New look for BBC1

After four years of the channel's 'Rhythm and Dance' idents, Peter Fincham has told Media Guardian that the channel's presentation will be refreshed this Autumn.



Read the full interview

So Autumn it is, then; but still, no information on what this new look will entail; I hate having no idea as to the style of what we shall be seeing.

At the risk of sounding rather dull, I almost want the new idents to be completely devoid of people and instead take a more traditional approach; Red Bee is negatively etched in my mind since the ITV rebrand, which I personally found overally unremarkable.

I've never understood why so many forum-ers are so negative about the dancers. I really quite like them.

In fact, growing up, I always hated the globe (in any of its incarnations). It's a UK channel, and a "general purpose entertainment" channel.

A picture of the entire planet is the kind of logo that would suggest that one or more of the follwing things might be true of the channel - it's available internationally, it's a rolling news channel or it's a National Geographic type niche channel.

In other words, a globe as a logo said nothing about the channel. I'm not saying that the hot air balloon or dancers are brilliant, but they're an improvement on the globe IMHO - not least of all because they have an accompanying jingle. The fact that BBC1 still had CAs talking over complete silence as late as 1996/97 is astounding. It was SO old-fashioned.

Absolutely. I remembering being so pleased at seeing this great big hot air balloon, colourful scenery and nice soundtrack but some of that feeling was, in part, due to what preceded it.

That's my issue with this rebrand - I want to see it on the first day and think "yes, it's breathtaking, imaginative and I'll be happy to see it on screen for the next five years" but I don't think that's going to be the case. Live action or CGI - whichever! Just don't involve people.

And as to the current brand - some of it is very nice. Capoeira, Skateboarders and Tai Chi are all nicely shot idents. However they're mixed in with some rubbish - Salsa, Maasai, Haka, Music Video, Hip Hop.

The overall 'twee' concept, the ham-fisted effort at 'inclusivity', the unimaginative execution of the idea, the inappropriate use of some idents before certain programming (one word - 'Tsunami'), the southern-centric locations, the awful Masai ident...

Does that give you an idea?

I'm glad that we now have conformation of when the rebrand is taking place and I think that the way forward may not be to include people. I think that the simplest of designs are probably the most effective (Channel 4 being a perfect example) so I would therefore like to see something along the lines of a number 1 in different significant locations across the country. A simple idea but if shot correctly then would look quite effective and modern as idents.

I'm in full agreement with this.

I do like *some* of the current set -- partly why the dancers are disliked in general is because they came after the balloon, and it was just too tough an act to follow successfully, paling in comparison; especially when worse idents such as Maasai (which doesn't even follow the UK locale criteria, is utterly pointless and poorly done) are thrown into the mix - and it doesn't help that some of them are overly PC, either.

I don't want any more "people" idents in this rebrand. Yet, I'm worried that the day will come of the new look, and I will say "I want the Skaters/Acrobats/Capoeira artists back".

If that happens, I can only hope the same can't be said when the next era of BBC TWO's pres dawns on us.

BBC TWO is surely due for a reband - the current idents for BBC TWO have been here longer than the dancers! Does anyone know anything?

I doubt the people commissioning and designing them will know what they'll look like yet!

Well, hopefully Red Bee Media can produce better idents compared to that smooshy ITV 1 Ones.

If it's them who get the commission of course

Just shows really how little you know about it. For a start you've not noticed that the balloon WAS a globe, so it was only the advent of the dancers that ended many years of one of the most well known brands in television history.

The globe says nothing about the channel? Of course it does. It says that this is the flagship channel of the world's most important broadcaster.

Instead they brought on some dancers to symbolise 'inclusiveness'. How more inclusive could the globe be - pretty much covers the whole world!

And of course the balloon was the most clever as it brought the world to every corner of the UK, and some. Just check out this courtesey of the TV Room to remember how good it was...

Blackpool tower