Granada Media Group

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum




Introduction

Granada Media Group PLC was formed in 1995, bringing together Granada's subsidiaries under one roof.

1st Logo (1999-2001)

Logo: On a black background, we see blue lights dimming toward the logo. Then it lights up, and we see an abstract "G" appear in blue, along with the white word "GRANADA" and the blue word "MEDIA", both in 3D below. Then the logo shines and the lights dim out, and we see a white flash shine appear, moving and causing it to disappear. The animation then reverses.

Technique: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: An ascending synth theme.

Music/Sounds Variant: None or the end theme of the show for the variant.

Availability:

  • The animated version appears as a de-facto home video logo on many VCI VHS and DVD releases.
  • Surprisingly, this appears in-place of the 3rd logo (featured on the disc labels, spine and back) of the DVD version of Jeeves and Wooster: The Complete Series 1, presumably due to the discs having been authorised and prepared for an earlier release before they were delayed a little bit for unknown reasons.
  • Seen on some programmes made by Granada Media.

Final Note: After it was retired, home media releases would use the main animated version of the 3rd logo.

2nd Logo (1999-2004)

Logo: On a light blue steel background, we see a globe rotating. Then the "G" circle piece appears and a light blue arrow is drawn through the logo. The arrow then connects to the "G", forming the "G" logo from before. The globe disappears and zooms out, then we see the black word "GRANADA" appear below the logo, along with the blue word "MEDIA".

Technique: Same as above.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen at the end of Granada Media's programmes like season 1 of Rosemary & Thyme. This was also used in tandem with the next logo.

3rd Logo (2001-November 30, 2004)


Logo: On a purple background, we see the silver word "GRΛNΛDΛ" in a custom 3D semi-serif font zooming in. It settles in the centre of the screen and becomes flat, as a light spot travels through it.

Trivia: The still version's endcaps were designed by Rob Curtis.

Variants:

  • A rare variant that was seen on Room Raiders, here on a cloudy purple background we see the letters forming the corporate logo then it zooms out a bit and the text flashes and the three letters "Λ" one by one when it swipes to the right.
  • There is a filmed version of the logo.
  • An in-credit version of the logo exists.
  • Sometimes, this logo also shares the screen with the other logos including the 1997 BBC and 1999 Channel 4 Squares logos as well.
  • A still version of the logo exists, where the logo is shown a purple space filled by shadow copies of the tagless "Λ" letter.
    • On programmes produced by the then-Granada owned regions (Granada, LWT, Yorkshire, Tyne Tees, Meridian, Anglia and Border), the shadowless copies of the logo are of the symbols of the respective regions. See those respective pages for more details.
    • Sometimes, the word "A Granada Production" is shown below the logo.
    • On sports programmes produced by Granada's sports division, the text reads "A Granada Sports Production".
    • On nature programmes, the text underneath the main Granada logo reads "A Granada Wild Production".
  • A 4:3 version of this logo also exists.
  • A split screen version of this logo also exists.
  • Most of the time the background can be stretched or zoomed.
  • Some shows and TV movies may have the copyright disclaimer below either the main Granada logo or its then-Granada owned regions. Current prints sometimes replaces the original copyright disclaimer with the ITV Studios disclaimer.
  • On F1 broadcasts, the logo is purple on a white background. For 2001, the text says "GRΛNΛDΛ SPORT" in the same font.
  • On VCI DVD releases of Poirot episodes from the show's ninth season, it is stretched into widescreen.

Technique: Simple CGI.

Music/Sounds: 4 whooshes, one by one after split seconds, or the closing theme of the show.

Music/Sounds Variants:

  • A short version of the theme exists.
  • High tone and low tone variants of the theme also exist.
  • Sometimes, the logo is silent.
  • On 2003 remastered prints of the Sherlock Holmes episode "The Golden Pince-Nez", the remaining seconds of the closing tune are heard before the last part of the whooshing noise.

Availability:

  • The animated version apperars as a de-facto home entertainment logo on VCI-distributed VHS/DVD releases, such as The Forsyte Saga and The Attic.
    • It also appears on a Russian DVD boxset of Poirot before the Carmen Video logo and after each episode.
    • It also commonly plasters older Granada logos (and the LWT logo) on shows like Cold Feet and Poirot, both on DVD releases and local broadcasting stations.
    • Nowadays, it has gotten rarer due to further being deleted out or be plastered over by the ITV Studios Global Entertainment logos, but it's retained on the reprint of Collection 1-4 of Poirot and also retained on Sky Arts airings of Tales of the Unexpected.
  • The main version was seen on then-new shows as well as continuing shows and children's shows that were produced by them until 2004.
  • The alternative animated variant is rarer as it only appeared in Room Raiders.

