BBC Two (UK)

(21 April 1964-2 December 1967)
Nickname : "The Early 2's"

Logo : A series of black and white stripes cross each other then reform further from the screen to make two bands. Two boxes, one containing a large white "2" and the other containing the BBC logo of the time, then slide in from the top and bottom respectively, and place themselves on the bands.

Variants:
 * Another logo would run in tandem with the animated one during this era. The design consisted of the following: on the left, there was a divided dark grey box with a white border, housing the "2" within the top division and the BBC logo within the bottom. On the right was a longer, lighter grey rectangle with white stripes running across it. The logo, printed on cardboard, would flip over to reveal a large, white solitary "2" on a black background.
 * There was also a static variant.

FX/SFX : The stripes moving and forming, the boxes sliding in.

Music/Sounds : A trumpet fanfare with a rolling drum throughout. The variations were silent, however.

Availability : Extinct on TV but, like all other BBC logos of the past, preserved by enthusiasts.

Editor's Note : None.

(2 December 1967-28 December 1974)
Nicknames : "The Turning 2", "BBC 2 In Colour", "2-Cube"

Logo : Three dots, colored green, red and blue respectively, appear on a black BG. They shrink and merge into one white dot just above the center of the screen. A blue "2" is then drawn around the dot, and when it is completed, the word "COLOUR", in white, appears below. The "2" then starts rotating around, and one at a time, three more "2"s (in the same style) appear, colored red, green and white respectively, before the blue "2" reappears. The rotation continues for the rest of the logo.

Trivia : Although the logo itself was introduced on 2 December 1967, the animated ident did not appear until 15 November 1969, the same day BBC 1 and ITV began colour broadcasting. Until then, holding slides with the logo were used to introduce programmes.

Variants :
 * Circa 1972, the logo underwent considerable change. All the "2"s, plus the dots in them, were colored light blue; the font for "COLOUR" was altered in the same manner as for BBC 1's mirror globe logo of the time; and a white horizontal line was added between the word and the "2"s.
 * By 1973, further changes had taken place, with the background color now dark blue and "COLOUR" and the horizontal line in light blue to match the "2"s.
 * A final change took place during 1974, with the "2"s in bright blue against a navy background, and "COLOUR" and the horizontal line reverting to white. This variant was briefly brought back in 1993 during BBC2's 70's season.
 * There was also a Christmas variant of the logo lacking the large dot with the ident being an orange version of the spinning 2, with stars either side and a caption that stated the day ("Christmas Eve", "Christmas Day" or "Boxing Day") seen from around Christmas 1974. This was the final time the 2-cube was seen.

FX/SFX : The dots shrinking, the "2"s rotating.

Music/Sounds : If you want to count the continuity announcer.

Music/Sounds Variant : The 70's season variant used the jingle to the "Silk" ident in the 6th logo package.

Availability : Extinct on TV.

Editor's Note : None.

(28 December 1974-April? 1979)
Nickname : "The Striped 2" Logo : A "2" consisting of blue and white stripes deforms and the blue stripes rotate to the left and the white to the right. They then reform with the stripe colour inverted into the "2". The background was chroma-keyed blue.

Note:  The logo was actually a mechanical model, like BBC One's mirrored globe at the time. The device was made up of 23 discs that were stacked on top of one another, with white and blue stripes painted on. Twelve stripes were white and started from the right side, while the eleven blue stripes sandwiched in between them started from the left. As the discs rotated inward, the "2" as you see above would form on-screen. Apparently, the device now lives on as a coin-operated amusement in the foyer of BBC Television Centre.

Variants :
 * There was a variant with a black background. This was introduced in 1978.
 * A variant introduced in 1977 has the usual deforming animation, but reforms into a map of the UK and Ireland. This was seen before Open Space.
 * Christmas 1976: A sequined layout version of the 2.
 * Christmas 1977: A red 2, with lines following the body of the 2, rotates above a 'Christmas' caption..
 * Christmas 1978: Four medieval trumpeters, with the new '2' double striped 2 logo.

FX/SFX : The rotating stripes. The chroma-keyed background.

Music/Sounds : See the 2nd logo.

Availability : Extinct on TV. The

Scare Factor : None.

(April? 1979-31 March 1986)
Nickname : "The Striped 2 Returns"

Logo : On a black background, two orange stripes write in. Then, a two-striped "2" writes itself in. The another set of orange stripes write in. Variants :*Christmas 1979: A revolving perspex snowflake rotates over a white version of the logo at the bottom of the screen.
 * Christmas 1980: Similar to last year, a more colourful perspex snowflake rotating above a Christmas BBC2 caption
 * Christmas 1981: Three red translucent candles spinning around with the caption Christmas 2
 * Christmas 1982: Three green perspex Christmas trees with a hand-drawn, angular BBC2 caption.
 * Christmas 1983: Another similar theme to last year. Three metallic Christmas trees spinning against the Christmas 2 caption.
 * Christmas 1984: A pink ball with the '2' on it remains stationary while a stylised ribbon spelling 'Christmas' rotating around it.
 * Christmas 1985:A blue tinted Christmas scene rotates around the '2'.
 * The logo was remade in widescreen and HD for BBC2's 80's season in 2010. For BBC2 Wales, the ident had the word "WALES" under the "2".

