BBC2 IDENTS: 1964-1991 | The Ident Review

Episode 117
This time on THE IDENT REVIEW, we're switching over to BBC2! The presentation from 1991 onwards often gets a lot of attention, but what about the early years? So today, we're going from BBC2's launch in 1964, all the way up until that fateful rebrand in 1991! We've got a lot of interesting idents to look at, so let's get right into it!
The Ident Review began in May 2018 and since has spawned over 100 episodes and even a spin-off show, the Ident Review Extra! It remains a firm AMTV favourite to this day!
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[@moreedcola6837]

Finally, BBC2’s early idents getting the love they deserve! (Also, I genuinely didn’t know the 1964 logo’s trumpet fanfare was basically just saying the channel name.)

[@gftyhify]

I find it hard to believe that the 1986 ident was designed by the same person that designed the Eastenders opening sequence which is far more creative, interesting and memorable

[@kaitlyn__L]

I can see it. White text, serif font. The Eastenders intro is really saved by the aerial footage, or else it’d be almost identical!

[@SeamlessShelf35]

It’s great that these idents were brought back on air for the Afternoon Classics block from 2013-2014. I managed to see the 1964 ident live on TV. Also, there were other variations to the 1979 ident. One with different music from the Afternoon Classics block, and the other being the background changed to orange over at Northern Ireland.

[@stevedickson5853]

The 79-86 Stripey ident will always be the winner for me ,so many memories, World snooker championships when it was interesting, schools and colleges programmes, interesting documentaries etc the list goes on

[@brucedanton3669]

You are so right there too of course may I say. A shame that the written TWO had to follow it though which was worse really in comparison to it!

[@brucedanton3669]

And yes it was too there as well alas! Thank you of course anyway.

[@fusionsub]

The comprehwnsive BBC2 review, what I needed but I didn't know.

[@maccawtpi]

i've always had a soft spot for the 1967 ident. for an ident of that time period, i like how it also doesn't look out of place with the increasingly more simplified logos you find nowadays. i feel it has stood the test of time better than all the other bbc2 idents pre-1991. good video👍

[@97channel]

The TWO ident, there's much footage on KZbin of the animated version with music, as seen in this video, but back in the day it actually hardly ever played. From what I can tell, it seems to have been used mostly to open up the channel each day. But by far the most seen version was just the static logo, no music.

[@lucymorrison]

It’s cool to see BBC Two’s ident history before the iconic personality of the 2’s was introduced. Great video! 🩵

[@AdamMartyn]

Thanks Lucy!

[@red-trinity7390]

These were definentally interesting! Keep the series running!

[@AdamMartyn]

I certainly will do!

[@diaquallo]

Such a classic trope! I like the rotating 2 ident.

[@chucklefun487]

Great video my favourite ident in this video was the 1972 even though i was not alive then.

[@limeyosu2000]

Some of these would make a great t shirt design

[@BugsBunnyandArchieMcIvor2024]

I love the classic bbc2 idents!!!

[@stephl8304]

I have been to the tv museum in Bradford, and seen the machine that created the 1974 ident.

[@KRPTV]

That Christmas ident shown at 11:07 I always thought would have worked well as a standard ident because although I can't really see anything in it that's related to Christmas it is way better than the genuine ident used at the time.🙂

[@kaitlyn__L]

Something I find interesting is the same font was retained for the “2” from the cube up through to the orange and brown CG one. Although it’s less recognisable when split into two sections on the CG one. I don’t think any of the pre-Lambie-Nairn ones have much character, but I definitely prefer the CG one over the rest. It continues the “lines” motif (which I imagine is not just stylistic but representing lines of television) from the mechanical spinner and the very first ident, while carrying it forward into the future. Plus it’s got a very late-70s early-80s colour scheme. Also I just have fond memories of it from Look Around You 2! Peter Serofinowicz really is an excellent continuity announcer, except for how he (deliberately) stays right next to the mic for his mouth sounds.

[@kalbright3275]

After all, I did watched Dave Jeffery's Flash files on these types of logo animations, and I am really satisfied!

[@max.animate.1]

I love these idents!

[@RebeccaPhythian]

Great video 📹 ❤️

[@rogerdarthwell5393]

This is so good!

[@AdamMartyn]

Thanks Roger!

[@rogerdarthwell5393]

@@AdamMartyn No worries!

[@Wadahek2015]

My two faves : lines and spinning two

[@olivercuenca4109]

The 1979 jingle would definitely have sounded a lot better if they didn't end it on that bizarre end note. One minute it sounds like some kind of baroque, Bach-esque melody, then it's like the performer just lost interest in continuing and started hitting random notes.

[@whatamalike]

I personally love the 1979 bbc2 ident. Yes, the fanfare is an acquired taste but to me it's so...warm. if a bit...moist? 😅

[@Sheffield_Steve]

The 1967 Colour ident is impressive for the time, but I think two years later ATV's Zoom 2 would knock that out of the park as to really advertise a Colour service.

[@fairrodthecapacitor]

Speaking about BBC2 idents, there is a secret 1991 themed ident. An orange balloon ident that is reversed when it is popped This was a special ident review. Thx you

[@hitachifansandmore]

YES ADAM YES

[@TVAVStudios]

The 1986 TWO ident is the precursor to Oneness in being dead-on-arrival bland and yet, somehow lasting - did I hear that right? - nearly 5 years!? Both of those were used for as long or slightly longer than the Balloon!?

