don't know, it fit in well, the Regional name was on screen as was the ITV logo, didn't see any problem with that all.

It says something about the package for when Carlton decided to go to Lambie Nairn for a new set of idents that also appeared on Central and Westcountry aswell as London. As said even the Yorkshire and Tyne Tees regional idents were up to scratch aswell.

ISTR Yorkshire had a company called Ballistix, i'm not sure if it still exists, but they were pretty much responsible for all Regional idents etc that went out on GMG North, they created a few looks even a new look for Granada that never got used, and a Commonwealth Games ident for Granada aswell.

Within about 12 months as said ITV pretty much abandoned the rest of the package in favour of the lines and spinning hearts idents. Just a shame it took until 2002 to get rid of them, after 2001 they looked worse as they changed ITV to ITV1 and that got a larger logo. They added the itv.com URL and now had captions for ITV2 and ITV Sport which looked messy.

The guy who's uploaded the videos to YT is the webmaster of The Ultimate LWT website henceforth The Continuity Booth too.

Indeed, only HTV created a new ident to fit in nicely with the original ITV hearts presentation package.

http://www.hhg.org.uk/images/ident_1999.jpg

In fact I would say HTV's integration with the hearts package as a whole was the most successful, covering up any ITV logo where possible but making sure it still fitted in with the whole look. They embraced the look whilst not compromising on their own identity.

http://www.hhg.org.uk/images/itv_trail2.jpghttp://www.hhg.org.uk/images/htv_itv.jpg

And they were rewarded later along the lines with a stunning Carlton package which brought them better idents which thankfully kept the HTV brand onscreen.

It's shocking to think how much everything's fallen apart since my online activity began.

(caps courtesy www.hhg.org.uk)