BBC One

Background
The British Broadcasting Company, Ltd. was founded in London on Wednesday October 18, 1922 and became a commercial radio broadcaster licensed by the British General Post Office. On Saturday January 1, 1927, the company was granted a Royal Charter and was renamed the British Broadcasting Corporation (commonly abbreviated to BBC). The BBC commenced experimental television broadcasts on August 22, 1932, using a 30-line system developed by John Logie Baird, the inventor of the television. It officially launched the world's first regular high-definition television service at 3pm on November 2, 1936, broadcasting from Alexandra Palace in London. The service initially used two systems - the Baird 240-line system, and the 405-line system developed by Marconi-EMI (named after Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the radio). From February 1937, only the 405-line system was used. The service was suspended upon the outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939, and resumed on June 7, 1946. Transmissions switched to a new site at Crystal Palace on March 28, 1956, and the service was renamed BBC One on 20 April 1964 when BBC Two was launched.

(November 2, 1936-September 1, 1939, June 7, 1946-December 2, 1953)
ZRqpl2-j59Q KUI-FsvggSs QyP99mPlG88 Nickname: "BBC Television Service"

Logo: On a black background, we see "B.B.C.". Below it is "TELEVISION SERVICE". Under that is the name of the system being used, either the Baird or the Marconi-E.M.I.

Variants: There were many variants including wave-shaped color bars in different shades of white and black, along with one that consists of a "compass" with some bat wing-like shapes on the sides in various shades of gray with "BBC" on the top and bottom, all on a gray BG. In 1987, BBC made a classics movie and one clip has this logo, but instead of the Baird or the Marconi-EMI system, the Dolby system is credited.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None, but may contain music and/or a continuity announcer.

Availability: Extinct on TV; these usually appeared at the start of BBC's broadcasts around this time.

Editor's Note: None.

1st Logo (October 8, 1960-September 29, 1963)
Nicknames: "Circle", "UK Map in Circle"

Logo: On a black background is a white outlined circle. Inside the circle are four white blocks, three square and one rectangular. The square blocks contain the letters "B", "B" and "C" respectively, each letter in a bold italic font, and the rectangular block contains "tv". A map of the UK, divided into the seven BBC regions of the time (North of England, English Midlands, West of England, London, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), fades in behind the blocks.

FX/SFX: The fading in of the UK map. In later years, it was static.

Music/Sounds: None, unless you count the continuity announcer.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1960s)
Logo: Just the BBC TV logo on a black background, but with the blocks in italics.

Variant: On every episode of the UK English dub of The Magic Roundabout, it appears on the closing scene.

FX/SFX: The closing theme of the show.

Music/Sounds: Same as the last logo.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (September 30, 1963-Late 1963)
Nicknames: "The Globe", "BBC TV Globe"

Logo: On a white/black background is a globe. In the globe is 3 blocks saying  B  ,  B   and  C  . Next to the blocks is  tv  .

FX/SFX: The spinning globe, which is pretty much a model.

Music/Sounds: None, but may contain music and/or a continuity announcer.

Availability: Extinct on TV.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (Late 1963-April 19, 1964)
Nicknames: "The Globe II", "BBC TV Globe II"

Logo: On a gray background is a white box with "B B C tv" on the bottom right corner. In the white box is a globe simply spinning.

FX/SFX: Just a rotating globe.

Music/Sounds: None, just the announcer.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (April 20, 1964-April 17, 1966)
Nicknames: "The Globe", "The Globe II", "BBC 1 Globe I", "BBC 1 Globe"

Logo: Same as BBC Television Service's 5th and final logo, but "B B C tv" is replaced with just "B B C".

FX/SFX: Just a rotating globe.

Music/Sounds: None, just the announcer.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

1st Logo (April 18, 1966-July 6, 1968)
Nicknames: "The Globe III", "BBC 1 Globe II"

Logo: On a background is a rotating earth globe cutting a gray and white stripe. At the bottom we see four slanted boxes with word "B B C" on the first, second and third box, and a number "1" on the fourth box.

Variants: FX/SFX: The rotating globe.
 * There is a prototype variant of this logo, in which there is one large white stripe instead of three in the later version; this was seen from April to June 1966.
 * Christmas 1967: The globe is replaced with what seems to be a Christmas pudding. "Christmas BBC1" appears instead of the BBC1 blocks and snowflake tinsel appears on the top and the bottom.

Music/Sounds: None, just the announcer.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (July 7, 1968-November 14, 1969)
Nicknames: "The Globe IV", "BBC 1 Globe III", "Floating Globe"

Logo: Pretty much the same as the last logo, only the globe model is now different, and a white stripe is at the bottom of the logo, with a black BBC 1 logo.

