BBC Video was formed and established in 1980 as a division of BBC Enterprises to distribute BBC television programmes for home video (later "BBC Worldwide") with John Ross Barnard as head. Their videos originally went through CBS/Fox Video (from 1985 to 1998) and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (from 1998-2000) for U.S. distribution. The license was taken over by Warner Home Video in 2000, and in 2008 Warner's logo was replaced by the logo for 2Entertain, except for on Charlie and Lola. As of 2017, BBC self-distributes their DVD's in the U.S. In Australia, their videos were originally distributed by PolyGram Video, before Roadshow Entertainment and ABC Video (The Australian "ABC") took over in 1996, and in 1999, Universal Pictures started co-distributing BBC Video tapes in Australia, except on DVDs, on the back, it has Roadshow Entertainment and ABC DVD logos and Universal 1997 Print logo. on the disc, it uses the BBC current logo from 1997, the Roadshow Entertainment logo from 1993, The ABC DVD logo from 2002-2008, and the Universal Logo from 1997-present.
Logos[]
1st logo (1980-1988)[]
Used in VHS & films
Opening: Many coloured parallelograms come from the top and bottom of the screen towards the middle, where a white four-pointed star is being "drawn". The coloured shapes stop coming from the bottom as an orange line with a "V" shaped bend in the middle arrives, accompanied by a "shadow" effect. It stops below the star, and the parallelograms return from the bottom as the letters "BBC" and "IDEO" are drawn in white at either side of the "V". The line with the "V" is traced over with white. All the parallelograms finally stop as the logo completes and the star in it shines. It looks like a 1970s neon sign.
On 101 Great Goals, the logo is superimposed onto a soccer match. At the end, a still of the normal opening logo with a copyright stamp is used.
On widescreen releases, the words "This is a wide screen film" fade in shortly before the star stops shining.
The copyright date (in Roman numerals) may be in a different font, other than Futura. It also appears that the 1981 and sometimes 1982 versions are the only ones that appear to be "natural" as the rest appear with some kind of video effect.
Starting in 1985, a shadow effect was added while the star is being drawn away.
On the 1988 release of The Young Ones, as well as Dad's Army tapes from the era, it cuts to the copyright notice whereas the whole thing is silent.
On Watch With Mother tapes, the logo turns gray-scale when the 'V' comes in, the closing starts in gray-scale but turns into color before the text is drawn away. Another version exists of this where it fades to the B&W effect as well on some other releases.
On a promo variant, the logo seems to fly backwards as it finishes.
On a trailer/promo VHS, we see the regular logo for a few seconds until we cut to a black background with a blue book sideways with the print logo of the time. In the bottom (or in the end of the tape, the top), we see "NEW VIDEO TASTIES" in yellow. The closing logo starts when the text is drawn away, and the copyright date uses a 1982 version at its base, with an extra "I" added to the end of the copyright date to read instead as "MCMLXXXIII", and it fades out.
A shortened version of the closing variant exists, starting from the small light flashing.
On most U.S. video releases distributed by CBS/Fox Video or Playhouse Video, the copyright disclaimer in the closing version is blacked out due to legal reasons.
2nd logo (1988-1991)[]
Opening: On a black screen, some copyright text in a yellow, Times font zooms in from the center of the screen. It fades out, and another load of text zooms in. The second set of text zooms out as they fade to a map of the world, metallic gold (land) on blue (sea), the land waves up and down. The land and sea draw together to form a globe (which is a modified version of the BBC 1 "Computer Originated World" ident from 1985-1991) rotating. The reverse of the globe can be seen through the "sea" of the globe. From the front and bottom of the screen, "BBC VIDEO" in a copper Times-like font flies in. When it stops below the globe two of the letters sparkle before the program starts.
End: The sequence reverses, with the "BBC VIDEO" flying out and the globe turning back into a map. The same copyright text from the previous logo appears. This was the BBC Enterprises copyright disclaimer, which was occasionally cut from U.S. releases by CBS/Fox.
Variants[]
On Australian releases, the tape's OFLC rating certificate appears in place of the copyright info.