FX/SFX : The orange stripes and "2" writing.

Music/Sounds : A thirteen note synth fanfare. In other cases, silent.

Music/Sounds Variant : an 80's style synth piece was used when this ident was brought back for BBC2's 80's season, but the Wales variant retained the original jingle.

Availability : See 2nd logo.

Editor's Note : It's rather dated by today's standards, but it was revolutionary for its time, as this was the UK's first electronically generated ident, and probably the world's first computer animated ident. Ironic that the Christmas idents were still mechanical.

(31 March 1986-16 February 1991)
Nicknames : "The Colorful TWO", "TWO", "Boring TWO", "Dull and Worthy", "The TWO Of Tepidity".

Logo : On a white background, the word "TWO" wipes in. As you can notice, the second part of the "T" is red and the first two parts of the "W" are green and blue. Despite the "TWO" in the ident, the channel was still officially called "BBC 2".

Variants *Christmas 1986: Snow constantly covers and uncovers the 'TWO' in waves going left to right.
 * Christmas 1987: A transparent ball hangs in front of the camera as two people throw snowballs at each other with backgrounds of trees. The ball then pans up to reveal an all-white 'TWO' logo, with a red dash above and a large green triangle stretching the entire length of the TWO above that.
 * Christmas 1988: A white-powdered person with green hair in the style of a Christmas tree cuts to a picture of a green and red 'TWO' with the sections separated and frozen in ice.
 * Christmas 1989: Three figures seemingly made of wrapping paper move the sections of the 'TWO' into position, which themselves seen to be made out of wrapping paper in the logo colours. The end board is accompanied by a synthesised nursery tune and rotating sheep in the background.
 * Christmas 1990: An upside-down triangle, square and circle burst open to reveal the letters TWO made out of items such as crackers, wheels and other assorted materials, accompanied by a soundtrack of two notes, the final note being dragged out for the length of the announcement. These idents were designed to follow on seamlessly from a similarly styled promotional trail.
 * A 'TWO' ident recoloured blue and red, with occasional powdered colours of blue and red, was used to mark a series of programmes on the French Revolution.
 * A version with the letter spelling "THE" was used before the first episode of The Late Show.
 * A spoof version of the logo, spelling "THREE" was used on BBC1 prior to their showing of Roland Rat: The Series.
 * This ident was remade in HD for BBC2's 80's season in 2010 alongside logo 4.

FX/SFX : Computer animation.

Music/Sounds : See 2nd logo. The Christmas variants had their own jingles, and the 80's season variant used the Christmas 1987 jingle.

Availability : See 1st logo.

Editor's Note : None.

(16 February 1991-4 October 1997)
 Regular idents:   Special idents:  Nicknames : "2", "The 2s I" "The 2s: Part One", "Big 2" Logo : The main focus of the ident is the uniquely shaped "2". At the bottom of the screen is the 1988 BBC logo in white. This was also the final time BBC Two was known as "BBC 2".

FX/SFX : Depends on the logo.

