Thames Television Ident compilation - 1968 - 000's

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[@AntGrantGordon1]

There's something so magically British about this.

[@alicachapman2446]

Yesss

[@1MinuteNewsOFFICIAL]

Because it is

[@internetperiodista]

Yes indeed. This intro turn my hot chocolat in a cup of Five o'clock tea, you know 😉🇨🇱🇬🇧

[@dafyddthomas7299]

agree - Tower bridge for one

[@aw-h3875]

And something magically trippy too....at least the 70s version.

[@Weehawk]

Always feel warm and fuzzy when I hear this.

[@TheRojo387]

Reminds you of the Thames river.

[@quanfa88]

“Dad! Mom! ‘Benny Hill’ is on!”

[@Curi0u50ne]

I just shouted... "ITS STARTED"!!!

[@haeleth7218]

They should not have messed around with this ident or the iconic jingle. The simple eight notes of the 60's, 70's and early 80's were the best and you knew straight away you were watching something from Thames Television.

[@whatamalike]

I bet if Thames kept the franchise then the 91-92 ident would've lasted well into the very end of the 90s and been almost as iconic as the original skyline one! Though only in London, cos by 1988 ITV stopped showing regional idents for programmes, which is a massive shame.

[@jorgealmeyda5222]

Being in America, I learned of Thames television by watching Benny Hill reruns in the 70s and 80s.

[@aidanlunn7441]

0:45-0:51 and 1:03 - 1:11 are both the same with slightly different exposure settings with the film being played through. And the same for both between 0:09 to 0:23,. different exposure settings, same ident. Though I have seen and heard a version of the vignette skyline with the later variant of the Salute to Thames theme.

[@revinhatol]

Here they are now, Morecambe and Wise.

[@ruddiger121]

I remember Morecombe and wise singing a lyric to this iconic sound ...Here they are now Morecombe and wise...

[@albundy5228]

Why does this intro put a smile on my face?

[@mandk6089]

Makes me think of On The Buses..Back in the day it was big in Canada.

[@naoidfpaiourej3299]

As a kid, those first four notes always made me think of Zebedee.

[@deigo2011]

This logo remember me to Benny Hill😀

[@Shimizu191]

I remember this going when watching Mr Bean

[@catherinepayn8246]

🎵-🎵-🎵-🎵-🎵-🎵-🎵-🎵

[@revinhatol]

Here they are now, Morecambe and Wise.

[@larr9095]

And now , time for Rainbow !

[@eugensavu7725]

👍👍👍

[@cormanosnake101]

from 0:30 to 1:10 were the best

[@dotunn]

Thats when you knew some major old skool show was about to start

[@anthonyperkins7556]

da-da-da-da Morecambe & Wise

[@revinhatol]

Here they are now

[@MusicHavenSG]

It's because of Mr Bean that I know this one!

[@petermeatballs6252]

The 80s Thames theme song is the best it sounds like super Mario sunshine

[@loucozade]

Those of us who grew up in the 70s and 80s, miss those 'pure' years so dearly that we oddly find comfort in little things from back then... even in the iconic tune from Thames TV. It seems that every year that passes is a little bit better than the next one. So sad.

[@theguardian6464]

well , I was born 1988 but most of the series shown to us in our country just freed from ocupation were the ones beginning with the Thames tune

[@mikek5958]

I just saw this on Daily Motion when one video rolled in to the next. I haven't seen or heard it since then and it immediately transported me to my younger years watching The Benny Hill Show et al late at night in America when there were only seven channels on the dial; gave me goosebumps.

[@computer_toucher]

I was born in '78 and I've never even been to England or even Great Britain but the mid- to late 80's Thames intro is still stuck in my mind. Our state channel licensed a lot of stuff from BBC and ITV. Seeing this before a show meant quality, at least for me. Mr. Bean, The Wind In The Willows, so much more Good thing is the post-watershed Brit shows were never dubbed (unlike Charlie Chalk, Postman Pat etc) so that's how I learned English: Monty Python's Flying Circus, 'Allo 'Allo, Hale & Pace, Smith & Jones, you know Made me English well 'ard

[@matachresis]

I’d forgotten this completely from childhood but got an amazing jolt from seeing it again.

[@terenceherming1838]

La la la la lalalala 🎵!

[@_kevykevz]

I know you guys won't believe it, but I watched Thames Tv's shows in the early 90s here in Kenya. The iconic theme sound gives me nolstalgia. Damn! The good old days!

