30 years of the BBC Video/DVD Idents

In 1980, the BBC decided to cash in on the latest technology..... the humble videogram tape, or video. Starting with a very colourful and dazzling design, the 1980 ident lasted for 8 years, and with it came three music varients. There was the 'marching' style (of which there were 3 varieties), the infamous 1984 creepy synth tune, and the 1987 'mock 50s' Watch with Mother ident.

In 1988, along with a corporate facelift, the video ident was updated to the spinning globe, complete with gold lettering. This was fairly short lived.

1991 now, and the most favoured of idents, the creepy sharp piano jigle complete with the 1991 BBC logo. It wasn't until 1997 that this ident was retired.

And in 1997, the BBC underwent another identity change, introducing a new logo for the channel, as well as the next BBC video ident. This lasted until 2009!

A brief look at the 2007 BBC Childrens DVD ident, the first to be identified as a DVD ident.

And the latest ident was introduced in 2009/2010 on new releases, the first all round ident to be billed as 'BBC DVD', bringing a lot of bright fireworky colour and gentle synth sounds onto our screens, and bringing the story up to date.

Sources: Mock 1950s ident- 'Watch With Mother' 1980 original ident- 'Little Nezha Fights Great Dragon Kings' 1984 creepy synth ident- 'Fireman Sam 2' 1988 Globe ident- 'Lion, Witch and the Wordrobe' 1991 piano ident- 'Pingu 2: Building Igloos' 1997 gentle piano ident- 'Shooting Stars: Unpicked/Unplucked 2007 Childerns ident- 'Grange Hill sereis 1' 2009 BBC DVD ident- 'Top Gear Great Adventures 3'

And Copyright, as always, to the BBC, 1980-2010.

PS NOTE: listen VERY carefully just before the start of the 1984 ident. You can hear the jingle playing over the copyright notice!

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• BBC
• video
• DVD
• ident
• idents
• 1980
• 1981
• 1982
• 1983
• 1984
• 1985
• 1988
• 1991
• 1997
• 1990
• 1998
• 2007
• 2008
• 2009
• 2010
• creepy
• synth
• 30 years

[drwhotvwam]

@TheLordFlashheart ha ha me too



[TheLordFlashheart]

@liammustapha - I always hated this on the intro to the Death To The Daleks video in the 80's. It would scare more than the actual Daleks themselves

[TheLOLCOPPER]

1:30 Reminds me of when i watched Brum on my old VHS.Those were easier times,where i could just sit there and go poo poos

[Denchar1138]

The 3rd and 5th logos are my favourites.

[liammustapha]

The one at 0:46 it scared me when i was little

[suzannahx]

I made the one at 1:40 when I worked at BBC :)

[vsevolod2008]

I am the only one who thinks that bbc is getting lazier and lazier with every video ident?

[MegaWayneD]

On the Doctor Who Revenge of the Cybermen DVD, there's an Easter Egg of the BBC Video ident circa 1983 with synth music.

[shutdafup]

I remember 4 and 5 on my Classic Doctor Who VHS tapes