Wow, these idents take me back to my childhood! Interesting to see the transition from the simple mechanical idents of the '80's (that must've cost very little) to the animated, CGI stuff of the '90's. The final ident was awesome, but must've cost a fair bit!
The ident at 2:50 I seem to remember was actually part of a CBBC or Blue Peter competition to design the Christmas Idents for BBC1, I remember entering it and that being the winner. These early idents were made with a love which is lacking in the recent christmas campaigns.
Just a reminder that on the final day of the Christmas 1984 symbol - two snowmen and a snowwoman - they brought out a very special closedown version of the ident
He also decided to update the BBC2 logo and it gave us the classic we have today. And he commissioned Absolutely Fabulous and Have I Got News so he's not too bad.
Over a few years the weathermen dressed up - John Kettley in nightcap, Bill Giles with flat cap and scarf. I think on this in 1993 Michael Fish had a snowey wooley jumper
absolutely spot on! give me the mechanical idents anyday. for me the last good, traditional ident the beeb did was in 1996 before the air balloon came in the following year. i'm 30 next year and the earliest one i remember is the xmas ident from 1985. i did graphic design for a few years at college which is why i'm aware of xmas idents on tv. i'm no anorak honest ha ha.
With a lot of the mechanical ones it was the only way to get a full rotation of the model. By the time someone said “this is bbc1” it had hardly moved.
i luv the bbc animated and mechanical idents aswell the trailers. much better then the dross from 1997 onwards. i think you're right steve02045, about it having something to do with the present government coming in to office. they spend a hell of alot on new idents these days, but the idents from 1980-1996 is proof that they dont have to. just keep it cheap and simple.
Is hard on the end of the video about the stop motion station id of BBC 2 when the announcer speaks. I wonder how many minutes on this stop motion? I see you on Part 2
The idents ran so slowly that to get a full rotation I had to record closedown. They have a similar thing now where the ident is far longer that the announcements and they generally restart the ident every junction.
shame, cos alot of the old idents look innocent enough to me. you never know who you might upset these days with the UK being so P.C. i wonder if the beeb are ever aware of the popularity of the old idents, especially after reading some of the comments on some youtube vids.
This first part of the BBC Christmas Ident is brilliant!
There is something so funny about watching miniature plastic snowmen slowly revolve while the national anthem plays
This is a classic video that I used to watch every day as a child. 15 years old already?
Wow, these idents take me back to my childhood! Interesting to see the transition from the simple mechanical idents of the '80's (that must've cost very little) to the animated, CGI stuff of the '90's. The final ident was awesome, but must've cost a fair bit!
Thanks David
They probably felt even more special, because they were only on for a very few days, whereas now it's a good few weeks!
Fantastic...
Just like time travelling, but without the paradoxes!
'Many Thanks Indeed'
like the three snowmen best - looks like they start off on the waltzers and slow down as the background darkens
The early 1980s idents were cheap and cheerful but had far more charm.
Andy Boyd
The ident at 2:50 I seem to remember was actually part of a CBBC or Blue Peter competition to design the Christmas Idents for BBC1, I remember entering it and that being the winner. These early idents were made with a love which is lacking in the recent christmas campaigns.
Just a reminder that on the final day of the Christmas 1984 symbol - two snowmen and a snowwoman - they brought out a very special closedown version of the ident
Thanks for sharing. Really great to re-live all those Christmases. :)
The 1991 bbc one idents was fab lookin. Very wintery yet simple.
Credit where it’s due. The turntable or lazy Susan that the skaters and other ornaments spun on was rock solid and smooth.
The 1986 ident is the best! Cute.
I never wiped the original tapes so most of the trailers and programmes are still on tape. There's a few older idents on BBC2 at 9pm on Monday 24th
DVD-RAM, wow that takes me back almost as fare as the ident do 🔮
He also decided to update the BBC2 logo and it gave us the classic we have today. And he commissioned Absolutely Fabulous and Have I Got News so he's not too bad.
Over a few years the weathermen dressed up - John Kettley in nightcap, Bill Giles with flat cap and scarf. I think on this in 1993 Michael Fish had a snowey wooley jumper
absolutely spot on! give me the mechanical idents anyday. for me the last good, traditional ident the beeb did was in 1996 before the air balloon came in the following year. i'm 30 next year and the earliest one i remember is the xmas ident from 1985. i did graphic design for a few years at college which is why i'm aware of xmas idents on tv. i'm no anorak honest ha ha.
Thank you
Some bbc1 christmas ident have the closedowns
With a lot of the mechanical ones it was the only way to get a full rotation of the model. By the time someone said “this is bbc1” it had hardly moved.
Oh and bbc2
you won't believe that until I turned up with these no-one accepted they existed
These look amazing even though they didn't use any computer animation todo it!!!
Christmas (1980-1993)
When the bbc lights up with xmas indents it feels really special but over recent years its become a bit predictable.
Yeah, he was introducing the weather,he was probably talking about Michael Fish the weatherman.
1986 - a Blue Peter effort
Many thanks for sharing theese great clips, have you any programmes to go with theese idents or was it just the idents you taped?
that's right
The announcer did speak for some time over the ident - which had finished.
i agree.
i luv the bbc animated and mechanical idents aswell the trailers. much better then the dross from 1997 onwards. i think you're right steve02045, about it having something to do with the present government coming in to office. they spend a hell of alot on new idents these days, but the idents from 1980-1996 is proof that they dont have to. just keep it cheap and simple.
if you've got a dvd-ram drive on your computer yes. I have to download files to dvd rw and then transfer them to dvd-ram
Is BBC2 going to replay all the Christmas 2's from 1991-2000 or pick one?
4:30 Does anyone else notice the 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' still shot here? It looks just like it!
Is hard on the end of the video
about the stop motion station id
of BBC 2 when the announcer speaks.
I wonder how many minutes on this stop
motion? I see you on Part 2
5:55
4:05 a off-key version of the national anthem from 1989
I have nevr seen the one at 3.37 before.
tv-ark and the tv room websites have loads
Most of the idents are them saying good night
The idents ran so slowly that to get a full rotation I had to record closedown. They have a similar thing now where the ident is far longer that the announcements and they generally restart the ident every junction.
Ok
During the first BBC 1 ident for '93 the announcer says something about a snowy fish and the weather. Anybody explain this?
It was the weatherman Michael Fish wearing a snowy jumper they were talking about.
shame, cos alot of the old idents look innocent enough to me. you never know who you might upset these days with the UK being so P.C. i wonder if the beeb are ever aware of the popularity of the old idents, especially after reading some of the comments on some youtube vids.
I don't think the first BBC 2 indent is from 1980. In this montage you actually show 27 logos and the first has to be the BBC2 Xmas logo from 1979.
...slight slip of the finger and started the recording a bit early
Do you have any closedown's - could you please post them for us please and the exact dates.
You forgot some of them!
probably because I didn't tape them.
Enlighten me though.......
there everywhere on youtube/other websites now (note some aren't)
(2007)
(2007)
BBC
That is dreadful... it just doesn't work with the national anthem