Variants: FX/SFX: See above.
 * Christmas 1968: The ident is unknown, but in a trailer package a giant snowflake replaces the globe. The BBC1 logo is inverted.
 * A slightly modified variant was introduced in Summer 1969.

Music/Sounds: None, just the announcer.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (November 15, 1969-December 27, 1974, 2006-2007)
Nicknames: "The Blue Globe", "Mirror Globe", "Mirror Globe I", "The Globe V", "BBC 1 Globe IV", "NODD (Nexus Orthicon Display Device)"

Logo: On a black background a globe with glowing blue continents slowly rotates as it casts the images of continents on the other side of the world onto the wall behind it. Underneath the globe is "BBC 1 COLOUR" written in blue (with the word "Helvetica" in the Helvetica typeface).

Trivia: This logo, along with the subsequent two ones, were animated via the NODD system. Designed by BBC engineer Murray Andrew, the process is as follows: Variants:
 * Throughout the day, a team of continuity announcers take turns to sit in a room (referred to as the NODD room), filled with numerous presentation devices such as clocks, holding slides, among others, arranged atop and beside each other.
 * A monochrome camera with a nodding mechanism is installed in front of these devices. It was remote controlled. The continuity announcer presses a button that corresponds to the presentation device to be used on air, and the camera moves accordingly.
 * The colour was added electronically down the line. This was in order to save expenses on re-branding in the long term.
 * The ident itself was a box 12"x9" inches, corresponding to the standard 4:3 aspect ratio used at the time. The globe itself was a small hollow ball, internally lit with a 10V festoon bulb inserted on top. The background was achieved by placing a concave mirror behind the globe. The channel ID was a transparently lit from behind, making it easily interchangeable. Normally, mechanical presentation devices such as clocks were illuminated by the lamp on the NODD camera, but this would have caused the globe's reflection to distort on screen. So an internal light source was used. Both the globe light and the ident light could be adjusted by two separate controls at the back of the device. The land masses on the globe were clear areas, while black metallic paint represented the sea. Apparently the heat from the bulb frequently caused the paint to peel, so regular touch-ups were often required to ensure the continents maintained the "correct shapes" (the logo could look subtlety different from time to time, due to this). And those numerous small "islands" in the mirror globe were actually part of the design and not caused by flaking paint or dust, as you might assume.
 * Starting in 1972, the word "COLOUR" was in an oblique serif typeface, and the BBC boxes were rounded.
 * A rare variant from circa 1971/1972 had the BBC logo with rounded edges but with "COLOUR" in the Helvetica typeface. This was probably the first appearance of the 1971/1972 BBC logo.
 * Another variant, intended to precede black and white shows omits "COLOUR" entirely
 * Christmas Idents:
 * Christmas 1969: This variant had a different globe with geographical contours, similar to the later COW globe. Also, instead of the usual reflection there are holographic snowflakes in the background. Text saying "Christmas in Colour" appears on the top of the stripe, with BBC 1 on the bottom.
 * Christmas 1970: The same as the last variant, but with "Christmas on BBC1" on the bottom.
 * Christmas 1971: Same as the last variant, but the text appears to be longer.
 * Christmas 1972: There is no known footage of this ident (According to TV Ark, it's the same as the previous version), but the clock has been found. Ribbons surround the clock, with "CHRISTMAS COLOUR" on the bottom.
 * Christmas 1973: A group of carol singers rotate about. The caption "Christmas on BBC1" appears on the bottom, in a ribbon styled font.
 * Christmas 1974: Same as the 1971/1972 ident.
 * Local Idents:
 * For BBC Yorkshire, then known as BBC North, a large drum with 4 copies of the symbol at the time (An abstract "N" with a triangle in it) rotates in place of the BBC globe. The text is also changed accordingly.
 * For BBC Northern Ireland/BBC NI, a large, abstract "NI" appears in place of the logo, which may or may not have rotated. A version with a blue background and white logo is known to exist.
 * Other networks also usually replaced the globe with their own symbol and name, usually still, alongside the national globe.
 * For junctions in-between BBC school programs during 1969-1972, a different NODD globe was used. This variant lacked the "COLOUR" caption, and was shown in monochrome, since school programming was still filmed in monochrome until 1972.
 * In 2006-2007, this logo was revived for the introduction of TV series Life on Mars, which fittingly takes places in the 70s.

Accompanying clock ident: An analog clock face with the hours being represented by 2 bars, getting thicker for each hour. The hands are attached to a ring with a black circle in the center, though the second hand poked through. This clock was used from 1969-72; later variants feature an oblique serif typeface to typeset the word color. It was actually a real clock and filmed at the correct time, often appearing just before the actual ident.

FX/SFX: The globe rotating.

Music/Sounds: Again, see 1st logo. However, the British National Anthem played at closedown.

