M6

Background
M6 is a private national television channel based in France owned by Groupe M6, which is in turn owned by RTL Group. Its predecessor, TV6 was originally scheduled to start as RTL 6 in 1985, but instead took its place on March 1, 1986 as a sort of local alternative to the American MTV (Music Television). After governmental decisions related to the reallocation of newfound private channels, TV6 shut down on March 1, 1987 and was replaced with Métropole Télévision's M6. Its programming is directed towards the teenagers and young adults, largely inherited from TV6.

(March 1, 1986-March 1, 1987)
Nickname: "The Youngest Of The TVs"

Logo: A curtain opens, revealing a dim room with a  wall and black floor, as well as a lamp and a dog wagging its tail below. A television screen emerges from the bottom of the screen and spins around, displaying static and strange images of "TV6". The TV then rotates around rapidly as a table slides into view and walks around, hoping to catch the TV in time. The TV stops spinning and moves back to the original table spot, with an antenna flying to the side of the screen. Then, the room dims as several squares cross the screen, each in many different colors before zooming back. They all come together to make the TV6 logo, which consists of many geometric shapes in different colors forming "TV6" with the slogan "La plus jeune des télés" ("The youngest of the TVs" in French) in a script font.

FX/SFX: The room, the TV spinning, the squares forming the logo.

Music/Sounds: An ominous soundtrack consisting of strings, drums, and a choir.

Availability: Extinct. This was one of many different logos made for the channel.

Editor's Note: The room actually has solid stop-motion animation, but the television is just a textured cube and the logo forming is very cheap. For the actual design, it's quite possibly one of the ugliest designs ever made. Still, it was a staple of 1980's youth culture.

1st Logo (March 1-August 31, 1987)
Nicknames: "Folding M" (launch), "Spinning M" (ID)

Logo: Starting off inside a tube, it starts to move and zoom away from us, before rotating to near the bottom of the screen. A bluish- "V" shape is drawn above the line, with 2 lines coming down from the sides of it as the "V" wipes in again, forming an "M". It zooms out to the top half of the screen, gaining a reflection, as "METROPOLE TELEVISION" types out below. A hand-drawn "6" draws on the right side of the "M" and the text below fades out, leaving the logo.

Variant: The ID had the logo modified, with a bigger, tube-like "6" and brighter colors, spinning around once. The reflection may not be there, and the speed may vary.

FX/SFX: The tube zooming out and rotating, "M6" forming, the text appearing. The logo spinning for the main ID.

Music/Sounds: A synthesized marching band fanfare for the main launch. The ID had either the same jingle for RTL, but with a chorus singing "M6!", or a synthesized jazz tune.

Availability: Extinct. The normal variant was only seen on March 1, 1987, when M6 launched.

2nd Logo (August 31, 1987-2003)
Nicknames: "Abstract M6", "Fresh Rat!"

Logo: Fading in to a white background, an "M", being far more angular than before, zooms in sync to the music. As it takes up the whole screen, a black "6" zooms in from the middle, while a "6" zooms out from the edges as the "M" begins to rotate a bit. The numbers disappear as a "6" and a black "6" try to come together, followed by a  "6" and a black "6" from the left and right sides of the screen, then a  "6" zooming out, and finally a  "6" from the top and 3 black "6"'s from the remaining screens. In the background, the "M" is shown doing similar things. When the 4 "M" copies merge, the same "6" formation from the beginning appears, but this time, it actually all comes together to form the M6 logo.

Trivia: This logo was designed by Étienne Robial, who was also responsible for the Canal+ and La Sept idents at the time. A making of featurette can be seen here.

Variants:
 * On television shows, the "M" rotates counterclockwise to the beat of the music, with the "6" zooming in. When the "M" goes back to its original position, the "6" appears on it.
 * For the closedown variant, the logo ran in reverse.
 * Different variants also exist for this logo.

FX/SFX: The "M" rotating, the "6" or "6"'s moving. Early two-dimensional computer animation.

Music/Sounds: A catchy and soothing synth orchestra tune (ID version), which was rearranged to a more rhythmic rendition on the production/closing logo variant with female singers whispering (sounding like they're saying "fresh rat").

Availability: Seen on cartoons produced by the channel. The normal version is seen on shows such as Gadget Boy's Adventures in History. The short version was seen on The Wacky World of Tex Avery. The ident variants are extinct and only surfaced on VHS tapes from the country.

Editor's Note: The moving 6's and strange music might distract a few, but it's pretty much harmless. How sneaky and crazy the jingle sounds could give you a bit of the creep, but the singing female whispering is a bit funny as it sounds like they're saying "Fresh rat!", which is completely non-sense. Nonetheless, it's a favorite both inside and outside of France.

3rd Logo (1999-2009)
Nickname: "Abstract M6 II"

Logo: Just a still version of the logo, either the 1987 or 1999 variations on a black or white background respectively.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the show.

Availability: Uncommon. Seen on various M6 productions at the time, like Mission Odyssey and Atomic Betty.

4th Logo (2003-2009)
Nicknames: "Abstract M6 III", "Spinning M II"

Logo: In front of a colored backdrop, we see a miniature model of the M6 logo, which spins counterclockwise.

FX/SFX: The logo model spinning.

Music/Sounds: A windy or synthesized held-out note.

Availability: Extinct.

5th Logo (2009-2015)
Nicknames: "Abstract M6 IV", "M6 In The Air"

Logo: The M6 logo is in the air, while stuff around it happens that it reflects.

FX/SFX: CGI animation over live-action.

Music/Sounds: For the break bumpers, it depends on the variant.

Availability: Extinct.

6th Logo (2015-2020)
Nicknames: "Abstract M6 V", "Inflating M6"

Logo: Out of thin air, the logo is growing bigger while spinning. Below flies in the slogan "continuons a vibrer ensemble" ("Let us continue vibrating together" in French).

FX/SFX: Same as the previous logo.

Music/Sounds: Same as the previous logo, but with someone singing "Woah oh oh, M6!"

Availability: Extinct.

7th Logo (2020-)
Nickname: "Abstract M6 VI"

Logo: TBA

FX/SFX: Colorful 2D animation. Done by Gédéon.

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Current.