No edit summary |
|||
Line 1:
{{NeedsImages}}
{{PageCredits|description=Nicholas Aczel, Kris Starring, Ryan Froula, iLogoMaster, and Pepsi9072|capture=Eric S., Mr.Logo, BenderRoblox, Nightspears, Gilblitz112, Pepsi9072, LogoGuy94 and Megadeth99|edits=gshowguy, Ryan Froula, BenderRoblox, MariluHennerArtist45, Liz Tetlow, KirbyGuy2001, Mike Bode, TheBigLogoFan, UniversalFlorida1990, gameandwatchrocks101. Unnepad, Mario9000seven and Nick Lancer}}
''This page describes regular PBS idents. For special (non-regular) idents, click [[Public Broadcasting Service/Special Idents|here]]''
=== Background ===
The Public Broadcasting Service, known on air as PBS, is a publicly funded non-profit distribution service (founded on November 3, 1969) that serves a variety of television stations in the United States, as well as some areas of Mexico and Canada. PBS replaced its predecessor NET in October 5, 1970 with some of their original affiliates being [[KPBS]] in San Diego, [[WNET]] in New York, [[WGBH]] in Boston, and [[KCET]] in Los Angeles. PBS has over 350 affiliates today, mostly owned by educational institutions.
=== 1st Logo (May 17, 1970-Late Summer 1971)===
{{Gallery
| align=center
| mode=packed
| height=200
| width=
|PBS (1970).png|
}}
{{YouTube|id=rCY7BS3ehuA|id2=XZpfjW-eskA|id3=VexRnwLdr5k}}
'''Nicknames:''' "The Text", "The Text of Boredom", "Multi-Colored/Tri-Colored Text", "Public Boredom Service"
'''Logo:''' Just a black background with the words:
<center>'''{{Font color|red|PUBLIC}}<br>{{Font color|#FFD900|BROADCASTING}}<br>{{Font color|blue|SERVICE}}'''</center>
stacked on top of each other in {{Font color|red|red}}, {{Font color|#FFD900|yellow}}, and {{Font color|blue|blue}}.
'''Variant:''' On ''Firing Line,'' the logo cuts in from the CPB logo.
Line 20 ⟶ 31:
'''Music/Sounds/Voice-over:''' An announcer, MacDonald Carey, says "This is PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service." Later programs used a different announcer.
'''Music/Sounds/Voice-over Variant:''' On ''Calebration'', the opening theme plays over this logo, and there is no announcer.
'''Availability:''' Extinct.
*It was used concurrently with the NET logo from 1970 to 1971 mid-season as a placeholder logo (the NET logo appeared at the start of ''Our Vanishing Wilderness'' and at the end of the first few broadcasts of ''Realities'' during that season) and then quickly replaced with the 2nd logo.
* Though PBS officially went on the air on October 5, 1970, it had actually been formed the year before, in 1969, with the logo allegedly premiering on the ''Hollywood Television Theatre'' pilot, "The Andersonville Trial", and appearing on the first season thereof. It also appeared on the Grateful Dead concert program ''Calebration'' and the initial broadcasts of the ''Fanfare'' episode "Go Ride the Music", featuring Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service (a bootleg DVD preserves it).
Line 33 ⟶ 41:
'''Editor's Note:''' This logo is rather infamous as it is the hardest PBS logo to find because of its incredibly short lifespan. In all likelihood, this was developed as a placeholder logo during the NET to PBS transition, hence why the color scheme is the same as the 12th NET logo. For many years, the only circulating copy was one of very poor quality, and it had barely any information regarding its source. What was known is that it came from "Go Ride the Music", and even then many casual observers failed to connect it with Fanfare for years. However, by the late 2010s, the additional copies mentioned above have come to light, giving the community a few additional captures of this very elusive ID. It has also been found that the original poor quality source comes from a TVARK recording.
=== 2nd Logo (Late Summer 1971-September 30, 1984; June 1, 2000) ===
{{Gallery
| align=center
| mode=packed
| height=200
| width=
|PBS (1971-1984) 20200817 032955.png|
}}
{{YouTube|id=WtGZAoIDe84|id2=cshc9GRl64U|id3=HF0dKPxufMg|id4=8_jl8Gxh-XU|id5=HV1aAW2awZA}}
'''Nicknames:''' "P-Head and Friends", "PBS P-Head", "The Tri-Colored Everyman P-Heads", "The Tri-Colored PBS Logo", "The Tri-Heads from/of Hell/Doom"
'''Logo:''' On a black background, an abstract {{Font color|dodgerblue|blue}} "{{Font color|dodgerblue|'''P'''}}" zooms out to the top portion of the screen. The "{{Font color|blue|'''P'''}}" turns into a P-shaped head facing left with the text "PUBLIC" appearing underneath (this set and the later lines of text underneath being set in ITC Avant Garde); both move to the left side of the screen. An abstract {{Font color|orange|orange}} "{{Font color|orange|'''B'''}}" pops in to the right of the P-Head and two black dots form the holes within the "{{Font color|orange|'''B'''}}" (the latter dot coinciding with the text "BROADCASTING" appearing below "PUBLIC"). An abstract {{Font color|limegreen|green}} "{{Font color|limegreen|'''S'''}}" appears to the right of the "{{Font color|orange|'''B'''}}"; two black dots cut the inner curves of the "{{Font color|limegreen|'''S'''}}" as the text "SERVICE" appears below "BROADCASTING" (coinciding with the second dot). The final text stack reads:
'''{{
'''Trivia:'''
* This logo was designed by Herb Lubalin, also responsible for the aforementioned Avant Garde. Lubalin and his design team theorized numerous concepts before settling on the final draft:
** "PBS" with stars on it.
** "PBS" with a star-shaped vortex next to it.
** A falcon with a "PBS"-shaped neck, colored {{Font color|hotpink|pink}}.
** Numerous color schemes, including the scheme of the Star-Spangled Banner. The idea was rejected due to the political climate at the time. NET had already been killed as a network under pressure from the conservative Nixon administration, and PBS worried that a {{Font color|red|red}} left-facing P-head may be interpreted as a pro-Communist symbol had it been approved.
* Some of the aforementioned logo designs make appearances in a late 1980s PBS promo using Lionel Richie's "Say You, Say Me" as its jingle. You can see a mini-documentary about the logo and its evolution from the ''Media Probes'' episode "Design" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6U5RS0Xp3s here.]
* This logo was parodied in the ''Family Guy S1'' episode "The Son Also Draws", where it is already formed and is still, B&W and crudely drawn, and the P-Head is facing the opposite direction.
Line 55 ⟶ 71:
'''Variants:'''
* On the 1977 "Go Public" promo, the entire logo is seen minus the text below. Also, the "{{Font color|red|'''B'''}}" is {{Font color|red|red}} and the logo is shifted to the middle. Then, the "{{Font color|red|'''B'''}}" and "{{Font color|limegreen|'''S'''}}" move away in opposite directions while the "{{Font color|dodgerblue|'''P'''}}" moves from the left into the middle.