Availability: Rare. Still seen on Monty Python's Flying Circus, as well as preserved by TV enthusiasts, especially TVArk.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (December 28, 1974-September 4, 1981)
Nicknames: "Mirror Globe II", "The Globe VI", "BBC 1 Globe V"

Logo: Same as the previous logo, but this time, the background is dark blue, and the glowing continents are yellow. Also, below is the white text "Futura" in the Futura typeface.

Variants:
 * Sometime in 1978, the ident was slightly modified, with a new globe used. The distance between the "Futura" and the globe is larger, and the globe model is different.
 * For the different regions, the name would usually be shown in a thinner version of the Futura typeface below the wordmark. However, there are some regions who do things quite differently:
 * In Wales, the text is stacked to the right of it, and has the name in both English and Welsh.
 * In Northern Ireland, the same NI symbol from before makes a return, but colored white like the rest of the logo.
 * In the Midlands, the logo was briefly replaced the globe with a rotating version of their "Ribbon M" logo before being standardized.
 * Much like BBC Midlands, Yorkshire/North had the logo recolored and the text reading " Futura as well for about a year.
 * On at least one occasion, the text is the same yellow as the globe. This may have been an error with the electronic coloring process used for the NODD system.
 * Christmas Idents:
 * Christmas 1975: Same as 1974's globe, save for the new Christmas BBC1 legend incorporating the new twin-striped BBC1 logo. (BBC 1's logos were inconsistent at this time.)
 * Christmas 1976: A giant revolving snowflake (not unlike those hanging ones you can buy for your tree) temporarily replaces the globe with a festive red background behind it. The bottom caption states "Blackletter Gothic/Futura", with "Blackletter Gothic" in a Blackletter Gothic font and "Futura" in a striped font (like the next logo). A companion clock was also created.
 * Christmas 1977: A Christmas pudding (black sphere with ice on top) takes its place in front of the concave mirror with a sprig of holly atop. The background is black with melting ice on top. The same byline from 1976 was used.
 * Christmas 1978: A double-faced Santa revolves around on top of "CHRISTMAS" written in a bended, red serif font.
 * Christmas 1979: A group of Victorian carol singers stand between two low brick walls, and weirdly rotate about. The byline on the bottom states "CHRISTMAS BBC 1" in a golden serif font.
 * Christmas 1980: Four Victorian skaters whiz around a snowman. There are daytime and nighttime variants of this ident too. (The mechanical model is bigger than it looks and takes up a whole coffee table!)


 * Accompanying clock ident: Same as previous logo, but corresponds to the then-current colour scheme. The clock is yellow with a blue background. The BBC 1 caption appears at the bottom, this time with no line above it.

FX/SFX: Same as the previous logo.

Music/Sounds: See 1st logo. Again, the British National Anthem played at closedown.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (September 5, 1981-February 17, 1985, October 23, 2012)
pBZnjA1MBGc Nicknames: "Mirror Globe III", "The Globe VII", "BBC 1 Globe VI"

Logo: Same as the previous logo, but this time, "BBC 1" is stylized, and the continents are now green.

Variants:
 * Much like the previous logo, legends for the regional variants exist, though they're mostly now in a green computerized font with some exceptions. (Like Midlands and East Midlands having theirs in a lowercase script font. The former is green, and the latter's white.)
 * On the ident's first two days, the blue was a very dark navy, and the continents were pale yellow-green. This was due to a severe problem with the colour scheme. Also, for its first nine months, the ident was modified a few times.
 * Like the previous two logos, this one also has Christmas variants:
 * Christmas 1981: Five globes are in the form of five colored baubles (orange, blue, purple, pink and green) with white landmasses.
 * Christmas 1982: A giant white snowflake shines and animates with a "BBC1" caption in the center.
 * Christmas 1983: A giant holographic snowflake shines in rainbow-colours with a "BBC1" caption in the centre. Was accompanied by a snowflake clock.
 * Christmas 1984: Three jolly snowmen armed with Christmas crackers welcome the festive season. This ident has daytime, evening, nighttime and midnight idents. On its last transmission, however, a full moon was shown in the background. On top is the word "BBC1" written in a casual font on a red/blue stain.
 * A rare variant has an unusual form in which the globe shows an optical illusion. Shown only on Tomorrow's World. This variant is nicknamed "The Brain Globe".
 * For the BBC's 60th Anniversary in 1982, instead of usual text "BBC1", the lower part shows a parallelogram with the number "60" and at the right was the word "BBC Years" in a script font.
 * Another variation exists to celebrate 60 Years of Children's Programming. The number "60" is in Blippo typeface, as are the stacked words "BBC YEARS". At the right of the "6" is a green balloon.
 * To celebrate the 1984 Olympic Games, there is a variation where the reflection was absent, and replaced by the Olympic Rings in orange, with the globe contained in the top center of the ring, also orange.
 * On 23 October 2012, this logo was revived in Northern Ireland to mark both its digital switchover and the end of the analogue television era in the UK.