[@vanshineski9241]

I believe you lol. We did the same in Nigeria

[@bonnaparte2207]

Your Right Bro, the same feeling in Colombia

[@danmburu9203]

The nostalgia is simply Overwhelming, TV was entertaining then.

[@funkg]

I bet the lost episodes of Doctor Who must be in Kenya or Nigeria. The British TV companies sent out many shows to former colonies

[@eduardobarrezueta5247]

Yup the same i can say in Ecuador although we have the shows either in Spanish or subtitled. I love when i was a kid Count Duckula or as we call it CONDE PÁTULA

[@Rainaman-]

Don't fix what ain't broken. It was so iconic.

[@user-lz5wf]

You could say the same thing about London itself. It was a beautiful city before it was "enriched".

[@clinicalpsychologist]

BRAVO!!!!!!!! WELL SAID SIR!

[@ZootWorld1]

@@user-lz5wf "enriched" = I don't like brown people.

[@ZootWorld1]

@@underneonloneliness2 Oh heaven forbid you see people who aren't white more often!

[@underneonloneliness2]

@@ZootWorld1 Multiculturalism means more crime, move traffic, more houses needed. Doesn’t take a genius to work that out! Oh and some cultures are better than others.

[@jimp1646]

1:03 was the last of the 'real' Thames intros.

[@revinhatol]

Here they are now, Morecambe and Wise.

[@ArmyJames]

Why would they ever get rid of anything as iconic as that?

[@humbertoflores2545]

My favorite

[@michaelellis8726]

Indeed it is

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@ArmyJamesit wasn’t Thames’ decision, it was a central mandate from ITV for all franchises to use the same tune. It was a compromise to even retain their logo at the very start, which ITV also did-away with a few years later. It’s quite sad, what was a wide range of regional diversity is now all ITV branded. It’s STV up here in Scotland; but even STV has no personality, and there used to be two different Scottish regions with very different designs! But it’s a right shame, especially given they’d only just had their new cinematic rendition of the same theme (rather than the small brass ensemble that I remember). I can’t imagine they were happy about it, they probably wanted to get another 20 years use out of it minimum.

[@BlobsterBuddy]

The older ones were better. Always meant Danger Mouse

[@KissMyFatAxe]

That what I think of when I hear it 😆

[@skadoink1736]

@@KissMyFatAxe Nah..... "Here they come now, Morecambe and Wise..."

[@leftcoaster67]

World at War for me.

[@leemunn2098]

Count Duckula

[@Torontogal1973]

I loved this as a child, now it makes me melancholy.

[@Steve-K.G.]

Me too. I feel really sad, and wish I could go back and live those times forever.

[@rosiecoppolo]

Same

[@rebekahsmith5354]

Same for me as well. It’s comforting but always makes me melancholy bc I know times will never be this simple again.

[@JoaoPaulo-fw3zg]

The latest ones are awful.

[@Rainaman-]

To be honest in those times everyone tried to use modern visual effects - thing was, the software and hardware just couldn't produce anything of value. Progress for the sake of progress.

[@jmar1973]

Growing up, that sound always meant that it was time for Benny Hill! (Or Dangermouse,I guess.😹)

[@tjfSIM]

For me it will always be associated with Rainbow 😂

[@pressureworks]

Yep, Benny Hill !

[@joemcconnell2674]

Early days of the bill. For me. Sitting watching it with my parents. Not forgetting when Emerdale was known as Emerdale Farm and Was a lot better. When Coronation Street was also a lot better with Stan and Hilda. Both of the soaps are a load of nonsense today.

[@robertjosephkleist3761]

Or Count Duckula

[@StreetHierarchy]

Mr. Bean...The Tomorrow People...

[@lincolnparc8897]

At 1:03 in the late 70s/early 80s the whole family would cheer with excitement as it meant the Benny Hill show was about to start! Thank you PBS and UK-

[@baronmeduse]

Or Rainbow when I came home from school for dinner ('lunch' to southern people).

[@Jacks_here]

I did not grow up in the UK but I feel very nostalgic about this. I watched loads of British television in the eighties and funny how life goes.. I always wondered how London is and Big Ben was etched in my mind as this image of a big city. Little that I knew I would end up moving to UK and for a long time came out of Westminster tube every morning greeted by Big Ben. Maybe it worked subliminally!

[@TheRojo387]

The logo is how I learned of the UK's Thames River.

