History of BBC Election Night intros | Intro Collector History

Evolution of Election Night intros by the BBC from 1945 until 2024.
Signation: 0:00
1945: 0:14
1950: 0:45
1955: 1:05
1959: 1:35
1964: 3:03
1966: 4:14
1970: 5:25
February 1974: 6:15
October 1974: 7:06
1979: 8:05
1983: 8:57
1987: 10:06
1992: 10:48
1997: 11:50
2001: 12:52
2005: 13:51
2010: 14:51
2011: 16:09
2015: 16:27
2016: 17:26
2017: 18:05
2019: 19:05
2024: 20:12
Credits, Endcard: 21:38
History request list: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Instagram: / intro_collector
© British Broadcasting Corporation 1945-2024
Original uploads by: British Council, MrElectionist, chris latimer, Flora, Mooncat, studio2television, Timewarp With A Television, endlessraining, thatcheritescot, David Boothroyd, KirkOShotts, Mo Ahmed, ElectionsUK, Television Moments, BBC iPlayer

[@DemokrasyaTV]

2024 is so good, the Arthur theme this time is a much better version than the one in 2019!

[@arzhakiemagine]

Geez. This latest version deserves a lot of appreciation. I'm really looking forward to this breakthrough, to be honest.

[@swire6984]

The actual intro section sucks imo though

[@artsed08]

Couldn't disagree more... 2019 is the PERFECT intro. 2024 messes with the music and it stinks.

[@JYB245]

AYO DEMOKRASYATV COMMENTED HERE!!!

[@heywatchme101]

@@artsed08loved the simplicity of 2019. It had the Timelapse just like house of cards intro

[@machecor]

We got the video and BBC's election night hasn't even ended! Good to see you put the two 1974 intros.

[@freddie_w]

Missed out 1951 though?

[@Vinnytv7679]

​@@freddie_w 1951 was the same as 1950.

[@arzhakiemagine]

21:07 By the way, The Arthur Theme is back😭 I also love the way the three-colored prism dynamically forms number 24. I've been waiting for a long time for BBC's upcoming election intro. I will never get bored of this channel.

[@ethanstanley5902]

The 2024 intro is amazing the graphics and music are just perfect and build such a sense of importance

[@Ben2Men]

What a quick upload! I like what they did with the 2024 intro A number of gems in here - including 1959 when the audio tape clearly snapped, and the terrifyingly trippy experience that was 1966 1992 stands out as the best for mine

[@thestarwarsmusiccomposer3491]

Agreed

[@Mrtraveler01]

I like how 2019 used the same B-roll they used in 2015 and 2017, but with the Arthur theme. Lol 2024 was an improvement.

[@linmanfu913]

The fact that footage was re-used is a very visible sign of the cuts to the BBC's budget under austerity.

[@ntl_sawdust]

​in their defense, there were so many elections that happened at that decade that the BBC probably didn't even care at that point

[@ansonleeXD]

Notice these are all stock footage heavy, unlike previous years with tons of unique elements

[@benandsophiepatterson-butc4374]

I think the 2024 is the best of the lot, 1992 was always my favourite but this pips it for me

[@springenderspringer]

The new intro is just so much better

[@MintiesPoopin]

2024 is better than 2019 for another reason. The buildup music to the exit poll. 2019 was in the background to fill the space until the clock struck 10 whereas 2024 complimented the introduction to the crew with it climaxing just before it struck 10. Great improvement over the last election!

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

Nope

[@MintiesPoopin]

@@louisbeerreviews8964 whatever makes you happy but I have my preferences :)

[@lawsonhellu4718]

I have never loved a recent intro this much. And the theme music is heavenly. Also last election in 2019 felt like it was centuries ago lol.