* On some broadcasts of ''The MacNeil/Lehrer Report'', the {{Font color|blue|blue}} slant in the show's title expands diagonally, resulting in a solid {{Font color|dodgerblue|blue}} screen
* On the April 19, 1977 edition of ''The MacNeil/Lehrer Report'', the above variant was executed incorrectly, resulting in the logo being keyed over the final shot of the show. The black background cut back in after the "{{Font color|limegreen|'''S'''}}" appeared.
* A similar error occurred on the September 22, 1978 edition of ''Wall $treet Week''; the technician intended to fade to black, but mistakenly keyed out the black background during the last second.
* There were two different endings: one with a fadeout, and one without a fadeout.
* On an episode of ''Alvin Toffler's The Third Wave'', the P-Head is {{Font color|limegreen|green}}. This is most likely due to videotape deterioration.
* A still version was used for program breaks on very long programs, such as the BBC Shakespeare plays.
* Another still version with a different font for the text was used on ''The Ford Carter Debates Pre-Debate Discussion''.
Line 69 ⟶ 85:
'''Music/Sounds Variants:'''
* On ''We Interrupt This Week'', a short-lived game show produced for PBS by WNET in 1978, the regular music was replaced by a male choir singing very loudly, "'''Happy birthday to you!!'''". This audio was taken from the episode itself and used as a liner for this variant. The source of the audio from this episode was when the host played a video of the male choir singing the song to a woman (the birthday recipient). At this point, PBS
* The ''Southbound'' episode "Mouth Music" had an acapella version of the logo's music.
* A low tone variant exists.
Line 86 ⟶ 102:
'''Editor's Note:''' Many individuals who grew up during this logo's time period have strong memories of it -- whether fond or otherwise. The loud synthesizer music freaked out a few people in its day, but now this logo stands for nostalgia more than anything else.
=== 3rd Logo (September 30, 1984-September 17, 1989; May 9, 1994)===
{{Gallery
| align=center
| mode=packed
| height=200
| width=
|PBS (1984-1989) 20200817 033230.png|
}}
{{YouTube|id=u6YolMqNQqU|id2=qGZyt_D3QJE|id3=I5kkWhqCVvo|id4=3biL1EbUSnw|id5=Kvqa7dSNSYU}}
'''Nicknames:''' "Split Profile", "The Everyman/Everyperson P", "PBS P-Head II", "The Split"
'''Logo:''' On a black background, a {{Font color|dodgerblue|blue}} P-head appears on the upper-mid screen, facing backwards. A piece, unofficially called "The Split", comes out to the right and settles itself about half an inch away. The text "{{Font|Serif|'''PBS'''}}" appears below in a slab serif font, which was designed specifically for PBS (called "ITC Lubalin Graph Bold").
'''Trivia:'''
Line 100 ⟶ 126:
* On the series premiere of ''Square One TV'', after the logo forms, the P-head and letters multiply off into the distance, with voice-overs singing "and on...and on...and on..." (taken from a song from the episode) until it fades.
* There is also a still version, which is sometimes accompanied with a voice-over saying, "This is PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service."
* A version exists with the
* As with the previous logo, this faded out sometimes, including on ''Eyes on the Prize''.
* On season 1 episodes of ''Shining Time Station'', one of the last new programs to use this logo, the fadeout was slower.
* A filmed variant exists. This variant is silent and the "P" logo is a much lighter {{Font color|deepskyblue|blue}} color, resembling a {{Font color|deepskyblue|sky blue}}.
* A variant exists with the piece colored {{Font color|red|red}}. On superimposed footage of fireworks, two CGI P-Heads ({{Font color|blue|blue}} and {{Font color|red|red}})
'''FX/SFX:''' The P-head "
'''Music/Sounds:''': A majestic piano chord, followed by six string pizzicato tones, and then a softer version of the piano chord. Composed by Jonathan Elias.
Line 127 ⟶ 153:
'''Editor's Note:''' While this logo has not been seen on television for many years, it is still very highly regarded and is a favorite of many.
=== 4th Logo (September 15, 1989-July 31, 1993; November 20, 1995; April 23-24, 2011) ===
{{Gallery
| align=center
| mode=packed
| height=200
| width=
|PBS (1989-1993) 20200817 033435.png|
}}
{{YouTube|id=hUkompsA9uk|id2=_hkzZw6HChA|id3=-aNTtHIVd0k|id4=PVLCMx1H_r0|id5=0ezxu-xgyK4|id6=nnL9A0He7yk}}
'''Nicknames:''' "3D Glass", "Transparent {{Font color|blue|blue}} P-Head", "Merging Glass P-Head", "PBS P-Head III"
'''Logo:''' On a black background, a side-facing transparent {{Font color|mediumblue|dark blue}} P-head folds to the right, leaving behind a residue trail of "P-Heads". The residue trail fades into the PBS logo from before, which settles itself in the center of the screen, occupying almost all of it. Several multi-colored lines wipe across the bottom of the screen, leaving the text "{{Font|Serif|'''PBS'''}}" in the same font as the previous logo to the bottom left.
'''Trivia:'''
Line 139 ⟶ 175:
'''Variants:'''
* In an alternate version of the ident, the "P-head" appears just by fading in with the text "{{Font|Serif|'''PBS'''}}"
* There is a 1990 Just Watch Us Now ident where we zoom out of the P-Head made of glass with light rays coming out of the P-Head's eye. Then the words "''TV WORTH WATCHING''" zooms out, and goes to the bottom left. The rest of the animation proceeds to this logo starting with lines wiping the word "{{Font|Serif|'''PBS'''}}".
* There is another version of the ident that fades in, lines already intact. This was used for program breaks.
* There is a promo variant where the background is changed to white and there are multi colored shapes rotating around the P-Head. The text "{{Font color|purple|{{Font|Serif|'''PBS'''}}}}"
'''FX/SFX:''' The P-head folds, leaving behind a trail as it settles in the center of the screen. Multicolor lines wipe in to form the PBS logotype.
'''Music/Sounds
'''Music/Sounds
* On the still version, the same music, as in the ident's original version, is used. Once again, the announcer says "This is PBS". There is also a silent variant as well for this variation.
* A silent version was used on VHS releases of ''Barney & Friends'' season 1 episodes. This version also appeared on the ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' episode "No & Yes #1541".
Line 157 ⟶ 193:
'''Availability:''' Rare. As with other vintage PBS logos, the chance of showing up on TV now is almost nothing, but some PBS Home Video releases from the era may have it. Just look for a square in the top-left corner of the front of the box with "PBS VIDEO" below a P-head.
* The logo debuted after ''The Power of the Word: The Simple Acts of Life'' on September 15, 1989.
* This logo plasters the 1971 logo on Twitch.tv and Amazon.com prints of various 1971-75 Mister Rogers' Neighborhood episodes that last aired on PBS in the 1990s (final airdates [http://www.neighborhoodarchive.com/forum/index.php?topic=592.0 here]); this include episodes 1176, 1177, 1179, 1180, 1261, 1281, 1384, and 1389 on Amazon. This also plasters over the 1984 logo on episodes dating from 1984-1989 on the latter program when it aired on Twitch.tv.