[@beckyb7063]

For American kids in the 70s and 80s, this sound meant one thing: time for BENNY HILL!

[@keldonmcfarland2969]

In the US we got to watch many British 🇬🇧 shows on our Public Broadcasting Systems (PBS).

[@Hhh77999]

You mean the public broadcasting service

[@BillyLeeGoodman]

That's how I know it too

[@whatonearth9809]

This instantly makes me think of The World at War

[@jasonayres]

Thames jingle, cheery. World at War theme music, haunting.

[@OnlyEdandTheAlmost]

Here comes another episode of "The World At War."

[@boggy7665]

Weahld at Waahr

[@giakatz4471]

♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@kurtthecat3995]

Exactly! The Thames indent will always remind me of World at War and the living room I watch it in.

[@marcoortiz4579]

Yes, that's what I remembered...

[@megga59]

I watched every episode when I was 10 or so. I was fascinated by the whole thing.

[@anSealgair]

0:39-0:45 is the one I remember from my childhood. There was something very, very relaxing about seeing and hearing that. I could fall asleep in peace by meditating on it - although there was a fun show about to begin. From that moment I forgot about everything that could make me feel bad.

[@deckearns]

Me too. I totally understand what you mean.

[@luketimewalker]

funny how we work

[@Speedcubeinfozilelai]

The ident 0:39 to 0:45 is the one I remember I saw on The Rainbow Tv

[@mazochungo]

The good old Thames TV jingle... It became quite popular also here in Spain between the late 70s and the mid 90s. Hearing that tune on TV meant that you were going to have a good time during the next minutes.

[@baronluigi2738]

Yep. Benny Hill was coming next.

[@AdhamOhm]

0:39 Brings back memories watching Count Duckula on Nickelodeon in the late 1980s. Count Duckula, You Can't Do That On Television and Mister Wizard... Nickelodeon had these three completely unrelated shows in the same time block, but I loved them all.

[@Bouncingballwilly]

I came looking for this comment. Same here! Count Duckula was the best.

[@abinashmishra329]

Danger mouse!!

[@prince.mushroom]

It's an arpeggio based on the fifth of the chord, so even though it's reassuringly plummy there's a sense of expectation from the instability of the second inversion. That's some classy attention to craft for a 7 second continuity jingle

[@Youtube_deleted_my_favourites]

I'd love to play it on a keyboard

[@kaitlyn__L]

Most UK TV idents had similar musical depth, it’s one of my favourite things about them to be honest. A lot of the Scottish and Grampian ident jingles used the specific pentatonic scales common in Scottish folk music :)

[@isvr50]

I always thought the first four notes were a riff on the chimes of Big Ben

[@peterhammond3779]

It works brilliantly on an E9 pedal steel guitar.

[@spacerauk0001]

0:32 That's the one :)

[@SpreadingtheMuse]

And in our head we hear... "Castle Duckula..."

[@chaysefox]

I'm in the Danger Mouse camp when I see this.

[@garysinglewood6369]

Cannot beat the old theme reminds me of growing up

[@thepepperpot3809]

Yes, in the US for late boomer teens/GenX kids, 0:43 meant Benny Hill. And in the late 70s-80s in my Midwestern US hometown, it also meant Man About the House, Robin's Nest, and Kenny Everett. A deeply Anglophile programmer must have been at the local indy station. I grew up seeing a ton of UK shows aside from the usual Monty Python, Doctor Who, and Are You Being Served? on PBS-my town even got 2-weeks-late TOTP. By the time I left home for college in '87, French & Saunders was on Saturday afternoons, as was Black Adder and Red Dwarf, and the international version of ITN News at 10 was on, yes, at 10 with Trevor McDonald. I remember this ident, London Weekend, ATV, Granada, and Anglia (and the spinning ITC diamonds meant it was time for The Muppet Show!).

[@happyhardcore4everr]

the spinning itc diamonds were definitely unforgettable XD

[@John-wz7yu]

Back in the days when ITV was worth watching, Before cheap and nasty reality show s took over the airwaves,

[@Spookieham]

The "modern" indents were utterly terrible.

[@AdIesumPerMariam]

My friend got Thames I got anglia . On Saturday he got UFO. I got farmers weekly . We were only a few doors away . He tell me about captain scarlet , the Brady bunch and a whole raft of stuff . Anglia had regional programs about Norfolk and bloody tolly cobbold ads with willie rushton . I was addicted to tv in those days . Would watch anything . I would wait for the programs to come on .this was about 72

[@michaelg1009]

I think of count duckula everytime I hear this awesome jingle. 0:01-1:11 best ever

[@memolinex]

same here!

