Old CITV and Rainbow Introduction

[Udany147]

This was when Geoffrey went through his black phase...

[katib123ful]

suks.



[jasbk]

what the hell is this crap? wheres Geoffrey?

[Hattie1992]

Ok, my twin sister claims that before CITV had presenters they had these little puppet/cartoon mice introducing the next programme. Although I remember the day when CITV first changed its format and they brought in presenters, I can't remember the mice, does anyone have any ideas?

[AidanLunn]

@Hattie1992 CITV used to base itself around a "theme" every month, and this theme used to be inbetween the programmes. So they may have been the theme for a month or two.

Also, the babies programmes used to have a variety of animals in their idents. There was one with a cat, one with some budgies, a dog, and a few more. Maybe your sis is remembering one of these, with mice?

[wiggaroo]

i USED TO LOVE ABACAT

[JHollowayNetwork]

Rainbow returned in 1994-96 for Carlton Television, with the same puppets, new host, and different theme.

[Amesterdam01]

Heck I remember watching this version even as a kid and thinking WTF HAVE THEY DONE TO MY RAINBOW :(

[sonicandknuxfan]

Cor Blimey! I don't remember watching Rainbow Days!

[BCJ1985]

Ugh, the bastardised version of Rainbow.

[am9224]

I'll always have my memories of Geoffrey "Geoffrey Hayes."

[RapierCorporation]

the best CITV opening logo by miles.

no question.

and the out logo is brilliant also.

[AidanLunn]

well which version of this one are you talking about. This one or the later version (no "childrens" and more shadowing under the lettering)

[nickiaaaaa]

wot the hell? rainbow days?? i cant remember that.

[AidanLunn]

you'd be better off not remembering it . . .

[AidanLunn]

who agrees with me that that CITV logo is absolutely legendary

[jaychristie909]

Not forgetting CITV in general back then, that was legendary too! ITV just don't give a toss about it now, and that's why is dying a slow and horrible death. They should rebrand it to CITV Gold or something and just show old shows :D

[AidanLunn]

well it all boils down to one thing: Satellite television.

Back then, satellite television was only a small business, but as Sky has become more popular and more and more channels have been added, this means that ITV have a harder time getting the attention of the audience - which in turn leads to difficulties getting the attention of the advertisers.

and getting the rights to older TV programmes can be expensive

[jaychristie909]

I understand but by the looks of things, CBBC is still going strong. It just seems as if ITV can't be bothered making an effort to save it.

Also, I've always assumed it wouldn't be a big deal for CITV to acquire rights to programmes as most of them were, and I quote, "for the ITV Network", and alot of shows were produced by ITV companies.

[AidanLunn]

well of course CBBC is still going strong - that is funded by the license fee.

But ITV really are in a desperate position atm - so desperate that they have abandoned children's TV. It can all be blamed on Rupert Murdoch.

because of the regional structure of ITV in those days, the archive of the ITV companies is fractured between owners - rights issues are far more complex than you'd think

ITV is just fucked. It's had it. Id do the decent thing and put it out of its misery by shutting it down.

[jaychristie909]

Fair do's, the regional structure nowadays is just as fucked as ITV itself. It's a shame really. CITV and ITV itself used to be such an awesome network.

[RapierCorporation]

don't you dare criticise ITV like that!

i'll have a go at anyone that calls it the worst network!

[jaychristie909]

Sorry Mr Grade...

[AidanLunn]

ITV has become like channel five - the worst network!!! Course its the worst network now:

endless soaps

crap "reality" (cough) TV

crap current affairs programmes.

Back then ITV were so good that one programme - Death on the Rock (1988) got Thames - the ITV company that made it - taken off the ITV system at the next license renewal (1992)!!!

The programme-makers have moved out of ITV and the accountants have moved in.

[SpongLena]

Dey could at least air deyr old shows again.

[sonicandknuxfan]

Yes, but which old shows

[RACHAELDEE08]

I do!

[sapphiresanchez]

Rainbow days? I can't remember that one...

[AidanLunn]

you'd be better off not remembering it . . .

[belliebumz]

OMFG!!!! Rainbow days!!! Luved it!!!! Thanks 4 posting

[poopiepoos]

Wash your mouth off, Rainbow Days was awful :o)

[josefene1986]

omg, wtf is that???? im a rainbow addict and dont remember rainbow days...maybe i was too busy watching tcc and nickelodeon!!

[623058]

WTF? rainbow days

[Newborn1706]

rainbow days.....never knew about it.....wish i still didn't. What were they thinking.  Looks bloody awful.

[L1ZZ1771]

amen.

[hugalove]

Hmm, Rainbow Days was conjured up by an independent producer, Delta, after Thames TV ceased being an ITV company on 31 December 1992 and I have to admit, being a child viewer of the original Rainbow, witnessing this at the age of 24 was awful. Needless to say, Rainbow Days didn't outlast it's predessessor. Mike S.

[poopiepoos]

It was Tetra who took over some of the Thames made shows. Rainbow Days is the third carnation of the show, the second version had Zippy, George and Bungle working in a shop with a blue rabbit puppet called Cleo coming in to buy items. The second version had no human presenter.

[shermanvermin76]

(comment continued) @hugalove this is the same reason TVS (Television South) *additionally* ceased being an ITV company on 31 December 1992 (this is why Catchphrase had a *new* look and theme tune since Friday 30 September 1994) and TV-am's last day was, yes, (triple Ts!) 31 December 1992, and was consequently changed the next day to GMTV.

You might even remember LWT, which debuted at night, since Friday 2 August 1968, became just a memory, since after Sunday the 27th of October 2002.

[AidanLunn]

I *vaguely* remember the title seqence - vaguely because id rather hammer nails into my eyes than watch Rainbow!

[Anfee]

i don't remember "rainbow days", but i remember watching "rainbow" from 1994/5 which was in that toy shop... which wasn't too bad.

i suppose "rainbow days" came after that? which is odd because i'm wondering why i dont remember it.

[AidanLunn]

you probably don't remember it because you were too old for it by that time.

[fraserkatie]

The voiceover is Steven Ryde (Tatty Bogle) from Wizadora.

[shermanvermin76]

@fraserkatie I *love* Wizadora! (I prefer the *original* actress - Wendy van der Plank, and when her hair was *shorter*) and I like the three 'drawer people' - Top, Sticky (when he was a more *yellow* colour and voiced by Sue Darcre) and Bottom. *That* show was new just after Thames was changed to Carlton, TVS was just a memory and TV-am was changed to GMTV (as well as when the *original* *1972* version of Rainbow was no more, when the show was twenty years old).

[OnionPixie23]

Rainbow days!?, I forgot all about that, I think they were flogging a dead horse with it though, they even chaned the Bungle costume!.

[rsuc]

rainbow days was shite compared to the original

[TomChannon]

I have to agree with you there.

[KevCityboy]

And me