Background: The British Broadcasting Company, Ltd. was founded in London on Wednesday October 18, 1922 and became a commercial radio broadcaster licensed by the British General Post Office. On Saturday January 1, 1927, the company was granted a Royal Charter and was renamed the British Broadcasting Corporation (commonly abbreviated to BBC). The BBC commenced experimental television broadcasts on August 22, 1932, using a 30-line system developed by John Logie Baird, the inventor of the television. It officially launched the world's first regular high-definition television service at 3pm on November 2, 1936, broadcasting from Alexandra Palace in London. The service initially used two systems - the Baird 240-line system, and the 405-line system developed by Marconi-EMI (named after Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the radio). From February 1937, only the 405-line system was used. The service was suspended upon the outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939, and resumed on June 7, 1946. Transmissions switched to a new site at Crystal Palace on March 28, 1956, and the service was renamed BBC One on 20 April 1964 when BBC Two was launched.
BBC Television Service[]
1st Logo
(November 2, 1936-December 2, 1953)[]
Nickname: BBC Television Service
Logo: On a black background we see B.B.C.. Below it is TELEVISION SERVICE. Under that is the name of the system being used, either the Baird or the Marconi-E.M.I.
Variants:
- There were many variants including one that consists of a "compass" with some bat wing-like shapes on the sides in various shades of gray with "BBC" on the top and bottom, all on a gray BG.
- In 1987, BBC made a classics movie and one clip has this logo, but instead of the Baird or the Marconi-EMI system, the Dolby system is credited.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: None, but may contain music and/or a continuity announcer.
Availability: Extinct on TV; these usually appeared at the start of BBC's broadcasts.
Scare Factor: Low.
2nd Logo
(December 2, 1953-October 8, 1960)[]
Nickname: "Bat Wings"
Logo: On a black background, we see a circle with batwings and points on the top and the end. Below it is B B C.
Variants:
- On a light gray backround, surrounded by a checkerboard border, the symbol from the original logo is shown, except the design of the wings, the circle and arrows look different. The text BBC in bolder text is shown in white below, and in black above.
- On a dark gray background, the symbol from the original logo is shown in a black circle, yet it lacks the detail in the circle in wings. Two flag-like shapes are beside the circle, which have designs descending from white to black. The text BBC is in a different, skinnier font, in white above and in black below.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The moving concentric circles and the shining batwings.
Music/Sounds: None, but may contain music and/or a continuity announcer.
Availability: Extinct on TV.
Scare Factor: Low.
BBC TV[]
1st Logo
(October 8, 1960-September 30, 1963)[]
Nickname: "Circle", "UK Map in Circle"
Logo: On a black background is a white outlined circle. Inside the circle are four white blocks, three square and one rectangular. The square blocks contain the letters "B", "B" and "C" respectively, each letter in a bold italic font, and the rectangular block contains "tv". A map of the UK, divided into the seven BBC regions of the time (North of England, English Midlands, West of England, London, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), fades in behind the blocks.
FX/SFX: The fading in of the UK map. In later years it was static
Music/Sounds: None, unless you count the continuity announcer.
Availability: Extinct.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
(1960s)[]
Logo: Just the BBC TV logo on a black background, but with the blocks in italics.
Variant: On every episode of the UK English dub of The Magic Roundabout, it appears on the closing scene.
FX/SFX: The closing theme of the show.
Music/Sounds: Same as the last logo.
Availability: Extinct.
Scare Factor: None.
3rd Logo
(September 30, 1963-Late 1963)[]
Nickname: "The Globe", "BBC TV Globe"
Logo: On a white/black background is a globe. In the globe is 3 blocks saying B, B and C. Next to the blocks is tv.
FX/SFX: The spinning globe.
Cheesy Factor: The globe is pretty much a model.
Music/Sounds: None, but may contain music and/or a continuity announcer.
Availability: Extinct on TV.
Scare Factor: None.
4th Logo
(Late 1963-April 20, 1964)[]
Nickname: "The Globe II", "BBC TV Globe II"
Logo: On a gray background is a white box with "B B C tv" on the bottom right corner. In the white box is a globe simply spinning.
FX/SFX: Just a rotating globe.
Music/Sounds: None, just the announcer.
Availability: Extinct.
Scare Factor: None.
5th logo
(1974)[]
Logo: Just some simple text saying "A BBC/WGBH Co-production"
FX/SFX: None, unless you count the fade-out.
Music/Sound: The closing theme for the program
Availability: It was only seen on the Horizon/Nova episode "Fusion: The Energy Promise" which can be seen here.
Scare Factor: Low but compared to the follow up, None.
BBC TV Sports[]
1st (known) logo
(1960s)[]
Logo: Just a in-credit BBC TV print logo with "SPORT" underneath.
FX/SFX: None, unless you count the slide in/out transitions.
Music/Sound: The end of the show/program.
Availability: Extinct. Seen on Match Of The Day. The photo capture above was taken here.
Scare Factor: None.
BBC Television[]
Note: This alias was not used on regular idents, but generic idents intended for when rolling news was simulcast on all BBC channels during emergencies.
1st (known) Logo
(August 31, 1997)[]
Logo: The logo wipes in from a black screen. On a smoky blue background (which is constantly animated), we see the 1988-1997 BBC logo. A large blue sphere (possibly the planet earth) is visible, albeit blurred, in the background.
FX/SFX: The CGI background.
Music/Sounds: None, except for a female announcer saying "This is BBC Television from London. Normal programming has been suspended, and we now join Martin Lewis in the news studio".
Music/Sounds Variants: An alternate variant has a male announcer say “Normal programs have been suspended for the moment, this means that this afternoon’s edition of EastEnders has been postponed, and we hope to show it next Sunday. We’ll bring you details of other changes to our programes as soon as possible. This is BBC Television, Now The 1’Oclock News With Peter Sissons”
Availability: Extinct. This was only shown on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC World and BBC Prime on the day of Princess Diana's death. However, it was probably created several years before (most likely either 1988 or 1991) for such emergencies. Reportedly, an updated version of the ident was created several weeks later using the current logo, however this has yet to be broadcasted. Presumably, it would also be used for a death of a member of The British Royal Family, or nuclear war.
Scare Factor: Low to nightmare. The composition, consisting simply of the BBC logo and a smoky background with no form-up or music, is faintly troubling. The chilling tone of the announcer makes the whole feel of the ident all the more unnerving, especially with the fact that the announcement of the death of Princess Diana comes shortly thereafter in the variant.It may also give some bad memories of the 1990-1997 BBC Video logo.