[@reporterborracho]

The UK’s Prime minister elected: 1945 - Clement Attlee (Labour) 1950 - Clement Attlee (Labour) 1951 - Winston Churchill (Conservative) 1955 - Anthony Eden (Conservative) 1959 - Harold Macmilan (Conservative) 1964 - Harold Wilson (Labour) 1966 - Harold Wilson (Labour) 1970 - Edward Heath (Conservative) February 1974 - Harold Wilson (Labour) October 1974 - Harold Wilson (Labour) 1979 - Margaret Thatcher (Conservative) 1983 - Margaret Thatcher (Conservative) 1987 - Margaret Thatcher (Conservative) 1992 - John Major (Conservative) 1997 - Tony Blair (Labour) 2001 - Tony Blair (Labour) 2005 - Tony Blair (Labour) 2010 - David Cameron (Conservative) 2011 - UK’s Alternative Vote referendum (‘No’ wins) 2015 - David Cameron (Conservative) 2016 - Brexit wins 2017 - Thereza May (Conservative) 2019 - Boris Johnson (Conservative) 2024 - Keir Starmer (Labour)

[@pm_ordinarychap]

The 1974 (oct) was very quirky and interesting. The stark rhythmic drumming accompanied by the sound of ticking towards the end was a sonic and visual departure from what gone before

[@waltertaylor44]

2010 was my favourite, love the visuals with the former PMs. Also enjoyed the 1959 into music, probably in a minority on that though.

[@lindhartsen]

Interesting to see how technology and tastes change through these.

[@acer-star]

2024 is so good. It's the best one

[@luca8978]

Good morning Intro collection beatiful intro history BBC Election night As always your videos are amazing and much more I am grateful to you❤You are a great KZbinr❤❤Keep it up

[@PAT2012-cg7rc]

After 5 years they back!

[@pm_ordinarychap]

Overall my favourite theme is the 2010 one. The Authurian theme is good but the 2010 is much more sending and gives me goosebumps

[@Neo-Gwydian]

I wasn't watching actively, but could HEAR that the 1970 one was in colour. Unfortunately, that colour was beige lol

[@pm_ordinarychap]

There is something Orwellian, Soviet almost about the 1964 intro. Why are there dozens and dozens of young adults being marched around the studio picking up bits of paper and the ominous music too

[@ibnurismail5964]

1974,1992 and 2001 very good.Greetings from your ex colonial Malaysia

[@davidforbes2795]

1966 Shostakovich Symphony 10. It was his musical description of Stalin!

[@newstarcadefan]

Okay the Election 79, and 83 themes probably were inspired by the Doctor Who intros.

[@juanindojorgijanad782]

Congrats to Keir Starmer for being the UK PM from the Labour, despite the landslide in the general election.

[@CameronCuthbertson]

Will you be doing an ITN version?

[@joshyboy1983]

Someone clue me in.....There was Two Elections in '74.....THE HELL HAPPENED?!

[@sickpup820]

Hung Parliament. Harold Wilson (Labour) had the largest party but couldn't come to an agreement with the smaller parties after months of talks. So Wilson called another election for October 74 and got a small majority. However he stepped down in 1976 due to to illness, and James Callaghan took over which increased the amount of problems in the UK economically, and in Callaghan's first election in 1979, he lost to Margaret Thatcher.

[@MintiesPoopin]

The Conservative PM Edward Heath called the Feb election due to growing fears of miners’ strikes and generally the economy. The result was Labour winning and Harold Wilson being PM but was 17 seats short from commanding a majority. Obviously with a minority government this isn’t stable. With the two parties failing to get the smaller parties to form coalitions, the October election was called. It finally resulted in a Labour majority but by only 3 seats which was the narrowest majority in any UK election.