 * Accompanying clock ident: From 5 September to approximately December 1981, the clock was similar to the 69/74 clock, aside from the colours and the new striped byline. After this, a new computerised clock was introduced with minor changes to the design. The central dot, for example, changed from a circular outline to a green dot. Wales continued to use the old mechanical clock regionally till the very end.

FX/SFX: Same as the 2nd and the 3rd logo.

Music/Sounds: See 1st logo. Once again, the British National Anthem played at closedown.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

Final Note: This logo was retired due to the fact that it was the only live mechanical model used by BBC1 by 1984, and the regular maintenance and calibration required was making it tiring and a hassle to use; even this logo could not help much in soothing common difficulties such as bad positioning, odd colours, etc. The globe was also becoming old-fashioned, due to its long service since the invention of colour, as well as the CGI revolution, which ironically began with sister channel BBC2, with their stripped "2" ident. The NODD system was abandoned with the globe, as all idents and clocks were now electronically generated. Programme slides remained the exception; they were still optically developed until the late 1980s when the programme slides became electronically generated with the quantel paintbox. The logo's last appearance was 5:35pm on Monday 18 February, introducing a new series of Grange Hill. London viewers would see it one more time, before London Plus at 6:35pm.

6th Logo (February 18, 1985-February 15, 1991)
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Nicknames: "Computer Originated World", "The Globe VIII", "BBC 1 Globe VII", "COW"

Logo: On a solid black background, a computer-generated, semi-transparent blue globe with golden landmasses slowly spins around at a steady pace throughout, and has the effect of a spotlight added to the surface. The planet being partially transparent as you can see the shadows of the continents on the other side of the world through the water. Underneath the globe, "BBC 1" is written in a gold serif font, similar to that used in the early days of the BBC.

Trivia: Work on this logo began in 1983, in response to the revolutionary Channel 4 idents, as well as a desire to update the channel's image. It was a mammoth task combining the efforts of BBC Computer Graphics, Graphic Design and the Designs Departments. The COW was generated by a black box containing several circuit boards. Each board carried one layer of the animation - the BBC1 logo, blue background etc., with switches to input various captions when needed. These boxes were delivered to all eleven regions and installed before Christmas 1984. Their output had an aspect ratio of 5:4 and was cropped for transmission to 4:3. It first appeared at 7pm on Monday 18 February. Originally it was planned to be launched on 1 January 1985, but the launch was deferred to coincide with radical changes to the BBC1 schedule. See this link for technical information.

