Could ITV bring back regional idents for their 60 years?

Phil_Baggers · 22/02/15 - 15:23

I know it might sound like a ridiculous thought but I wonder could ITV bring back regional idents for their 60 years? I know it probably sounds impossible but even if they just did it before the local news or something. As someone living in Ireland we were able to receive HTV Wales so it would be great to see those idents again even if they were only seen once or twice a day for a few weeks. What are everybody's thoughts on this?

mrprosser · 22/02/15 - 15:28

Phil_Baggers wrote: »

I know it might sound like a ridiculous thought but I wonder could ITV bring back regional idents for their 60 years? I know it probably sounds impossible but even if they just did it before the local news or something. As someone living in Ireland we were able to receive HTV Wales so it would be great to see those idents again even if they were only seen once or twice a day for a few weeks. What are everybody's thoughts on this?

They COULD but whether they will is a different matter. On top of that the current franchise holders aren't the original ones from 60 years ago.

BelfastGuy125 · 22/02/15 - 15:30

Do people really care about this kind of thing?

Phil_Baggers · 22/02/15 - 15:35

mrprosser wrote: »

They COULD but whether they will is a different matter. On top of that the current franchise holders aren't the original ones from 60 years ago.

Suppose, but surely the likes if ITV Wales, Meridian, Granada, Central, Yorkshire and Tyne Tees could still do it. They're bound to have an archives room somewhere so they could dust them down and show them again.
I remember UTV did it a few years ago for their 50th.

80sfan · 22/02/15 - 15:51

With the current state of ITV, surely a wake is more fitting? There's not exactly much to celebrate, is there?

Westy2 · 22/02/15 - 16:54

Surely it would be anniversary programmes that would show this sort of thing?

As for regional idents, I guess its technically possible but obviously for the current contractors!

(Anyway its 60 years of Itv LONDON technically isnt it?)

80sfan · 22/02/15 - 17:26

In London, the majority of people who would like to see the idents would no doubt wish to see Thames, with LWT thrown in as well, but it just wouldn't happen because of a long forgotten station called Carlton!!

Carlton, although very good at different and creative idents, never made any lasting impact on its London audience. I always liked the 'You're Watching Carlton' idents though.

Phil_Baggers · 22/02/15 - 17:42

80sfan wrote: »

In London, the majority of people who would like to see the idents would no doubt wish to see Thames, with LWT thrown in as well, but it just wouldn't happen because of a long forgotten station called Carlton!!

Carlton, although very good at different and creative idents, never made any lasting impact on its London audience. I always liked the 'You're Watching Carlton' idents though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7F8OiWOik0 It would be nice to see this before programmes like Sat. Night Takeaway, The Cube etc at Weekends because if LWT was still in existence they would be the owners of these programmes.

Phil_Baggers · 22/02/15 - 17:49

PS They could do what BBC2 did recently and have a theme night using the old idents that way. BBC2 did it with theirs

davelovesleeds · 22/02/15 - 18:03

I watched on old edition of The Big Match on ITV4 recently and it had the original LWT ident at the start,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5RC-zVKH9E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZveaQrXctI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9UUeUaXdcs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15V3SRy2nSg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u02ZP0TiNU

Fred Flintstone · 22/02/15 - 18:14

80sfan wrote: »

In London, the majority of people who would like to see the idents would no doubt wish to see Thames, with LWT thrown in as well, but it just wouldn't happen because of a long forgotten station called Carlton!!

Carlton, although very good at different and creative idents, never made any lasting impact on its London audience. I always liked the 'You're Watching Carlton' idents though.

I remember the Thames intro with Kenny Everett crashing through it.

Isambard Brunel · 22/02/15 - 18:16

I doubt very much whether they'd want to remind people of the good old days, when ITV was good. They'd be shooting themselves in the foot. It's more likely they'll spin the situation to celebrate 60 years of ITV as it exists now, with the message being it's as good as it's always been and is at the heart of generations of viewers etc etc.

They'll pay lip service to their past, mainly focussing on stars who are long since dead or old shows that have been revived with Vernon Kay or Holly Wobbly. The rest will be an excuse to showcase Coronation Street, Britain's Got Talent, I'm a Celebrity and The Chase to boost current ratings. Somehow, I suspect Quizmania won't be mentioned when they remind us of their past glories...

ScPD · 22/02/15 - 18:19

A
T
V

Ahh memories

80sfan · 22/02/15 - 18:29

Isambard Brunel wrote: »

I doubt very much whether they'd want to remind people of the good old days, when ITV was good. They'd be shooting themselves in the foot. It's more likely they'll spin the situation to celebrate 60 years of ITV as it exists now, with the message being it's as good as it's always been and is at the heart of generations of viewers etc etc.

They'll pay lip service to their past, mainly focussing on stars who are long since dead or old shows that have been revived with Vernon Kay or Holly Wobbly. The rest will be an excuse to showcase Coronation Street, Britain's Got Talent, I'm a Celebrity and The Chase to boost current ratings. Somehow, I suspect Quizmania won't be mentioned when they remind us of their past glories...

Totally agree with you.

ITV is all about Granada now, they rule the network. I doubt they want to show names like Central, Anglia, LWT etc. that were all their (superior) rivals once upon a time. I bet Thames and ATV are dirty words in the corridors at Granada!!

If there's any kind of celebration, it'll be all about Coronation Street and how wonderful it is in 'Granadaland' >:(

swb1964 · 22/02/15 - 18:35

I doubt it- ITV is very much a national station these days.

The best you might get is the Idents featuring in a News Item on each of the regional news bulletins. Even that I doubt because the 60th anniversary of ITV will only mark 60 years of ITV in London- other regions didn't come along until later.....

