[Milkshake]

20 years ago today the very last local announcers and local idents were screened across the ITV English regions.  From the following morning on 28th October 2002 there was a single service for every one under the banner of ITV1, and featuring all the biggest ITV1 Stars of the day inlcuindg Des O'conner, Cilla Black, Ant n Dec and even the cast of the Bill.

youtu.be 

Of course it made sense now they went with a singe announcer since most of ITV took the same schedule expect for Tuesday at 19.30 and Friday at 14.40? Yes lets not forget the local news... 

Of course they could have keep the local names on screen, but just not ref them.

Unfortunley the blue place doesn't have a thread about this as this was around the time of the great forum crash.

[Roger Darthwell]

This was a very sad day for regional continuity

[Rex]

I was a kid when those idents were launched and I clearly didn't understand what they really meant for ITV's brand at the time.

They were really awful, looking back. A huge step down from the Carlton hearts and LWT's Videowall package. Rhythm and Movement and Personality 2s alongside whatever Channel 4 had ran rings around the ITV1 celebrity idents.

[ConorM98]

To think the ITV1 name is coming back 20 years later.

[Kojak]

Gosh, what a sad day that was. Of course LWT outdid themselves that day (and were the only ones who did go to any sort of effort!). I'm sure most people here will have seen this before, but if not, this is a compilation of all the special continuity that day:

www.youtube.com 

This is terribly tragic of me, I know, but I'm not completely ashamed to say that I watch this every now and then, and every now and then I just happen to get something in my eye. Gosh, 20 years...

[Si-Co]

To think the ITV1 name is coming back 20 years later.

This is the reason why I personally feel underwhelmed by the return of the ITV1 name. It reminds me not only of the demise of regional continuity and identity, but regional content too. The first ITV1 era was also when news regions were reduced by about half (though this was later rectified to a point in the ITV era), and in that era the brand itself was lacklustre and most of its programming not much better. 

Since the 2013 rebrand and change of name ITV’s reputation has improved drastically, and I can’t help but feel the reintroduction of the ITV1 name is a step back. Of course, if it’s a change in name only, then we have nothing to fear, but I’m sure I’m not alone in associating the ITV1 name with negativity.

[fanoftv]

I remember feeling excited for the united ITV1 and I enjoyed that ‘that’s entertainment’ film at the 9:25 junction. I can understand what they were aiming for to put the faces front and centre, and from a branding point it worked in a sense that you knew immediately you were watching ITV1. It was a shame to lose such distinct regional brands, and for some regions some amazing idents (growing up with the Central cake and ending with the Carlton hearts I feel pretty spoilt).

The passing of time is an odd one; I watched the ‘that’s entertainment’ film with nostalgia, especially when seeing faces that have since passed, yet I also feel that it doesn’t feel like twenty years ago at all!

[robertclark125]

One assumes MGMs 1974 film "That's Entertainment " is more fondly thought of.

[TimGoodwin]

If anything I see this event as a sad day as it meant the end of regional identities across England and a part of Scotland but in hindsight with the environment we are in now and the fact that this is irreversible, this is probably the smartest thing to happen especially as BBC were big at strengthening the core brand under Lambie Nairn a few years earlier.

[VMPhil]

That promo actually made those idents look rather good and classy. Compared to the rather tacky music they were soundtracked with anyway.