Variants: FX/SFX: The globe rotating, using nice looking computer graphics for its time.
 * There was a rare variation in 1986 to introduce special coverage of Halley's Comet in 1986. In this variation, when the globe almost finishes its spin, we zoom in on the globe.
 * Regional variations also included a legend with the region name, also in gold, below the BBC1 legend.
 * Shows with Ceefax subtitles have a caption "CEEFAX 888" below the BBC1 caption, also in the same gold font.
 * On the 29 March 1985, for the junction linking to The Day the Earth Stood Still, the globe stops after a while.
 * Children in Need variants:
 * 1987 - The globe is replaced with a plush toy of Pudsey Bear, the mascot of Children In Need.
 * 1988 - Same as the previous version, but the turntable Pudsey is sitting on moves slower, and when the toy faces the camera, it stops.
 * 1989 - An animated Pudsey Bear waves to the viewers while wearing a red paper crown and holding a red balloon with the number 10 on it, to celebrate the 10th annual edition of the fundraiser.
 * Comic Relief variants
 * 1988 - The globe is seen as usual, then a red nose is attached to it, and the BBC1 affix is covered over with a piece of paper reading "Comic Relief".
 * 1989 - The globe spins as an inanimate cel-animated red nose is attached to it with black string.
 * There is also an Open University variant.
 * Another variant exists when the globe stops its spin for the introduction of The Day the Earth Stood Still. Also, one variant has the globe doing unusual tricks.
 * On See For Yourself presentation, "87" replaces the "1" in BBC 1, and then we zoom in on the globe.
 * Another Comic Relief variant has a red nose being planted on Africa, and the BBC1 logo covered with a Comic Relief banner just before the evening telethon.
 * The BBC World Service used a version of this logo from 1991 until 1995, in which words "BBC1" were replaced with a small BBC logo (with lines below each box) and the words "WORLD SERVICE" appearing below.
 * On the 1987 Christmas episode of the ITV satirical series Splitting Image, this was shown, although it changes to the globe of "chocolate pudding". The globe talks about why it was made of "chocolate pudding", until the BBC2 logo of the time appears. The globe successfully gets rid of them, and fades to a Central Television logo.
 * Christmas Variants:
 * Christmas 1985: This ident had the new "BBC1" logo in a snowy landscape with a robin sitting on it fluttering its wings, with another robin rotating around the logo. Two versions were made: one for daytime and one for nighttime. This was the last mechanical ident produced for the channel. The ident was accompanied by hand animated promotional trails featuring the robins. The robins were infamously detonated by Noel Edmunds on his programme, The Late Late Breakfast Show, on 4 January 1986.
 * Christmas 1985 (Scotland): The COW is replaced with a gift box in the shape of the globe. The box is covered in streamers and wrapping paper. The rest of the ident is the same as the regular one. For the Hogmanay celebrations, the normal ident has some decoration to the left and right of the COW, featuring holy, bells and berries.
 * Christmas 1986: A cartoon smiling Christmas tree in a forest, with the BBC1 logo in front of it, and holly dancing around it. The ident was designed by a viewer following a CBBC contest.
 * Christmas 1986 (Scotland): Just the regular COW Globe ident, but with small stars around it, making it look like a night sky. Most likely the least Christmassy Christmas ident ever done by the BBC.
 * Christmas 1986 (Wales):The COW globe was replaced with a snow-covered church. A Christmas wreath shows where the COW globe would have been. 3 variants were made, Daytime, Nighttime and a completely dark version. The clock was also imposed onto the footage at closedown.
 * Christmas 1987: A cartoon graphic reading BBC Christmas 1 made up of various Christmas motifs such as various presents, a candle, holly and ribbons. The short animation was designed to tie into the end of promotions. Promotional style featured a panning view into a child's nursery, before a bag falls, pouring out streamers and ribbons. This streamer animation would be played at the end of the promotion to link into the ident. It was designed by Bernard Newnham.
 * Christmas 1987 (Northern Ireland): A rotating Christmas cake is seen depicting a snowy scene, featuring some trees and a house. The text "BBC1 Northern Ireland" ("Northern Ireland" stacked next to "BBC1") appears stamped to the bottom two times, with the other one having 2 pieces of holly stamped on the left and right.
 * Christmas 1987 (Scotland):A tree is seen in the middle of a blue background in a circle. Then the text "CHRISTMAS ON" and "BBC1 SCOTLAND" appear in a circle around the tree in the circle, then the rest of the blue background turns different colours. For Hogmanay, this ident was used, albeit with "CHRISTMAS" replaced with "HOGMANAY".
 * Christmas 1988: A partridge flies onto a mountain of pears and sits on them, with the BBC1 logo superimposed on top. Two versions were made: one for daytime and one for nighttime. At the end of each day the partridge would fly away again.
 * Christmas 1988 (Wales): The COW globe is replaced with a snowglobe, featuring a Christmas tree and a snowman reading a newspaper. The rest of the ident is the same as the regular one.
 * Christmas 1988 (Scotland): A music box opens revealing a spinning tree inside and a BBC1 typeface. On the front side "Scotland" is seen in a cursive font. For Hogmanay, the tree is replaced with a bell.
 * Christmas 1989: The globe is a spinning top, spinning at the bottom of a Christmas tree with a ribbon around with the BBC1 logo on it. Again linked in with end promotions, which would link in by means of a toy train passing in front of the screen.
 * Christmas 1989 (Scotland): A Christmas tree is seen spinning with a shining star on top. "BBC1 Scotland" appears through a flipping effect. This is possibly one of the last mechanical idents EVER to be used on UK television. A still version is also used with the tree covered in snow. For Hogsmanay, the tree is replaced with a candle, all covered in pinecones and holly, while the "BBC1 Scotland" text rotates from a 90 degree angle on the left.
 * Christmas 1989 (Wales): A spinning top spins and spins for 20 seconds while pictures of Rudolphs, Santas, and penguins appear on the top. Then afterwards, the top zooms in and the BBC1 Wales/Cymru logo (in the same typeface as the normal idents) appears on the bottom. BBC2 used the exact same ident that year as well, but with a daytime background and a different logo.
 * Christmas 1990: The globe appears superimposed on a face on the cover of a pop-up book about magic. The introduction sequence and promotions all featured the book opening and a wizard dancing round casting magic upon a variety of objects, mostly timepieces, such as a large clock face and hour glass. This was the last Christmas ident not to use a BBC logo.
 * Hogsmanay 1990 (Scotland): BBC1 Scotland used the previous ident for that year, but for Hogsmanay a version of the COW was used: it's much bigger and a green party hat is on the top of it. The usual "BBC1 Scotland" text unusually appears on the top right, rather than the middle due to the size of the COW.

Music/Sounds: See the first logo's description. Yet again, the British National Anthem played at closedown.

Accompanying clock ident: The same basic clock from December 1981, with new blue and gold colours, as well as the serif caption. Note the lack of a centre dot. This was never corrected during the clock's run nationally, although regional variants have a central dot.

