Nine Network Productions

Background

Nine Network is an Australian television network launched on September 16, 1956.

National Television Network

1st (Known) Logo (Early 1960s-1968)

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Logo: In the credits of the show, we see an outline drawing of Australia with the words "National Television Network" in the middle

Variant:

• From 1967-68, the logo reads "National Nine Network" in a slightly different font.
• In the logos final year, the text was redone. It was stacked so that the three "N"s were on top of each other.

Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show.

Availability: Extinct on Television, the 1967-68 variant can be seen on the episodes of Brian Henderson's Bandstand available on Amazon Prime in Australia. Episodes of Bandstand featuring all variants can also be found on the Internet Archive.

Editor's Note: None.

Nine Network

1st logo (1968-1970)

Logo: Just the stacked text from the final version of the previous logo, this time without the outline of Australia, appearing in the credits.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1970-1997)

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Logo: We see the Nine logo in the show's credits. The accompanying text changed over the years:

• 1970-1975: Either none or the words "National and "Network" above and below respectively.
• 1975-1981?: "Living Color", below the logo in the same style as the 1975 idents
• 1981?-mid-1980s: No text.
• Mid-1980s-1997: "Nine Network Australia" below the logo in a sans-serif font. The font would sometimes vary between shows. From the late 1980s, the standard text was in blue.

Variants:

• From the early 90s, the logo would sometimes be seen on a black-blue gradient background.
• On 1990s Sale of the Century episodes, after the Grundy logo has finished animating, it will zoom out and fade into one of the dots in the Nine logo as it zooms into place.
• In the mid 1980s, a variant featured the dots appearing either side of the 9 numeral and the word "Stereovision" below. This was to promote Nine's commencement of transmission with stereo sound.
• Some programs would have a copyright notice accompanying the logo.

FX/SFX: None

Music/Sounds: Just the credits of the show.

Availability: Uncommon, can be seen on uploads of old Nine shows on the internet as well as Nine's own streaming service, 9Now. This will tylpcally be preserved on the rare occasion that anything from this era is rerun.

3rd Logo (1997-February 1998)

Logo: On a black background, we see a figure of nine dots together in a 3x3 cube, which slowly pans into full view. It becomes lit in the process and becomes gold with pink edge. The streaks draw a name below: "NINE NETWORK" with "AUSTRALIA" on second line, in a Century Gothic font.

FX/SFX: The cube rotating to become a 2-D version of the nine balls. The text forming and the URL fading in.

Music/Sounds: A 2-note electronic tune with a whoosh sound.

Availability: Very rare. Seen on the second season of and the first two episodes of the third season of Water Rats and One Way Ticket.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (February 1998-2001)

Logo: On a black background, we see nine dots together in a 3x3 cube which rotate and face us. Next to it is the number nine in orange which is also formed by rotating. Underneath we see the words "NINE NETWORK Australia" in a font similar to the ident they had at the time, which started out stretched by coming together to become normal. In the middle of the screen is the URL ninemsn.com.au which fades in below. This is the joint website for Channel Nine and MSN Australia.

Trivia: This logo reflects the onscreen IDs Channel Nine had in 1997.

Variants:

• In 1999 the logo was enhanced to represent the new on-screen IDs. The Nine logo is now in gold.
• Also in 1999, a variant was used after a broadcast of a Bee Gees concert. The nine balls are now disco balls and zoom out from the screen with the number nine already there. When the text transitions in, the disco balls return to normal. The URL is not present.
• A UFO-themed variant exists.
• FX/SFX: The cube rotating to become a 2-D version of the nine balls. The text forming and the URL fading in.

Music/Sounds: Same as before.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On the disco version we hear whooshing sounds when the disco balls fly past us.
• On the Australian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, the "think" cue used for the $2,000 question is heard (though the Grundy logo before that uses its own music).
• On the Hi-5 DVD Snow Party, it's silent.

Availability: Very rare. Popped up on videos or DVD of shows from that era; otherwise if you live in Australia, check those tapes! It appeared on Farscape (first season) and Water Rats (third and fourth seasons) and Hi-5 DVDs.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (2001-2002)

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} Logo: On a black background, we see lots of dots expanding and contracting. Nine dots appear rapidly one by one, followed by the number 9. At the same time the words "Nine Network Australia" as well as the NineMSN URL fade in below.

Trivia: This is directly based on Channel Nine's on-screen IDs between 2001-2002.

Variants:

• Sometimes the URL might be modified to provide a specific web address for the show that was shown.
• On some shows, such as the Australian version of Pass the Buck, the copyright date appears below the URL.
• On This is Your Life, the show logo appears between the 9 logo and the URL.

FX/SFX: The nine dots appearing, followed by the number 9 and the text fading below.

Music/Sounds: Sci-fi sounds for the dots appearing (which are the same sounds heard during the Channel Nine idents), then a space-age rendition of the long-running "Still The One" jingle (which is three notes descending in tune).