SonOfPurple · 22/02/15 - 20:22

I'd like to see a second CITV oldskool weekend as part of 'ITV60', it's been long enough since the last one now that it won't seem overused. Dunno how likely it is in reality, mind. We may well get ITV3 replays of recent retro-hued things like Goodbye Granadaland and Come On Down: the Gameshow Story if ITV want to play up the archive angle at little cost...

As to the main channel, retro-style pres is unlikely unless they do something involving, say, the 1989 or 1998 logos, as those were the only network presentation logos before 2006: celebratory programmes raiding the archives could well happen as they did for the 50th, though.

Rijowhi · 22/02/15 - 20:42

swb1964 wrote: »

I doubt it- ITV is very much a national station these days.

The best you might get is the Idents featuring in a News Item on each of the regional news bulletins. Even that I doubt because the 60th anniversary of ITV will only mark 60 years of ITV in London- other regions didn't come along until later.....

I think a celebration within the Regional News programmes is exactly what we'll get when it comes to celebrating the regions contribution to ITV. I don't see ITV doing a ITV 50 as there isn't much the Regions do now and they won't want to draw attention to that.

I'm sure there will be a National programme though which will highlight the best and most important programming from ITV's 60 years. As for ident tributes, a Regional Name on the current set would be a start. You never know though...

Gwylfa · 22/02/15 - 20:47

Phil_Baggers wrote: »

Suppose, but surely the likes if ITV Wales, Meridian, Granada, Central, Yorkshire and Tyne Tees could still do it. They're bound to have an archives room somewhere so they could dust them down and show them again.
I remember UTV did it a few years ago for their 50th.

When ITV Wales left the old Culverhouse Cross complex last year,Argon Haines-Davies (ex continuity announcer)presented a four part programme featuring the best of HTV 's output including the idents!This was in one of our local output slots.Wales still has more than most ,if not all,of the other regions when it comes to local half hours.

leslie123 · 23/02/15 - 13:32

80sfan wrote: »

Totally agree with you.

ITV is all about Granada now, they rule the network. I doubt they want to show names like Central, Anglia, LWT etc. that were all their (superior) rivals once upon a time. I bet Thames and ATV are dirty words in the corridors at Granada!!

If there's any kind of celebration, it'll be all about Coronation Street and how wonderful it is in 'Granadaland' >:(

I believe they are doing a live episode of Coronation Street later this year. Anyway it is Associated Rediffusion and ATV who are the original pioneers of ITV in the London area. It is actually the case that even in the London area that ITV was very restricted. Back in 1955 the Croydon transmitter on Channel 9 VHF Band 3 was relatively low power with an ERP of only 60kw later increased in 1962 to 400kw with the building of a new and higher transmitting mast. Coupled with the fact that many televisions at the time were pretuned to BBC TV with no facility to switch to ITV, then one can only assume that the number of viewers on the opening night of September 22nd must have been extremely minimal.

JordyD · 23/02/15 - 13:58

Rijowhite wrote: »

I think a celebration within the Regional News programmes is exactly what we'll get when it comes to celebrating the regions contribution to ITV.

Yes, on ITV Central there will be endless banging on about Crossroads, ATV Today, and Tiswas as usual. I bet the guests will be Anne Diamond, Chris Tarrant etc... And no end to the rummaging through the old archives to fill up air time.

Same old shi*te all the time.

AidanLunn · 23/02/15 - 14:16

80sfan wrote: »

Totally agree with you.

ITV is all about Granada now, they rule the network. I doubt they want to show names like Central, Anglia, LWT etc. that were all their (superior) rivals once upon a time. I bet Thames and ATV are dirty words in the corridors at Granada!!

If there's any kind of celebration, it'll be all about Coronation Street and how wonderful it is in 'Granadaland' >:(

How easily you forget how good that pre-egomania Granada actually was!

80sfan · 23/02/15 - 14:39

AidanLunn wrote: »

How easily you forget how good that pre-egomania Granada actually was!

I haven't forgotten how dull and boring Granada was, no

[Deleted User] · 23/02/15 - 17:23

BelfastGuy125 wrote: »

Do people really care about this kind of thing?

Only on digital spy

There's is no way ITV will bother with that as it will distract from there branding and it would have a very niche appeal.

albertd · 23/02/15 - 17:35

80sfan wrote: »

In London, the majority of people who would like to see the idents would no doubt wish to see Thames, with LWT thrown in as well, but it just wouldn't happen because of a long forgotten station called Carlton!!

Carlton, although very good at different and creative idents, never made any lasting impact on its London audience. I always liked the 'You're Watching Carlton' idents though.

Why Thames and LWT? They didn't start until some years later (1968). The original 1955 company in London was Associated Rediffusion with their expanding star intro. And ATV at the weekends.

As for Carlton, that was decades later (1990s).

80sfan · 23/02/15 - 20:17

albertd wrote: »

Why Thames and LWT? They didn't start until some years later (1968). The original 1955 company in London was Associated Rediffusion with their expanding star intro. And ATV at the weekends.

As for Carlton, that was decades later (1990s).

Why? Because for most people around the Home Counties, Thames and LWT are THE names associated with ITV

JordyD · 23/02/15 - 20:25

There's been some mess of branding in the regions in the more recent years. Some examples;

'ITV1 Carlton for Central England'
'ITV1 Carlton for the Westcountry'
'HTV ITV1 in Wales'
'ITV Channel TV'
and my favourite - 'ITV News IN Central'.

Central has been known as ATV, Central, Carlton, ITV1 for Central England, ITV1 Central and finally ITV Central.

Hey there!

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Could ITV bring back regional idents for their 60 years?

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