BBC Studios

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

BBC Studios is the production arm of BBC that was revived on 27 February 2015 after the former was merged into BBC Studioworks back in 2009. In April 2018, BBC Studios was merged with BBC Worldwide to create a new worldwide entity group which carries forward the BBC Studios name.

Logo (16 March 2016-)


Visuals: On a black background, there is the 1997 BBC logo with the word "STUDIOS" underneath and appears in its then-new font called BBC Reith Sans.

Variants:

  • An in-credit variant exists, depending on the programme.
  • From 2016 to 2017 and on Cheaters, the BBC logo is smaller and "STUDIOS" is bigger and in the Gill Sans font.
  • From 2017 to 2018 when BBC Worldwide (another company owned by the BBC) merged with this division, the "BBC" appears on the top of the rectangle box with the word "Studios" now in a different font and appears inside the rectangle box.
  • From 2017 until 2021, the word "Unscripted Productions" appears underneath "STUDIOS".
    • Another version exists where the text "Cymru Wales" appears below "Unscripted Productions".
  • Starting in 2021, the current BBC logo replaces the one before it. The original one continued to be used on some shows.
    • The logo can be animated in either 24fps or 60fps.
  • For shows that were produced by its Natural History unit, the text "The Natural History Unit" appears underneath "STUDIOS".
    • Starting in 2021, the text was changed to "Natural History Unit", in which the text draws in.
  • For shows that were produced by its Factual Entertainment unit starting in 2021, the text fades in with the aquamarine lines reveal the word "Factual Entertainment" which it turned into white and the word "PRODUCTIONS" fades in below.
    • Sometimes, the words "Factual Entertainment" appears stacked.
  • For shows that are produced by its Entertainment unit starting in 2021, the word "Entertainment" appears by a gold flash then it turns white with the letters appear one by one with "PRODUCTIONS" fading in below.
  • For shows that are produced by its Comedy unit starting in 2021, the word "Comedy" types in and the red banner sticks out with "PRODUCTIONS" fading in below.
  • For shows that are produced by its Events unit starting in 2021, the word "EVENTS" draws in with "PRODUCTIONS" fading in below.
  • For shows that are produced by its Music unit starting in 2021, the word "MUSIC" appears by a ripple effect with "PRODUCTIONS" fading in below.
  • For shows that are produced by its Drama unit starting in 2021, the word "DRAMA" appears in a shadow effect then it turns white with "PRODUCTIONS" fading in below.
  • For shows that are produced by its Continuing Drama unit starting in 2021, the word "CONTINUING DRAMA" slides in with "PRODUCTIONS" fading in below.
  • For shows that are produced by its Science unit starting in 2021, the word "Science" draws in with "PRODUCTIONS" fading in below.
  • For shows that are produced by its Documentary unit starting in 2021, a bracket appears and forms into the word "Documentary" with "PRODUCTIONS" fading in below.
  • For shows that are produced by its Formats + Features unit starting in 2021, the word "FormatsFeatures" appears and two words move when the formation of the plus symbol appears to form "Formats + Features" with "PRODUCTIONS" fading in below.
  • An animated version exists starting in 2019, here on a black background there is a line which turns out to be a waving blue line on a dark purple background which looks like the letter "O", then it changes into a waving orange line which turns out to be the letter "S" and when the two lines join together circling around it reveals the "BBC STUDIOS" text with the word flicking the the background changes back into black.
    • A 5-second version exists, and can be seen on the opening of each show.
    • A 3-second version exists, and can be seen on the end of each show.
  • A distribution version exists, which reads "Distributed by BBC Studios". The variant is also horizontally, it is still and is set on a black background.
    • A French variant of the distribution version with the 1997 BBC logo also exists.
  • Sometimes, it is still on a black background and it shares the screen with other logos.
  • On Good Omens, the logo looks altered and is zooms in a bit.

Technique: None in the distribution and still variants, except for the animated variants made by Matthew Henry at Littlehawk (now known as Friendly Giants; for the on-screen logo) and Paul Sparks (for the unit logos).

Audio: A rearranged and modernized version of the 2017 BBC Studios Home Entertainment logo's music. Composed by Matthew Herbert. Sometimes, none or the closing theme.

Audio Variants:

  • The Entertainment and Music units have a one-note synth tune.
  • The 2022 version of the animated logo has a three-note synth tune with whooshes.

Availability: Seen on British shows and documentaries as well as American shows from 2016 onwards.

  • The early version of this logo first appears on season 52 of "Horizon" and on then new seasons of current shows until 2017 and later appears on Cheaters (the BBC 2022 series, not the American series).
  • This debuted on new seasons of continuing shows such as EastEnders, Holby City, Doctor Who, Casualty and DIY SOS.
  • The Factual Entertainment unit was seen on new seasons of returning shows which are Bargain Hunt, Antiques Roadshow, Top Gear, Fake or Fortune, The One Show, Dragon's Den, Countryfile, Morning Live and Gardener's World.
  • The Entertainment unit was seen on new seasons of entertainment shows which are Strictly Come Dancing and its spin-off show It Takes Two, Question of Sport, The Weakest Link and Eurovision Song Contest (which was produced by EBU) as well as the new show I Like the Way U Move.
  • The Comedy unit appeared on new seasons of Inside No. 9 and Ladhood and appears on new shows produced from this unit such as Black Ops.
  • The distribution variant is seen at the end of BBC Studios-produced shows and some shows that were distributed by BBC Studios such as non-Australian prints of Bluey (although it was absent from some episodes that were uploaded on the series' official YouTube channel, such as "Double Babysitter", "Movies" and "Seesaw", and has plastered the BBC Worldwide logo on recent CBeebies UK reruns of Season 1).
  • The French variant of the distribution variant with the 1997 BBC logo appears at the end of Putin: A Russian Spy Story on the France TV website, following the Rogan Productions logo.
  • The Unscripted Productions variant also appears at the end of a Britbox streaming print of Nigella's Cook, Eat, Repeat on The Roku Channel, which is then followed by the 2018 Fremantle logo.
  • The animated variant was seen on American and Australian adaptations of shows that were produced or distributed by BBC Studios such as the reboot of the American and Australian versions of the British game show The Weakest Link, new seasons of Dancing with the Stars starting from 2019 and The Great Australian Bake Off from 2022 onwards.
  • The 2022 distribution variant also appears at the end of a Yle Areena streaming print of Secrets of the Jurassic Dinosaurs.
BBC Worldwide Productions
BBC Studios
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