* This may plaster earlier PBS logos on Time-Life Video releases of ''Nature'', including "Forest in the Sea" (which preserves its original WNET logo). Other programs where it plastered earlier logos in the early '90s include ''Dinner at Julia's'', ''French in Action'', ''Reading Rainbow'', rebroadcasts of Season 1 episodes of ''Shining Time Station'' and later episodes of Season 20 of ''Sesame Street'' beginning with episode 2576, and certain of Ken Burns's earlier works, including ''Brooklyn Bridge'', ''The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God'', ''The Statue of Liberty'', and ''Huey Long''.
* Appearances of this logo on DVD are scarce as they're usually plastered over or trimmed off. It appeared on DVD releases of some episodes of ''The American Experience'' from the era, including "Last Stand at Little Bighorn", which retained it on television even as the series entered the Internet age in 1995 with PBS Online.
Line 166 ⟶ 202:
'''Editor's Note:''' The logo is well-liked for its nice animation and soft music.
=== 5th Logo (January 4, 1993-September 4, 1996) ===
{{Gallery
| align=center
| mode=packed
| height=200
| width=
|PBS (1993-1996) 20200817 033635.png|
}}
{{YouTube|id=B8s7YKvUTPM}}
'''Nicknames:''' "Orange CGI P-Head", "Glass P-Head", "Pink P-Heads", "PBS P-Head IV", "Pink PBS Logo"
'''Logo:''' On a {{Font color|hotpink|pink}}/{{Font color|orange|orange}} lighted background, several transparent ellipses revealing people's faces appear and disappear one at a time. Then we zoom out through a circle, which turns out to be the eye in the PBS P-Head standing on a floor, made from glass. To the left of the P-Head, the text "{{Font|Serif|'''PBS'''}}" rotates to face the screen.
'''Trivia:'''
* Contrary to its first nickname, this was a live-action logo, captured on 35mm film, though final compositing ''was'' done on computers. The people faces were captured on October 19, 1992; the actual logo was filmed two days later. It was created with models; the P-Heads were frosted glass and the "{{Font|Serif|'''PBS'''}}" text was rotated with rostrums. The logo was designed by Telezign.
* Much like HBO and their famed "In Space" opening, this logo also had its own mini-documentary detailing the making of it. You can watch it here.
* The footage is sped up to better fill the 30i space allotted to NTSC.
Line 182 ⟶ 229:
'''FX/SFX:''' Several ellipses appear before the camera zooms out to reveal the P-Head. The PBS logotype flips in.
'''Music/Sounds
'''Music/Sounds
'''Availability:''' Uncommon.
Line 192 ⟶ 239:
* This logo can be seen on various episodes of ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' from 1974-1980 on Twitch.tv, its first appearance being on Episode #1362. It can also be viewed at the end of many episodes of ''The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour'' from the era, available for viewing on the American Archive of Public Broadcasting website.
* The logo's last new appearance was on the September 4, 1996 edition of ''The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer'' (some episodes of ''Adventures from the Book of Virtues'' and the films of Ken Burns had this at the start of the video program on the VHS releases). This logo, surprisingly, appeared at the end of an August 05, 2018 airing of ''An Ice Cream Show'', after years of plastering with later logos from 1998 and 2002, on WFWA-TV's 4th sub-channel, known as PBS39 Explore. This is the first confirmed time this logo has aired on television since 2009 on a UNC-TV airing of ''Faces of Culture''.
* It also appears on
'''Editor's Note:''' This logo is highly regarded by the community due in part to its production process, done without resorting to primarily using computer animation.
=== 6th Logo (July 21, 1995-1998)===
{{Gallery
| align=center
| mode=packed
| height=200
| width=
|PBS (1995).jpg|alt=Public Broadcasting Service|
}}
{{YouTube|id=oAubvp9AHg8}}
'''Nicknames:''' "Auroras", "Metallic Blue", "The {{Font color|blue|blue}} Aurora P-Head", "Metallic P-Head", "PBS P-Head V"
'''Logo:''' {{Font color|darkblue|Dark blue}} lights can be seen swirling and moving around over a {{Font color|dodgerblue|blue}} aurora background. The PBS logo, seen in a similar fashion to the 3rd logo, sits over the lights. The logo is colored {{Font color|deepskyblue|light blue}} with a slight tint of {{Font color|teal|teal}}, it and the text are metallic and the logo reflects the aurora and the lights moving around.
'''FX/SFX:''' Just the aurora and lights moving around, nothing else.
'''Music/Sounds
* Chris Murney, the same announcer as the previous logo, says "You are watching PBS, viewer-supported public television."
* Early on, a different male announcer says, "This is PBS, your source of quality programming on public television."
Line 219 ⟶ 275:
'''Logo:''' One of seven genre-based logos, which would form the basis for the 1996 PBS logo:
* Arts and Entertainment: On a black screen, half of a {{Font color|blue|blue}} vase painting obscures the left half, while a metronome ticks in the right half. As the metronome exits stage right, a modern dancer appears performing from behind the painting, and then a framed animated portrait of an old man in a toga also appears from behind the painting as an artist's palette appears from above, then a music bar from below, which touches the pallet. The scene cuts to a {{Font color|#FFD900|yellow}} background, with a framed music bar with tap dance shoes on top and a brass trumpet in the upper-left-hand corner, and a framed portrait of an opera singer with an upside-down writing in progress to the right. The opera singer is replaced by a fingerprint as a framed video of Charleston dancers appears from the left and settles in the lower-left-hand corner. Finally, the fingerprint is replaced by a portion of the opening to ''Mystery!'', while the trumpet is replaced by a smoking pipe.
* Nature: A water drop hits a body of water, then a frame showing the same animation and more flips forward against a white background as a white feather floats down, a wooden rectangle appears from the left to settle in left-center, and a video of dolphins is shown before fading to {{Font color|blue|blue}}. The scene cuts to a nest being lifted, which then appears in a frame against a black background with the same wooden rectangle in the center and footage of wildlife playing on either side.
* Explore: At the top of the screen is a video of an approaching train, with a wooden frame and a wooden globe in the upper-left-hand corner. At the bottom is a variety of {{Font color|blue|bluish}} and {{Font color|green|greenish}} rectangles in which the word "explore" appears. Between these two portions of the screen is a canoe. The next screen to be shown includes a teal rectangle with black slowly creeping into it, with video of a hot air balloon to the left and a cartography drawing, in {{Font color|teal|teal}} on white, to the right. A framed picture of sun rays moves downward, and a framed video of a book's pages being turned moves towards the right, as a flashlight appears briefly before flashing out. Then, a black rectangle appears to the left, with footage of kayakers going along a river to the right. Finally, the footage is put inside a rectangle in the center going up to a framed {{Font color|teal|teal}} picture. To the right is an empty kayak. A spinning globe goes upwards to the right.