Variants : There are many different variants of the logo. There were regular idents:
 * Paint: A white polystyrene '2' is on a black & white background, splashed by a blob of viridian paint which hurtles in horizontally from the right side of the screen. This illusion was created by moving the '2' and the camera onto its side by 90 degrees anti-clockwise, to make it appear as though the paint was falling sideways. In this ident's soundtrack, the paint is heralded by a steady cymbal crash as it comes into view, reaching a peak upon contact with the '2', followed a two-note resonant sound, symbolic of the dripping paint. The first and (officially) the last ident to be used in England and Northern Ireland.
 * Water: An aqua-coloured '2' is on a background of the same colour, half submerged in a pool of water at a 45 degree angle. Using a similar method to Paint, the '2' and camera are both at 45 degrees, giving the impression of the water flowing diagonally when the shot of the '2' is upright. Wind instruments and reverberated ethnic percussion featured in the audio, enhancing the atmosphere. One of the four original idents to be shown throughout the run of the whole series.
 * Blade: A sharp, metal '2' falling into a viridian-coloured block and impaling it on its edge, standing and wobbling. Audio is a short, sharp cymbal crash with slow attack, slowly changing tone and fading out as the '2' has pierced the block.
 * Sign: Also known as Neon. A '2' is on a black background with seven viridian neon lights attached to it, flashing in random sequences. The soundtrack matched the timing of the lights as they flashed on and off.
 * Copper Cut Out: A viridian copper cut-out of a '2' off of which sparks flew, as the figure glowed at its edges. This was punctuated with a loud, distinctive metallic clang sound in the audio, which overlaid a gentle, major chord pad.
 * Glass: A glass-cut '2', which reflected light - with some noticeable viridian colour - in various directions. Soundtrack consists of a resonant bell-like chime, between lighter bells paired with breathy sounds, giving an eerie feel. This ident, along withPaper Cut Out, were the first idents to be taken out of use (although remained in Northern Ireland until the corporate rebrand in 1997).
 * Silk: A swathe of viridian silk literally drifts over the top of a '2' shape, as if they were ocean waves. Haunting wails and loud bell tolls to form a dramatic soundtrack, conjuring up imagery of the '2' as a sinking ship. The jingle used is similar to the one used inSign.
 * Paper Cut Out: On a completely grey, paper-like foreground, a '2' is primarily a 2-shaped cut-out in the middle. The background behind it features a colourful blue sky, with white clouds. The audio track is very minimal, with faint drums and a high-pitched, tweeting melody, heavy on repetition. This ident, along with Glass, were the first idents to be taken out of use (although remained in Northern Ireland until the corporate rebrand in 1997).
 * B/W Copper Cut Out: Essentially the same as Copper Cut Out, but it was recoloured black-and-white with viridian sparks. It also had the same audio as Copper Cut Out.
 * Shadow: The cast shadow of a slowly rotating '2' on a viridian wall gets bigger. Then, it gets smaller. Loop animation plays after. The soundtrack shares some note similarities with Glass, albeit is not as minimal, with hints of percussion and greater variety and prominence in the chords.
 * Water Reflection: It's the same as the Water ident, but the lighting is adjusted so that there is a reflection of the water on the upper half of the '2'.
 * Garden: The flower bed starts of bare, but with the aid of time-lapse photography, the flowers grow and bloom to reveal the "2".
 * Powder: A "2" zooms out past the red and blue lighting and falls onto a white sheet of powder. The impact causes viridian powder underneath to rise and sent flying. The audio track has a sharp, cymbal-like effect as the '2' is falling, and this culminates in a deep cymbal crash as the '2' hits the surface, along with a sustained bass note.
 * Optics: We see several optic fibres highlighted in viridian, pink and red, swaying side-to-side forming a "2" The slow-tempo audio (entitled "Inhale") was atmospheric, carried by warm melodic sounds and a deep bass note, with a high choir pad towards the end.
 * Car: A remote-controlled '2' car drives around in random directions across the screen.
 * Dog: Also known as Fluffy Dog. It features a fluffy green '2'whirring, yapping, and doing back flips in the manner of a toy mechanical dog.
 * Balloon: A silver, helium-filled balloon in the shape of a '2' bobs around gently in a fixed spot. There were two versions. The difference was only in the soundtrack. One had a loud trill at the start.
 * Crystal Ball: A crystal ball rolls over the "2", severely distorting the image as it passes. Only used for a couple of weeks from November to December 1993.
 * Firecracker: The firecrackers explode in sequence, causing the base "2" to be thrown about in different directions. A hidden cable stops the "2" from being blown away completely, and there is one firecracker remaining that does not explode.
 * Diary: We see a white "2", with several paper layers peeling off and drifting away in different directions through blue and orange lighting. The music (entitled "Harmonic Beauty") consists of a gentle E-minor chord-scale piece, led by a harp on single plucked notes, plus very faint, high-pitched strings.
 * Steam: We see a viridian, metallic "2" at a hot temperature. Several drops of water splash on the "2", evaporating in steam. The soundtrack bore a strong resemblance to that of Optic, only with a D# chord progression, with four synth-lead notes in order to create an atmospheric, mystical feel.

As well as special idents:


 * Made in Japan: The animation starts with the Japanese numeral for "2". A smoke effect billows out, and the Japanese "2" dissolves through to the usual "2" you see in the final image on the left. Audio was the same as "Paint".
 * Pop Art: Apparently, pop art animation; at the end, the "2" zooms in. It's unknown what actually happens as there is no description of this ident apart from the fact that it has the same audio as "Glass".
 * English: The "2" teapot is initially covered with a tea-cosy which is removed, revealing said "2" teapot. Note the Hilda Ogden style ducks on the wall!
 * Learning Zone: Various educational items (such as the equation E=mc2) float by either as real objects or shadows.
 * Rembrandt Week: The "2" is part of the eye in a self-portrait of Rembrandt. It starts as a pencil sketch, and as the camera pulls back, we see the artist's hand adding detail to the painting in a series of mixes, until the finished portrait is revealed.
 * One Day in the Sixties: The "2" is covered by a lot of stuff from the '60s.
 * One World: The globe is a flat disk which starts the sequence side-on, rotating 90 degrees along its vertical axis, until it faces camera. As this happens, coloured powder "blows" on to the disk, finally forming the image on the left. The sequence is obviously the reverse of how it was shot - the powder was blown off the disk as it rotated away from the camera.
 * Wet And Windy: The "2" is effectively the moon, reflected in the window, which bangs open and shut in the wind and rain.
 * Billboard: In time-lapse, a man on a ladder pastes the advertising billboard with sheets of paper, finally revealing the complete picture - a large "2".
 * Edinburgh Nights: Two red curtains open up, then an aqua-coloured "2" welcomes to the stage and steps in to the spotlight. This ident was used for programmes during the 1992 Edinburgh Festival.
 * War And Peace: A "2" made of barbed-wire forms around a single poppy.
 * Halloween Night 1: A variant of the Paint ident. The 2 is splashed by red blood and a chainsaw cuts the chunk of the "2" off.
 * Halloween Night 2: The "2" gets electrocuted by a pair of jump leads.
 * Halloween Night 3: The "2" is covered in veil. A pair of scissors cut the "2" and blood comes off of it.
 * Christmas 1992:A red "2" appears as fairy lights on a Christmas tree.
 * A Night of Love: A red "2" rises out of the water, with its reflection making the shape of a heart.
 * Birth Night: The "2" is in form of a baby inside the body. All this is on the doctors' body electronic system.
 * Crime and Punishment: The "2" is in form of a light with the shadows of the jail cells in it. This takes place inside the prisoner room.
 * After Margaret: The "2" is fixed on the door of 10 Downing Street.
 * Animated 2: A "2" in the form of a piano falls from above (with piano keys playing) and crashes into the floor, leaving behind a "2" shaped hole and "ANIMATED" letter being partially formed, with pieces of wood falling from above to complete the word. This ident was shown animated and cartoon programmes, but it was withdrawn in 2001.
 * Christmas 1993: A metallic "2" is hoisted up atop a Christmas tree by Hobbit-like creatures. It is then lit up into small flames.
 * 30th Anniversary: A "2" falls and splashes into a cake, in the style of Powder. Surprisingly, it also has the exact same soundtrack as Powder.
 * New Moon: The "2" is in form of a satellite tower in a shadow. This takes place in the moon. This ident was broadcast in honor of the 25th anniversary of Neil Armstrong landing on the moon.
 * Shakespeare: A potato "2" suddenly appears from a black cauldron after 5 seconds of magical myth. This ident was used for a month of seasonal Bard on the Box programmes.
 * Berlin Wall: The Berlin Wall has a "2" cut into it. The "2" gets hoisted away by a crane to show a 2-shaped hole, revealing more of the dark-blue sky background.
 * Christmas 1994: A large yellow 2 is in a decorated dome against a tundra landscape.
 * Centenary: A film canister "2" is dropped down from a great height onto a bed of unraveled film reels. This had the same soundtrack as the Powder ident. This ident was used to celebrate the 100th anniversary of cinema and film.
 * Christmas 1995: Wallace and Gromit accompany a 2 covered in fairy lights while sat at Christmas dinner. As with Neon, the music plays in time with the fairy lights flashing.
 * Christmas 1996: A wizard walks on clouds in the sky, before spinning and turning into a 2 made of stars.
 * Mars Weekend: The ident starts in close-up on the "2" Martian surface, then zooms out to reveal the full scene, with the flying saucer blipping in and out of view. There were two versions - one with the flying saucer, and one without. This was the final new ident before the channel's revamp in October 1997.
 * A rare ident featured several sheets of red silk flying across a black background and then forming a red gradient background with a cyan "2" in the centre, although it is a reverse footage of a balloon bursting. It's unknown what this ident was used for, when it was used or whether the ident was even used on television. Audio was the same as the 1993 variation of Garden.
 * Occasionally, the idents (and sometimes the clock) were played out without the 1988 BBC logo used at the time; an example of this happening was the very first showing of Paint on 16 February 1991.
 * There were two "variants" (you can hardly even call them "variants") of the clock design. The first variant, used from 16 February 1991 to mid-December 1991, appeared more close-up. The second variant, used from mid-December 1991 to 4 October 1997, appeared more further out. The overall design of the clock remained the same (even through the next logo).

Music/Sounds : Depends on the variant.

Music/Sounds Variant : On the idents' first few weeks (16 February 1991-March 1991), the music on the original 11 idents sounded slightly different than later showings, sounding quite weak. The music was later updated in March 1991,with better sounding instruments and sounds.

How did they make these idents? : A special documentary named "The Tale of 2" shows how they created the idents and the music. This is part of a series named How Do They Do That? (not to be confused with How Do They Do It?)on the channel.

Availability : Sadly, extinct.

Editor's Note : These idents are famous for their creative concepts, and thus have garnered worldwide recognition.

(4 October 1997-19 November 2001)
Nicknames : "2 II", "The 2s II" "The 2s: Part Two", "Big 2 II"

Logo : The same as before, but now, instead of an italicized " B   B   C " logo, it was adapted with the new BBC logo (BBC TWO) making it also the first time the channel is called as "BBC Two". The original idents were zoomed in and cropped before they were expanded into widescreen a few years later. Starting from December 1999, the URL for the official BBC website was added atop the BBC Two logo (and was officially introduced in June 2000).