Availability: Extinct on TV. However, it can be found in the special features on the DVD of the Doctor Who serial, "Survival".

Editor's Note: None.

Final Note: BBC1 ceased to use this logo in order to maintain a unified branding with BBC 2, which also switched to the 1991 "2" idents at the same time.

7th Logo (1990-1991?)
Logo: A globe can be seen spinning; however, it slowly fades to the number "I", which looks more like the Roman numeral than the actual number. It also has a metal ring around it, making it seem more like a metallic ball. Some of the globe is still visible after the finished product.

FX/SFX: Basic 3D animation.

Music/Sounds: A deep harmonic tune, which finishes after the animation has completed.

Availability: It was never used or broadcasted, they were test idents and eventually the next logo was used instead.

Editor's Note: None.

8th Logo (February 16, 1991-October 3, 1997)
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Nicknames: "Computer Originated World II", "1 in Center", "Lambie-Nairn Globe", "The Globe IX", "BBC 1 Globe VIII", "Virtual Globe", "COW II"

Logo: Same concept as before, except the globe is now on a space background and surrounded by a swirling smokey atmosphere, the stylized numeral "1" is in the center and now big. At the bottom of the screen we see a small BBC logo, this time with a line below each box. This was also the final time BBC One was called "BBC 1".

Trivia: This logo was designed by Martin Lambie-Nairn, and was created by filming a physical sphere with the smokey effects added post-production. It was played off modified Sony LaserDiscs.

Variants:
 * On some occasions, the ident (and the accompanying clocks) would appear without the BBC logo.
 * Regional legends appear whenever a local variant is used.
 * Accompanying clock ident: This clock used the GNAT (Generator of Network Analogue Time) system, resulting in the clock mimicking the movement of an analogue clock by moving the minute hand every second, rather than every fifteen seconds as was found on previous station clocks. The counters on the clocks alternated between dots and dashes pointing towards the centre, a smoky static background and included the BBC logo at the bottom of the screen, although no on-screen reference to the channel being BBC1.
 * There were two variants of the clock design. The first variant, used from 16 February 1991 to mid-December 1991, had a larger design to fit the screen best, and looked more like a crystal ball. However, the size contrast between the clock and the globe resulted in difficulty at closedown, as the two do not fade easily. The second variant, used from mid-December 1991 to 4 October 1997, had a smaller clock (to allow a smoother transition to the globe) and had a brighter background.
 * Christmas Variants:
 * Christmas 1991: Similar to the normal ident but the figure ‘1’ is inside a rotating, icy coloured moon, with Father Christmas in his sleigh flying around it. When it introduced the film Batman, the bat symbol was superimposed on top. The ident was accompanied by a simple four note fanfare.
 * Christmas 1992: A shining figure ‘1’ is at the bottom of a Christmas tree surrounded by various bouncing and moving toys. A photograph of HM The Queen was used at closedown because BBC deemed the ident "too jolly" to be used against the National Anthem.
 * Christmas 1993: An icy figure ‘1’ is in a snowy landscape, with two polar bears and Father Christmas in his sleigh flying above it, which the bears watch. Two versions were made, one in day-time and one in night-time.
 * Christmas 1994: The figure ‘1’ is a Christmas present with a snowman on either side tipping their hats. This ident was unusual in that it had three different variations. In the run up to and on Christmas Eve it was neatly wrapped, on Christmas Day it was unwrapped by the snowmen to reveal a shining gold numeral and on Boxing Day and onwards the wrapping remains had been removed to display the gold numeral ‘1’. The Christmas Day version was occasionally used on and after Boxing Day. Due to it also being deemed "too jolly" to be used against the National Anthem (as with the 1992 ident), the normal idents were used for closedown.
 * Christmas 1995: The figure ‘1’ is on top of a Christmas tree in place of a star, with starry glitter surrounding it and a toy plane flying around it. In addition, a variation was made without the plane, which was used at closedown.
 * Christmas 1996: A brown circular box is opened by two toys to reveal a gold figure ‘1’ inside on a bluish-purple sparkling cushion. A version without the toy figures and the rim of the box shines via sparkling effect, which was used for closedown and introduction into serious programming.
 * Hogsmanay 1997 (Scotland): In a dimly lit room, 2 candles and some overhanging lights illuminate the BBC Scotland logo, which is an abstract representation of Scotland using 3 different parallelograms, one shorter than the other (This debuted with their news program, Reporting Scotland, and is still used to this day in a modified form), and has them dressed in traditional Scottish garb; the top and bottom ones are male, and the middle is female.

FX/SFX: Same as before.

Music/Sounds: See 1st logo. Christmas idents had music, however, and the British National Anthem played at closedown.