* Science: An x-rayed hand in {{Font color|blue|blue}} appears to the left and moves to a frame in the lower-right-hand corner of a screen with a multi-colored but predominantly white background. The word "SCIENCE" appears above that frame as another frame, with a see-through video, moves downward. In the lower-left-hand corner of the screen, a ruler spins on a {{Font color|red|red}} background as the Moon fades in above. Next, on a {{Font color|green|green}} and {{Font color|#FFD900|yellow}} screen, a black machine moves towards the camera. Finally, a framed video of an astronaut zooms out to the upper-left-hand corner of the same background as the earlier screen, with a black stripe in the lower-left-hand corner and footage of Albert Einstein to the right.
* Depth, Dialogue, Discussion: Against a white background, a {{Font color|red|red}} frame, a framed teleprompter, and a microphone appear. Black and white footage is overlaid over the teleprompter frame as the same spinning globe from Explore appears from the right and the background darkens and merges with a camera with four flashes. In the lens of the camera is a clock to the right with {{Font color|blue|blue}} lighting. A windowsill appears from the top, framing footage of an anchorman delivering his report.
* Do-It-Yourself: Against a {{Font color|yellow|light yellow}} background with footage from ''The French Chef'' playing behind, a brush leaves a {{Font color|#FFD900|yellow}} paint streak on the left, while the upper-right-hand corner shows a framed animation of a carrot being prepared, and the lower-right-hand corner shows some clay being molded into a pot. Next, a framed animation of scissors snipping appears, with a fork and spoon to the right and some silver circular parts to the left. The same silver circular parts, enlarged, appear along a {{Font color|gold|darker yellow}} rectangle to the left along with two squares, one resembling marble and the other resembling a shadow with "do it yourself" along the top edge, in the center and a framed wrench animation in the right. The marble square opens to reveal footage of someone drilling into wood. Finally, seven frames appear on the screen, showing the wrench, a hammer, string, a thimble, and footage of someone working with a plant, and sometimes nothing but solid color.
* History: Against a {{Font color|maroon|mahogany}} background with black markings, a framed front page of the New York Times depicting the lunar landing swings in from the left and is then shown from a distance, with an animated baseball and American flag in the foreground. Next, we pan across a picture of Union soldiers, with a framed {{Font color|red|red}} picture and an animated cannon in the lower-left-hand corner and a picture of Abraham Lincoln to the right. A red stripe appears in the center, with the initial animation framed, but this time with a glove catching the baseball. Black and white newsreel footage appears to the left. Finally, video footage showing a wheel appears to the left, with a Dorothea Lange photograph to the right as framed footage of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech moves towards the right.
'''Trivia:''' Stations known to have used this branding on their IDs and/or promo tags include [[Kentucky Educational Television]], [[KERA]], [[Louisiana Public Broadcasting]], [[East Tennessee PBS|Public TV for East Tennessee]], [[Vermont PBS|Vermont ETV]], [[WITF]], [[WNET]], [[WQED]], and [[WVIZ]].
Line 246 ⟶ 302:
=== 8th Logo (June 17, 1996-December 5, 1999)===
{{Gallery
| align=center
| mode=packed
| height=200
| width=
|PBS 1996 A.png|
}}
{{YouTube|id=1Gw9Au0vK2A|id2=grQF0gsNwgg|id3=VBsbpz9wvp8}}
'''Nicknames:''' "Windows", "The PBS Windows III", "CGI Window", "PBS P-Head VI", "PBS Express"
'''Logo:''' On a black background, a CGI window appears with a
'''Variant:''' Early editions of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer that featured this logo had this fading in and out.
Line 277 ⟶ 338:
'''Editor's Note:''' This logo has some very neat effects for the time as well as a calming theme.
=== 9th Logo (September 21, 1998-September 1, 2002) ===
{{Gallery
| align=center
| mode=packed
| height=200
| width=
|PBS Ident 1999.png|
|PBS Ident 2000.png|
|PBS Widescreen ident.png|
}}
{{YouTube|id=zsIpyhfshEA}}
'''Nicknames:''' "Acrobats", "Circle P-Heads", "PBS P-Head VII", "Circle PBS P-Head", "This Is Who We Are"
'''Logo:''' On a computer-generated {{Font color|mediumseagreen|green}} sky background, a person standing to the left covers his or her head with a black circle with the PBS P-Head on it in white. Acrobats jump from all directions off the circle. The text "{{Font|Serif|'''PBS'''}}" appears to the right, with the URL "www.pbs.org" appearing below it. This is the last logo that used the words "This Is PBS". Also, throughout the ident, different things happen in the background: On all ten variants, there are tiny superimposed silhouettes of people flying in a circle behind the acrobats. On three out of ten of the variants, there are silhouettes of big wands briefly flying down behind the PBS text. And on the rest, there are silhouettes of people tip-toeing in an oval (a circle on the widescreen version) around the person.
'''Trivia:'''
Line 292 ⟶ 362:
'''Variants:''' Each time you see this logo, different people are holding the circle with the P-head on it, and the acrobats doing different kinds of tricks around the P-head circle. Here's a list of the men and women you see (also including the tricks the acrobats do):
* Man in {{Font color|gold|gold}} shirt; female acrobats
* Man in {{Font color|blue|blue}} shirt; same acrobats from 1st variant.
* Woman in {{Font color|blue|blue}} shirt; male acrobats
* Woman in {{Font color|firebrick|deep red}} shirt; male acrobats
* Man in {{Font color|orange|orange-tan}} shirt; same acrobats from 3rd variant.
* Older woman (Lauren Bacall herself) in {{Font color|red|red}} shirt; same acrobats from 4th variant.
* Woman in folly shirt; same acrobats from 4th variant.
* Man in {{Font color|darkblue|dark blue}} shirt; same acrobats from 1st variant.
* Woman in {{Font color|red|red}} shirt; same acrobats from 3rd variant.
'''FX/SFX:''' The computer effects used to shrink the acrobats and superimpose them around the circle.
Line 307 ⟶ 377:
'''Availability:''' Rare.
* This logo can usually be found on reruns and some PBS Home Video tapes (mainly the ones that use the Warner Home Video logo instead of the PBS Home Video logo) such as ''An Ice Cream Show''. It is also preserved on '98-'02 episodes of ''Scientific American Frontiers'' on the Chedd-Angier website. On home video, the "man in gold shirt" variant appeared on ''An Ice Cream Show'' (where it plasters the 5th logo), and the "woman in {{Font color|blue|blue}} shirt" variant appeared on ''Great Old Amusement Parks'' and ''A Hot Dog Program''.
* It also plasters older logos on more recent prints of ''American Experience'' (various, as early as the 4th logo), ''French in Action'' (3rd and 4th logos), ''Solutions to Violence'' (5th logo), and Julia Child's cooking programs (5th and previous logos).
* This still appears on ''Workplace Essential Skills'' if your station is broadcasting it.
