Draft:Gold

Background

Gold (formerly UK Gold, UKTV Gold, and G.O.L.D.) is a British TV network. It was created in November 1, 1992 as a joint venture between Thames Television and BBC to show classic BBC comedy programming. Gold, as well as its sister networks, are currently owned by UKTV, which is a TV company formed in 1997, owned by BBC Worldwide.

UK Gold

1st Logo (November 1, 1992-1994)

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Logo: Basically the UK Gold logo at the time, which is a white/blue rectangle with "UK GOLD" in blue/white with the rectangle formed by a triangle connection. The logo has several variants with an golden retriever interacting with the logo in a way.

Variants: Here are all of the known variants:

• Launch: On a white background, a golden retriever (named Goldie by locals) can be seen in the middle of the screen, wagging its tail. He then becomes excited and then looks up in the sky as an sound of an airplane plays. This causes Goldie to run off screen and and then come back in later, dragging the UK Gold logo in. He then sits up and fades out, with the logo moving to the center of the screen.
  • A variant has a purple butterfly flying around the screen most of the time, as well as a yellow ball with red polka dots bouncing in as Goldie goes off-screen.
• Hills: Goldie can be seen running over invisible hills. He disappears off in the top right before Goldie runs back over the top right and runs towards the screen. The background then turns a blue hue as the logo zooms in. Goldie then runs up to it and opens the white section like a door, revealing light, and goes inside. The logo then shuts and zooms out, with the "O" lighting up.
• Blanket: The letters are shaking and hiding in a blanket as Goldie approaches. He looks at it and then he takes the blanket to reveal the words "UK GOLD" which the letters were shaking and a box is seen. Then the words stopped shaking and got inside the box and Goldie jumps on it and sits in it.
  • There is another version of this blanket variant where it has a window with curtains in it, a lamp at the top, two shoes on the left of the screen and a strange object is seen on the right.
• A generic variant has Goldie laying across the top of the logo, swaying his tail as he blinks once. He looks a bit more realistic compared to the other idents.
  • Another version of this has him sitting on the ground while the logo is positioned above him.
• A completely different version was used for the launch of the channel. On a stone slate background, the rectangle, which lacks any words on it, slides and rotates into taking up the whole screen before zooming out. As it zooms out, both halves revolve around on the connection to reveal the words before settling farther back into the background. The music is also different, having a synth whistling tune with an announcer saying "Welcome to UK Gold. Classic British television on satellite and cable."

Technique: 2D animation. This was done by Hatmaker Films in Boston, Massachusetts.

Music/Sounds: Various sounds playing out, before ending with a short whistling tune.

Availability: Extinct.

2nd Logo (1993-1994)

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Logo: On a blue background with some waves in it we see the gold left arrows flying across the screen until it stops in the middle to turn it into the same box like the first logo but with a gold outlining and gold paint inside the arrow. Then the words "UK GOLD" in the same front as the first logo appeared one by one.

Technique: The background waving and the arrows and letter moving.

Music/Sounds: A three note fanfare.

Availability: Extinct.

3rd Logo (1994-1997)

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Logo: We see a man mining with a hammer in the workshop. Then it fades into the scene where we could see "UK GOLD" bar inside the machine from the man's protection mask and his face. Afterwards the bar is on fire and in a orange-yellow surface with flames on it. Then we see another man which approach to be old then it fades into another man holding an object, we could see the words in reverse on the bars. Then it changes into the two men holding carefully a lava bucket and fades into another scene where the lava is pouring into a hole. Then we see a black man cleaning his face with a cloth because of the work and the man is holding a chain and a clockwork wheel. Then it fades into the hands of a woman breaking to reveal the gold bar and fades into a background with blue light and with grey square net and the golden bar is shown reading "UK GOLD" with some dust shining around.

Variants:

• There is a version where the bar is on fire. Here in the same background with blue light and square nets we see the gold bar reading "UK GOLD" and it's on fire as the camera rotates it upward until it stops in the same position.
• Another version has the golden bar shining and in a black-grey background.
• There is also another version where the bar gets drops in a pile of black and gold dust.
• There is a version where a man is hitting the stamp three times then it fades to the golden bar reading the same word when the man stops mining.
• A start-up variation exists where we see the same man doing his work and the same old man is also shown and it fades into another man with nets outside him. Then we could see a woman doing work as well then the same men also doing the same jobs as well. Then we could see a different man and another shot of a woman doing the project and the same shots of the man appeared. Then it fades into the same woman where she's tired and then fades into an alternative shot of a man holding the lava bucket. Then it transitions into a woman's eyes and fades into someone holding the fire plate. And then we could see the jean pockets on the back of the same man, it later fades into the man putting something in there and the same shots played with another scene where the two men holding the same lava bucket. Then it fades into another woman where she's enjoying the work and then fades into the same fire with some lava pouring in the hole. A cat is shown there on a bowl then it changes into another scene of a man was getting tired. Then another scene where the same man and woman doing work and it fades into the same man pulling down a chain and the same woman hits the bar with the man's face is shown doing his hard work. Then the same other woman is writing the letters and it fades into a chain and clockwork appeared as the camera pans down with some blue effects and it reveals the golden bar with the text "UK GOLD" with water drops appear on it.
• A short version exists where we see the man and woman doing work then it fades into the logo with water drops on it.
• A different version also exists where the text "UK GOLD" is in a black-grey background also there is also flames on the word.
• There is a closedown variation were the same man is holding the same bowl of fire. Then we see a shot of the lava pouring down with fire in it and it fades into another man taking off his helmet. Afterwards it fades into the same two shots like the start-up variation. Then it fades into the same chain and a clockwork wheel panning down then it fades into the same man and woman doing the same work and fades into the same woman finished her work. Then it transitions back into the panning down with the same blue effect to reveal the same bar and text.

