BBC Election 83 theme and opening segment

[@MagicMrNameless]

Ah, so this was the 'we've just invented CGI but haven't really got it down yet' period of Election Night openings.

[@taliquetaylor2407]

Robin Wilde I was thinking the same thing 😂😂

[@EduardoEscarez]

By far the most "colorful" of the BBC openings on Election Night, Decision 79 on LSD 😂

[@richardgregory3684]

AFAIK it is mostly done with slitscan techniques. CGI would have been VERY expensive in 1983.

[@angelacooper2661]

I remember this day for another reason - my thirteenth birthday! The music block at school was being used as a polling station. A good time to have an election, even if I was five years too young to vote.

[@formulacountdown]

Definitely 1983 judging by the opening!

[@applemask]

Two seats for Sir Cyril.

[@frankgarrett242]

And a buggering spot.

[@ajs41]

This was the most middle England and middle-class election.

[@davegriffin288]

Those were the days!

[@wissam24]

BEIGE! IT'S SO BEIGE!

[@EduardoEscarez]

Designers: How much beige you want? BBC: Yes!

[@cylon6]

The first time the BBC used this theme and the first time David Dimbleby hosted and Election Night. Finally following in the footsteps of his father Richard Dimbleby. I have no idea why they changed the theme in 2001, you can't improve on perfection. The version they used in 1987 & 1992 was the best though.

[@ceefax152]

2019 exit poll predicting the lowest Labour seats than 1983!!

[@Schnorbs]

The technical handovers seemed to go better in 1983 than they did in 2010!

[@neiltritschler608]

Wouldn't it be great if 1983 could be repeated for this Conservative Government in 2019 with another 144 seat majority? BoJo would be made!

[@jamiengo2343]

Neil Tritschler hmmmmmm close. They got about half

[@NorthernFella]

Impressively accurate: Tories 397 Labour 209 Lib/SDP 23

[@dronebee83]

I'm amazed at how 70s the early 80s looked

[@Georgiahulse]

This music rocks! Makes me wish I was back in the 80s again to be honest.

[@GufandFedGovt]

This looks about right for the 80s lol

[@alexanderpbyron]

That is the most 80s intro I’ve ever seen 😂

[@arwelp]

My god, David Dimbleby looks young in this! The titles look very of their time, too!

[@angelacooper2661]

I was young too - my thirteenth birthday that day!

[@Supermercado]

Come on, Polls! Polls! Polls! Polls! Gains! Gains! Gains! Gains! It's very infectious.

[@AengusFallon]

They showed footage from this in an episode of "Ashes to Ashes" about a month ago. That was pretty cool.

[@merseydave1]

I was an 18 year old unemployed Liverpool Lad then ... once the results came in, my hopes dashed for a Labour win ... I remember going to bed thinking "Things can only get worse" ... I was right.

[@Truegho]

I think that 1983 has just been repeated!

[@merseydave1]

@@Truegho regrettably yes

[@angelacooper2661]

I am five years younger than you, as Election Day fell on my thirteenth birthday! The polling station was set up in the school's Music Block, which I remember walking past at the time.

[@Truegho]

Ah, 1983. Quite a hot (UGH!) summer. Jimmy The Hoover riding high in the charts with "Tantalise". Robin Day on Question Time.

[@alzeNL]

now we can see where the styling from the austin montego came from... just look at that beige set..

[@theanonymouspundit4671]

The election theme captures in full glory, the triumphalist tone of the Thatcher government.

[@Ingens_Scherz]

Heavy industry in the large Midland, northern, Scottish and Welsh conurbations were hit very hard by the government's monetarist policies. Loss of subsidies for state-run, unmodernised, loss-making factories, mines, mills, steelworks and shipyards any more, the sector contracted by more than 30% in three years, with consequent concentrated high unemployment in those areas worst affected. Meanwhile a long term boom began in the south and rural areas, causing a deep polarisation of public opinion.

[@slimes23]

That's probably the most accurate polling we've ever had.

[@199019852007]

cycril smith enough said

[@MarcusStead]

@245sillybilly The song is Rick Wakeman- Arthur. Used, I believe, in every BBC election night programme since 1979, with the exception of 2001. It returned in 2005 and is likely to be used again this year.

[@Georgiahulse]

I noticed that myself. The colours at the beginning though were those of the Conservatives, Labour, the SDP and the Liberal Democrats (in that order when the faces of each party leader come up.) Perhaps the set, being grey and cream was supposed to represent fairness and neutrality - if they put in the colours seen in the intro, it might be seen that they were favouring a particular party. Just a thought.

