ITV1 ECP's...

Not that I'm complaining but today (Wednesday) was the third day that Crossroads on its 5:30 slot has gone without the 'traditional' ECP (at least on Carlton Central anyway).

As I say, not complaining but they seem to have just vanished and left behind what is basically 20 seconds of flying lines which you're not supposed to see...

Have ITV1 chucked this practise out or has it all just gone head over arse at the moment? http://web.ukonline.co.uk/tv.home/forum/emoticons/confused.gif

They don't seem to be too focused about their ECP's atm. After spending ages gradually putting ECP's onto everything including some regional programming they then have made a few big networked programmes from big network providers like LWT without ECP credits. I think it's possible they may go back to only using ECP's in Prime time (remember at the start ECP's were only used for Emmerdale and Coronation Street, everything else was spared them).

And another thing.......

Are programmes being simulataneously made with 'real' credits. It's just occured to me that if the ECP credits are the only credits made, what happens when they get exported, released on video/DVD, or when ITV start using different ECP styles (assuming they stay with them)? Their new look won't be very coherent if they rerun something which ends with the hearts style generic credits and wathinc a video release of something with all the credits shoved over to the right will look weird.

As the SUnday crossroads omnibus is made with non-generic credits, I'm wondering if real credits are out there.

Well Crossroads has been sold to New Zealand so I'm assuming the archives will have proper credits (as will the episodes shown in New Zealand) which will be used by foreign companies and people like UK Gold.

The credit graphics are the ITV standard credit style and are sent out to all their programme suppliers.

If the programme makers want to make another version without them... then it is up to them.



(Edited by Larry Scutta at 12:34 am on Jan. 10, 2002)

Stupid question from me I'm afraid - I know what ECP's are, but what does it stand for?

ECP = End credits promotion
VOECS = Voice over end credits
MAD = More announcer drivel

But they've just added ECP's to the ITV News this week, which is just the most pointless thing because there's no time to advertise anything.

It seems odd that by the time ITV1 really started pushing use of the generic credits, it was at a time when the hearts element of any generic branding was just about starting to die.

Where the hearts still remain, their days are apparently numbered (not that we can be sure what that number is). Will ITV1 introduce a new style of generic credits to match any new overall generic theme, or will they revert to allowing programmes to have 'proper' individual-style credits?????

It's particularly odd that some recent repeats of old programmes originally made and shown long long before the generic credits were even a twinkle in a designer's eye, had their closing sequences altered to suit the current thinking (e.g. Darling Buds of May; Touch of Frost)

Yes, Crossroads has 'proper' credits on RTE in Ireland. (And is shown in 4:3). However other programmes may not, for example Coronation St and Emmerdale on TV3 both use the ITV generic credits. (Then again, TV3 is part of the ITV 'extended family' by vitue of being 45% owned by Granada).

My guess is that its up to the individual company whether to do two versions. I'm guessing Carlton do, but Granada don't.

BTW - what is the point of the generic credits on the ITV News. There usually is only one or two names anyway, and not enough time to promote something. (And there are instances when Trevor McDonald will say something like 'Next on ITV1, Night and Day', and a UTV announcer will have to say 'Well actually, next on UTV is Insight'.)


(Edited by rdd at 1:08 pm on Jan. 11, 2002)

>sequences altered to suit the current thinking (e.g. Darling Buds >of May; Touch of Frost)
I've since learned that Darling Buds of May was a re-edit of the original (although all I can see different is it had that stupid fake film effect added to it) hence it apparantly was a new production (so it got a 2001 copyright date, I feel this is wrong it should've been the original date AND 2001 or the original date only) hence generic credits because YTV love them.

Darling Buds of May was shot on film. I remember this specifically because they had to reshoot a scene because the film labs ruined it.