[DTV]

I think that's mostly to do with how trends came and went during those times and the tools programme makers had at their disposal. The last twenty years or so hasn't really seen any changes in fashion. Technology has progressed but what can a title sequence do nowadays that couldn't be done in 2003?

I think that it's the technology changes that are perhaps the biggest player. From the 1980s to the mid-2000s, the capabilities of computer graphics were constantly improving and, therefore, the graphics themselves were ageing quickly, creating a need for them to be constantly replaced to avoid looking outdated. A good example is to look at the evolution of the BBC News clamshell within the short space of 2003 and 2007 - just a totally different capability. But, as you suggest, graphics reached a point about 10-15 years ago where the pace of improvement began to slow down as there was fairly little that could be done better. Things date less quickly and so there is no pressing need to change them as frequently.