[@abinashmishra329]

And Dangermouse

[@mikecassell8953]

Castle Duckula. Home for many centuries to a dreadful dynasty of vicious vampire ducks. The counts of Duckula! Legend has it that these foul beings can be destroyed by a stake through the heart or exposure to sunlight. This does not suffice, however, for they may be brought back to life by means of a secret rite that can be performed once a century when the moon is in the eighth house of Aquarius. The latest reincarnation did not run according to plan...

[@sotano28]

Duckula castle

[@mikecassell8953]

@CreeWilly The latest reincarnation did not run according to plan...

[@RomelioSanz]

Mr Bean memories!!

[@Arduex2020]

I can listen to this all day.

[@stupot4686]

When I was young, I often referred to Big Ben and St. Paul's Cathedral as "London and Washington", as the dome on St. Paul's Cathedral is similar to the dome on the United States Capitol HQ. Now years later I am developing the format for a TV spy series featuring a British diplomat and a tough US CIA agent from Washington D.C. as the main characters.

[@nerd_in_norway]

As always when it comes to theme songs and logos, the new ones are absolute shite compared to the early ones. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[@anitaclark2390]

Loved this as a child. I’m in Australia but my Pop must have watched a lot of Thames Television programs. Takes me back to the 70’s

[@funkg]

I needed my Thames TV ident fix this morning, as I dreamt it last night.

[@JosiahSchmidt]

Ok, yes, and now the lightning strike and the Duckula intro

[@patcjan84]

Danger Mouse was on that (on CITV) but now it's on CBBC.

[@hk-qn4xl]

Remember hearing this (0:39) on TV in the 80s growing up in Jamaica. Pure nostalgia....

[@riverjordan2725]

That's the one I remember vividly too myself. 😏

[@HarryElliott_2007]

This is so nostalgic sometimes I watch this and its amazing

[@brianpbillingsley3687]

Who else is here because of Count Duckula?😅

[@dave11686]

This is Thames from London

[@revinhatol]

Here they are now, Morecambe and Wise.

[@Mike_Traceur]

0:00-1:11 Better than 1:11-2:02

[@michaelg1009]

Mike Traceur I agree with you. never the same.

[@billmcdonnell79]

If Thames ever gets revived, but as a name-only unit than an actual production company, they should make the logo likes the older ones with its famous jingle.

[@eryht4027]

M

[@VauxhaIIOpel]

anything is better than 1:11-2:02

[@mariic2]

Good evening, we've got an action-packed evening for you tonight on Thames. But right now, here's a rotten old BBC programme.

[@anthonyperkins7556]

A quality broadcaster, purveyor of fine programmes, and a name you can trust, whittled away by the 1990 Broadcasting Act and Maggie Thatcher's hard nuts whose lousy quality threshold and stupid cash bid requirements put an end to the company.

[@Valentin_I]

Mr. Bean, Benny Hill... great memories!

[@Torowe1]

having 2 horns play in thirds on the fifth note sure helped that original intonation problem .....

[@jozwrx]

As a kid, l would always 'sing' the words... # ding dang do dong der der do deeeeer # lol

[@robosborne7103]

or sing "Pull your pants down right fucking now"?

[@dominewimbury2039]

@@robosborne7103 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@micmac99]

This theme always meant Benny Hill here in the USA. "ding dang do dong...here's Ben-ny Hillllll."

[@revinhatol]

"Here they are now, Morecambe and Wise."

[@revinhatol]

@@micmac99 "Here they are now, Morecambe and Wise."

[@TheMightyThor83]

You can never stop some jerk from fixing something that isn't broken.

[@Avrelivs_Gold]

Exactly, what a shame.

[@davidisaacson5993]

Growing up in Florida that sound meant The Benny Hill Show was starting. lol Like to have it a cell ring sound, too.

[@revinhatol]

Here they are now, Morecambe and Wise.

[@Outafter20]

I never get tired of watching this. I used to watch Benny Hill here in the USA and I loved seeing this and hearing the jingle.

[@astroboy3002]

The nighttime one blew my mind

[@aidanlunn7441]

There was one used on a few series 3 episodes of Callan where the "Thames" lettering disappeared along with the reflection of the word. And I've seen a couple of programmes using the vignette ident but with the later version of the jingle, with the elongated 4 final notes.