Variants : Although the previous regular idents are intact, more idents started to be introduced during this period. Most of these had less of emphasis in the teal color used previously in 1991 to 1997:
 * Aerial: We see a dark green "2" with aerials attached to it in a red studio, appearing in random places between flashes of static, before finally appearing in the centre of the screen. The soundtrack is slightly similar to Car (which aired in 1993 from the previous era), featuring notably prolific use of harp sounds, albeit in the D-chord-scale as opposed to the F#-chord-scale in Car.
 * Duck: This ident depicted a soapy setting, from which a yellow '2' resembling a rubber duck emerged, giving a little squeak. Later showings of Duckhas the 'BBC TWO' DOG's colour changed to black in order to be visible on the lighter background.
 * Paint Pot: A parody of Paint, except it has a sliver paint pot being bombarded by lots of small viridian "2"s, falling sideways. The music is similar toPaint, with some slight changes to the score.
 * Zapper: It has a fly zapper shaped "2" on a wall, a fly becomes attracted to its light, and the zapper breakson contact as the fly buzzes away, leaving behind a smoke trail. Behind the sound effects of the zapper is essentially the same audio as Sign.
 * Gorilla: There were two variations on this ident. A gorilla stands up a yellow '2' in one ident, named Gorilla Shadow and knocks it over in the other, named Gorilla Tantrum. The music (entitled "Forest Canopy") is the same for both idents, and is suitably jungle-themed.
 * Swan: It featured three white '2's swimming past a clearly bemused swan, which shakes its head shortly after. The soundtrack was of mid-slow tempo, no percussion, with harp and a rich, dreamy background texture.
 * Dalek: Originally a special ident for Doctor Who Night, its popularity meant it went on to join the roster of regular idents. It featured black & white Daleks in the shape of '2's moving between a grey corridor. The audio intro draws inspiration from the style of the series' famous theme tune lead. A variant on this ident, named Exterminate, has the sequence opening with the Dalek '2' shouting the familiar phrase.
 * Excalibur: It feature a bevelled, metallic, cerulean blue "2" rising from the pool of water sideways, in style of Paint. As the "2" emerges, stray droplets of water, fall back into the way, causing vertical ripples, with each drop that hits the water being accompanied by a finger cymbal-esque note on the soundtrack.
 * Catalyst: It features an turquoise polystyrene "2" on a dark teal and white background, a bunch of liquid droplets fly in from the top right corner of the screen and cause flames to flare up around the '2' on contact. This is heralded with the sound of dramatic, blaring horns. The flames die down after about 16 seconds, revealing the 2 to be completely undamaged, before the cycle repeats.
 * Wave Day: On a white background, we see a dark cyan "2" within a sheet of blue liquid that splashes around it throughout. The soundtrack opens with a three-note melodic synth chime that features occasionally thereafter, and the sound of filling water serves to enhance the visuals.
 * Predator: It begins centered on a '2'-shaped butterfly sitting within a jungle environment. The camera then zooms out, and the '2' is gobbled up by a larger green '2' in the form of a Venus Flytrap. The audio starts off quiet and gentle, but then builds to a crescendo as the butterfly '2' gets swallowed, before returning to quietude.
 * Kebab: Inside a grill area, we see a meat shaped "2" on a kebab spinning as the flames go up, engulfing slightly. It has a new Eastern soundtrack (entitled "Arabian Freakact"), differing slightly in each variation. There were 3 variations where the kebab was in different stages of cooking.
 * Woodpecker: On a orange background, we see five poles, many Viridian '2's edge their way down the poles in the same manner as a mechanical woodpecker. The soundtrack features a fitting whistled four-note jingle, vaguely similar to what became BBC Two's signature tune from 2001–2007, amongst the drilling of the woodpecker '2's; all of this overlaying an F#/A major chord pad.
 * It's Scary Out There: We zoom through an empty graveyard with fog flowing, The camera then zooms in further, until a zombie corpse like "2" bursts out of the ground and the camera pulls back as a lightning flashes briefly. The sound effects included a low bell clang at the start of ident and when the "2" bursts through the ground.
 * Wave Night: An retake on the Wave Day ident, it now featured an navy blue background and darker liquid and a bright cyan "2". The side that the liquid rose is flipped. The soundtrack was the same as the original Wave Day, with some changes to the filling water sound effects.

FX/SFX : Same as before.

Music/Sounds : Depends on the variant.


 * Paint/Made In Japan: A steady cymbal crash as the paint comes into view, reaching a peak upon contact with the "2", followed by a two-note resonant sound, symbolic of the dripping paint.
 * Water/Water Reflection: A jingle featuring wind instruments and reverberated ethnic percussion.
 * Blade: A short, sharp cymbal crash with slow attack.
 * Sign: A jingle that matches the timing of the lights.
 * Copper Cut Out/B/W Copper Cut Out: A loud, metallic "clang" sound, overlaying a gentle synth pad.
 * Glass: A series of eerie bell chimes, paired with "breathy" sounds.
 * Silk: A dramatic theme consisting of haunting wails, and loud bell tolls.
 * Paper Cut Out: A high-pitched, "tweeting" melody, with faint drums.
 * Shadow: Similar to Glass, but with hints of percussion, and greater variety in the chords.
 * Powder/Centenary: A sharp, cymbal-like effect as the "2" is falling, followed by a deep cymbal crash as the "2" hits the surface, along with a sustained bass note.
 * Optic: Entitled "Inhale". An atmospheric theme consisting of warm melodic sounds and a deep bass note, with a high synth choir towards the end.
 * Diary: Entitled "Harmonic Beauty". A gentle harp theme, in E-Minor, plus very faint, high-pitched strings.
 * Steam: An atmospheric theme consisting of four synth notes, in D#.
 * Aerial: A harp theme similar to Car, in D.
 * Paint/Paint Pot: A cymbal crashes as the paint splatters the "2" and a chime theme with a constant harp note plays. Paint Pot includes the sound of the "2"s hitting the pot.
 * Neon: Two repeating harp notes, with chimes in between.
 * Zapper: Same as Neon, with added sound effects of the zapper.
 * Gorilla: A jungle theme, entitled "Forest Canopy".
 * Swan: A slow, dreamy, harp-led theme, with no percussion.
 * Dalek: Similar to the style of the Doctor Who theme.
 * Excalibur: A series of cymbal hits, accompanying each drop hitting the water.
 * Catalyst: A dramatic horn theme.
 * Wave Day/Wave Night: A three-note synth chime, with the sound of filling water.
 * Predator: Starts off quiet, building to a crescendo when the "2" gets swallowed.
 * Kebab: Entitled "Arabian Freakact". An Eastern-style theme, differing slightly in each variation.
 * Woodpecker: A whistling four-note jingle, amongst the drilling sounds, overlaying an A major synth pad.
 * It's Scary Out There: A series of sound effects, including a low bell clang.