Availability: Extinct on TV. You may find this logo on old recordings of BBC1 programmes from 1991-1997.

Editor's Note: A boring but well made logo for its time.

1st Logo (October 4, 1997-March 28, 2002)
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Nicknames: "The Globe X", "BBC 1 Globe IX", "BBC One Balloon", "Explorer Balloon", "The Final Globe"

Logo: Inside a scene depending on one of several locations (seen below), a globe-patterned balloon flies. The pattern of the globe uses a red color for sea, and orange color for the continent, and is complete with clouds. Superimposed at the bottom of the screen is the current BBC logo with the text "ONE" next to it, either fading in or appearing whenever the camera cuts to a new shot, depending on the variant. Starting in December 1999, the URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ was put at the top of the logo (and was officially introduced in June 2000). This was also the first time the channel was named "BBC One".

Locations: Variants: FX/SFX: Just the flying balloon.
 * Eilean Donan Castle, Scottish Highlands
 * Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow
 * Forth Rail Bridge, Edinburgh
 * Dunluce Castle, Northern Ireland
 * Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland
 * Snowdonia National Park, Wales
 * Cardiff City Hall, South Wales
 * South Downs (Near Arundel), West Sussex
 * Port of Felixstowe, Suffolk
 * Cley next the Sea, Norfolk
 * Swinside Stone Circle, Cumbria
 * London Docklands (where not only is this officially the last ident used from this era, but the globe is also not at flight.)
 * Angel of the North
 * St Michael's Mount
 * Second Severn Crossing
 * Blackpool Tower
 * The Needles, Isle of Wight
 * Accompanying clock ident: Like the previous clock, this used the GNAT system like before, but the minute hand moves every 15 seconds again, and the background appears to be the inside of the balloon. The BBC One logo is tacked on to the bottom of the screen as usual. When it was converted to widescreen in 1998, the minute hand moved every minute again, though some regions still had the previous version. It was retired when the logo was ditched, and thus is the last time a clock has been used.
 * Beginning in 2000, there are new idents. The basic concept is same here, but features skateboarders, a busy market scene, a situation of bungee jumping, and a carnival.
 * In 1999, a special edition was used when the balloon eclipsed the sunlight. This was due to a total solar eclipse of that year.
 * There is a version for Walking with Dinosaurs where the balloon flew over a desert wasteland as a Polacanthus walks into view. Also, one version, in TV programs hosted by Ben Elton, has a version where the balloon is chased by a white balloon with the text "POLICE".
 * For the celebration of UEFA Euro 2000, there is a variant where a goalkeeper spots the balloon, thinking that it is a soccer ball, and tries to catch it; unfortunately, this prevents him from saving the real soccer ball, which then hits the goal.
 * Another variation has the balloon seen underwater by sharks.
 * The version for Walking with Beasts is similar to the Walking with Dinosaurs variant, but substitutes the Polacanthus and the valley with the land during an Ice Age and complete with snow and a population of woolly mammoths.
 * To celebrate the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, a variation was used. It was nearly the same as the original version, but the balloon was seen flying above the Sydney Opera House, while an athlete shone a flaming torch in its direction.
 * One variant took place inside the balloon, and the flame can clearly be seen going off like a explosion.
 * To welcome the new CBBC channel in 2002, a bug from that service's branding at the time peeks in for a bit.
 * Christmas variants:
 * Christmas 1997: There are 4 variants, but most of these have a glowing yellow sphere on a red background, and a choir is singing:
 * 10 Lords A Leaping: Several lords appear bouncing on yellow space hoppers.
 * 8 Maids A Milking: A maid is seen balancing, with a bucket full of milk on her head.
 * 5 Gold Rings: An arm is spinning two golden rings.
 * A Partridge in a Pear Tree: A paper partridge is flying around the yellow sphere.
 * Christmas 1998: On a white background with falling snow, a red balloon is seen on the center of the screen. Sometimes, a reindeer or a couple of penguins are moving around.
 * Christmas 1999: On a night landscape of some pine trees, some auroras are seen in the sky, which takes the form of Santa Claus shaking a golden bell, with the BBC 1 globe on the side. This was the first Christmas ident in this ident package to feature the balloon globe.
 * Christmas 2000: We see a view of Santa Claus dropping a present with a parachute. Then we see the complete scene of Santa Claus dropping presents all over the city, on the BBC 1 globe.
 * Christmas 2001: Three toys interact and fly around a room as they float around on helium balloons, with a Christmas tree on the side. We move to the window, where we can see the BBC 1 globe in the sky. The toys each represent something on the Christmas Day schedule. The dinosaur represents the terrestrial premiere of The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The Trotters Van represents the Only Fools and Horses episode "If They Could See Us Now", the first to air of the series since 1996, and the robot dog represents the terrestrial premiere of Toy Story. This ident package was produced by Aardman Animations.