Line 336 ⟶ 406:
'''Nickname:''' "Stay Curious"
'''Logo:''' On a {{Font color|deepskyblue|light blue}} background, the PBS circle slowly eases back and fades out as four {{Font color|lightskyblue|lighter blue}} circles appear and spread across the screen, revealing smaller, {{Font color|powderblue|even lighter blue}} circles inside. The PBS circle, now in black and white, reappears in the center of the screen. "Stay curious. PBS" appears below.
'''FX/SFX:''' The "P" Circle easing back and vanishing. The circles forming, spreading, merging, and spreading again. The blurring in of the PBS logo. The text appearing. Typical early 2000's animation.
Line 348 ⟶ 418:
=== 12th Logo (October 2, 2000-2002)===
'''Nicknames:''' "Stay Curious", "PBS P-Head VIII", "Circle PBS P-Head II"
'''Logo:''' Against an {{Font color|orange|orange}} background, we see the PBS circle in a {{Font color|yellow|light yellow}} color with the P-head being the same {{Font color|orange|orange}} color as the background. The "P" Circle slowly eases back and fades out as four {{Font color|limegreen|green}} circles appear and spread around the screen revealing smaller {{Font color|yellow|light yellow}} circles inside. Four more circles appear and the outer circles merge with the other circles before they begin spreading out. The PBS "P" Circle, now in the standard black and white colors, appears with a blur effect. Small circles form "pbs.org" below in a white calibri font.
'''Variants:'''
* A version with a {{Font color|blue|blue}} color scheme was used between programs. Instead of the URL, the text below the PBS circle read "Stay curious. PBS".
* An extended variant begins on a {{Font color|blue|blue}} background with a {{Font color|darkblue|darker blue}} P-head. The camera zooms into the pupil and the normal animation begins. The logo also has a green tint to it.
'''FX/SFX:''' The "P" Circle easing back and vanishing. The circles forming, spreading, merging, and spreading again. The blurring in of the PBS logo. The circles forming the pbs.org name. Typical early 2000's animation.
Line 360 ⟶ 431:
'''Music/Sounds/Voice-over:''' A three-note ascending tune (D, E, A); most likely played on sitar, Gibson Les Paul or a Rickenbacker 325 (put through a wah-wah pedal) and a voiceover saying "This is PBS."
'''Music/Sounds/Voice-over Variants:''' On the {{Font color|blue|blue}} variant, one of two tunes was used:
* Usually, the tune was played in the key of D (G, A, D) on a celesta, followed by a new age rhythmic tune played on a celesta and acoustic guitar.
* A slightly longer version of the blue variant, usually shown before the 7PM broadcast of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, uses the second half of the CPB/Viewers Like You music of the era.
Line 372 ⟶ 443:
=== 13th Logo (September 23, 2002-December 3, 2010) ===
{{Gallery
| align=center
| mode=packed
| height=200
| width=
|PBS Cowboy Hat 2006.png|
|PBS ident 2005 Standard.png|
|PBS ident 2002-09.png|
|PBS ident 2007 Mother and Daughter.png|
|PBS ident 2004 Full-Screen.jpeg|
|PBS ident 2008 widescreen.png|
}}
'''Nicknames:''' “Be More”, “We Are PBS”, “I Am PBS”, "I'm PBS", "The Sienna Curtains", "PBS P-Head IX", "Circle PBS P-Head III", "Launch and Megatron Announce PBS"
'''Logo:''' We see a letterboxed clip show of live-action footage, filmed on a large set with hardwood floor and a background of shaggy {{Font color|sienna|raw sienna}}-colored curtains. Culturally and generationally diverse people are employed in the variants, each giving different performances on-camera. As the last clip plays, we see the “Circle P-Head” logo animating with the word "{{Font|Serif|'''PBS'''}}" in
'''Variants:''' Here are some of the variations that have been seen of late, with a list of the clips in each variant in chronological order:
Line 411 ⟶ 487:
* There was another version with a voice-over saying "The following PBS show is closed captioned".
* There was another version with a voice-over saying "PBS will return in a moment".
* There's also a version that appeared on ''Frontline'' and a few editions of ''The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer'' from 2003. On the same background as the [[Corporation for Public Broadcasting|CPB]] logo of the time but darker, we see the words "Perspective. Analysis. Understanding." in white slowly zoom in and shine. Then the words "dissolve" away and the Be More PBS logo animates. In the background throughout the ident is a wallpaper-like array of transparent copies of the words seen earlier. (Bob Hilton: "This is PBS.")
* There is another non-animated variant which is adapted from the 2004 [[PBS Distribution]] logo, which is normally shortened at the end except after a 29-minute program (usually from PBS Kids). As with the {{Font color|blue|blue}} variant of the previous logo, this was used as the national network ID on the satellite feed.
'''FX/SFX:''' Mostly live action, except for the logo animating at the end. This logo was done by PMcD Design.
Line 429 ⟶ 505:
'''Editor's Note:''' None.
=== 14th Logo (September 28, 2009-) ===
{{Gallery
| align=center
| mode=packed
| height=200
| width=
|PBS 2009 Observing Child.png|
|PBS 2009 Bluesman.png|
|PBS 2009 Symphony.png|
|PBS 2009 Strange Recipe.png|
|PBS 2009 Generic - This PBS program will return.png|
}}
{{YouTube|id=T3lNcz1YzdQ}}
'''Nicknames:''' "Be More II", "Be More, PBS", "PBS P-Head X", "Circle PBS P-Head IV"
'''Logo:''' We see a video of a person or people having activities. Suddenly, the PBS logo appears with "Be More" on the left and "{{Font|Serif|'''PBS'''}}" on the right. The word "{{Font|Serif|'''PBS'''}}" then changes to the URL "pbs.org". A voice-over says "Be More, PBS." as the logo animates.
'''Variants:'''
Line 453 ⟶ 536:
* Symphony: A symphony orchestra performs the tune. The camera sees the violin, bass clarinet, marimba, cymbal and tuba.
* Strange Recipe: A storekeeper recommends a pineapple to his supermarket's customer.
* Generic: Sometimes, there is no live action footage; instead the logo is placed on a custom background with bubbles. The background is used in four different colors: {{Font color|blue|blue}}, {{Font color|limegreen|green}}, {{Font color|orange|orange}}, and {{Font color|mediumvioletred|magenta}}. On some shows, an announcer says, "You're watching PBS". On the {{Font color|orange|orange}} variant,"PBS" does not change to the URL.
* ''Masterpiece'': A variant appears on episodes of ''Masterpiece''. Clips from episodes of the anthology series are shown one by one over the {{Font color|blue|blue}} background before the PBS logo appears as usual. The voiceover says, "''Masterpiece'', only on PBS." Retired as of November 10, 2019, it made its final appearance throughout the final PBS broadcast of ''Downton Abbey'' in June 2020.
* ''Antiques Roadshow'': A variant appears on episodes of ''Antiques Roadshow''. Clips from episodes are shown together over the orange background before the PBS logo appears as usual. The voiceover says, "''Antiques Roadshow'', only on PBS." Officially retired as of November 4, 2019, having last appeared on the program on October 28, 2019.
