Bravo

Background

Bravo was a TV channel operating in the United Kingdom. When launched in 1985, it was only transmitted on cable TV. In 1993, it then progressed to the Astra Satellite. The programming of the channel started out as a vintage movie channel, before changing in 1997 to adult male-oriented shows. In 2010, Living TV Group was folded into BSkyB. As a result, Bravo closed down.

Contents

1st ID (1991-January 1997)	2nd ID (January-3 February 1997)	3rd ID (3 February 1997-2000)	4th ID (2000-2004)	5th ID (2004-2005)


6th ID (2005-27 September 2006)	7th ID (28 September 2006-January 2010)	8th ID (January-24 May 2010)	9th ID (25 May 2010-1 January 2011)	10th ID (Final Signoff, 1 January 2011)

1st ID (1991-January 1997)

Visuals: The screen zooms out from the top of a building, and as it does so, radiowaves come out of a radio tower attached to the building, and two searchlights are seen. When the pan stops, an oval zooms towards the camera, and some more radiowaves make the logo. When complete, the black text "BRAVO" appears inside a white oval, forming from the "A" surging the letters in.

Variants:

There is a bumper-length version situated either on a black background (for black-and-white films) or the sky background from the main ident.
- A variant of this was shown before airings of Twin Peaks, where the oval fades mid-animation to the mountain scenery from the series and the Twin Peaks logo appears inside it.

Technique: A mix of detailed modeling work and 2D animation, directed by Rob Kelly at Lambie-Nairn.

Audio: An orchestral fanfare that becomes more majestic as the logo appears, indicated by a thunderbolt.

Audio Variant: The short version has a calmer horn rendition of the main fanfare, sometimes followed by a continuity announcer.

2nd ID (January-3 February 1997)

Visuals: The screen zooms through a time-warping background, which changes colors throughout. Then everything goes black. After a second, a black Bravo logo zooms towards the camera, and the background gently fades colors.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A rising dramatic crescendo that builds into a peaceful synth hum.

Availability: This was used to indicate the departure of the channel's original vintage movie programming and the shift to the more adult-oriented shows.

3rd ID (3 February 1997-2000)

Blue transition that appears before (or sometimes after) the live-action sequences
Blue/orange generic
Pink/orange generic
Orange/teal generic
Teal/orange generic
Blue background
Green background
Orange background

Visuals: Over a black background, fires appear originating from the center of the screen, progressively growing and then dimming. Afterward, many other fires start around the screen (in varying shades of red, blue, and orange), and at the same time, the outline of a horned "O" appears. A big blue fire shrinks in size (as if it were absorbed), and then an explosion occurs, with the entire "O" burning with alternating blue and red/orange colors. At the same time, the text "bravo" appears as it gets filled up with fire, and the logo either fades out seconds later or ends instantly.

Trivia: These idents won the Royal Television Society Craft & Design Award for Best Channel Idents in 1997.

Variants:

During the 1997-1998 "horror channel" era, there were several variants to go along with the generic logo, most of which showed unsettling content. These live-action sequences would appear from a blue smoky transition from an opening iris transition, with a few expectations. The variants include:
- Cat in Cage: There is multiple shots of a cat shown inside of a cage, which is shaking.
- Cheese Grater: The variant starts from underneath the grater. Through its holes, a girl can be seen briefly. The scene then cuts to the girl licking the cheese grater (albeit the footage is played backwards so it doesn't look like she's actually licking the cheese grater). The girl then widens her eyes a split second before the logo appears.
- Criminal: A female criminal comes in from the right to take her standard mugshots. As she smiles, a closeup appears and her gnarly teeth are visible.
- Enjoy Yourself: A woman is seen sucking her big toe and is touching herself around. The camera pans back and the woman says "Enjoy Yourself." in a seductive tone.
- Eyeballs: A closeup of eyeballs inside a gold liquid is shown. The shot then backs out to reveal a fork taking one out of the jar.
- Goldfish: A goldfish is seen inside a blender. The blender is then heard whirring. *
- Maggots: A closeup of maggots can be seen. The shot then backs out to reveal they are all inside of a bowl. A spoon is also shown, making it look like cereal.
- Mental Asylum: A guy is seen in a mental asylum chair and he starts shaking his head like crazy.
- Piercing: A close-up of a pierced belly button is shown.
- Rabbit Farm: A group of rabbits is shown minding their own business until a grenade falls and explodes. *
- Screwhead I: A guy with screws on his head goes crazy as the screen flashes. A flathead screwdriver is also shown.
- Screwhead II: The same screwhead appears once more to speak and shake his head around.
- Shaving: A woman is shown in a mirror humming to herself while shaving.
- Toilet: A dirty bathroom is seen and a dirty toilet brush falls in its stand.
- Stitches: There is a woman with her mouth stitched shut, muffling as the screen flashes.
- Extra variations included a doctor (who wears a wrestler's costume and puts on gold gloves), a 3x3 grid blowtorch of different fire colors, a bobbing purple slime, and a man being revealed from the closet.

