Central Productions

Background

This is the production arm of Central Television.

Contents

1st Logo (January 1, 1982-1984)	2nd Logo (November 1983-Autumn 1988)	3rd Logo (Spring 1988-1995)	4th Logo (1990)	5th Logo (1995-January 1, 1997)	6th Logo (January 1, 1997-April 19, 1998)	7th Logo (April 20, 1998-September 5, 1999)

1st Logo (January 1, 1982-1984)

Logo: On a blue background, the rainbow moon is shown above the text "CENTRAL PRODUCTION".

Variants:

Sometimes, "CENTRAL PRODUCTION" may be reworded to "CENTRAL PRESENTATION" which was seen on movies and imported programmes.
Sometimes, a copyright stamp is added underneath, reading "©Central Independent Television plc. (year)".

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the programme.

Availability: Extinct.

It was seen on episodes of Family Fortunes, Bullseye, and the British version of Blockbusters within this timespan.
They were all last seen through Challenge airings.
It was also seen on Auf Wiedersehen, Pet as well.
- However, it is plastered by the still variant of the 1988 Central animated endcap on some episodes of the aforementioned show on Drama and on 1997 UK Gold airings, respectively.

2nd Logo (November 1983-Autumn 1988)

Logo: The moon's rainbow shading is more blended and detail and the logo is now against a black background.

Variants:

Some versions would have the text below reading "CENTRAL PRODUCTION", "CENTRAL PRESENTATION", "CENTRAL OUTSIDE BROADCAST", "A ZENITH PRODUCTION FOR CENTRAL", "ZENITH PRODUCTION FOR CENTRAL", "CENTRAL PRODUCTION FOR CHANNEL 4", "CENTRAL PRODUCTIONS FOR CHANNEL 4", or "A CENTRAL PRODUCTION in association with MOSTPOINT Ltd for CHANNEL FOUR".
Some versions have a copyright date below.
On The Little Green Man, the moon is smaller and the company name is larger than usual.
On some programmes such as The Little Green Man, Bullseye from 1983 to 1988, and the original airings of the first two seasons of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends from 1984 and 1986 respectively, the glow around the moon is not present.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the programme.

Availability: Rare.

It was seen on original airings of the first two seasons of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends from 1984 and 1986 respectively, but current prints of the show and U.S. prints remove this logo.
It can also be found at the end of The Little Green Men, Bullseye and Family Fortunes episodes from this era, among others.

3rd Logo (Spring 1988-1995)

Logo: Same as the 1988 Central ident until September 1, 1989.

Variants:

Most of the time, the 1988 animated logo has the text saying "CENTRAL PRODUCTION" below the logo, but on some programmes like The Nuclear Age and also on movies and imported programmes, the text just says "CENTRAL".
- The 1988 animated logo exists as both filmed and videotaped versions, with the filmed version being seen on Woof! and Press Gang (both first seasons) respectively.
- A still variant of the 1988 animated logo also exists, which was seen on some episodes of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet on Drama and on 1997 UK Gold airings respectively, plastering the previous logo.
- A version of the 1988 animated logo with the words "A CENTRAL PRODUCTION FOR CHANNEL FOUR" also exists.
- A version of the 1988 animated logo with the words "A ZENITH PRODUCTION FOR CENTRAL" also exists as well, which was seen on Inspector Morse from 1989.
Beginning on September 1, 1989, a still version of the 1988 Central ident is used, but with the cake smaller and the words "A CENTRAL PRODUCTION" below the logo.
As with other ITV logos, "PRODUCTION" may be replaced with 'PRESENTATION" or "PROGRAMME".
The 1989 ITV logo also appears underneath either the "A CENTRAL PRODUCTION FOR", "A CENTRAL PROGRAMME FOR" or "A CENTRAL PRESENTATION FOR" notice on networked programmes.
Another variant which features the Central cake logo and the words "CENTRAL FOR" and the 1989 ITV logo appearing below also exists which was seen on movies and imported programmes.
Beginning in 1993, the Central cake logo is larger and more colourful which appears on the 1994 series of Blockbusters and also on the original 1994 airing of the Mr. Bean episode "Back to School, Mr. Bean" respectively, among others. However, some programmes such as Sharpe's Company, Sharpe's Enemy and Sharpe's Honour continued to use the 1989 version of the logo.
A superimposed version of the 1993 variant of this logo with the words "A CENTRAL PROGRAMME" also exists, which was seen on Central Weekend Live.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 1988 Central ident until September 1, 1989.

Music/Sounds Variants:

Sometimes, the synthesized sweep is absent in the seven-note orchestral fanfare, which is heard on the filmed version of the 1988 animated logo.
The ending theme of the programme or none beginning on September 1, 1989.

Availability: Rare.