Music/Sounds Variant: On the idents' first few weeks (February 16, 1991-March 1991), the music on the original 11 idents sounded slightly different than later showings, with the music being much weaker. The music was later updated in March 1991, with a remastered soundtrack.

Availability : Same as before.

Editor's Note : None.

(19 November 2001-18 February 2007)
Nicknames : "2", "The 2s III" "The 2s: Part Three", "Robotic 2" Logo : This revolves around an inanimate "2" as a robot on a yellow background.

Variants : There are several different variations of this logo:

FX/SFX : VERY NICE CGI from Lambie-Nairn!
 * Fish: The '2' is floating underwater, minding its own business, when a shoal of mackerel swim up to its "face". The '2' immediately blows bubbles at the curious group of fish, scaring them away. A smaller, solitary fish swims towards the '2' at the end. The soundtrack begins with a four-note mnemonic, which is heard throughout the ident series. Synthesized plucks weave in and out against a background of ethnic-style percussion. A loud bubbling is heard when the '2' scares away the fish. This was the first ident to be used. A later variant was introduced in January 2002 in which the entire ident (save for the BBC Two logo) is flipped, fixing the problem that was seen in the original variant in which the "2" is the wrong way around for most of the ident. This variant was used for the rest of the idents' run.
 * Bounce: The '2' bounces around like a rubber ball in slow motion for the duration of the ident. It bounces in and out of frame, closer and further away at random points. The soundtrack is heralded with an orchestral rendition of the four-note mnemonic and continues as an ambient electronic piece with orchestral "thuds".
 * Bounce Sombre: The ident is the same as "Bounce", but the soundtrack takes on a more "serious" tone.
 * Logo: The '2' is sitting away from our point-of-view when it notices something not quite right. The BBC Two logo is backwards! A blank white square sits in the place where the usual logo should be. Immediately, the '2' rushes to the scene and sprouts a pair of robotic arms. It grabs the misaligned logo with its right hand and flips it over, correcting the problem. The robotic arms fold back into the body of the '2' and it backs away, returning to its previous position. The music has a "robotic" feel to it, with rhythmic bleeps, bloops and pops throughout. Robotic "whirring" can be heard when the arms are formed and the '2' moves about.
 * Domino: A '2' turns towards a long line of other '2's, which are lined up like dominoes. The 'head 2' blows into a whistle (presumably to get the '2's to tumble over on cue) but the '2' at the front falls flat on its side. The 'head 2' gestures at the 'front 2' to get back up again, but to no avail. We hear a "thud" when the 'front 2' falls over.
 * Christmas 2001: We see the '2' sprout its robotic arms, and a glowing fairy bursts into view, with sparks flying. The fairy flies out of the '2's hands and draws a tall Christmas tree - at warp speed - out of fairy dust. She then flies around a bit before settling down onto the top of the tree, and then flies off again. A "bursting" sound accompanies the appearance of the fairy and we hear "fluttering" and high-pitched giggling as the fairy sketches the tree.
 * BBC Four On BBC Two (1): A variation of "Logo" where the '2' corrects the logo as usual, but flips it around a second time to reveal the BBC Four logo.
 * Screen Clean: There is a black speck on the screen. The 2 comes toward the speck and sprouts its arms. A breath comes out of the 2 and on the speck, it tries to fix the issue but the breath quickly clears away.
 * Drip: The 2 slides around, trying to avoid the drips coming from above.
 * Invisible Walls: We see '2's going into walls that are invisible.
 * Formation: Also known as "Acrobats." A 2 gets on what looks like a home-made see-saw. Another 2 lands on the other end of the see-saw, sending the 2 flying! It lands on top of several other 2s on a ball.
 * Remote: The 2 comes to a remote and sprouts its arms. It takes the remote and wonders what to do with it. The 2 uncontrollably controls itself...even crashing into the screen at one point! Make sure to keep an eye on the BBC2 logo at moment of impact. The 2 finally controllably controls itself for a bit before sending itself off-screen.
 * Drum: The '2' is on a yellow-orange invisible drum.
 * Paintbrush: The '2' paints a human-like painting with the logo on the bottom right as a paintbox.
 * Christmas 2002: The 2 builds a snow-2. The 2 runs off to get something, and comes back with two sticks. The 2 puts the sticks on the snow-2, so the snow-2 looks like a self-portrait.
 * BBC Four On BBC Two (2): Another variant of "Logo" where the '2' flips it over, but the blank part is now the BBC Four logo.
 * Sticky Label: A twist to the "Logo" theme. The 2 corrects the problem, but the BBC2 logo sticks to his fingers! The 2 tries flicking it off, but it lands right on his shoulder!
 * The Big Read: 6 2s are seen reading books. One 2, eager to learn the plot, flicks hurriedly through its book, and slightly laughs at the result. The other 2s flick hurriedly through their books, and laugh.
 * Flamethrower: The 2 doesn't sprout its arms...but a flamethrower. It sends fire in all directions, eventually hitting the BBC2 logo. The flamethrower goes back in the 2 as it stares at the flaming BBC2 logo.
 * The Big Read Crowd: Also called "The Really Big Read." This time, no longer 6, but a whole screen chock full of 2s with their noses in a book. The rest goes the same as the original "Big Read."
 * Christmas 2003: We see the robotic '2' frozen on ice. Also seen in the summer when the weather is hot.
 * 40th Anniversary: Same as the Invisible Walls ident, but various idents from the past are projected on the logo.
 * Christmas 2005: Several yellow sparks fly around on black, forming the 2. Reused in 2006.
 * Morris Dancers: The 2 plays an accordian. 6 other 2s come in and start dancing Morris.
 * Venus Fly Trap: Same as the 1997 logo's Predator ident. But this time, the logo on the bottom is now the BBC Two card.