The copyright text may be in a different font, other than ITC Avant Garde Gothic.
A rare extended variant was seen on some releases.
3rd logo (1990-1997)[]
On a black background, a blue streak comes in from the right of the screen and a green streak comes in from the left of the screen. The two streaks merge to form a red line in the middle of the screen and they leave behind green and blue lines afterwards. The BBC boxes fade in above, forming a CGI version of the 1988 BBC logo used at the time.
Variants[]
On the 1991 VHS tape Bottom Fluff, a tape containing outtakes and unused footage from the sitcom Bottom, silhouettes of the show's stars, Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmonson can be seen messing around at the bottom of the screen during the second half of the logo.
On the 1995 VHS release of the Doctor Who episode "The Five Doctors", the logo is snatched up by the Time Scoop (the device that kidnapped the Doctor's incarnations and his companions at the beginning of the story).
Very early releases with this logo have the copyright disclaimer in a different font (e.g. Helvetica or Gill Sans).
Against a white marble background, three black boxes swing in from the right. As they turn sideways, the letters "BBC" enter each one. Once the logo is formed, three colored streaks (one blue, one red, and one green) pass under it and leave similarly colored lines under the boxes. Finally, the word "VIDEO" (in black) appears under the completed logo. Everything seems to be italicized, even the boxes.
5th logo (1997-2010)[]
Beginning of VHS and DVD: On a navy blue background there are several ribbons going from top right and top middle of the screen and the bottom middle of the screen highlighted in red, green, and blue. The current 1997 BBC logo (in white) fades in.
Closing of VHS: Same as the last logo, except when the BBC logo fades in, the BBC Worldwide copyright disclaimer and copyright date fade in. This variant wasn't used on DVD releases.
Variants[]
Sometimes, the logo can be in widescreen; also, the ribbons move differently. This is mostly seen on recent DVDs.
Occasionally, the BBC logo in the copyright info is replaced by a text version.
An extremely rare variant (presumably a prototype) exists, where the ribbon is thicker and only moves a little bit before looping. The background is also black and the BBC logo is slightly different, with shorter squares and black text.
On The Best of BBC Comedy, instead the text "BBC Worldwide & The Sunday People Present The BBC Comedy Collection" appears in Gill Sans. BBC Worldwide and The Sunday People have their logos represented instead, and they, along with "BBC Comedy Collection" are much larger. An announcer also is present, saying "You're watching The Best of BBC Comedy, a hilarious compilation prepared exclusively for readers of The Sunday People."
Starting in around 2004, the BBC copyright stamp doesn't have "BBC" in its print logo anymore.
There is a slighty altered variant where the ribbons are further away, this can be seen on blue and black backgrounds.
6th logo (2009-2018)[]
A red screen flashes in a red lens flare, and it causes a BBC squares logo to appear, this time in a small, purple background. The background then glows in red as several flares in different colors ,suddenly flashing one by one, light the BBC logo. The effect of flashing also appears on circles that left. The color in the background changes each time a flash appears.
7th Logo (2017-2023)[]
The lines and dots moving, the fading of the BBC logo. The logo is somewhat plain compared to the previous logo.
Variant[]
A shortened variant which starts with the "explosion" can be seen at the start of post-2017 episodes of Doctor Who whenever they are shown as well as streaming and international prints of some BBC shows such as Top Gear.
8th Logo (2023-)[]
TBA.
Music/Sounds[]
1st logo[]
There were six versions (seven all together if you include the closing):
Opening:
(1980-1984) A big band marching band-type tune, with kettle drums, in B♭ major. Used from the beginning until 1984.
(1980-1984) A Moog synth tune with a marching-band flair (sounding similar to the first tune) in A major. Used in tandem with the first tune.
(1981) An orchestrated version of the first and second tunes in a different key (C major), led by violins. Used on Treasures of the British Crown on Laserdisc, released in 1981. It is unknown if it was used on any other releases.
(1981-1984) A laid-back rock version of the first and second tunes in a different key (D♯/E♭ major).