* Public Affairs: A variant appears on episodes of ''Frontline'' and ''Washington Week'', as well as on the special ''America After Charleston''. Depicted over the {{Font color|blue|blue}} background are various public affairs personalities (as of 2016, Gwen Ifill, Judy Woodruff, Hari Sreenivasan, and Charlie Rose, in that order; early programs with this logo featured a different montage with a different slate of public affairs personalities), before the PBS logo appears as usual. The voiceover is the same as on the generic variants. This variant was retired following Ifill's death in November 2016, and with Charlie Rose having fallen from grace just over a year later it's safe to say this variant is gone for good.
* Generic (We'll Be Right Back): As with the previous logo, the generic logo (often using the {{Font color|blue|blue}} or green version) is sometimes shown at the start of program breaks, with a voiceover saying, "This PBS program will return in a moment."
* Opening Variant: Against
'''Trivia:''' Perhaps due to its appeal to a variety of audiences for the network, this is PBS's second longest-lasting ID, after their Everymen logo.
Line 477 ⟶ 560:
* ''Antiques Roadshow'': The music is played in a soft guitar and piano arrangement.
* Public Affairs: A hard-rock arrangement of the music.
* Generic (We'll Be Right Back): The music is played either on strings and keyboards (for the green version) or in an electronic arrangement (for the {{Font color|blue|blue}} version).
* Opening Variant: Just a short string of rising piano notes.
Line 497 ⟶ 580:
'''Editor's Note:''' While this logo is almost a decade old, its many variants over the years have kept it fresh.
=== 15th Logo (November 4, 2019- )===
{{YouTube|id=CRolaRePWv4}}
'''Nicknames:''' "21st Century PBS", "50 Years of PBS"
Line 522 ⟶ 609:
* Photography: TBA. Debuted on July 22, 2020, at 8:56 PM ET.
* TBA: TBA. Debuted on July 26, 2020, at 9:56 PM ET.
* Generic: The P-Head circle zooms out against a PBS {{Font color|blue|blue}} background and slides to the left, with PBS appearing in white, in the PBS Sans font, to the right. Debuted on November 9, 2019, at 6:26 PM ET.
'''Variants:'''
Line 561 ⟶ 648:
'''Editor's Note:''' A new modernization of the PBS logo for the digital age, and the first since the 1971 logo to not use serifs in its identity. However, the corporate brand unification the company has been pushing with this logo and the design itself seems to be garnering less favorable (initial) reactions compared to previous logos. Time will only tell if the community will warm up to this logo. Nevertheless, its variant set, including and excluding special IDs, appears to be the most robust ever offered by the network thus far.
{{Navbox-PBS}}{{TV-Navbox}}
[[Category: Television Logos]] [[Category:Television IDs]] [[Category:American Logos]] [[Category:American Television Logos]] [[Category:American Television IDs]] [[Category: PBS]] [[Category:Education Logos]]
|
This article is missing images. If you have an image of any logo described here, please upload it and add it to the page in the appropriate place. (More information) |
This page describes regular PBS idents. For special (non-regular) idents, click here
The Public Broadcasting Service, known on air as PBS, is a publicly funded non-profit distribution service (founded on November 3, 1969) that serves a variety of television stations in the United States, as well as some areas of Mexico and Canada. PBS replaced its predecessor NET in October 5, 1970 with some of their original affiliates being KPBS in San Diego, WNET in New York, WGBH in Boston, and KCET in Los Angeles. PBS has over 350 affiliates today, mostly owned by educational institutions.
Nicknames: "The Text", "The Text of Boredom", "Multi-Colored/Tri-Colored Text", "Public Boredom Service"
Logo: Just a black background with the words:
stacked on top of each other in red, yellow, and blue.
Variant: On Firing Line, the logo cuts in from the CPB logo.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds/Voice-over: An announcer, MacDonald Carey, says "This is PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service." Later programs used a different announcer.
Music/Sounds/Voice-over Variant: On Calebration, the opening theme plays over this logo, and there is no announcer.
Availability: Extinct.
Editor's Note: This logo is rather infamous as it is the hardest PBS logo to find because of its incredibly short lifespan. In all likelihood, this was developed as a placeholder logo during the NET to PBS transition, hence why the color scheme is the same as the 12th NET logo. For many years, the only circulating copy was one of very poor quality, and it had barely any information regarding its source. What was known is that it came from "Go Ride the Music", and even then many casual observers failed to connect it with Fanfare for years. However, by the late 2010s, the additional copies mentioned above have come to light, giving the community a few additional captures of this very elusive ID. It has also been found that the original poor quality source comes from a TVARK recording.
Nicknames: "P-Head and Friends", "PBS P-Head", "The Tri-Colored Everyman P-Heads", "The Tri-Colored PBS Logo", "The Tri-Heads from/of Hell/Doom"
Logo: On a black background, an abstract blue "P" zooms out to the top portion of the screen. The "P" turns into a P-shaped head facing left with the text "PUBLIC" appearing underneath (this set and the later lines of text underneath being set in ITC Avant Garde); both move to the left side of the screen. An abstract orange "B" pops in to the right of the P-Head and two black dots form the holes within the "B" (the latter dot coinciding with the text "BROADCASTING" appearing below "PUBLIC"). An abstract green "S" appears to the right of the "B"; two black dots cut the inner curves of the "S" as the text "SERVICE" appears below "BROADCASTING" (coinciding with the second dot). The final text stack reads:
PBS
PUBLIC
BROADCASTING
SERVICE
Trivia:
Variants:
FX/SFX: Cel animation.
Music/Sounds:: A telephone-like synthesizer scale descending rapidly, followed by 5 synthesizer tones as the black dots appear; there is an echo in the final note. Composed by Paul Alan Levi, using a EMS VCS3 Putney synthesizer.
Music/Sounds Variants:
Availability: Uncommon. Due to replacement with newer logos and newer shows, it was extremely rare in recent years. However, DVD releases and streaming have made it easier to find.
Editor's Note: Many individuals who grew up during this logo's time period have strong memories of it -- whether fond or otherwise. The loud synthesizer music freaked out a few people in its day, but now this logo stands for nostalgia more than anything else.
Nicknames: "Split Profile", "The Everyman/Everyperson P", "PBS P-Head II", "The Split"
Logo: On a black background, a blue P-head appears on the upper-mid screen, facing backwards. A piece, unofficially called "The Split", comes out to the right and settles itself about half an inch away. The text "PBS" appears below in a slab serif font, which was designed specifically for PBS (called "ITC Lubalin Graph Bold").
Trivia:
Variants:
FX/SFX: The P-head "splitting" as a fragment of the logo stretches away.
Music/Sounds:: A majestic piano chord, followed by six string pizzicato tones, and then a softer version of the piano chord. Composed by Jonathan Elias.