[@stanleypines1026]

I really like the intro

[@Schnorbs]

Valerie SIngleton, that well-known political correspondant.

[@anonUK]

"Here's an MP I made earlier."

[@angelacooper2661]

She presented the Money Programme as well!

[@Ingens_Scherz]

Debate about the effects, scale, depth and necessity for these landscape-changing reforms rages on today, although it is arguable that the social and political divisions, often characterised by the simplistic slogan "North-South divide" are far less pronounced now than they were 20 years ago. They have by no means disappeared, however, as contemporary national voting patterns reveal. People have long memories.

[@zephyruk]

Endlessrain - you say that the Conservatives total vote 'fell slightly' in 1983 from the number they received at the 1979 election. In fact, they got almost 700,000 votes less than 1979.

[@Ingens_Scherz]

After this election, phase two of this administration's reforms began with mass privatisation and the curtailing of trade union power which was perceived to have harmed productivity in the 1970s. The order of the day was private enterprise, tax cuts, home ownership and the movement from an industrial to a post-industrial, tertiary economy. All these policies caused widespread controversy, particularly in those sections of society badly damaged by the painful dislocation of sudden unemployment.

[@antidisenstable]

These were the good old days. Life was so much simpler back then.

[@kalipsicao790]

Life was simpler when you commented this

[@angelacooper2661]

Yes, especially as I turned 13 that day, so remember becoming an adolescent!

[@Ikazi]

I dare say the Tories will be making a comeback. However it wasn't the Tories that made those gains, it was Margaret Thatcher that made every single gain in those elections.

[@Dazwar4]

the voting system in the uk goes against small parties because the sdp/liberal party had almost the same no of votes but far fewer seats

[@madabbafan]

nintendolad - you are correct. If no single party has a majority over all the others put together then we have a hung parliament and the largest party needs to try to 'do a deal' with smaller parties to gain the majority. The last time this happened was in the first election in 1974. However, there were major problems and a second election was called a few months later where Labour won with an overall majority.

[@williamframe2317]

Is the rest of the 83 night BBC coverage available anywhere?

[@ajs41]

It used to be on my channel but I had to delete it sadly. But some of the ITN 1983 coverage is still on my channel.

[@fkfj_]

Very nice set!

[@watmun]

Wow that polling.

[@davimurph]

No we don't (but we should). It is used in Northern Ireland for Assembly and Council elections, and Scotland for council elections. Scotland and Wales use AMS (constituancies with a list used to maintiain proportionality) for assembly elctions. I don't know what the London Assembly uses but directly elected English mayors use suplimentary vote (designed to keep the Conservatives out, honestly). Some may be a bit confused as instant run-off is usually called STV here

[@Svetlanka83]

I agree although the Conservatives were recovering before the Falklands war so to were the Labour party it was pretty much a three way tie between Labour the conservatives and Alliance. I think without the Falklands war the election would have been a proper three way contest with all the parties in with a chance.

[@bailorg]

The most remarkable thing about this clip is the contrast between the opening graphics and the actual BBC Election 83 set. The opening is so colorful, bright and borderline psychedelic. In contrast, the BBC set is the most drab, dull, and horribly boring "big" set ever devised.

[@ASKconard]

Dig that set!

[@dunkiep]

It's a very subtle difference that you've spotted there. I congratulate you on your excellent descriptive prose: twonky and a bit rockford files! LOL

[@alcarbo8613]

This was the Election where the BBC finally caught up with the previous 10 years of American Television

[@jacktindale]

Ye gods! Amazingly accurate, Kinnock "tipped to be next Labour leader", very true.

[@Hopes91]

I didn't know Minnie Mouse was a part of the BBC's coverage.

[@Sheena1234ization]

Full verison?

[@Svetlanka83]

That BBC poll was so accurate

[@theredraven]

The Lib/Lab use it in their leadership elections but over here, in a general election we use first past the post. UK is far too indecisive for things such as IRV.

[@loungejay8555]

4:19 Robert Powell?

[@theredraven]

The STV system works in nations with decisve populations. Ours isn't. You'd always be having coalitions which means longer for stuff to pass or no chance of radical reforms when they are needed.

[@cooper91]

I don't think so, because this is the only one I dislike. i think the '79 one is quite elegant. This has mistakes in the production that are timeless.

[@Georgiahulse]

Won't they be saying that about the 2005 election opener in 20 years' time though?

[@billymazdin]

RICK WAKEMAN RULES KID.

[@theredraven]

That isn't a huge amount considering the overall numbers.

[@tubularbill]

The height of Thatcherism

[@StrayGator]

It would probably have been closer if not for the Falklands War

[@cooper91]

Lol I guess you can't fault it for enthusiasm!

