1979
BBC2 Friday Promo01.03.1979 The first part of a promo for Friday 1 March, shortly after the introduction of the =2= ident.
Television World Promo14.06.1979
Television World was a BBC2 documentary strand examining various aspects of the broadcasting industry as the seventies made way for the eighties. The episode trailed here looks at American Television - ratings-driven even then. Look out for the NBC continuity at the end.
Butterflies Promo25.10.1979 A 90 second promo for the return of "Butterflies" to BBC2 ahead of the introduction to the next programme.
BBC2 Christmas - Over on BBC1 now...1979
Christmas Day and just before "Baboushka" starts on BBC2, announcer Robin Whitting reminds us that All Creatures Great And Small is about to start on BBC1.
BBC2 Christmas Continuity23.12.1979
The end of the evening's programme rundown before a look at what's currently on BBC2 and this year's Christmas ident to introduce the Beatles at Christmas.
BBC2 Christmas - Baboushka Breakdown25.12.1979
A sound fault causes BBC2's musical story, Baboushka, to be interrupted on Christmas night. The problem is quickly resolved, but it gives us a look at the 1979 Christmas slides design. Also, the announcers changed shift during transmission of Baboushka. Andy Cartledge makes the on-air apology, followed by a further one at the end of the programme.1980
BBC2 Continuity14.01.1980 Slides, trailer and the ==2== in action to herald a programme about learning the Russian language.
BBC2 Sunday menu18.10.1980
Highlights of Sunday evening on 2 include further Snooker coverage and Masters of the Keyboard. Interesting use of total opposites here - a corporate look for the start of the menu and a generic end board!
On BBC11980
1st clip - From 27th October 1980, On BBC1 now it's the main evening news, so what do you think is on BBC2? Martin King is the man to tell us, and he does so without losing face.
BBC2 Christmas Films Promo1980
It's going to be a merry Christmas this year on BBC2, albeit an icy one - BBC1's usual Futura lettering hops over the fence and forms the ice sculpture in this festive teaser.
BBC2 Christmas - Trail: The Godfather26.12.1980
So having had a general look at BBC2's festive films, here's more about the star attraction - the UK television premiere of The Godfather. The 1980 Christmas symbol follows.1981
BBC2 Start-Up21.1.1981
An evening startup from 1981 featuring the BBC2 logo with fanfare and a programme rundown for the early evening.
BBC2 Start-Up28.4.1981
As late as 1981, BBC2 didn't start its main evening's output between February and September until 6.55pm as the channel showed Open University programmes every weekday teatime during the OU year. This clip is an example of that early evening start-up and begins with the BBC2 logo with fanfare before a rundown of the evening's programming. Note that the BBC2 logo did not return after the programme rundown.
BBC2 Continuity16.10.1981
This clip features info on two forthcoming programmes over holding slides before linking into the next programme.
BBC2 Continuity16.10.1981 Lots of promotion of merchandise for Not The Nine O’Clock News in this clip. Who says that merchandising began in the 1990s? Then Russell Harty tells us about his programme which “attempts to reach those untouchable parts.” Priceless!
BBC2 Breakdown13.06.1981
Just when today's Saturday Cinema has us on the edge of our seats, the film disappears! The Temporary Fault caption is soon on screen and David Allan apologises for the break. There's no quick fix - the film needs to be transferred to another projector. As visuals switch to the programme slide, two familiar tunes keep us entertained.
BBC2 Listener link23.10.1981
Plenty of variety in this junction from 1981. Following an academic lecture, Andy Cartledge tells us the full text will be in the next issue of The Listener, but if you can't wait there's an address you can write to for a transcript.
That out of the way, Andy tells us the Nine O'Clock News is just starting on BBC1, while here on 2 it's...Not the Nine O'Clock News!
BBC2 Christmas Promotions1981
Candles were BBC2's Christmas theme in 1981 and here they are promoting a season of Jack Lemmon films to be shown over the holidays. More candles are seen at the end of a Christmas Eve trail.
Christmas Day on BBC2 Promo1981 So what did Christmas Day bring on BBC2? If The Generation Game and the usual mainstream stuff wasn't your bag you could have always watched the London Festival Ballet, Country Holiday and another film from Jack Lemmon.
