1984
From January 1984, a preview of the Saturday evening line-up with clips from Knight Rider, Child's Play, 3-2-1, T.J.Hooker and Are You in the House Alone?
xVid Video (320x240 4.03MB 60sec)
In-vision continuity from Helen Lloyd in the early '80s.
1985
From 1985, the updated main Central production ident shown across the network. Gone was the split sphere and in its place a cleaner, more graceful animation. However, for continuity in the Central region itself, a striking new design was used and would remain in place until the 'Carltonisation' of Central in 1998.
Based on the simple black and white version of the logo that had already been in use on Central's programme captions from day one, and perhaps with more than a little inspiration from Martin Lambie-Nairn's ground-breaking Channel 4 logo of 1982, the new 3D Central logo.
Flash Video (240x180 1.03MB)
Clip courtesy of Stuart Allen
Music: 'Advision' Bennett
A simple 'Next' sting promoting the following programme.
Flash Video (240x180 0.54MB)
Clip courtesy of Stuart Allen
An alternative 'Next' sting with more animation of the logo. Other stings would be used for 'Soon', 'Later', 'Tomorrow' and so on.
Flash Video (240x180 0.39MB)
Clip courtesy of Stuart Allen
A further variation on the animation, this time flying between the white and coloured blocks of the logo.
Flash Video (240x180 0.75MB)
Clip courtesy of Stuart Allen
1986
By January 1986, Central was becoming more adventurous with its new animated 3D logo. Rather than it just being animated over a plain black background, in this set of stings it forms over the Central name awash with water.
For much of its time as a company in its own right, Central often used the tag line 'The One To Watch' - shown here at the end of a programme trailer.
A simple two programme menu using the same watery background.
This video shows an in-to-break 'Next' sting and a pre-programme ident.
xVid Video (320x240 2.34MB 26sec)
Flash Video (240x180 1.89MB)
Music: 'Pre Vision' Bennett
Music: 'Vision On' Bennett
In 1986 logo was refined using the latest 3D graphics with bevelled edges and more convoluted movements.
A short burst of the same ident was used to lead in to trailers as shown in this trailer for the premiere of 'An Officer and a Gentleman' on Easter Monday 1986. It is followed by a slightly cut off version of the full ident.
xVid Video (320x240 1.32MB 18sec)
Flash Video (240x180 1.26MB)
Music: 'Catchphrase' Bennett/Virgo
Later in 1986, Central's presentation graphics took on a circuit board theme, whilst retaining the music introduced when the 3D logo replaced the original.
xVid Video (320x240 0.88MB 10sec)
Flash Video (240x180 0.79MB)
In this sting, the logo swaps place with the Central name. It's followed by the Thames Television skyline ident.
xVid Video (320x240 1.49MB 18sec)
Flash Video (240x180 1.33MB)
One variation of the '86 idents saw the logo start off plain silver and then being 'zapped' with bolts of colour as it span around. In this 'Next' sting, the animation is shown in reverse and speeded up.
xVid Video (320x240 0.92MB 10sec)
Flash Video (240x180 0.59MB)
Music: 'Document' Bennett/Virgo
The circuit board animation used for a 'Later' sting, including a generic programme slide that shows the first 3D Central logo (with sharp – not bevelled – edges) rather than a caption from the programme. It's followed by a Scottish Television production ident.
xVid Video (320x240 1.97MB 22sec)
Flash Video (240x180 1.50MB)
Gary Terzza providing the in-vision continuity on Christmas Day 1986.
1987
1987 saw a major addition to Central's output with the introduction of 'in to the night' programming from Saturday April 25th.
Consisting mainly of films, talk shows, music programmes and news headlines, it was also to be the home of the ubiquitous Australian import 'Prisoner: Cell Block H'.
'More to Come' - a short trailer of the new schedule.
(Apologies for the jumping video.)
xVid Video (320x240 0.88MB 10sec)
Whilst the re-working of the idents was simply a case of replacing the black background with what was to become Central's ever-present purple theme to its overnight presentation, it was the slickness of the continuity that was impressive.
Presentation end-captions were replaced with fluid transitions using the standard animation in to menus for the programmes coming next.
Flash Video (240x180 1.17MB)
Clip courtesy of Stuart Allen
In the early years of overnight broadcasting by the ITV regions, it was down to the local companies to provide a headline service, roughly on the hour. It would be a few years yet until ITN replaced the regional service with a national one.
