UTV celebrates its 50th anniversary this Saturday, the 31st October and they're celebrating with a host of special programmes called UTV at 50 and lots of special little promos dotted throughout the ad breaks. The end of these promos have a nice little animation which shows each of UTV's logos from the past morphing into one another to eventually finish on the current logo. I'm currently in the middle of encoding the ones that I've caught so I'll upload them ASAP.
Also noticed this morning that there's a minisite at www.u.tv/50 which isn't quite ready yet but I'm sure will be launched soon.
The full list of programmes that will be shown over the next few weeks is on the UTV website if you click on the News Releases link at the bottom of the page.
Here are eight of the 50th anniversary promos that I've managed to record so far. If you would rather watch them on YouTube I've also uploaded them there too at http://www.youtube.com/utvtoday
Those logos at the end of the trail are recreations! Obviously they don't have the master copies anymore (a surprise with the 1993 logo) or couldn't be arsed grabbing them from the original idents.
Still, UTV are acknowledging their golden anniversary, so I'll shut up.
Those logos at the end of the trail are recreations! Obviously they don't have the master copies anymore (a surprise with the 1993 logo) or couldn't be arsed grabbing them from the original idents.
Probably more to do with with being easier to morph/fade into each other than not having originals to hand, nicely executed and probably done by someone who appreciates TV presentation as they included that early 90s logo that was basically the same as the one that preceded it only in 3D and colour.
Here are the individual programme details taken from the press release at u.tv:
Programme 1 - Saturday 31 October at 7pm
This series will tell the story of UTV from A to Z and in this first edition we travel from A to D explaining how the six young faces who fronted the station’s first programmes were chosen, how one of those six became ‘Miss Adrienne’ of ‘Romper Room’ and how a future Lord of the theatre world introduced the station to the viewing public.
Programme 2 - Sunday 1 November at 6.30pm
In this edition of the series which tells the story of UTV’s fifty years from A to Z we travel from E for Early Days to I for Idents, the identifying logos that have symbolised UTV from age to age. We recall George Best’s driving test, the young Rolling Stones in Belfast, how Eamonn Holmes nearly turned down his first job and how Jackie Fullerton was floored by Giant Haystacks.
Programme 3 - Monday 2 November at 8pm
In this edition we look at the letters J to M including how Gerry Kelly took over Friday nights, how a Londoner called Tommy James became a teatime favourite and why Eamonn Holmes’ mother worries about where he is these days!
Programme 4 – Saturday 7 November at 7pm
This time, in our alphabetical journey we travel from N to Q, including how UTV faced the challenge of news broadcasting in a community that was tearing itself apart, how Sir Laurence Olivier read from the Book of Genesis on the station’s opening night and how James Nesbitt bought flowers for a Belfast woman who’d missed winning the top prize on the Kelly Show.
Programme 5 – Sunday 8 November at 6.30pm
This time our alphabetical journey takes us from R to S including how Miss Helen is still a Romper Room Do-Bee, how Jimmy Greene conducted a disastrous interview with his idol Ella Fitzgerald and how Eamonn Holmes had the job of answering Jackie Fullerton’s phone.
Programme 6 – Monday 9 November at 8pm
The final stage of our alphabetical tour of UTV's history takes us from T to Z – including how UTV news reporters and crews coped with the challenges of the Troubles and how Olly McGilloway and Joe Mahon brought a more tranquil Ulster to the screen.
Not even STV are brave enough to opt out of a network programme on a Saturday night at 7pm! Sounds like it should be a good series, though hopefully they won't be going over the top with Eamon!