Music/Sounds Variant:
Availability: Common. It appeared on old prints of PBS shows produced from 1984-89. Can also be found on early PBS Home Video releases from the '80s; just look for a banner with the P-Head on the left and "PBS VIDEO" filling the entire rest of the banner.
Editor's Note: While this logo has not been seen on television for many years, it is still very highly regarded and is a favorite of many.
Nicknames: "3D Glass", "Transparent blue P-Head", "Merging Glass P-Head", "PBS P-Head III"
Logo: On a black background, a side-facing transparent dark blue P-head folds to the right, leaving behind a residue trail of "P-Heads". The residue trail fades into the PBS logo from before, which settles itself in the center of the screen, occupying almost all of it. Several multi-colored lines wipe across the bottom of the screen, leaving the text "PBS" in the same font as the previous logo to the bottom left.
Trivia:
Variants:
FX/SFX: The P-head folds, leaving behind a trail as it settles in the center of the screen. Multicolor lines wipe in to form the PBS logotype.
Music/Sounds: A long held-out string note combined with synth bells (played on a Roland D-50 using the Fantasia preset) and chimes, followed by an announcer (probably Peter Thomas, who also did the funding credits voiceovers for The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, Nova, and A World of Ideas at the time) saying "This is PBS".
Music/Sounds Variants:
Availability: Rare. As with other vintage PBS logos, the chance of showing up on TV now is almost nothing, but some PBS Home Video releases from the era may have it. Just look for a square in the top-left corner of the front of the box with "PBS VIDEO" below a P-head.
Editor's Note: The logo is well-liked for its nice animation and soft music.
Nicknames: "Orange CGI P-Head", "Glass P-Head", "Pink P-Heads", "PBS P-Head IV", "Pink PBS Logo"
Logo: On a pink/orange lighted background, several transparent ellipses revealing people's faces appear and disappear one at a time. Then we zoom out through a circle, which turns out to be the eye in the PBS P-Head standing on a floor, made from glass. To the left of the P-Head, the text "PBS" rotates to face the screen.
Trivia:
Variant: There is a completely still variant with a male or female announcer saying, "This is PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service." This was used for program breaks. The same still variant, without the announcer, would be substituted in place of the "Viewers Like You" credit on Ken Burns' The West.
FX/SFX: Several ellipses appear before the camera zooms out to reveal the P-Head. The PBS logotype flips in.
Music/Sounds: A funky piano and choir boogie tune, followed by an announcer (Chris Murney, the voice of Elisha Hunt Rhodes in Ken Burns' The Civil War) who says "This is PBS." The music was composed by Peter Fish, who has also done music for CBS News.
Music/Sounds Variant: There is a rare variant that exists without the voice-over. This was seen on the aforementioned mini-documentary Making the PBS Logo, which was used as a filler program for when there was time left at the end of any program.
Availability: Uncommon.
Editor's Note: This logo is highly regarded by the community due in part to its production process, done without resorting to primarily using computer animation.
Nicknames: "Auroras", "Metallic Blue", "The blue Aurora P-Head", "Metallic P-Head", "PBS P-Head V"
Logo: Dark blue lights can be seen swirling and moving around over a blue aurora background. The PBS logo, seen in a similar fashion to the 3rd logo, sits over the lights. The logo is colored light blue with a slight tint of teal, it and the text are metallic and the logo reflects the aurora and the lights moving around.
FX/SFX: Just the aurora and lights moving around, nothing else.
Music/Sounds:
Availability: Extinct. This was used between programs on PBS's satellite feed.
Editor's Note: This logo was a surprise discovery, largely because home recordings from the PBS satellite feed are very rare. A more recent discovery is that everything was done with dissolves in the early years of PBS Express on Schedule X.
Nickname: "If PBS Doesn't Do It, Who Will?"
Logo: One of seven genre-based logos, which would form the basis for the 1996 PBS logo:
Trivia: Stations known to have used this branding on their IDs and/or promo tags include Kentucky Educational Television, KERA, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, Public TV for East Tennessee, Vermont ETV, WITF, WNET, WQED, and WVIZ.
FX/SFX: Depends on the animations.
Music/Sounds: Differs based on the ID.
Availability: Extinct. Can be seen on Vimeo, oddly enough under the name "PBS 2000". Known to have appeared before programs on WSJK/WKOP and the Schedule X satellite feed, and after programs on WNET.
Editor's Note: This logo has quite a creative concept.
Nicknames: "Windows", "The PBS Windows III", "CGI Window", "PBS P-Head VI", "PBS Express"
Logo: On a black background, a CGI window appears with a bird's-eye view of the Earth, a plastic globe spinning on the top right, and a telescope rotating on the bottom left. A pear-colored PBS P-Head (with the split colored light blue) appears in front of the window and grows smaller as the window grows bigger. As the two meet each other, the window disappears. Inside the P-Head are transparent images of two globes, a feather and a telescope. The P-Head takes its place in the top center of the screen and turns to light blue and aquamarine as the text "PBS" fades in below them.
Variant: Early editions of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer that featured this logo had this fading in and out.
Trivia:
FX/SFX: Neat CGI effects.
Music/Sounds/Voice-over: A new age tune with guitars and flutes, composed by Elias Associates, followed by a female announcer (the late Lauren Bacall) who says "This is PBS."
Music/Sounds/Voice-over Variants:
Availability: Uncommon. It appears on TV sometimes, but PBS Home Video tapes are an easier way to find it.
Editor's Note: This logo has some very neat effects for the time as well as a calming theme.
Nicknames: "Acrobats", "Circle P-Heads", "PBS P-Head VII", "Circle PBS P-Head", "This Is Who We Are"
Logo: On a computer-generated green sky background, a person standing to the left covers his or her head with a black circle with the PBS P-Head on it in white. Acrobats jump from all directions off the circle. The text "PBS" appears to the right, with the URL "www.pbs.org" appearing below it. This is the last logo that used the words "This Is PBS". Also, throughout the ident, different things happen in the background: On all ten variants, there are tiny superimposed silhouettes of people flying in a circle behind the acrobats. On three out of ten of the variants, there are silhouettes of big wands briefly flying down behind the PBS text. And on the rest, there are silhouettes of people tip-toeing in an oval (a circle on the widescreen version) around the person.
Trivia:
Variants: Each time you see this logo, different people are holding the circle with the P-head on it, and the acrobats doing different kinds of tricks around the P-head circle. Here's a list of the men and women you see (also including the tricks the acrobats do):
FX/SFX: The computer effects used to shrink the acrobats and superimpose them around the circle.
Music/Sounds/Voice-over: A brief synth swell and a 3-note flute fanfare, then a new age percussion/choir tune, followed by the female announcer from the previous logo (Lauren Bacall) who says "This is PBS." If you listen carefully, you can also hear a trombone and strings in the background as well. There is also a variant that exists with Lauren Bacall saying, "You are watching PBS." This was used for program breaks.
Availability: Rare.
Editor's Note: The many variations of this logo marked the beginning of a trend for PBS idents that continues to this very day. Like the last logo, this one also features very nice effects as well as a great musical theme.