* The blue smoky transition appears after the live action sequence, due to the violent nature implied in the subject matter.

From 1998 onwards, the generic logos would either appear on a blue, green, or orange background.
There were also short bumpers at the time that would appear during adverts. Instead of the generic Bravo logo appearing, it would appear within the bumper. These bumpers include:
- Alcohol: A bartender brings out a bottle of alcohol in front of the camera. The camera then zooms in to reveal some sort of object inside the bottle, which then morphs into the Bravo "Horned O".
- Beermat: A hand is shown taking a glass of beer off of a beermat, spilling some in the process. The camera then pans over to it as the horns appear on the beermat.
- Fingerprint: A convict's hands are shown in handcuffs followed by a police cap are shown. A form is then shown as well and the Bravo "Horned O" logo is stamped onto the form in the style of a fingerprint.
- Sperm: A bunch of sperm cells are seen squirming. The screen pans out to reveal several orange sperm cells forming the Bravo "Horned O" logo.
- Tattoo: A muscular man takes his shirt off then turns around, then a circle tattoo is revealed on his right arm, which then turns into the "Horned O" logo.
When Trouble (as a block on Bravo) ended for the day, its 2nd logo faded into this one.

Technique: Live-action with practical effects. This set was designed by Red Pepper Film Company as an "alternative species of television".

Audio:

1997-1998: A waving synth and fire sound effects, then an explosion sound ending with a waterphone effect (the very same sound effect used in Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen whenever tensions arise; this was probably a stock sound effect at the time).
1998-2000: A clearer version of the beginning sound effects, ending with two synth notes.
The 1997 variants and the 1999 bumpers contain sounds that correspond to the subject matter.

Legacy: Most of the idents are considered some of the scariest ever shown on television for their disturbing subject matter.

4th ID (2000-2004)

Visuals: On a dark-colored background (either dark blue, dark green, or brown, the Bravo "Horned O" is seen on an orange block, and each piece moves to make the complete logo. The text "BRAVO" in a different font is seen below the square.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: Some rhythmic music.

5th ID (2004-2005)

Visuals: A live-action city is seen either in an orange or blue shade. The Bravo "Horned O" is seen on the right side of the screen.

Technique: Live-action and 2D animation.

Audio: Some different rhythmic music.

6th ID (2005-27 September 2006)

Visuals: On an orange or blue background, there is the "BRAVO" wordmark. It then slides up to show the "Horned O" slowly zooming in on a dark background. After a while, the colored screen slides back in.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: A continuity announcer.

7th ID (28 September 2006-January 2010)

Visuals: After a random line appears, always followed by the tag "Since 1985", the Bravo logo (with a different wordmark font this time) appears in place of the line. Sometimes, the wordmark and tagline appear together, then disappear and the "Horned O" forms in the center-right.

Technique: 2D animation. Designed by Artillery Design and Spin.

Audio: None, or a man saying "Bravo".

8th ID (January-24 May 2010)

BAMMA variant
Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men variant
Dog the Bounty Hunter variant
King of Cars variant
Sons of Anarchy variant
The Unit variant
World's Strongest Man variant

Visuals: On a landscape or close-up background, the Bravo "Horned O" grows out of the center, with a scene from a Bravo show superimposed into it. "BRAVO" also appears smaller below the "O".

Technique: Live-action and 2D animation.

Audio: A dim action-based sting.

9th ID (25 May 2010-1 January 2011)

Visuals: The Bravo logo appears in 3D in front of live-action footage, reflecting the scenery like a glass mirror. Within the footage, the slogan "HOME OF THE BRAVE" can be seen.

Technique: Live-action and CGI.

Audio: A different action-based sting.

10th ID (Final Signoff, 1 January 2011)

NOTE: On the video, the logo plays at 2:25.

Visuals: On a white background, the Bravo logo in 3D is on the right and the text:

BRAVO HOME OF THE BRAVE

is on the bottom left. Above the Bravo text, there is a note saying that Bravo has ended broadcasting. The first line is in orange, with the rest in white, inside a black marker.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: None.

Availability: Only appeared when Bravo ceased broadcasting on New Year's Day of 2011.