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Posted by: Klaus 23rd March 2017, 03:43 PM

All five of the main UK TV channels have changed their idents over the last few years, the most recent being BBC One. Let's take a look at each of them and discuss your favourites!

BBC ONE: Oneness



After 10 years of the circles theme, BBC One introduced Oneness this year. The theme is groups of people doing everyday activities as they come together in different ways. This has so far included a group of sea swimmers, a mountain rescue team and an exercise class. On Christmas Day 2016, there were a special selection of indents that related to each programme they trailed before e.g. for Doctor Who, there were a group of Doctor Who fans dressing up.

BBC TWO: Back to the 1990s



BBC Two brought back their 1990s idents whilst celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2014 and it's stayed that way ever since! Replacing the 'Windows of the World', they feature a number of physical '2's in a wide variety of situations such as being ducks, a dog as well as a kebab.

ITV: Everyday Life



Marking the oldest change, ITV saw a complete rebrand in 2013 with a new logo across all of its channels along with new idents. For the main channel, different idents will feature in each of the four different seasons. These explore the everyday life of the British public and sees the logo change colour to match the colour scheme for each ident. This theme has seen a high number of idents produced with over 90 different ones produced so far. This has ranged from bingo to a fish n chip shop to a pug being washed. They replaced the 'alive with colour' theme.

Channel 4: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯



After a highly praised series of idents that saw the Channel 4 logo being disguised in a number of settings, Channel 4 went all hipster with its rebrand in 2015. The logo now no longer features in the idents and instead, they feature a number of random clips. The most notable strand is that a number of blocks move across the screen. The aim was that the channel didn't want to let people know what channel they were watching, just why they were watching it. I'll let the designers speak for themselves: "The blocks are free to demonstrate our remit; to be irreverent, innovative, alternative and challenging. They are free to flow through everything on the channel: our typeface, on-screen menus, on-screen graphics, off-air logo, Channel 4 News, Channel 4 Racing, all the way through to the idents."

Channel 5: Moments of Surprise



Channel 5 decided that its latest move to copy Channel 4 would be a combination of the channel's logo and its new ident design. The new logo saw the '5' split up into 5 different blocks and the idents are a series of films where a group of five create a moment of surprise. The aim is to not 'make them just about the logo, we wanted to create moments of entertainment in their own right' which sounds familiar

Posted by: Klaus 23rd March 2017, 03:52 PM

The new BBC One idents are absolutely AWFUL. They needed a refresh after ten years of the circles (which were excellent imo) but these new ones are so simple and basic. I guess its just a case of saving money in this time of unending scrutiny, which is why BBC Two have gone back to the 1990s for their 'rebrand'. That's also probably why they've only filmed about five initially and are slowly filming more as time goes on. I did enjoy the different themes that went before each programme on Christmas Day though but these proper ones are just awful.

The BBC Two ones are still so good to this day so I'm glad they've brought them back and the 'Windows of the World' were also good tbf. The ITV ones are an improvement on what went before, I didn't actually realise that they'd done so many until I looked it up for this thread! Probably doesn't help that I don't really watch the channel much . They do look really good though.

Channel 4's rebrand is just so bizarre. I like the rebrand at the end of the trailers but the actual idents are just wtf. The previous ones were SO GOOD as well, they were always so clever!! Again it is a case that there needed to be a rebrand at one point though, its just gone down a completely weird path.

Channel 5's rebrand is an improvement though, a lot more classy. It just needs more programming to reflect that now :')

Overall, ITV is probably my favourite! Going by the previous idents though it would have been Channel 4.

Posted by: burbe 23rd March 2017, 04:28 PM

The BBC One idents are absolutely atrocious. Lord knows who thought they were a good idea, I can only imagine the W1A scene that created this. I'd go as far as saying it's a disgrace the nation's broadcaster has signed off idents that look like they've been produced as Year 11 students Media project. Simply awful and they should have been pulled by now after all the negative reaction.

Posted by: DalekTurret32 23rd March 2017, 06:05 PM

Russell Howard made a great joke about one of those in an episode of Mock The Week. "Dear BBC, how did you get those hippos to swim in a circle?"

Posted by: Вuzzjack 23rd March 2017, 06:19 PM

The BBC One ones are similar to the Rhythm and Movement ones 2002-2006, my favourite of which is this - people dancing to a euphoric trance soundtrack....if this was done now it probably would be them dancing to some pitched vocals on a tropical beat!



The balloon ones were the best though!

Posted by: Brett-Butler 23rd March 2017, 08:43 PM

QUOTE(Вuzzjack @ Mar 23 2017, 07:19 PM)

Posted by: Brett-Butler 23rd March 2017, 08:45 PM

The BBC2 ones are my favourite, given that they're still using them nearly 30 years on shows how effective they are. One of them really scared me as a child though (I'll look through them all later and show you which one that was).

I liked the old BBC1s with circles, and the balloons, but the current ones are one step beyond atrocious.

Posted by: JosephSharman 23rd March 2017, 09:24 PM

ITV win for me right now. I agree that the BBC1 idents are pretty poor since the rebrand, and I totally hate the Channel 4 idents.

Posted by: Chez Wombat 23rd March 2017, 10:03 PM

Those Channel 4 clips might be the most stupidly pretentious things I've ever seen. I get that they're trying to be ~different~ but I think there's a limit before it just looks random.

BBC 2 are easily the best out of this lot, relatively simple but effective and iconic of the brand. Idk why BBC 1 dropped the circles, they were still fine, this on the other hand (and the word 'oneness' :/)...

Posted by: Mack 23rd March 2017, 10:21 PM

BBC Two for me. Remember Channel 4's Homer Simpsons one where he has an electric shock when drinking some Duff that was daft.

BBC 2 idents should remain. Can't stand BBC One's idents at the moment.