Music/Sounds : Depends on the variant, however most tracks use a variation on the same four note tune.


 * Fish: Synthesized plucks, and ethnic-style percussion. A loud bubbling is heard when the "2" scares away the fish.
 * Bounce: Starts with the familiar four note tune, followed by an ambient electronic piece with thud noises playing every time the "2" hits the floor. If the ident is left to play long enough, a nod to the previous ident package can be heard, with a familiar reverse cymbal from the "Paint" ident playing. Sometimes the soundtrack would have a more serious tone with a calm orchestral rendition of the piece. This variation is nicknamed "Bounce Sombre".
 * Logo/BBC (Four/Three) on BBC Two: A "robotic" theme, with rhythmic bleeps, bloops, and pops. Robotic "whirring" is heard when the arms are formed.
 * Domino: The sounds of the action in the logo.
 * Christmas 2001: A "bursting" sound accompanies the appearance of the fairy, followed by fluttering and high-pitched giggling as the fairy sketches the tree.

Availability : Extinct on TV.

Editor's Note : None.

(18 February 2007-14 November 2014)
Nicknames : "2", "Window of the World".

Logo : This logo revolves around a "2", a slightly modified version of the one used from 1991-2007, zooming out in form of various places and objects, often as a window looking out onto contrasting scenery.

FX/SFX : Depends on the variant.

DOG (Digital Onscreen Graphic) Variants :


 * From 18 February 2007 to 16 June 2009, the BBC Two logo fades in late into the ident on the left side of the screen.
 * From 1 October 2008 to 2 October 2008, two of the idents were edited to have the official BBC logo instead of the BBC Two logo.
 * From 16 June 2009 to 14 November 2014, the BBC Two box is at the opposite side of the screen (much like the previous logo) already formed, and it later fades out.

Music/Sounds : Depends on the variant.

Availability :Extinct on TV.

Scare Factor : None to low. Basically it depends on the variant shown.

(9 July 2014-September 27, 2018)
Nicknames : "2 IV", "The 2s IV" "The 2s: Part Four", "Big 2 IV", "The Return of the 1990s 2s"

Logo : The same as the 6th and 7th logos, but now, the teal-colored BBC Two box logo appears on the bottom-right side of the screen.

Variant : For this logo's first year, the box logo was white and after 1.5 seconds, the box spins to reveal the words "50 YEARS" next to the boxed logo.

FX/SFX : Same as before.

Music/Sounds : Depends on the variant.

Availability : Stopped airing September 27, 2018 as the new curve idents came.

Editor's Note : None

(September 27, 2018-)
Nicknames : "The Curve", "The 2 Curve"

Logo : We see an interactive environment, centering around a simple curve that represents the curve (looks like a curved wave) seen in the middle of a "2". Below appear the boxless version of 2007 BBC Two logo. The logo is now placed at the bottom of the screen instead of the bottom-right corner of the screen, similar to that of the 1991-2001 idents.

Later Variant: Beginning on October 20, 2021, with the introduction of the BBC's new logo, the idents were altered a bit. The new BBC logo appears above, and the BBC Two box is replaced with "TWO" in the BBC Reith font, like with the new BBC logo. The "Subtitles" graphic is now placed in a full widescreen picture, rather than being in its original place of a 4:3 picture.

