BBC Two 50th Year Presentation

Crystal Ball was definitely dropped because the 2 wasn't on screen for long enough in the opinion of the head of pres at the time. However, I'd wager that it's on air for longer than any of the current 4's are once they're actually formed up! That same head of pres was also responsible for declining to use some of the original edits of the BBC one balloons because there were too many cuts in them, the thinking was that people wouldn't appreciate that it was an ident - and I suppose after the globes for so many years, there is some merit in this argument. Channel presentation really has moved on so much in the intervening 20 years hasn't it?

My favourites were always Swan and Excalibur just to add my tuppence worth. Doubt we'll see this sequence though:

It doesn't really make any sense to show the Paint Pot ident without Paint alongside. 

The Paint ident is shown alongside Paint Pot, but only in Northern Ireland, for now.

We know - we can access The Ident Gallery whenever we want.

Part of it makes a cameo in an episode of I'm Alan Partridge!

That clip reminds me that a while back I stumbled across BBC2 overnight and noticed that the 1997 Learning Zone presentation is still in use. Still looks pretty good 17 years later

Just to say Zapper was used going into Dragons den at 8pm this evening, so its starting to get more airings.

Is it a coincidence that all of the idents network have used have action all the way through, rather than ending on a still after forming up (eg Blade, Paint)?

Not a coincidence apparently.

So why isn't Ariel or optic being used by the network?

Also is the 50th birthday ident still in use?

Ariel ends on a static shot.

So does predator,

That's not strictly correct.