ITV in the Face: Granada (1 of 3)

Wow, it's Granada television! The history of the world in Gs with arrows coming out. I never realised before that they barely bothered with moving idents until the late eighties. Next up: TV-am, now taking suggestions as to what comes after that. Note: London is out of the question for now as TV Ark haven't done the Carlton section yet, and much as I'd like to ignore them I'm not gonna because they're still a part of history, albeit a smelly, rotten part.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Granada
• Television
• Granadaland
• ITV
• North
• West
• Manchester
• Liverpool
• Regional
• Colin
• Weston

[Mullenaround]

According to Sideney Bernsteins biographer the canadian host who opened the station was more then a little drunk at the time and he was getting coffee's to sober him up.

[Applemask]

@Mullenaround Sounds like it, doesn't it?

[TashkentFox]

When I was a child I always thought that the Granada logo looked like a man in a wheelchair holding an umbrella.

[Applemask]

Yeah, I always thought there was some connection with the Disabled wheelchair guy icon.

[ste1bro]

Blimey, that was quick!

Lots of memories for me, there... Charles Foster, he of the big glasses and jovial uncle demeanor. Jim Pope of the beard / monotone voice / monitone expression combo (and who scared me as a very small child).

Granada is 'my' region, so it's strange realise for the first time that it was never named after the area of the country it served - I just used to take the term 'Granadaland' as read.

[wesmatron]

@Applemask ...or is it part of the symbol of the Masons!?

LOL ;)

[wuzzlevideos]

I've just realised something. Older idents and packages tended to have the VHF channel number in them, aka America. At which point in the history of UK TV did this die out? I mean, in other countries, say Australia, their populations are so spaced apart that they can have every station on a national network on the same channel number (with exceptions) - but with our tightly packed country, and the relays needed, that was never going to work I guess. Hence dropping them. Thoughts?

[tescocadaver]

I live in Manchester but in my heart I live in Granadaland. It must be difficult for younger people to understand the cultural gap the death of Granada leaves. It is Tony Wilson, Bob Greaves, Coronation Street, World in Action, Ralph Tubb's Granada House- Iconic but unlisted. When I was young my parents would describe the viewing options as BBC or Granada. Joy Division, The Fall and the Sex pistols first performances were on Granada. I would go on ...

[DaveyC95]

My region. And it is not grim. Granada was a dull thing before i was born, but they did take the name from their Spanish forebears.

[Woollylinnet]

To answer your question, the service stations did feature the "G" logo - at least during the 1980s.

[east215]

always like "from the North"

[UKSazzy67]

That's the first real belly laugh I've had all week! Thankyou!

[rugbybloke2007]

I'd forgoten about Jim Pope. I used to love him because he always looked like he wanted to be cheered up. And he had a soothing voice.