Technique: Live action.

Music/Sounds: A rock and synthesised theme with some sounds can be heared. Sometimes the announcer of either a man or woman can be also heard after the fanfare is finished.

Availability: Extinct.

4th Logo (1997-1999)

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Logo: On a dark blue background with a gold floor, some objects (either apples, leaves or arrows) fall from the top of the screen, always bouncing or being stuck in the floor. Golden objects also fall, but go through the floor instead. The text "UK GOLD" with UK inside the White box with a line appears inside the floor.

Trivia: These were designed by Lambie-Nairn, who were better known for their work creating various iconic BBC idents.

Technique: A mix of live-action footage of the objects, with some effects like flashes when the golden object touch the floor.

Music/Sounds: A sort of calm synth tune. Some notes occur when the golden objects touch the floor. Sometimes the same announcer either a man or woman can be heard after the fanfare.

Availability: Extinct.

5th Logo (1999-2001)

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Logo: On a black-purple background we see the fireworks appear

Trivia: Like the previous ident set, these were designed by Lambie-Nairn.

Technique: TBA

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct.

6th Logo (2001-2002)

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Logo: On a black background, several events involving the use of different types of fireworks occur.

• Launching: We see a close view of a firework taking off, until it flies to the sky and explodes. Other colored firework explosions also appear later.
• Fuse: A sparkle moves around the screen (like some kind of fuse), then eventually a explosion happen, releasing gold dust.
• Spiral: We see two colored fireworks moving to the center of the screen, like a spiral, then these explodes and more colored fireworks appeared above then they also explode and others began to appear.
• Holes: On a floor, several holes of different sizes are opening, releasing different colored sparkles.
• Cylinders: Two cylinders, a green one and a blue one, appear bouncing through the floor several times.
• Volcano: A volcaco shape is releasing several sparkles, then a spinning wheel with some sparkles moves over it.
• Cave: Some colored fireworks are moving through a cave. One of them, colored blue, stops when it sees a sphere-shaped rock moving towards it, then it flies trought another tunnel while avoiding other fireworks.
• Fireworks: On the sky, several fireworks are moving through it. There are 2 versions: One where the fireworks travel in curve pathways, and another (with a slighty closer view) where they travel in ondulated paths.

Technique: 3D animation of the several types of fireworks.

Music/Sounds:

• Launching: An orchestral fanfare with a launching sound then it explodes and more came.
• Cave: An adventurous fanfare with a bombastic hit with the same fireworks sound.
• TBA

Availability: Extinct.

7th Logo (2002-2003)

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Logo: Many different activities happen on the screen (such as in a hair salon, a toilet and a bath), the UK Gold logo fades in on the bottom.

Technique: Its all live-action.

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct.

8th Logo (2003-2004)

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Logo: Live action scenes can be seen thoughtout then the same text "UkGOLD" appears inside a shape then other shape come around to form a yellow-orange background with some shapes can be seen.

Technique: Live action then the animation when it changes into a background.

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct.

UKTV Gold

1st Logo (2004-April 3, 2007)

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Logo: The previous logo, but the logo and shape is moved to the left.

Trivia: This was designed by Dunning Eley Jones.

Technique: TBA

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct.

2nd Logo (April 4, 2007-October 6, 2008)

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Logo: The 2004 logo emblazoned on a golden space hopper. TBA.

Trivia: These were designed by Karmarama.

Technique: TBA

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct.

G.O.L.D.

(October 7, 2008-July 15, 2014)

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Logo: On a white background we see the G.O.L.D logo, then the camera moves as we see the black lines stretch out and certain objects grow and appear, the majority of these objects have the text either "Laugh daily" or "Go on laugh daily" on them, when the camera zooms back we see lots of these objects and there are a few birds that fly past from the right to the left.

Variants:

• Starting in 2011 until it's rebrand in 2014 we see the same G.O.L.D. logo without the old text and it appeared as a button. Then the toy fist punches the push button to reveal the same black line then the objects appearing thoughout the ident. We can see mechanical circles when the black line approaches them and an octopus is shown below the mechanism circles and then the black line hits the ball to tumble down the books and it turns up the circles with the line turning into a carrot when it appoaches the manster with a record scratcher, we could see a different text which said "Stick something funny on" throughout the logo just like the objects. Then the black line reappeared and turn into microphones and the clouds appear with falling walking teeth with the black line approaching one of them with an umbrella and a paper aeroplane can be seen. Then one of the walking teeth jumps up from a seat rejector and the black line turns into a match and there's a dynamite at the end of the logo that the camera zooms into. Then it explodes and the G.O.L.D logo is there with all the objects attached to black strings.
• The Christmas 2010 variant featured christmas related items, there were lights around the G.O.L.D logo as well.

Trivia: These were designed by Red Bee Media.

Technique: The animation on the doodle-pictures.

Music/Sounds: A bouncy a Capella based tune.

Availability: Extinct.

Gold

(July 16, 2014- )

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Logo: A golden ticket displaying the channel name is put over various objects.

Variants: TBA.

Trivia: These were designed by DixonBaxi.

Technique: TBA

Music/Sounds: A cheerful guitar and xylophone tune, along with a British announcer.

Availability: Current. It was used since 2014.