Watch refresh

don't know if it has been posted but watch has a new look http://uktv.co.uk/watch/homepage

ISTR something about UKTV issuing an open challenge a while back to any designers to come up with a new look for Watch. I guess this is the result.

It's nice enough, I guess, and an improvement on the eyeball. But I think the real problem which needs addressing is that Watch is just a bit of a 'nothing channel'. It's kind of bland and doesn't really stand for anything. Even the description on that page of "the channel that believes TV is better watched together" is just meaningless, bland boll*cks.

It needs to forge a clear identity for itself, and personally I think they need more than just a new logo for that.

A poor man's mix up of Five, abc and an Apple iPod commercial. Not very inspiring at all.

http://www.theidentgallery.com/watch/2010/WATCH-2010-ID-TABLE-1-9.jpg

Watch - Current Idents (2010-)

Yeah, it isn't inspiring at all. But for what it is, it's pleasant and professional looking enough... much more so than the freaky eye.

The ident reminds me a bit of a toned down Playstation 3 "...it only does everything" campaign. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTk5CNFhkN8#t=0m:25s

A few details about it here: http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/1030336/UKTV-revamps-Watch-identity-autumn-season-launches/

I could understand the purpose of this channel if it was on Freeview and acted as a showcase for their other channels but as it stands it is totally useless and all of its programmes could quite easily be shown on one of UKTV's other services

I think the point of the channel was to centre around Richard and Judy. When that flopped it kind of had nothing else to do.

It's quite a random channel, one minute it's wall to wall Traffic Cops, then a family Film then a whole evening of Outtake TV.

It should just be a commercial version of BBC One, minus all the PSB stuff. As said the reason why it was created was for Richard & Judy's programme, and for all the other stuff that didn't fit into UKTV's other channels (most notably new NEW programmes on Gold), but it just seems to be nowhere at the moment.

Even more randomly Traffic Cops appears on Dave and Blighty, as well as Watch.

its also home to Dancing with the stars....

I quite liked the later eyeball idents, although not the original 'real action' ones with a bunch of extras rolling a large eyeball down the road/along the beach etc.

The later ones were quirky and sometimes humourous. I thought they were trying to turn the eyeball into a character, à la the BBC's '2' in the 1990s.

I agree that the channel needs to define itself better. After the sudden departure of Richard & Judy so soon after the channel's launch, it's really been nothing more than a mixture of programmes available elsewhere on UKTV. Anyone who can get Watch (on Sky at least) can also get GOLD and Alibi, so repeating the same programmes is rather pointless.

EDIT:
The only one I've seen so far looks like a BBC One 'Rythmn & Movement' reject from the early 2000s, but with some blue elements (instead of red) to make the awful concept look different. Oh dear!

I see the blurb from UKTV is the usual marketing 'double-speak' and clap-trap!

So sky 3 ok to keep

they added my family on there wjhen its been reapeted so many times on g.o.l.d just coz it move to a new channel doesn't mean its acceptable to show it again