[@wotdoesthisbuttondo]

Silent indents are likely meant for presenters doing voice overs.

[@mrburgess1698]

I’m sure I remember during 1985/86 seeing the 2 logo with a beige background with an orange/brown fade to the bottom of the screen,

[@Nostalgic80s-nd3qb]

I’m so glad that the “TWO” idents were taken of tv screens by 1991 as that set was just so boring and dull and didn’t capture the personality of BBC2. Great video Adam.👍

[@BruceDanton-xw6eg]

You are so right there too for sure.

[@Sheffield_Steve]

I think the post 1991 idents got them out of the people thinking the channel was the station of the Geography teacher, wearing a jacket with elbow pads and driving a Volvo mentality, even though the programmes didn't change.

[@GrafismosPortugueses]

Here's my unpopular opinion: Maybe it wasn't the branding that a channel like BBC2 deserved, but I actually like the 1986 design 🙃 Congrats on the video!

[@jamesdelboy]

In 1983 the 1979 symbol was given a daytime version because schools had moved to BBC2 by that point the sequence was different there would be a follows shortly slide then the daytime version of the BBC2 symbol when necessary they would make special anointments over a slide that said information otherwise it's time to watch A new sequence and A new channel Schools are on BBC2 from next term so watch out

[@apeculiarmingvase3800]

I never thought you were not a fan of the 1979 ident like most people, but that's your opinion. I also noticed that for about 27 years, BBC2 never always had the charming idents they're known for today, with the exception of the occasional Christmas idents, but even then, BBC1 arguably have them mostly beat on that department for a while. It took until 1991 for them to get the reputation they're known for. Here's hoping that BBC2 comes up with some amazing idents for their 60th anniversary next year, hopefully better than the 100th anniversary idents, but knowing BBC2, I think they can pull it off.

[@KeithMyers2022]

Glad to be of help. Any plans to cover international channels?

[@AdamMartyn]

At some point yes! Just finding enough interesting clips!

[@ManF3]

Other than the amazing 1991-2001 idents, the other BBC2 idents are well done, such as the 1967 and 1974 idents which are done with mechanical models, similar to the BBC One idents from the 1960s until 1986. Also, I actually like the 1979 ident. While it is quite dated by today's standards, it was advanced for the time as it was one of the earliest computer-generated television idents from Europe. However, I had to agree that the 1986 ident from BBC2 is the weakest out of all the idents from the channel, since there was so little effort put into it compared to the BBC1 globe ident from the time the ident was used.

[@danielnesbitt9565]

This will be controversial, but I really like the 1986 rebrand, it is quite neutral and avant-garde. *But* IMHO it would have only worked if the programs spoke for themselves, and if BBC Two at the time showed a diverse range of programmes, rather than "upper brow" programmes. The 1991 Ident package is utterly iconic, but I feel was far better than the programmes shown themselves, so were a bit of a poison chalice.

[@KRPTV]

Some good idents here, although I was born in 1986 I don't really remember that 'TWO' ident all that much, my earliest proper memory of BBC 2 were the idents from 1991. Although the first ever BBC 2 ident is very simple by todays standards the way it is animated is actually quite impressive for the 60's🙂

[@kaitlyn__L]

Proving the “singularly un-memorable” point I suppose!

[@eachanhardie9290]

Can you do an S4C ident review which is Channel 4 Wales in English. Particularly do the idents from 1993 to 2006 which are a very interesting set of "dragon" idents.

[@apeculiarmingvase3800]

Same. They're arguably better than most of the main Channel 4 idents around that time with the exception of the floating 4 idents. I also like them alongside the magnetic idents that came after. I believe they both deserve their own review.

[@Lizziefrances15]

Pleeeeeeease put the personality 2s into a marathon 😁😁😁

[@harryelliott4310]

BBC 2

[@edwardburek1717]

If the classic ATV colour ident is referred to as Zoom 2, could the 1967 Cube ident be referred to as Zoom-Away 2? Think about it, won't you?

[@matthewpayton]

Great I dents

[@Redrally]

Aw, stopped using the 90s "steam" theme for BBC2 Idents?

[@user-qj8zq9ki6q]

BBC Two is the first channel in europe🇪🇺 to have color🌈

[@josephadam291]

Can you do Review About Network be gone Administration Classic tv shows from Network has been collapsed adam

[@philipmurphy2]

Through back in the early days you had to have a classy ident for highbrow programming, Now totally lost in the 21st century.

[@Wadahek2015]

How they can make more money

[@kbyaytheblobster2011]

8:20 plz no more criticism 10:07 I SAID NO. MORE. CRITICISM.

[@Tvsnumber1fan]

If the BBC wanted BBC Two to make highbrow seem boring and stuffy back in 1986, will they succeeded beyond their wildest expectations. This is for me the the worst ident in the history of the BBC and that includes the 100 anniversary idents. I can’t believe that the BBC could have an ident that was worst than the 100 anniversary ones. No wonder that BBC management in the early 1990s thought that the 1986 ident was too highbrow, stuffy, and that it didn’t mean anything at all. That’s the main reason the BBC went into the direction the went in 1991.

[@BruceDanton-xw6eg]

Yes and rightly so too there.

[@TwitchVenquistuy]

First to say first

[@dagmarapopiela68]

Bye bye bbc2.