(1984-1988) A bouncy synthesized theme that ends with drawn-out synth notes and a 3-note synth-horn fanfare. A "whoosh" is also used to mark the appearance of the "V". This is the one you are most likely to find and has been composed to match the animation as closest as possible. Used from 1984 until the end, and was composed by Peter Howell, who also arranged the 1980's version of the Doctor Who theme.
(1987) A tune sounding like it was played from a music box. This was used only on Watch with Mother tapes beginning in 1987.
Closing:
(1980-1984 variant 1) A re-arranged version of the marching band-type tune with a powerful flourish.
(1980-1984 variant 2) A re-arranged version of the Moog synth tune with a longer beginning and more grand ending.
(1981) A slower re-arranged version of the string-led tune.
(1981-1984) A slower re-arranged version of the rock tune with an electric guitar strum.
(1984-1988) Ascending synth notes and chimes that lead into a shorter version of the opening logo's music with a different, more depressing ending.
(1987 Watch with Mother variant) Same as beginning, but the start of the tune is extended.
(1980's) An extremely rare re-orchestrated variant can be found on Great Railways - Flying Scotsman.
2nd logo[]
Calm synth music with tribal beats. For the closing version, each section of the opening logo's music plays in reverse order.
3rd logo[]
A somber 9-note piano piece followed by the sound of a choir holding the final note.
Music/Sounds Variants[]
A low tone version of the music exists. On this version, the music comes in when the green and blue streaks merge.
On the "Five Doctors" variant, a spinning whirl sound is heard when the Time Scoop steals the BBC logo.
At the end of the 1997 VHS of Diana: A Celebration (one of the last tapes to use this logo), it is completely silent. This also occurs at the beginning and end of the UK VHS of the same release, as well as Poldark Series 1 Volume 1.
On some re-releases (mainly from those that originaly contain the 1984 version of the 1980 logo), if you listen very closely, you might hear the 1984 music from the 1980 logo playing faintly over the logo and warning screen, due to poor plastering.
4th logo[]
Same as the 3rd logo.
5th logo[]
A calm synth-string/harp theme with a hi-hat clash that's actually a slightly more upbeat arrangement of the 1990 theme. For the logo's first year, the theme was slightly different. The "prototype" variant is silent.
6th logo[]
A synthesized tune accompanied by strings, organs and drum beats.
7th logo[]
A creaking sound, which is later accompanied by an orchestral theme.
8th logo[]
TBA.
Scare Factor[]
1st logo[]
Low. The music and trippy visuals may be an issue for some, but regardless this is a favorite of many. Low to medium for the closing variant as the music grows quite depressing at the end.
2nd logo[]
Low, mainly because of the music, it might also surprise you if you see the closing for the first time. But if you've always been seeing the both of them, you should be perfectly fine. However, this is nothing compared to the next logo...
3rd logo[]
Low to nightmare, The dark atmosphere and the primitive animation combined with the dismal, stinging piano notes have left quite a strong impact and scared a lot of younger viewers back in the 90s and 00s. However, looking back it is a favourite of many now, and is a strong source of Nostalgia for those who grew up with it.
4th logo[]
Low to high, we still have that creepy music and some weird 3D animation this time, but the brightness of the background calms things down slightly.
5th logo[]
None to low, Although Some viewers may be startled by its appearance on Red Dwarf after the long, silent Grant Naylor Productions logo fades out, and it has a dark atmosphere, This is a favorite of many, especially in the UK.
6th logo[]
Minimal. A very vivid and decent logo, although it is not as popular as past logos. It might be raised a little if you were expecting the other logo. Some may also be put off by the flashing lights. But overall its harmless and tamer than the older logos.
7th logo[]
Low, due the dark atmosphere.
8th logo[]
TBA.
Videos[]
BBC promo logo ident 1981 motion graphics
BBC Video Ident with Alternative Music - 1984 ARCHIVED
BBC Video (1980-1988) (101 Great Goals variants)
BBC Video ident
BBC Video Ident - Morphing COW Globe
BBC Video Intro (1990)
BBC Video 1995 Logo (Doctor Who- The Five Doctors Variant
