Background: Channel 4 started staying up late in 1985, initially only on Friday & Saturday nights, and a special ident was briefly used. It was in early 1986 that the channel broadcast well into the early hours seven days a week offering an alternative to the programming on ITV as that network started extending broadcasting hours at around the same time, on a region-by-region basis, ahead of the entire ITV network being on air all night by autumn 1986.
(1986-2002)[]
Channel 4 Nightime - first tx & closedown - 1987
Logo: On a black background, grey water ripples are seen. Then, they connect to form the silver Channel 4 logo and then 4 yellow corners fade in around it, and then it becomes 3D. There is the word "N I G H T I M E" that fades and flips in. At closedown, the finished product is seen, but the text turns into "GOODNIGHT".
FX/SFX: Terrific animation for the time.
Music/Sounds: Eerie ascending sounds are heard; they culminate into a mysterious tune that plays on the menus. This is actually a portion of "Dreamtime" by David Vorhaus.
Music/Sounds Variant: At closedown, it becomes a rather omnious descending theme.
Availability: Extinct.