[@morrismckinnon6047]

I remember the early 90's logos during ITV Night Time. That weird part of ITV that showed random cooking programs, 50's B movies, and surreal student art short films until the sun came up. Better than watching a creepy clown with a girl at a chalkboard with a high pitch tone eating your brain! That was not good for the acid generation, let me tell you!

[@bonita-u9ve]

Itv nightscreen .

[@morrismckinnon6047]

@@bonita-u9ve That came later, around the early 2000's I think. ITV Nightscreen was basically a TV guide, like Teletext, when they had nothing to broadcast. British TV had long since died at that time!

[@bonita-u9ve]

@@morrismckinnon6047 I believe that BBC had that type of nightscreen basically trailers of documentaries running back to back

[@morrismckinnon6047]

​@@bonita-u9ve Yeah, that's the one, and then BBC 24 hr propaganda... u'hm, I mean "News" 24. That was when I stopped watching TV.

[@WikiRacing]

Thames Television fanfare = The Benny Hill Show

[@revinhatol]

Here they are now, Morecambe and Wise.

[@RickMichaels-if5eq]

1:08 was the era I grew up in!😀👍🏽 Thames was the best in the early 90’s when I was a little boy. I’ll never forget the introduction!🎵

[@takosi77]

I prefer the original....

[@twizz420]

My grandmother was British and I remember as a kid sitting in her living room and watching shows with this in it. It brings back great memories

[@otaddiction]

As an American, from my point of view I always thought this is the most British thing I've ever seen

[@adamthegamer6193]

This sound meant Mr Bean to me

[@revinhatol]

Here they are now, Morecambe and Wise.

[@JasonC1782]

Excellent compilation - but why does the official Thames archive channel need to use Benriggers' own upload of the 21st anniversary ident?

[@MrVCidade]

JasonC1782 The original one was erased and the 1991 ID was recorded over instead. ThamesTv might agree with us.

[@larryyxz177]

"The World At War" series is what I remember this from.

[@edmondmurphy1703]

I night version of the thames logo

[@nord1486]

That one was used for a programme called "Armchair Thriller". It was the only programme it was used for

[@chunkygroove9038]

Magnificent & calming. This is my impression of the Thames intros.

[@MrSunlander]

first encountered this with the World at War series back in the early 70s.

[@joeyabrams7080]

I know this means a lot to a lot of people. But this is Danger Mouse. Full stop.

[@licmontano1445]

0:39 El conde PATULA!!

[@betyruiz1038]

Usted si sabe.

[@DABangEm84]

Count Duckula!

[@thefonzkiss]

You knew something good was coming up.

[@abdulmiah1415]

For me after the intro.. "Hammer house of horror " dan dan daaan. 🙂 after watching, use to leave the rooms light on, when sleep.

[@straightouttacronton]

As far as I can tell the melody is C, F, A, F, Bb, A, F, C if that's of use to someone sometime ever? I just worked it out now for fun. Yeah, I've got a life, honest 😂

[@revinhatol]

Here they are now, Morecambe and Wise.

[@CatchThe80sWave]

When I was a kid, this meant BENNY HILL IS ON!!!

[@lon-nichi.1987]

Though I'm Japanese, I lived in London from 1985 through 1991 as a child. So I do remember these sounds very much. It always reminds me of my happy days in London. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@paulanderson79]

Notice the horns went to duet in the first colour ident.

[@jasonayres]

They had a bigger budget in the '70's, maybe?

[@paulanderson79]

@@jasonayres Very good :-) Like it!!

[@its_a_simp]

This video gives me MAJOR nostalgia

[@spenstrangward5126]

Rainbow should come on after this ident

[@zugabdu1]

For me growing up in the US, this meant Danger Mouse cartoons.

[@chrispeukert2555]

Yes, ladies and gentlemen it’s the Benny Hilll Show!

[@David315842]

A very much missed British institution.

[@user-mw2ne6oh7n]

makes me think of button moon

[@cbsteffen]

The “h” in Thames isn’t pronounced because it’s not part of the etymology of the name. The Greek letter theta introduced the lisp (or voiceless dental non-sibilant fricative) many years later. It’s like the Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese word “tema” means theme.

[@streetcarjay]

Everytime I see this. I know it's time for the Benny Hill Show.

[@danw1374]

And Minder!