Availability: Ultra rare. This might appear on videos or DVDs of Channel Nine shows of this era but is usually plastered/cut out on current airings; otherwise if you live in Australia, check those tapes! It was seen on the first and second seasons of McLeod's Daughters as well as home video release of Hi-5 episodes from the era.

Editor's Note: None.

6th Logo (2002-2006)

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Nicknames: "3-D Nine", "White Nine"

Logo: We start in the middle of a CGI Channel Nine logo and zoom backwards and turn right onto a blue gradient background. The text from the previous logo are there but now with a copyright year stamp.

Variants:

• Once again, the URL is sometimes changed to provide a specific web address for a show.
• Late in the logo's life the name was referred to as "Nine Films & Television".
• On 2003-2005 episodes of Hi-5, there’s a typo error where the URL says "ninemsm.com.au/kids/hi5".

FX/SFX: Just the zooming out and turning of the Channel Nine logo.

Music/Sounds: A whooshing sound accompanied by a fast descending note tune on a bright piano. This is followed by a news-style remix of the three note "Still The One" theme.

Music/Sounds Variant: On Wonderful week on Hi-5, the closing theme plays over the logo.

Availability: Rare. Although this logo was on all Channel Nine shows, any repeats of these shows have this logo plastered over to the current logo of the time. Appeared as a distributor logo on a DVD of the Australian mini-series We Of The Never Never. Also appeared on some Hi-5 DVDs.

Editor's Note: None.

7th Logo (2006-2007)

Nicknames: "Dotless Nine", "Square Nine"

Logo: A blue gradient square with the number 9 is seen on a black background. The name is below the square, together with copyright info and website, all in three lines. The square shines.

FX/SFX: The only action are moving and shining colors on the square.

Music/Sounds: A wiggling electronic soundtrack different from previous logos.

Availability: Was seen on McLeod's Daughters season six (later episodes) and seven (earlier episodes).

Editor's Note: None.

8th Logo (2006-2007)

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Nickname: "Dotless Nine II"

Logo: At the bottom of a black background, several black squares quick move away while the Nine Network logo animates in the middle. The text "NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA" appear below, along with a copyright notice and URL.

Variants: A variant exists where the animation happens in the middle of the screen, and the "NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA" text has been replaced by "NINE FILMS AND TELEVISION".

FX/SFX: Everything.

Music/Sounds: A spacey "woosh" sound. The Nine Films And Television variant uses the music from the 5th logo.

Availability: The Nine Films And Television variant can be seen on Hi-5 DVDs from 2006-2007, but the original variant is mostly extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

9th Logo (2007-2008)

Nicknames: "Dotless Nine III", "PowerPoint Template", "Nine's Failed Re-branding"

Logo: On a black, background, we see the then-current Nine Network logo, but in 2D this time. Then several orange squares appear on the left forming an orange bar and a gray gradient background quickly fades-in. Then, the black bar with an orange line above slides in from the left. It has the Nine MSN URL on it. At the same time, the text "NINE NETWORK" (on the left of the Nine logo) and "PROUDLY AUSTRALIAN" (above the black bar), both of which are set in Trajan Pro font, fade in. Afterwards, several white squares appear randomly.

Trivia: This is directly based on Channel Nine's new look IDs. These were a colossal failure as Channel Nine lost further ground on rival Channel Seven. The branding was also criticized for not having the iconic nine dots.

Variants:

• There was a version which was superimposed on such shows as A Current Affair, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and Australia's Funniest Home Videos. The grey background was replaced by the continuation of the closing shot of the show. The rest of the logo remained unchanged.
• As with the previous logo's, the URL was modified to provide a more specific web address to a particular show.
• Sometimes, when the logo fades in, the logo is fully formed.

FX/SFX: Everything forming in quick succession. The fade in of the background and text.

Music/Sounds: A shortened version of their regular ID music which sounds electronic. Beeping sounds accompany the white squares when they appear on screen.

Availability: Extremely rare. It can be found on DVDs of season 1 of Sea Patrol and seasons 7 and 8 of McLeod's Daughters. The logo appeared on original broadcasts of season 9 of Hi-5 and the Team Hi-5 DVD. The logo appeared with Quizmania. The logo was last seen on TVS repeats of the 2007 revival of Here's Humphrey in 2013.

Editor's Note: None.

10th Logo (2008-2009)

Nicknames: "You Better Smile", "Nine in the Sky", "The Dots Are Back!", "We Heart TV"

Logo: The background is a blue sunny sky with very few clouds and clear dots in the sky. We see nine dots flying in the sky which come together to form the familiar nine dots of the Channel Nine logo. The number nine appears from behind the dots. We see the text below:

Proudly Australian

NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA

ninemsn.com.au

Variants: Sometimes a copyright stamp is used. There is a superimposed version of this logo used on shows such as A Current Affair and Australia's Funniest Home Videos. FX/SFX: The dots flying in the sky, the appearance of the number nine and the slow movement of the dots in the background.