BBC2 Christmas Link25.12.1981
A standard no-trails junction from BBC2 on Christmas Day. Your announcer is Clive Roslin (yes, Gaby's dad!)1982
BBC2 Friday menu02.04.1982
This evening menu features a revolving 2 symbol in the background, which could almost have been an alternative ident. Peter Bolgar runs through the programmes live, complete with a nice bit of Bruton Music.
BBC2 Trail - Cookshow & Continuity12.10.1982
The first of three examples of the BBC2 look for trailers during autumn 1982.
BBC2 Year of the French trail10.11.1982
1982 wasn't really Year of the French - that was an early docusoap charting the lives of several very different Frenchmen and women. Mike Gamble tells us more in this trail.
BBC2 Christmas Animations1982 BBC2 has Christmas gift-wrapped with a tesellating Christmas tree design. To view the animation on its own, click the left-hand link, while on the right is a full promo offering a taste of BBC2's seasonal goodies. These include the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Richard Baker's Christmas Dozen.
On BBC1 now... Christmas27.12.1982
A rather nice Christmas card idea for cross-promo slides on BBC2. Electronically generated and not a snowflake in sight!
BBC2 World Darts trail31.12.1982
The Christmas festivities may now be over but no need to despair - BBC2 has some nail-biting Darts action to liven up those dark January nights. Plus all your favourites from Bobby George to Jocky Wilson!1983
BBC2 Sci-Fi Festival1983
A luminescent "2" toasts the arrival of 1983 with a Sci-Fi Festival of all-time classic movies. There's no danger of these monsters giving you nightmares, but the campness of some of them may well have you roaring with laughter...
BBC2 Weather junction17.12.1983
Lots going on here - after coming out of the news, read by Jan Leeming, we have a weather summary from announcer Peter Bolgar. Then it's time for tonight's episode of The New Land - opening with slides and a recap of the story so far.
BBC2 Christmas Promotions1983
From welcoming in 1983 we're right back to Christmas again. And if there's something familiar about those Christmas trees it's because it's the second year in a row BBC2 has used the tree theme. Also on Boxing Day is the lively musical starring Lucille Ball, with David Miles doing the voiceover on our trail.1984
BBC2 Animation02.11.1984
The 2 has gained a third "stripe" in this sting, used to herald the return of Arena to BBC2.
BBC2 Young Ones trail1984
Heralding the second series of BBC2's anarchic comedy, showing two years after the first. John Braban narrates. The Young Ones was first broadcast on 8th May 1984.
Christmas on 2: Fanny and Alexander15.12.1984 A complete link from December 1984 including some festive slides, and a promo for Ingmar Bergman's Fanny And Alexander, among the big films for Christmas, tailed with the classic =2= symbol. This clip was broadcast over a week before Christmas, so it's odd the festive slide designs would be showing at this point. Continuity is from Andy Cartledge, with Mark Waddington voicing the trail.
BBC2 Christmas Promo & Continuity24.12.1984 Christmas moves on but BBC2 just can't shake off that Christmas tree! But this year the hero of the piece is this red bauble, branded with the famous BBC2 logo. Two stings lead into a trail promising some great musical entertainment from Lena Horne, encased in the Christmas branding.
BBC2 Christmas Promotions1984
left clip is from Christmas Eve 1984
right clip - Trail for Reap The Wild Wind broadcast on 26th December 1984.
1985
BBC2 Animations09.01.1985
Time was running out for the striped 2 but it trouped on to the very end, keeping up with the latest graphical trends. These stings top and tail a promo for "Anna of the Five Towns".
Over on Radio 2...30.03.1985
Tonight's the night the clocks go forward so just before BBC2 closes down, Peter Brook points to the shortened night of entertainment over on Radio 2. Slides like these prevailed for many years until the fairly recent introduction of animated backgrounds to promote radio output.
Live Aid Promo27.06.1985
Previewing the biggest rock concert ever staged, a BBC exclusive on BBC1, BBC2 and Radio 1 in stereo.
Christmas Eve Promo1985
Charlie Brown is on the menu celebrating his 20th anniversary, while Simon King's latest film Rush The Fallow Deer offers a festive feel to natural history.
Christmas Day Promo23.12.1985
Two days before the big day, a quick run through BBC2's Christmas night output over some rather jolly festive music.
BBC2 Christmas Films1985
The night is alive, but nobody knows why - when all of a sudden a great big 2 illumens the sky!1986
Holding Slides 1979 - 1986
Other Holding Slides 1982 - 1984