4th Logo (November 1, 2004-2012)


Logo: On a black background with purple flashes, we see soft lines forming the letter "G". The line on the letter "G" is replaced by the word "GRANADA" from before with the text now appears in Futura font and the purple bar appears fading in.

Variants:

  • Sometimes, the logo appears in-credit appears either in white or in colour.
  • The logo sometimes had a disclaimer of "Granada Yorkshire", "Granada Anglia" or "Granada London", reflecting the takeover of Yorkshire Television, Anglia Television and LWT and wipeout of their native logos with a small purple bar appears next to the other bar and it fades in with the bar.
  • Another version exists where it had a disclaimer of "Granada Manchester" reflecting on shows that were produced in Manchester.
  • There is a version where the text "A Granada Production" next to the Granada logo and it fades in with the purple bar.
  • The text may change on some shows, TV movies and documentaries.
  • On reruns of classic Catchphrase, the text next to the Granada logo reads "An Action Time Production for Granada" and it fades in with the bar and plasters the Carlton Productions variant.
  • On A Touch of Frost episode "Near Death Experience" and ITV3 prints of seasons 3 and 4 of the show and some prints of the first 2 seasons and one season 6 episode of the show, the text next to the logo reads "A Granada Yorkshire Production in association with Excelsior" fades in with the bar and plastering over the usual Yorkshire Television endboard logos on ITV3 prints of seasons 3 and 4 of the show and some prints of the first 2 seasons and one season 6 episode.
  • On ITV4 reruns of The Professionals, there is no text appearing next to the Granada logo plastering the Mark VII Productions and the LWT logos.
  • The animation of this logo can be seen inside a box.
  • A still version of this logo exists with the text appear next to it and sometimes shares with other logos.
  • Another version where the still version of this logo may be seen in a box.
    • The text sometimes appear outside the box.
  • A print version exists where the logo is 2D and the background appears inside a purple box with sometimes, the text being shown below.
  • For shows that were co-produced with WGBH, the text reads "A Co-Production of Granada and WGBH BOSTON".
  • On Pocoyo, the logo appears next to the Zinkia Entertainment logo and the word "GRANADA" is coloured purple with the text underneath reading "A Granada/Zinkia Entertainment Production", sometimes the Zinkia appears next to the Granada logo and the text changes to "A Zinkia Entertainment/Granada Production".
  • For Granada's overseas production arms, text appears below displaying who produced the programme or TV movie.
  • A print logo was used on NDS games Bella Sara (with the Ventures name and on black).
  • On Go Baby!, the old Little Airplane Productions logo appears above the Granada Ventures ident from the era seen at the middle of the bottom, but is in credit and superimposed.

Technique: Simple computer animation.

Music/Sounds: A guitar riff followed by an electronic piece of music, or the closing theme of the show.

Music/Sounds Variants:

  • A short version of the theme exists.
  • High tone and low tone variants of the theme also exist.
  • Sometimes, it's completely silent.
  • Sometimes, it uses the World International Network logo's theme.

Availability: Common, as it was highly used in movie and TV show production, sometimes plastering older logos.

  • This appears on then-new seasons of current shows and then-new shows and documentaries on until 2012 such as Pocoyo, among others.
  • The "Granada London" variant appears on then-new seasons of current and then-current shows that were originally produced by LWT which are Airline, I'll Be Alright on the Night and Agatha Christie's Poirot, among others.
    • It also appears on Where The Heart Is after when Meridian was folded into Granada.
  • The "Granada Manchester" variant was seen on then-new seasons of its shows that were produced by Granada Television which are Coronation Street (which it's still running since 1960), This Morning, The Royal Family, Tonight and Blue Murder, among others.
  • The "Granada Yorkshire" variant appears on then-new seasons of current and then-current shows that were originally produced by Yorkshire Television which are Emmerdale (which is still running today), Heartbeat, Countdown (which it uses a variant), A Touch of Frost and The Royal, among others.
  • In 2006, this was replaced with an ITV Productions logo on ITV shows, but this was kept on ITV-produced shows airing on other channels, until 2009 when it was replaced with ITV Studios branding.
    • It also plasters older logos on most shows that they own.

Final Note: ITV shows began using the ITV Productions logo since January 16, 2006. Jungle Run, the CITV game show continued to use the endcap until the show's ended on November 29, 2006 while ITV-produced shows airing on other channels continued to use the endcap until 2009 when it was replaced with ITV Studios branding.

Carlton Productions
Granada Productions
United Film & Television
Talpa Media
Granada Media Group
ITV Studios
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