In the meantime, Central had a smooth transition from a 'Central Presentation' to 'News Headlines' to either a menu or an ident as shown here.
Flash Video (240x180 1.63MB)
Clip courtesy of Stuart Allen
Christmas Day on Central in 1987 and the stings in to and out of the break.
xVid Video (320x240 1.48MB 18sec)
Flash Video (240x180 1.59MB)
Two Christmas Day highlights - 'Blind Date' and 'It'll Be Alright On The Night'.
xVid Video (320x240 2.43MB 30sec)
Flash Video (240x180 2.47MB)
1988
One of the variants of break bumpers used to separate programmes from commercials.
This animation was used in to programmes, and would be reversed for going in to commercials.
xVid Video (320x240 0.49MB 7sec)
Flash Video (240x180 0.47MB)
1989
Pre-break sting from 1989 trailing the next programme – in this case, 'Saturday Night at the Movies' hosted by Tony Slattery.
xVid Video (320x240 0.94MB 10sec)
From the same year, a sting trailing a film showing later 'tonight'.
xVid Video (320x240 0.94MB 10sec)
A reminder that Central is part of the ITV network – a combined ident.
xVid Video (320x240 0.96MB 11sec)
A second combined Central and ITV ident, followed by the ITV Sport ident of the time.
xVid Video (320x240 1.19MB 15sec)
Overnight programming on Central was branded under the 'More' title, and for some reason during this period, Central seemed fixated with a saxophone player.
xVid Video (320x240 2.52MB 36sec)
Flash Video (240x180 2.51MB)
From the autumn season of 1989, the 3D CGI graphics were replaced with obscure filmed backgrounds behind the main ident.
xVid Video (320x240 0.97MB 9sec)
Flash Video (240x180 0.67MB)
Also, in the majority of the continuity, the lines of the logo were incorporated into the main design - as in this dual Central and ITV ident.
xVid Video (320x240 1.12MB 10sec)
Flash Video (240x180 0.98MB)
1991
From early 1991, a pre-break sting promoting 'Spitting Image' for tomorrow, and 'Taggart – The Movie' next.
xVid Video (320x240 1.35MB 12sec)
Ident in to the final episode of 'Prisoner – Cell Block H' on 16th December 1991.
xVid Video (320x240 0.99MB 10sec)
For some years now, the overnight schedule's idents and continuity had a purple hue. This is a short ident from 1991.
xVid Video (320x240 0.93MB 9sec)
In this pre-break sting announcing a programme change, the Central name is used rather than 'Late' or 'Next'. A brief glimpse of a trailer for 'Minder' follows it.
xVid Video (320x240 1.97MB 20sec)
1993
Whilst continuing the prism effect, the next evolution of Central's presentation took on a more colourful if slightly fussy appearance - there was a lot going on on screen.
Two break stings for Later and Tomorrow.
xVid Video (320x240 1.88MB 17sec)
Music: 'Daytime' Millfield
Overnight programming was essentially the same package of animations, but with Central's customary night-time purple tinge to everything. Also, references to the 'More' and 'Late' branding had all but disappeared.
A pre-break sting, ident and post-programme presentation credit with link, shown around the first episode of 'Prisoner - Cell Block H', when Central started a re-run of the series in February 1993.
xVid Video (320x240 2.77MB 32sec)
Music: 'Teleprompt' Millfield
Another variant of the ident. This time the basic shapes were coloured-in by flying ribbons, rather than by dropping balls.
1997
In 1997, Central's logo was displayed in many varying styles made from many varying materials. The full colour logo would usually be reserved for the final frame of a pre-programme ident, but that was not always the case.
This sting (leading straight in to the following programme) trails an upcoming episode of the drama 'London's Burning'.
xVid Video (320x240 1.10MB 11sec)
Flash Video (240x180 0.81MB)
A similar pre-programme sting trailing an international soccer match between England and Cameroon.
xVid Video (320x240 0.49MB 5sec)
Flash Video (240x180 0.40MB)
An ident in to highlights of the 'Tournoi de France' in 1997. The network 'ITV Sport' ident follows.
xVid Video (320x240 0.83MB 10sec)
Flash Video (240x180 0.71MB)
And finally...