Nickname: "If PBS Doesn't Do It, Who Will?"
Logo: Against a computer-generated sky background, a kaleidoscope consisting of several humans holding placards is zoomed in on, with the PBS circle in the center. The circle briefly fades out before fading back in, and the placards alternate between a random program's title card and a still from the same program throughout.
FX/SFX: TBA.
Music/Sounds: A rearrangement of the 1998 PBS logo's theme.
Availability: Extinct. Was seen on a WXEL recording from June 1999.
Editor's Note: None.
Nickname: "Stay Curious"
Logo: On a light blue background, the PBS circle slowly eases back and fades out as four lighter blue circles appear and spread across the screen, revealing smaller, even lighter blue circles inside. The PBS circle, now in black and white, reappears in the center of the screen. "Stay curious. PBS" appears below.
FX/SFX: The "P" Circle easing back and vanishing. The circles forming, spreading, merging, and spreading again. The blurring in of the PBS logo. The text appearing. Typical early 2000's animation.
Music/Sounds: Either a three-note ascending tune (G, A, D) played on a celesta followed by a new age celesta/acoustic guitar rhythmic tune, or the tail end of the 2001 CPB logo's music.
Availability: Extinct. Can be seen on the Internet Archive's 9/11 archive between PBS programs.
Editor's Note: None.
Nicknames: "Stay Curious", "PBS P-Head VIII", "Circle PBS P-Head II"
Logo: Against an orange background, we see the PBS circle in a light yellow color with the P-head being the same orange color as the background. The "P" Circle slowly eases back and fades out as four green circles appear and spread around the screen revealing smaller light yellow circles inside. Four more circles appear and the outer circles merge with the other circles before they begin spreading out. The PBS "P" Circle, now in the standard black and white colors, appears with a blur effect. Small circles form "pbs.org" below in a white calibri font.
Variants:
FX/SFX: The "P" Circle easing back and vanishing. The circles forming, spreading, merging, and spreading again. The blurring in of the PBS logo. The circles forming the pbs.org name. Typical early 2000's animation.
Music/Sounds/Voice-over: A three-note ascending tune (D, E, A); most likely played on sitar, Gibson Les Paul or a Rickenbacker 325 (put through a wah-wah pedal) and a voiceover saying "This is PBS."
Music/Sounds/Voice-over Variants: On the blue variant, one of two tunes was used:
Availability: Extinct.
Editor's Note: Very simple compared to the rest of the logos on here, but some may like its vaguely '60s-ish vibe.
Nicknames: “Be More”, “We Are PBS”, “I Am PBS”, "I'm PBS", "The Sienna Curtains", "PBS P-Head IX", "Circle PBS P-Head III", "Launch and Megatron Announce PBS"
Logo: We see a letterboxed clip show of live-action footage, filmed on a large set with hardwood floor and a background of shaggy raw sienna-colored curtains. Culturally and generationally diverse people are employed in the variants, each giving different performances on-camera. As the last clip plays, we see the “Circle P-Head” logo animating with the word "PBS" in PMN Caecilia on the right and the slogan “Be more” on the left. The text has been modified a bit after the past 18 years. Throughout the bumper, a bug for the URL "pbs.org" is seen in the lower left corner.
Variants: Here are some of the variations that have been seen of late, with a list of the clips in each variant in chronological order:
FX/SFX: Mostly live action, except for the logo animating at the end. This logo was done by PMcD Design.
Music/Sounds/Voice-over: A majestic orchestral tune. Composed by Tonal Sound and Elias Associates. The same tune is always used, but is rearranged for some variants and has a different voice-over (see above for examples).
Availability: No longer current, but it's still common, generally being preserved on reruns of older PBS programming, including the specials Lawrence Welk: Milestones and Memories, where it plasters the previous logo; Lawrence Welk: God Bless America, and Welk Stars Through the Years (the former two use the "Flowers" variant, while the latter uses the "Performers" variant). This wasn't used much for plastering, unlike previous logos, though it did appear on rebroadcasts of An Ice Cream Show from 2002 to 2018, when the original logo was surprisingly restored. Though the logo officially ended on September 27, 2009, the transition to the next logo would be staggered among programs, with programs such as Washington Week and Bill Moyers Journal among the earlier programs to make the transition. The satellite ID variant can still be seen on certain programs to this day, though usually promos and interstitials selected by the local PBS station are used instead (you might catch this if your station, by some random chance, e.g. during a transition to or from Daylight Savings Time, or late at night on KET2, or while technical difficulties are sorted out by the local station, broadcasts promos and interstitials from the standard PBS feed at any time for whatever reason).
Editor's Note: None.
Nicknames: "Be More II", "Be More, PBS", "PBS P-Head X", "Circle PBS P-Head IV"
Logo: We see a video of a person or people having activities. Suddenly, the PBS logo appears with "Be More" on the left and "PBS" on the right. The word "PBS" then changes to the URL "pbs.org". A voice-over says "Be More, PBS." as the logo animates.
Variants:
Trivia: Perhaps due to its appeal to a variety of audiences for the network, this is PBS's second longest-lasting ID, after their Everymen logo.
FX/SFX: Same as the 10th logo.
Music/Sounds/Voice-over: A 5-note tune, created by music company Expansion Team. Like the eighth logo, the same tune is always used, but is rearranged for some variants and has a different voice-over.
Availability: Currently in use on most PBS first-run shows. The variants are used randomly, as with the previous logos, on many programs, including Nova, This Old House, Motorweek, and The Woodwright's Shop; however, on certain programs you can always expect to see the following variants:
Editor's Note: While this logo is almost a decade old, its many variants over the years have kept it fresh.
Nicknames: "21st Century PBS", "50 Years of PBS"
Logo:
Variants:
Trivia: This logo incorporates elements of the 1971, 1992, 2002, and 2009 logos, with emphasis on blues, live-action variants, and a quick zoom-out through the eye of the P-head.
FX/SFX: TBA
Music/Sounds/Voice-over:
Availability: Brand new. Formally announced on November 4, 2019, it debuted later that night on Antiques Roadshow's Extraordinary Finds and is expected to replace the 2009 PBS logo over the coming year. The opening variant debuted on Independent Lens, and the intermission variant debuted between the This Old House episode "Westerly: The Doors" and the Ask This Old House episode "Switch, Affordable Geothermal" as part of the November 14, 2019 edition of The This Old House Hour. Don't expect this on the 2020 rebroadcast of The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, as it uses the previous logo, though the extended bumpers appear among the post-episode content. It also plasters the previous logo on the final PBS broadcast of the final two episodes of Downton Abbey.
Editor's Note: A new modernization of the PBS logo for the digital age, and the first since the 1971 logo to not use serifs in its identity. However, the corporate brand unification the company has been pushing with this logo and the design itself seems to be garnering less favorable (initial) reactions compared to previous logos. Time will only tell if the community will warm up to this logo. Nevertheless, its variant set, including and excluding special IDs, appears to be the most robust ever offered by the network thus far.