Tele Monte Carlo

Background: Tele Monte Carlo (or Telemontecarlo as the Italians called it, often abbreviated TMC) was an Italian and French language television station in the city-state of Monaco. After a while, it expanded across the Italian Peninsula while still maintaining headquarters in Monaco. In 1985, ten percent of its profits were given to the Italian TV station RAI. In the following year, the Brazilian television network Rede Globo acquired the remaining ninety percent. Because of this event, TMC had begun to use Rede Globo's logo. On July 20, 1995, Vittorio Cecchi Gori took complete ownership of the network. The Rede Globo logo, thus, would no longer be used. In 1996, the Italian TV channel VideoMusic shut down and Cecchi Gori took VideoMusic's identity and formed TMC2. The channel's ratings were plummeting in this time period, due to the ambition to compete with many larger Italian television networks like RAI. In 2001 it shut down due to financial problems, and it eventually folded into La7, which only operates around Italy to this day. Currently, the TF1-owned TMC, which is a French-language only station, is in charge of broadcasting through the whole Monégasque region.

1st Logo (French) (November 20, 1956-1963)
Logo: We see the Tele Monte-Carlo logo. From the back of the logo, a sun moves to the top-left.

FX/SFX: The sun moving.

Music/Sounds: A lengthy fanfare.

Availability: Long extinct. Remakes of this logo can only be found on YouTube.

Editor's Note: The fanfare may surprise some, but this logo is mainly boring. Of course, this is nothing compared to the next logo...

2nd Logo (French) / 1st Logo (Italian) (1973-December 28, 1986)

TMC (1974, B&W)TMC (1974, Color)

WARNING: Do not watch both videos if you are prone to epilepsy.

Nicknames: "Too Many Colors", "Television Monstrosity Creation", "Rainbow Trails and Flashing Letters", "Color River"

Logo: It is difficult to describe in detail, but the logo consists of the letters "tmc", connected together, flashing one by one in different arrangements. The animation is synchronized to the music. Multiple light trails appear behind and in front of the logo. A "cloudy" product is formed through these light trails sometimes, of which obstructs the logo. The text "tele monte carlo" appears on the bottom in a similar font, and has copies trailed behind it on occasion. This sequence continues for about 45 seconds.

Variant: A color variant existed, and it eventually replaced the standard black and white variant. The light trails were rainbow-coloured.

FX/SFX: The letters appearing and the light trails. Early Video Feedback effects, somehow inclusive of excessive residue trails. Good for the time, but dated nowadays.

Music/Sounds: A bombastic, high-tempo jazz-rock excerpt. It begins with a seven-note horn piece, which eventually includes violins, woodwinds, xylophones, drums, and many whooshes. It becomes increasingly bombastic as time goes on until it ends with a big finish.

Availability: Extinct outside of Monaco. Basically a station ID, but as said above, it preceded a program. It may show up on videotapes if they were in wide enough of a distribution. Was however, available in both languages.

Editor's Note: This logo is just way too busy and excessive. As this logo preceded programs, waiting 50 seconds for the program to start to see this tested the nerves (and eyes, for to those with epilepsy) of viewers. This logo is also (infamously) known to have scared many at the time.

2nd Logo (Italian) (1984-1986)

TMC (1978?) Nicknames: "Tamer Mellower Creation", "One-By-One", "Rainbow-Lined TMC"

Logo: Just the rainbow-lined letters "TMC" in a different font flashing on the screen. "TELE MONTE-CARLO" appears with it.

Trivia: This logo was used interim with the logo above.

Variant: Another longer variant has the screen being filled with the wiping rainbow colors, then the parts of "TMC" and "TELE MONTE-CARLO", in white, zoom out and flash one-by-one.

FX/SFX: The text flashing on screen.

Music/Sounds: Three synthesized, ascending xylophone dings in "sync" to the animation.The longer variant had a different, longer rendition of the mentioned music.

Availability: Extremely rare. Was used as a closing logo, so it's probably a bit easier to find.

Editor's Note: Compared to the last logo, the animation here is very basic and limited. The music is out of sync, and the colors look somewhat faded (although that may be due to deterioration).

3rd Logo (Italian) (1984?)

Nicknames: "The Thieves of The 3-2-1 Contact Intro", "Too Many Colors, Part II"

Logo: We see red, blue, and green hexagons trailing to and fro the viewer, with the word "tmc" in green with the word "break" under that in red zoom in and spin.

FX/SFX: The trails, zooming and spinning.

Music/Sounds: An analog synthesizer decrescendo.

Availability: Long extinct.

Editor's Note: The cheesiness in this logo is off the charts. The animation seems to have been stolen from the 1983 intro of 3-2-1 Contact and repeated to fit the music and logo spinning. The logo is off-center and pixelated as well.

4th Logo (Italian) (1986)

Nicknames: "The Rede Globo of Monaco I", "The Beginning of the Globo Era"

Logo: It's one of the Rede Globo idents from the early 80's, but the "REDE GLOBO" wordmark is replaced by "TMC", animating the same as the original ident.

Variant: A short variant was also used, mostly for promos.

FX/SFX: Same as the Rede Globo ident from 1980, but with the Rede Globo wordmark replaced. It's not known why the 1980 ID was used instead of the 1986 ID.

Music/Sounds: A rearranged, synthesized version of the music in the 1980 Rede Globo ident. Other people are singing "Tele Monte Carlo!" near the end.

