Southern TelevisionThis is a featured page

Background: Southern Television was the precursor to TVS.


1st Logo
(1958-1960)
Southern Television (1958-1960)
Logo: On a gray cloudy background, we see an 8-pointed star which resembles a compass. We zoom into the star and the southern point descends downward. "SOUTHERN" and "TELEVISION" appear letter by letter on the left and right sides of the southern point, respectively. "PRESENTS" appears alongside the point as well.

FX/SFX: The zooming, descending, and the letters appearing.

Cheesy Factor: The animation is rough, and the logo seems a bit phallic.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extinct.

Scare Factor: None.



2nd Logo
(1960-1964)
Southern Television (1960-1964)
Logo: On a black background, we see a long white diamond shape appear on the screen. The diamond turns to reveal that it is a model of an 8-pointed star with the southern point extended (more simplified design than the previous logo). It is revealed that it is actually two 8-pointed stars that are perpendicular with each other. It keeps turning to the right as "SOUTHERN TELEVISION PRESENTS" in white appears letter by letter like in the previous logo. The star keeps turning until it fades to black.

FX/SFX: The model star turning.

Cheesy Factor: See above.

Music/Sounds: Just a soft drumroll.

Availability: Extinct.

Scare Factor: None, although it will dramatically increase with the next logo.



3rd Logo
(1964-1969)

Southern Television (1964-1969)Southern Independent Television (1964-1969)
Logo: On a black background, we see "INDEPENDENT TELEVISION" in a white, bold font. "Independent" and "Television" disappear off the top and bottom of the screen respectively, leaving the screen as an 8-pointed star (more simplified than the previous one), with the southern point extended slightly, which zooms in to the center of the screen. "SOUTHERN", in a white, bold font, appears below the star.

FX/SFX: The zooming and moving of the words.

Cheesy Factor: Rough animation all around.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic horn and flute fanfare, composed by Steve Race, who was the musical director at Associated-Rediffusion.

Availability: Extinct.

Scare Factor: Medium to high; this logo appears without warning and the zooming and music are sure to scare many people.



4th Logo
(1964-1981)

Southern Television (1964-1969)Southern Television (1969-1981)Southern (1964-1981)Southern Television (1969-1981)Southern (1964-1981)Southern (1964-1981)
Southern TV Independent Television"Southern TV: The Station that Serves the South (1969-1981)

Logo: Against a blue background, a white circle enlarges in the center of the screen, followed by an "X" whose lines are enclosed within the circle, and a cross shape whose lines protrude from the circle (with the bottom line slightly extended), forming the Southern logo. The words "SOUTHERN" appear below.

Variants:
  • This logo originated in black-and-white, with the background in black.
  • There would also be a version with "INDEPENDENT TELEVISION" at the beginning just like before, but in a different font.
  • Sometimes, after the logo finishes, it cuts to a blank screen, and a circle would wipe in the words
THE STATION
THAT SERVES
THE SOUTH
  • A still version appeared at the end of programs, sometimes with copyright info below. For color programs, "COLOUR PRODUCTION" would appear just under the franchise's name.
  • At the end of Southern's final programme, And It's Goodbye From Us, at 00:45 on January 1 1982, the still version of the logo with "COLOUR PRODUCTION" (and the show's copyright notice) appeared, but after a while the blue BG faded to one resembling a starry night sky, all the wording disappearing at the same time to leave just the star. After a few seconds, the star started spinning clockwise, faster and faster, before slowly zooming out into the night sky BG and disappearing. Finally, the guitar tune (see below) played, and the screen slowly faded to black.
FX/SFX: The star forming, the spinning of the star on the last variation.

Cheesy Factor: For some reason, the animation is still rough.

Music/Sounds: A somber guitar tune, sometimes with an extra note at the end.

Music/Sound Variant: In the early years, a crumhorn fanfare with timpanis would play, which would sometimes be abridged.

Availability: Extinct.

Scare Factor: Low for the guitar music, low to medium for the horn music, and medium to high for the final variant, due to the ominousness of the spinning star, the dark BG, and the surprise appearance of the guitar music near the end.



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FortLee07024
Latest page update: made by FortLee07024 , Jan 15 2010, 3:53 PM EST (about this update About This Update FortLee07024 A few clarifications to the notes on the final variant of Southern's last logo - FortLee07024

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Keyword tags: itv plc.
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Silversword55 Awesome! 0 Jan 26 2008, 1:38 PM EST by Silversword55
Thread started: Jan 26 2008, 1:38 PM EST  Watch
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