[@pm_ordinarychap]

Have you tried googling it? There is no excuse for asking such questions anymore. 5 mins of basic online research can get you the answer you need

[@jeptioak]

They really nailed the 2024 one. They even changed exactly which videos were in the triangle based on the nation. Wales, for example, had a Plaid Cymru video and the other political parties had more relevant videos, like Keir Starmer meeting with the Welsh Labour leader. Quite nice the attention to detail. BBC Northern Ireland had the most lackluster graphics setup compared to the other nations. The exit poll and vote count graphics were not as comprehensive, but that might make sense since they had to wait a while to get anything out of Northern Ireland since it doesn't get an exit poll. It could have had better coverage of the other nations, though, especially Scotland and Wales. The Liz Truss loss was not brought live, for example. Some of this can be fairly well-explained by NI's political system being completely different. I remember seeing a party broadcast by the NI Conservatives attacking Labour despite them being an itsy-bitsy party and Labour not existing in NI. Also, NI is fairly small and poor, so it's not likely the BBC has a great ability to do some of the things the other nations got for just one night. All that said, it was still a quality broadcast with homely people, even though they seemed absolutely exhausted by the end. They did great work. Edit (06/07/2024 20:27 UTC-5): "There was no intro like the one elsewhere, just an eight-second version of that song" and "A shame it wasn't, but the triangle might've posed a problem in terms of fitting enough of the UK's political parties as well as the Northern Irish ones" removed, I just checked again and there was a full intro. I specifically remember the video of the Sinn Féin entourage, I don't know how I could forget.

[@mildlydispleased3221]

Where would one see these alternative intros? I tried changing my region on BBC iPlayer, it didn't work.

[@jeptioak]

@@mildlydispleased3221 You have to change the nation as it says on the BBC iPlayer website (bottom of the page for website, settings menu for phone app), then check the schedule, going back to 4 July 2024. I also know it's on KZbin in another video, and it's searchable on iPlayer by going to "Election 2024" and then clicking on the "Day 1" tab.

[@jeptioak]

@@mildlydispleased3221 iPlayer's "Election 2024." The various versions are available under the "Day 1" tab.

[@rationaltv7018]

I personally liked 1979 and 1983 the most.

[@newstarcadefan]

I can see why, Scanimate and synth. Plus it reminded me of Doctor Who.

[@ahmetskart]

BBC should be 1992 election music with 2024 election music combined.😊 so BBC can add iconic BBC News beep sound between.11:31 to 11:36

[@arzhakiemagine]

That was 32 years ago but I never thought the intro could be that good ㅠㅠ

[@Karabo1903]

Can you please do Sky News Election night intro 🙏

[@glassowlie]

Decision 1979 got plastered.

[@db7541]

I may be the only one here that doesn’t like 2024 very much. Arthur is where is should be and at its best but I really don’t like the funny tetrahedron and purple colouration. ‘83, ‘87, ‘97, ‘05, ‘10 and ‘19 all supass it in my opinion, with my favourite visuals being 2010 and my favourite theme being 2005, with either 2005 or 2019 my overall favourite. But I’m glad lots of people like this year’s even if personally I’d like it to be different next time :)

[@Vinnytv7679]

Another general election was held in the UK, and again the BBC has done the coverage, unfortunately we didn't have any other coverage of another British channel (ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky), and also another election in other countries.

[@daniellp021]

Sky and ITV were into covering the elections aswell

[@marvy3022]

Channel 4 also did coverage.

[@oneurope]

You did see the title? “BBC election night introduction”

[@daniellp021]

@@oneurope I did, he doesn't

[@Vinnytv7679]

People, I know that only for the BBC, but I also want to request the owner of this channel to do ITN/ITV Electoral Coverage (1959-2024), Channel 4 Election Night (1983-2024), Sky News (1991-2024) and Channel 5 (1999-2024).

[@donaldanderson6604]

Rick Wakeman will be pleased they are using his theme. I suspect he might not like the result but as he is a devout Christian I can't believe he could vote Tory.

[@rileykernaghan]

2024 a total snoozefest. A rainbow triangle floating around Parliament? Boring. 2010 still the best music and set by far.

[@cgtq1986]

Disagree. 2010 theme sounds so bland and so vanilla that you can put it on any country's election coverage and could work as much as for the BBC.