How Graphics were Created for BBC TV Programmes in the 90s

Paul Emerton tells us the story of how Acorn Archimedes and RISC PC's were used to create the graphics on the 90s BBC TV programmes we know and love ...

[@mitachu]

As an avid Acorn user I always got a buzz when I saw the Archimedes or BBC Micro being used on-screen. Great to hear they were used off-screen so much too!!

[@antjarvis]

I produced some graphics for the BBC's national lottery programme. When it came to delivery, I was amazed that the Archimedes was still being used in the mid 2000's! Great to actually see the crate.

[@CesareVesdani]

I am a fan of Acorn Archimedes machines running RISC OS 3.11. I used that system in primary school.

[@talideon]

They even made their way outside of Europe: if you've ever seen a local version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", regardless of where you were, the graphics were produced on RiscPCs.

[@chriss2664]

... Acorn Risc PC. Strong Arm etc... so so advanced for the time... so much better than Amigas but so underrated... why my favourite computer of all time

[@dglcomputers1498]

Yes, I understand the later Amiga's had a slight advantage with their more advanced custom support chips but as on the Archimedes you just used the power of the processor games and suchlike were easier to program on the Archimedes.

[@altebander2767]

I think in Germany mostly Amigas were used for that. For example famously in the Bavarian show Super Grips. There they didn't have a second system to control it... so you saw a one pixel cursor.

[@markburton3306]

I worked on a couple of the BBC shows (many many years ago). I wrote a few things for record breakers

[@markburton3306]

Also remember working on a live chess tv show. connected an A310 to a chessboard that had RS232 and I animated the moves

[@97channel]

Oh wow, Maggot Moments has been preserved! I used to love that game, as a kid. I've wondered for years whether or not that original software still exists. It didn't seem likely that they'd have archived it, it was just a little thing for kids' TV and I figured that the disks would have been just trashed or lost after it ended. So glad to learn that it is now in good hands. I'd love to own a copy.

[@DaNoob9]

My longest living question is now answered 😄

[@richardmattocks]

Wonderful that these machines are preserved

[@Archimedes75009]

Ahhh now it is not hidden anymore ... Thank you !

[@stickytapenrust6869]

Suggestion for a video: Showing how the BBC virtual newsroom graphics of the 1990s were created and pieced together!

[@alanjrobertson]

Brilliant work in restoring and preserving these machines, I never dreamt this was what happened behind the scenes!

[@Zadster]

I'm really surprised that they didn't offer it to the National Media Museum - part of the National Museum of Science and Industry (or just Science Museum). It is an absolutely key part of UK TV history!

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

If you want a look inside the machine that produced the graphics at the BBC TV Programmes in the 90s then have a look at The Paintbox channel and if you know where to get a tablet for the Paintbox Jr then let the guy at Dexterslab know.

[@cromulence]

They were using RiscPCs as late as 2005? That is absolutely nuts.

[@ArumesYT]

Remember the quality of TV images didn't really change until we started using flat panels and moved to Full HD. So the quality in 2005 was exactly the same as in 1990. That's why broadcasters were able to use the same equipment for so long; the requirements simply never changed.

[@jamesdecross1035]

Stunning!

[@matgostyles653]

That Red Nose Day totaliser looks unfamiliar. It uses RND 1999 style graphics but I don't remember that being the totaliser used on the night?

[@DustinRodriguez1_0]

How did the call-in shows work? I'm from the US and we didn't have anything interactive like that. Was each viewer receiving a different video feed? Or was it a voting thing where bunches of kids would call in and whatever the majority wanted was what got done?

[@msimpson7910]

No Dustin. It was as easy as a child calling in to the live broadcast programme - that's if they got through of course, and then if selected by a researcher/producer was put on air to play the game. Contestant saw the same output on screen at the same time as everyone else. Couldn't be done now of course with three digital television reception formats (terrestrial, satellite and cable) with delays due to encoding/decoding the signal taking anything up to 6 seconds. Analogue tv had of course, no delay.

[@DustinRodriguez1_0]

Ahhh, so only one person at a time got the chance to control the character. That makes sense. Thanks for the info! I bet that was a ton of fun for the people who got through!

[@SonOfSofaman]

My dream job (even to this day): writing that software! How fun would that have been?

[@BluetheFortune2006]

I loved these graphics, shame the people at the BBC did not show it anymore and these graphics nowadays is way too fashionable compared to the 90s and 2000s.

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

I wonder why they still worry about copyright on that old code. Why not release it for others to play with?

[@ryanhoughton424]

any lottery graphics available to download

[@cromulence]

Is this publicly viewable at the centre?

[@MarkPentler]

An ad played for me literally 5 seconds into this video. Odd.

[@joenest2122]

Me too. So I didn't watch.

[@kenknight5983]

Could they display video, or was it more a case of providing the overlay graphics?

[@TheCentreforComputingHistory]

Ken Knight Just overlay graphics as far as I know but limited video animations were probably possible.

[@Archimedes75009]

The Apex Imager has everything to do animations and display, be it 2D or 3D in realtime ... Read the docs and the specs ;-)

[@swantzter]

Ouch, they should've removed the high pitch screen noises in the video... It's pretty much the only thing I could hear...

[@xandercraw]

Svante Bengtson oh to be young with good ears 😀

[@Ndlanding]

I'm nearly 65 and I can hear it! Having said that, my USB output also makes a whine of its own (MBox), so I've got used to shutting down those frequencies in my ears.

[@craiggilchrist4223]

Magic Pockets used to be on Live and Kicking.

[@circle2867]

i'd imagine programming to do all that would be mad, especially back then

[@wisteela]

Great stuff

[@Ndlanding]

That was good, so it was. :)

[@musnahterinjak2886]

JAKTV menggunakan sistem ini

[@passiton3801]

It's just 2 guys talking among them selves about CG's. It could have been interesting, but it was shot too far away

[@videomaster8580]

Let the guy explain it himself. Stop trying to impress him.