Availability: Extinct. It was very short-lived, so chances of finding it are pretty tough unless you use YouTube.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd logo (French) (1986-1987)

Logo: On a bright sky we see a star zooming in. Then we cut to a picture shaped in a saturn-like form where we see images of Monaco getting duplicated. At a point we see circles followed by a globe-like shape. At the end we cut to an image in the ocean while we see the TMC logomark, with below the line "Tele Monte-Carlo".

Variant: There is a closedown variant where we see the view of Monaco through a globe. This is followed by the logomark coming in, with the TMC letters falling down. Then the red rectangles disappear. This is followed by the earth moving out of view into a starfield. This is followed with a picture of a light-beam from a skyscraper. This ends with the star of the first logo flying away.

FX/SFX: Everything.

Music/Sounds: Synth. At the end singers can be heard.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: The chyron may catch some off-guard and the tone-deaf singing doesn't help matters.

5th Logo (Italian) (1986-1990)

Nicknames: "Tour of Monaco", "Rede Globo of Monte Carlo II"

Logo: We see various shots of Monaco from various angles, those being TBA. After some seconds, one of the shots quickly dissapears from view with a transition which looks like the screen is getting divided with bars which then move away vertically, to another shot of the sea. The Rede Globo logo then appears with a quick square transition, stays for a second, then moves back as the shot of the sea fades out. "TMC" appears below the logo, animating just like before.

Variant: Later on 1987, the new Rede Globo logo would appear zooming down from the sky, then the sea fades to a gray/black gradient with the metallic wordmark "TMC" already there below the logo.

FX/SFX: The live-action shots, the logo appearing, the fading.

Music/Sounds: An arpeggiating synth theme with brass shots on the bar transitions, then a higher quality version of the TMC theme plays, complete with an ascending synth chime arpeggio.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

6th Logo (Italian) (1987-1995)

Nicknames: "The TMC Plim-Plim", "Rede Globo of Monte Carlo III"

Logo: Same as the Rede Globo bumper from 1987-1994. Each segment of the logo is in a different form initially, but it situates itself regularly.

FX/SFX: The spinning of each piece of the logo.

Music/Sounds: A two-note telephone 'melody' which came to be known by Brazilians as the "Plim-Plim" when it aired on Rede Globo.

Availability: See above.

Editor's Note: None.

7th Logo (Italian) (1987-1995)

Nicknames: "Rede Globo of Monte Carlo IV"

Logo: The Rede Globo idents from the time are shown with their original animation. No TMC wordmark whatsoever.

Variant: There is at least an early ident used on 1987, where one of the Rede Globo idents from the time is shown. When the logo places, the whole thing on the screen then zooms out in box form, to place itself on a gray/black gradient. The TMC wordmark then fades in below the logo.

FX/SFX: Same as the Rede Globo idents.

Music/Sounds: Same as the Rede Globo idents. Sometimes, we hear the TMC jingle at the end.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (French) (1988-1991)

Logo: We see the TMC letters move out of the logo, then the 3 rhombus move into each other to form one rhombus, through which we see images of Monaco. Then in the end, the rhombus splits into three and the TMC letters move back into place.

FX/SFX: TBA

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: TBA

Editor's Note: None. A major improvement over the previous logos.

5th Logo (French) (1991-1993)

TBA!

6th Logo (French) (1993-2001)

Logo: We see the TMC logo set against a white background, then we cut to a set of lines with the "MONTE CARLO" logomark seen below it. The lines then cut to a set of rocks. Then we cut to a flowing river. Then from below we see the TMC logomark. Then we cut to waves with the "MONTE CARLO" logo mark again, with at the end a rose becoming visible. Then at the end the Tele Monte Carlo logomark is seen with another Tele Monte Carlo logomark in the background that cuts to sand.

FX/SFX: Everything

Music/Sounds: An instrumental theme, composed of oboes, violins, guitars and pianos.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None. It's an impressive effort.

8th Logo (Italian) (1995-1999)

TBA!

7th Logo (French) (2001-2003)

TBA!

8th logo (French)

(2003-2009)

Logo: We see 2 reversed C's forming, then TMC Tele Monte Carlo comes in from aside, then there is a little blinking.

FX/SFX: Everything in the logo.

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: TBA

Scare Factor: TBA

9th Logo (French)

(2009-2016)

Nicknames: “The Push-Button”, “The Button”, “The TMC Button”, “CGI Button”

Logo: Depends on the ident.
 * Mushroom: We see 3 mushrooms on a short hill in a forest, with the middle one having the TMC button. About 3 seconds later, the button presses itself, and several small flowers start to bloom on the hill.
 * Flowers: We see 3 flowers, 2 of them not in bloom. After the button (which is in the middle of the flower) presses itself, the 2 flowers start to bloom. Then, whilst the camera is still panning, another flower blooms.
 * Pinball: TBA
 * Frog: TBA
 * Car: TBA

Fx/Sfx: Depends on the ident, all in amazing CGI.

Music/Sounds: A 3-note piece, ending in a 3-note piano piece.

Music/Sounds variant: TBA

Availability: Extinct.

Editors Note: This is a very unique ident set, and a favourite of many.

10th Logo (French)

(2016-)

Nicknames: “The 10 Different Things”, “10 to TMC”

Logo: TBA

Fx/Sfx: TBA

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Current.

Editors note: The different colour changing, tilting and/or other stuff in the idents might catch some off-guard, but it’s a very interesting ident set.