Scary TV idents

Did anyone else on here find some of the 80s TV production endcaps unnerving?

The one I specifically remember was the old Paramount Television ident which was shown at the end of Cheers. Used to scare the hell out of me. The DiC blue vortex (84'ish) was another one. I also remember the ident at the end of Diplodo scaring me but I can't actually remember what it was or who it was for. I only seem to very vaguely remember something like an electric guitar on a white background? I could be wrong though.

I also remember feeling uncomfortable several times in the dark with a creepy tune going through my head. I didn't know what it was for a long time but now I'm pretty sure it's the 1970s Yorkshire Television one.

I'd be curious to hear if anyone else has any memories like these.

Dudess

Yeah, a lot of them had a bit of an ominous feel to them all right. The one I remember best is the Thames Television one - not scary though, but quite... commanding or something!

Ruu_Old

Have a look here, might interest you.

icdg

I don't know whether I'd regard any TV ident as scary nowadays, although when I was a kid that flying Hanna-Barbara star I found wierd. The Yorkshire Television logo seems to scare a lot of people, though maybe that's due to the stylised-Y / cheveron looking a bit like a bat (or more likely, their fanfare "On Ilkley Moor Baht 'at" sometimes sounding a bit harsh). On the US side the 1970s Viacom logo is often cited as being scary for some reason...

Wertz

There used to be one on after Sale of the Century for Anglia maybe, of a revolving knight on horseback with studio spotlights blinging off it that used to do my young head in for some reason.

"Sit Ubu, sit! *bark* Good dog." annoys me too....I mean who the hell calls their dog Ubu?

The one for some US production company (cantrell?) with the guy typing at an open window and pulling the sheet out where it turns into a graphic, I used to love, think it was the music or soemthing.

Pigman II

I always found the Filmation idents a bit disturbing, the ones with "Lou Scheimer"s name rotating around in a circular fashion. Words are not meant to be written the way!!!

Our man in Havana

The original 1978 RTE 2 idents were very scary imho. They sounded like a creaking gate in a graveyard.

murphaph

Wertz wrote: »

The one for some US production company (cantrell?) with the guy typing at an open window and pulling the sheet out where it turns into a graphic, I used to love, think it was the music or soemthing.

I know the one but Cantrell doesn't ring a bell. I believe the sheet of paper morphed into one of the letters in the graphic and it was a U or a C, obviously not a T or X shape! I thought it might have been United Artists or United International Pictures but I can't find anything on t'internet and it's driving me nuts now!

Wertz

Yeah I've been googling/youtubing and nothing comes up. Pretty sure the sheet(s) turn into a "C". I can't even think of a show offhand that definitely had it at the end...

[edit] I had a brainwave and searched for the greatest american hero (only should I could think of that defo had it)...the wiki page mentioned a Stephen J Canell, which sounded very familiar.


He's the guy doing the typing. Works for the NY times or somesuch...

Curse my photographic memory.

[edit2]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AZjJjY4DwQ

Our man in Havana

The A-Team had that Stephen J Canell ident at the end.

Wertz

D'oh!

murphaph

Nice one. I can sleep easy tonight!