[@Hopes91]

I don't think we have a run-off. If its too close we have something called a "hung parliament". Don't quote me on that, best to research.

[@gezzarandom]

Hard to believe I was born that year. Seems like a long time ago, actually it is lol.

[@theredraven]

Foot's problem was that even though he was a genuine patriot, the going back to a veyr left wing style of government wasn't very appealing. That and the Falklands factor, depiste the fact he was even more pro war then Maggie when he made speeches in the Commons.

[@245sillybilly]

whats the name of the intro song?

[@JamesTilsley1]

Philip Cockell Arthur by Rik Wakeman

[@efan2012]

To be honest as nice as this intro was ITV's intro was much better and epic.. TV Ark used to have it up but sadly their site's down I'd love to see that intro again. BBC's coverage however was much better so it evened out.

[@slimes23]

You mean by following Cameron's policy of doing nothing?

[@Svetlanka83]

I think thats highly unlikely.Had he become leader at least half the shadow cabinet would have resigned and a significant number of mps would have defected to the SDP! Labour could have gone into terminal decline.

[@notreallydavid]

A level biology exam the next day.

[@Georgiahulse]

Dark, dank days are ahead of us I'm afraid.

[@endlessraining]

I dont see how this has anything to do with the 1983 election at all.

[@Svetlanka83]

unfortunatly the SDP breakaway helped to split that progressive vote achieving nothing!

[@ceefax152]

sp Brexit Party splitting the Labour leave vote in 2019 general election leading to Tory landslide of 86 seats!

[@cooper91]

quite possibly the worst opening credits ever to grace an election night program!

[@citroenfanatic]

cool!

[@nchawla5297]

3:20 Bloody Hell - they had plasma/LCD screens in 1983? Sadly probably not - most likely some camera computer generated black magic shit!

[@stickytapenrust6869]

It’s a back projection screen, probably an Eidophor as TOTP used one regularly at the time for projecting images onto a large video screen they had.

[@TheVote2010]

13 years of a Labour government, and we are in serious debt, rising unemployment, people on strike and a return to the 1970's. Dont let them take your vote for granted, watch the good years under Thatcher and remember we can be great again. VOTE CONSERVATIVE TODAY

[@Gallowaywind]

Labour Did, that how there become New labour.

[@dunkiep]

sounds the same to me!

[@endlessraining]

find me a way to post 5 hour long youtube videos, and ill do it.

[@DFxAngelz]

endlessraining Welcome to the future.

[@Marnerbanana]

@TheMarlinspike Right so if the South's tourist industry is closed down by the government because France is outperforming us, and unemployment plagues Kent and Sussex and the likes, if we were to complain then by rights we should get off our arses and 'find work', despite the fact that the unemployed to available jobs ratio would be massive....

[@liamcdm3689]

0:06

[@waltlantz]

How long have you guys had that tune for BBC election night?

[@GeeGee3374]

what caused the division, one word Thatcher

[@slimes23]

The falklands factor is a bit of a myth. People may not have felt so keen on Thatcher without it, but I doubt that many would have voted differently.

[@madabbafan]

dartaddict - whilst I have alot of respect for Tony Benn as, like Thatcher, he didn't flip-flop at every tabloid headline. I personally found him to be way too left wing.

[@NymphZoic68]

Les Miserables!

[@jacksugden8190]

Heard that theme before somewhere else, rest of this programme was dull and rather boring.

[@cooper91]

aaaa man. The music is so bad! You gotta love the 80s!

[@dealingwith2]

Michael Foot should of won.

[@tomgibson6801]

such a sad day for britain :( . we all knew that foot was gonna lose due to thatchers populaty due to the falklands but that moment when the little hope labour supporters had was destroyed was tragic. then we got 7 more years of that psychopath thatcher

[@paulrimmer2853]

Maggie was fab!

[@tomgibson6801]

@@paulrimmer2853 how was she? she destroyed british industry and increased poverty and unemployment

[@paulrimmer2853]

@@tomgibson6801 As if. She took British wealth to a new level. A Golden epoch.

[@tomgibson6801]

@@paulrimmer2853 she took poverty and unemployment to a new level more like

[@paulrimmer2853]

@@tomgibson6801 UK economy grew massively between 1979 to 1997 & continued growing due to her reforms. A genius.

[@TheMarlinspike]

@Lab356 The "cutting" you refer to is because Labour spent 13 years and ran a deficit during the boom years, so that when the global financial crisis came, it hit us worse than it should have done. The country is always left in a mess after Labour - look at history, there is not one exception. I feel for the Tories, as they get the bad press for having to clean the shit up.