Reruns of both Family Fortunes and Bullseye episodes from 1988 and 1989 on Challenge have the animated "Production" variant of this logo intact.
The animated "Production" variant of this logo also appears on God, The Universe and Everything Else (1988), Blockbusters and Playbox, and was also seen on original 1989 airings of both Huxley Pig (Season 1 only) and Bangers and Mash, and the final edition of Central News at Six (South Edition) respectively, among others.
The 1989 version of the logo appears on original programmes by Central such as Huxley Pig (Season 2), The Upper Hand, The Gingerbread Man, Tots TV and Rosie & Jim respectively, among many others.
The 1989 version of the logo was also seen on 1991 reruns of the second season of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends on Children's ITV.
The 1989 version of the logo also appears at the end of the 1990 UK VHS release of Rosie & Jim: Volume 1 before The Video Collection's 1986-1995 ident as well.
The 1989 version of the logo was also seen on Rosie & Jim on the now-defunct Canadian cable channel BBC Kids (which was available in the United States as a VOD service on select providers).
Also found on some Inspector Morse tapes by BFS Video, as well as a Cineplex Odeon/MCA VHS of Woof!.
Challenge airings of Blockbusters also has the 1989 version of the "Production" variant intact.
VHS and DVD releases of The Dreamstone feature this logo, though on the DVD releases of the show's first-two seasons (which had Filmfair's involvement), the length of time the logo stays on after the credits end is shortened for the Cookie Jar Entertainment logo.
Current prints of Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Company, Sharpe's Enemy and Sharpe's Honour have it still intact, although current prints of Sharpe's Rifles plaster it with the ITV Studios Global Entertainment logo.
The 1993 version of the logo was also seen on the 1994 series of Blockbusters and on the original 1994 airing of the Mr. Bean episode "Back to School, Mr. Bean" respectively, among others.

4th Logo (1990)

Logo: On a purple background with moving dark shaded shapes, the cake symbol is formed through a rotating black sphere, which crossfades into said logo. It then rotates and lays flat on the ground, followed by "CENTRAL", while parallel to the object, slides in and rests on top of the cake symbol. Underneath, "A CENTRAL PRESENTATION" fades in and then it, alongside the logo, fades out.

Technique: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A funky percussion soundtrack accompanied with an announcer.

Availability: Extinct; only seen on original Central airings of various movies from this period such as An Officer and a Gentleman.

5th Logo (1995-January 1, 1997)

Logo: On the same grey marble background as the 1995 Carlton UK Productions logo, the cake, now with added shading, is above "A Central Programme"

Variants:

Like before, "Programme" may be replaced by "Presentation" or "Production". Plus, the 1989 ITV logo also appears underneath on networked programmes.
On the seventh and final series of The Upper Hand, it is preceded by the Columbia TriStar Carlton UK Productions logo, which takes place on the same background.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the programme.

Availability: Rare.

Although it had a short lifespan, it is fairly easy to find thanks to it preceding the 1995 Carlton UK Productions logo on most programmes produced within said banner.
These include Family Fortunes, Dale's Supermarket Sweep, The Way Through the Woods, among many others.
The latter can be found through VHS releases whereas several other programmes such as Cadfael has this logo intact on some episodes on streaming prints.
It also survives intact on current prints of the 1995-1996 episodes of Sharpe.

6th Logo (January 1, 1997-April 19, 1998)

Logo: The logo from before is now against the same blue cloudy background as the 1997 ident and the text now simply reads "Central programme".

Variants:

Like before, "Programme" may be replaced by "Presentation".
The 1989 ITV logo also appears below on networked programmes.
From late 1997 until April 1998, the ITV URL sometimes also appears on the bottom right of the screen saying "www.itv.co.uk".

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the programme.

Availability: Rare.

It was seen on Family Fortunes and Dale's Supermarket Sweep episodes from this period, which can only be found through old video recordings.
It also appears on Challenge airings of Family Fortunes episodes from 1997 to 1998 as well.
It was also seen on Sharpe's Revenge, Sharpe's Justice and Sharpe's Waterloo, with current prints of them keeping it intact, with it succeeded by the 2013 ITV Studios Global Entertainment logo.
It was seen on original prints of Sharpe the Legend, as current prints plaster this with the 1999-2004 Carlton International logo.
It was also seen on a December 8, 1997 rerun of the Mr. Bean episode "Mind the Baby, Mr. Bean" as well.

7th Logo (April 20, 1998-September 5, 1999)

Logo: Same as the 1996 Carlton Productions logo but with said company's name replaced with "CENTRAL".

Variants:

At the end of certain programmes, the word "Production", "Programme", "Presentation for ITV", or "Programme for ITV" with the 1989 ITV logo (until October 4, 1998) appears below.
Sometimes, the ITV URL appears on the bottom right of the screen saying "www.itv.co.uk"
Beginning in mid-July 1999, the logo has the Carlton URL at the bottom of the screen saying "www.carlton.com".

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the programme.

Availability: Extremely rare.

It appears on the 1998-1999 series (Series 6) of Dale's Supermarket Sweep, but later prints which air on Challenge plaster that and the Pearson/Carlton logo with the 2001 FremantleMedia or the 2018 Fremantle logo, but is retained on at least one episode.
The 1998-1999 series (Series 18) of Family Fortunes also used this and is normally retained whenever Challenge re-broadcasts the series.
The 1998 production variant is seen on Central programmes from the era.

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Central Productions