Variants : Depends on the variant:


 * Feel Good: A bunch of multicoloured blobs float around the screen, stick together forming the 2 curve and resembling the sound of balloons. This was the first ident of the new look to be used at 6am on 27 September 2018.
 * Captivating: Various paper ribbons move about on screen to form the 2 curve.
 * Escapist: Rippling purple and orange looking like cave rocks make 2 curve, possibly inspired bySilkfrom the 1991 set.
 * Authoritative: Piles of paper wave around forming the 2 curve, possibly inspired byPaper Cut-Outfrom the 1991 set.This ident is the most generic used of the set.
 * Reflective: Reflectiveis most likely another generic ident used of the set. Sheets of paper turn over between the curve 2, inspired byDiaryfrom the 1991 set.
 * Mind-Bending: White and grey lines overlapping and forming the 2 curve, possibly inspired byOpticsfrom the 1991 set.
 * Wonder: Green and blue seabed/sea surface split in half by the 2 curve, inspired byWater Reflectionfrom the 1991 set.
 * Celebratory: A multicoloured firework theme makes up the sides of the 2 curve, inspired byFirecrackerfrom the 1991 set.
 * Revelatory: A ribbon made of metal (resembling a slinky) moves about on screen to form the 2 curve, possibly inspired by the 1993Slinkysting.
 * Offbeat: An orange fluffy creature moves about the screen and stops forming the 2 curve, inspired byDogfrom the 1991 set.
 * Thought-Provoking: Black and white patterns dance around in the 2 curve, inspired by the 1993Op Artsting.
 * Visceral: Brown, Black and Gold pins and scales open and close forming the 2 curve.
 * Dark: Set entirely in shades of grey, the 2 curve animates like coral reef.
 * Gritty: Rising and falling blocks in the shape of the 2 curve.
 * Charged: Clouds billowing around, the curve formed by light shining through a crack in the clouds.
 * Bold: A broken up stone effect makes up the 2 curve,possibly inspired by the 2002 Giant's Causeway ident (which aired on BBC Two Northern Ireland) from the "Personality" set.
 * Sharp: Several coloured threads ripping it apart separately in the shape of the 2 curve.
 * Silly: Blobs of slime (with googly eyes) shaped like the 2 curve move around the screen, possibly inspired by the 2002 "Bugs" era of CBBC.
 * Gripping: Dark blue-coloured fabric is seen wringing itself into the shape of the 2 curve and back.
 * Absorbing: Multicoloured liquid patterns slowly move across the screen, forming the 2 curve, possibly inspired by Paintfrom the 1991 set. Used to introduce light factual programming.
 * Sparky: A swarm of multicoloured plastic mini balls moving around the screen into the shape of the 2 curve in middle of white and back. First aired 22 April 2019.
 * Discovery: A planet sized earth map in the middle of the 2 curve in blue spins around, and stops to reveal the pale red areas of the earth in the middle of the same curve in red, possibly inspired by the 1997Mars Weekendident from the 1991 set. First aired 28 May 2019.
 * Intense: The camera zooming through colour rings, before they form up the 2 curve and resembling the sound of the crowd with a football being kicked about (or a tennis ball being squashed by the racket), inspired by the 1988, 1996 and 1997 BBC Sport idents. First aired 15 June 2019.
 * Maverick: A small white ball moves around the screen, with various objects and shapes popping up and disappearing to form the 2 curve.First aired 16 June 2019.
 * Illuminating: A light is scanning around to the 2 curve in a multicoloured background and the shapes are changing while it scans, possibly inspired by the 1994 Corridor sting from the 1991 set. This is possibly the fourth generic ident of the set. First aired 20 June 2019.
 * Punchy: Blue and red glass stripes are moving around until they crashed together and forming the 2 curve, inspired by the 1974 Striped 2 ident. First aired 5 October 2019.


 * Thought-Provoking 2: Wooden blocks, furnitures, metallics, walls, glass and stones moving around to form the 2 curve, possibly inspired by the 1994 Modern Art Gallery sting from the 1991 set. The ding sound is the same as Thought-Provoking. This ident serves as the second installment of Thought-Provoking. First aired 23 November 2019.
 * Inspiring: A bunch of flower petals (resembling paper cones) swirl and spin around the screen and stops to form the 2 curve, possibly inspired by Garden from the 1991 set. The ding sound is the same as Wonder. First aired 10 April 2021.

Christmas variants:
 * Magical: A snow-covered fir tree with branches forming the 2 curve shakes off some of the snow, possibly inspired by the 1992 Christmas ident.
 * Glorious: Also known as Glamourous. A brightly-coloured aurora shines in a dark, starry sky, weaving into the 2 curve shape at points.
 * Cosy: Also known as Comforting. A domestic cat flicks a bauble around on a carpeted floor - only its tail is seen, occasionally settling into the shape of the 2 curve, and purring sounds can be heard.
 * Festive: Various tinsel garlands are flying around the screen into the shape of the 2 curve in middle of purple tinsel and back.

FX/SFX : Depends on the variant, all in nice CGI.

Music/Sounds : Depends on the variant, starting with a ding.

Availability : Current. First shown at 6am on 27 September 2018.

Editor's Note : None