[ACTV]

The way U&Drama comes in feels like a generic PowerPoint/Keynote animation. Altogether pretty sickly.

[callumwatchestelly]

They've not only ruined the names of the channels, they've ruined the actual logos of the channels. I'm dreading (while also very curious) what we get to see this Summer.

[Allanbuzzy]

Honestly disappointing this is still happening. U& is not a good suffix and feels like a deliberate attempt to slap a streaming brand to a channel.

And it's ironic because I seem to recall that back in 2022, when Channel 4 were planning a rename of their streamer, they suggested alignment to the "Channel 4" brand, which some Pres Cafe members speculated was going to result in channel names like "Channel 4 Film" or "Channel 4 Entertainment". Turned out all it really was is them removing the "on All4" tagline and putting the C4 break bumper on some of their junctions on other channels.

I presume the reason they are renaming is because UKTV Play have started to shift their acquisitions to outside the UK (another irony in that one of their current sponsors is "VisitTheUSA") and calling their streamer UKTV Play is a contradiction. But even that didn't need to be this convoluted as "U&".

[Stuart]

I really can't see anything even remotely positive coming out of this rebrand.

Dave, Yesterday and Drama already have very strong brands. The UKTV Play streaming service (which links all the channels together) is also pushed every 20 minutes during commercial breaks, and I thought that was gaining traction as an app on Smart TVs/Fire Sticks/Laptops/Tablets.

Perhaps the 'W' brand could be improved by no longer looking like a wonky sign outside a disused Woolworth's store from 15 years ago. But this isn't the way to do it.

[TesTVWhirl]

Assuming they're going all out to put this U&x everywhere, I'd guess Yesterday is going to be the most interesting of the channels in terms of how they implement the updated names on the idents, given it looks like they're moving away from any focus on icons for each channel to using these new text wordmarks instead. With the other channels they can presumably just change the graphics that are overlaid quite easily, but the current Yesterday ident set has that distinctive Y integrated into all the scenes. Perhaps Yesterday is going to end up as UKTV's equivalent of what happened with 'Eefer' for E4 during the Channel 4 family rebrand a few year's back and see something totally new - it does feel like it's the channel of all their free stable that's been going without an update the longest now.

[London Lite]

I just hope this rebrand from hell gets the push by the time it arrives to Gold, Alibi and Eden?

[WillPS]

Honestly disappointing this is still happening. U& is not a good suffix and feels like a deliberate attempt to slap a streaming brand to a channel.

And it's ironic because I seem to recall that back in 2022, when Channel 4 were planning a rename of their streamer, they suggested alignment to the "Channel 4" brand, which some Pres Cafe members speculated was going to result in channel names like "Channel 4 Film" or "Channel 4 Entertainment". Turned out all it really was is them removing the "on All4" tagline and putting the C4 break bumper on some of their junctions on other channels.

I presume the reason they are renaming is because UKTV Play have started to shift their acquisitions to outside the UK (another irony in that one of their current sponsors is "VisitTheUSA") and calling their streamer UKTV Play is a contradiction. But even that didn't need to be this convoluted as "U&".

I'm not sure any of that is ironic. Not even by the Alanis Morissette definition.

[Blubatt]

None of the new logos have much personality, do they? Also, what is the streaming service going to be called. U? U&PLAY, UPLAY? 4PLAY?

[IanJRedman]

The whole U& device is just ugly as sin.

[dbl]

None of the new logos have much personality, do they? Also, what is the streaming service going to be called. U? U&PLAY, UPLAY? 4PLAY?

Just U - UKTV will be the corporate brand. U is for the channels and streaming service.