Music/Sounds: James McColl singing "You better smile..." (adapted from the 1997 song "Smile" by the band he fronts, The Supernaturals; said song was used in Nine Network's 2008 "We Heart TV" campaign, with rewritten lyrics), followed by a female voiceover saying "Channel Nine" (this woman's voice was featured in promos for many Channel Nine shows).

Availability: Rare. This logo is usually updated with a newer logo. Was last seen on Lab Rats Challenge on Cartoon Network Australia and on The Strip.

Editor's Note: None.

11th Logo (2009)

Nicknames: "Summer Nine", "Colorful Nine"

Logo: We see nine differently colored dots which form an updated version of the iconic nine dots logo. A white vertical line grows and then produces the number nine on the left side and text on the right side. The text is in exactly the same arrangement as the previous logo. All of the logo happens on a lime green background. This is directly based on the IDs at the time.

Variants: This logo sometimes appeared on a black gradient background. As before, there was a superimposed variation of this logo. Music/Sounds: A calming 2-note guitar riff based on the music of the idents at the time.

Availability: Rare. This logo was only used for a couple of months and is replaced by the next logo on all reruns. However, it still shows up on Dennis & Gnasher on The Hub.

Editor's Note: Given it's short lifespan, this package may well have been a placeholder for the "Welcome Home" branding introduced later that year.

12th Logo (2009-April 15, 2012)

Nickname: "Nine in Space"

Logo: On a blue and white, space-age background, we see blue mist appear on the screen. It reveals the Channel Nine logo. On most occasions text faded in on the bottom of the screen which has the "Proudly Australian" byline as well as a copyright stamp. This directly reflected the current Channel Nine IDs.

Variants:

• There is a version that is seen on some shows such as the Australian version of Pyramid that omit the text.
• There is a superimposed version of this logo.
• As the annual Credit Union Christmas Pageant was produced by Channel Nine's Adelaide unit. The text is changed to say "PROUDLY SOUTH AUSTRALIAN" (as this is the Australian state that Adelaide is located). Underneath is the copyright stamp which reads "(C) (Year) WIN and SA Tourism Commission". On the bottom of the copyright stamp is the byline "a division of WIN Corporation" (as the Nine stations in Adelaide and Perth were owned by then-Nine affiliate WIN Television).

FX/SFX: Just the dissolving in of the Nine logo.

Music/Sounds: An electronic, space-age six note tune (similar to the 2006 logo).

Music/Sounds Variant: On the Channel Nine Adelaide variant, the closing theme is heard along with a male voiceover who says: "This special television event was brought to you by Channel Nine Adelaide, your pageant station."

Availability: Seen on most Channel Nine produced shows of the period. Is not seen on some outside productions like The Block or Celebrity Apprentice Australia.

Editor's Note: None.

13th Logo (April 15, 2012-Late 2015)

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Logo: On a background (color variations listed below) we see, all at once, the Channel Nine logo being filled with color, a streak zooms in the bottom left corner and the phrase and copyright stamp from the previous logo fade in. All heavily based on the 2012 ident package.

Variants: The actual production logo has only been spotted on a few shows and hence in four colors, but in-credit logos and Channel Nine's own idents have these color variations.

• Green
• Blue
• Purple
• Yellow
• Red

FX/SFX: The streak zooming on the bottom left, the logo filling with color.

Music/Sounds: A quick woosh following by a short "wind chime" noise.

Availability: Uncommon. Channel 9 unveiled new idents before the premiere episode of The Voice Australia. Shows which did have the Nine Network Productions logo (such as Pyramid and Kitchen Whiz) now have the Nine Network logo cut out. Channel Nine still immediately kept an in-program logo credit for live studio shows such as Today and A Current Affair as well as the game show Hot Seat. However, a proper production logo has been spotted on a Nine News special entitled Melbourne Zoo Celebrates 150 Years. It also appeared on the second season of Dennis & Gnasher when aired on BBC.

Editor's Note: None.

14th Logo (Late 2015-)

Logo: On the show's ending background, the watermark fills with a certain color (the dots fly in, but not on WIN television as the dots aren't in the logo) as a rectangle, which has a darker version of he same color as the logo, with a ribbon in it (like the 2012 branding) appears. Inside the rectangle, we see "NINE NETWORK PRODUCTION" in white. Above it is another rectangle, in the same color as the logo, reading "PROUDLY AUSTRALIAN". A copyright stamp is seen below, in another rectangle.

Variant: Like the previous logo, the colors may vary depending on the show. For example, On A Current Affair, the color is red. on Today, the colour is orange, etc

FX/SFX: The dots flying in, the logo filling with color, the rectangles appearing.

Music/Sounds: The closing music of the program.

Availability: Seen on newer episodes of current nine shows such as A Current Affair and Today.

Editor's Note: None.