Music/Sounds: An ethereal ambience mostly consisting of a piano ditty. Several different variants were used, mostly changing the arrangement and other insturments involved with it. The British National Anthem played at closedown until 9 November 1997, when BBC News 24 was launched.

Availability: Extinct on TV. You may find this logo on old recordings of BBC One programmes from 1997-2002.

Editor's Note: None.

Final Note: This ident marks the end of the globe symbol which had been associated with the BBC since 1963.

2nd Logo (March 29, 2002-October 6, 2006)
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Nicknames: "Rhythm & Movement", "Dancers"

Logo: A scene of dancing is shown. At the bottom-left of the screen is a BBC One logo that consisted of a red square with small BBC logo at the top of big word "ONE" in center of it.

Trivia: A clock was designed for this series of idents, but was never transmitted.

Dances: These are some of the dances shown in the ident: Variants: FX/SFX: Depends on the scene, but the BBC One logo is still.
 * Acrobat: Filmed in the Royal Horticultural Society Halls in Victoria, the ident shows three acrobat performers in white costumes, on red sashes (Aerial Silks) performing acrobatic tricks while suspended from the roof. This ident was also used frequently to introduce the news. The three aerial performers are Jane Osborn (left), Melissa Merran (centre), and Michele Laine (right).
 * Ballet: Filmed at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, the ident features ten ballerinas dressed entirely in red. The camera slowly tracks, showing the Minack stage where the ballerinas perform a graceful dance, with the dramatic Cornish coastline in the background. This ident sequence was the most sombre of all the idents, and a still of it was used when BBC announced the death of the Queen Mother. For most of its life, this ident was used during times of "reflection" only, namely times of national tragedy and the death of a Royal Family member. It was mainly used to introduce coverage of funerals, such as those of Pope John Paul II and George Best.
 * Bollywood: First broadcast on 8 November 2002, this ident features 9 males and 9 females dancing a traditional Indian dance, much like a Bollywood movie. The females wear red in this ident, while the males wear white.
 * Capoeira: Filmed against the London skyline, it shows mestre poncianinho and contra-mestre casquinha doing Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art. The camera circles around two Capoeiristas throughout its duration. The two performers are dressed in red and white. An alternative edit, which joins the action a few seconds earlier than the standard version, was used in Wales and Scotland.
 * Festival: Filmed at RAF Bovingdon, it begins with a close up of two women dancing together, somewhat resembling a rave party. Red takes on prominence in the background. Also known as "Rave".
 * Haka: Filmed in a field in Wales, it first shows a closeup of a Māori native, Jo Hutley, and then pulls back to reveal 14 Welsh amateur rugby players performing Haka, a traditional Māori dance that shows art and movement by using hands, feet, legs, body, voice, tongue and eyes. The players are dressed in red-striped polo shirts. This ident was eventually withdrawn after licensing issues with the music, and did not appear in the final montage.
 * Hip-Hop: Filmed on a basketball court, this ident shows three basketball players dancing in their wheelchairs. The dancers are all dressed in red, with matching accents on their wheelchairs. The lead dancer is Adrian Adepitan, a British paralympic basketball player, and presenter of the CBBC programme Xchange. The dance is made up of different wheelchair-basketball moves used in the game. Also known as "Basketball".
 * Maasai: This ident was filmed on an African savanna. It features nine native Maasai tribesmen dancing in the centre.
 * Music Video: Filmed in studio with a red backdrop. It features one lead dancer and six back-up dancers. This ident resembles a music video, hence its name. Only seen on the premiere of Fame Academy.
 * Salsa: Filmed in Hertfordshire against a decorated red backdrop, the camera first focuses on a couple dancing salsa, and then reveals a large group of dancing couples doing the same thing.
 * Skateboarders: This ident features three skateboarders skateboarding through a shipyard. This ident was filmed on location at the Harland and Wolff Shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The featured skateboarders are, from left to right, British professional skateboarders Olly Todd, Franklin Stephens and Danny Wainwright. This ident was often used to introduce the news. It was also often used in the Midlands and Northern Ireland.
 * Tai-Chi: This ident features seven people dressed in traditional Chinese clothing performing Tai-Chi on a lochside. This ident had two versions: one with the camera drawing back, revealing all the performers and their mirror image on the loch; the other (withdrawn in 2003) starts with the mirror image and spins round to reveal that the viewer is actually looking at the reflection.
 * Tango: This ident was filmed in Leadenhall Market in the City of London and features three couples dancing the tango, supposedly in the rain.
 * Tapdogs: This ident shows six members of the dance troupe Tap Dogs performing a tap dance.
 * Tumbler: This ident features five people (all with some red on their clothes) breakdancing on a walkway. It had to be relaunched after 24 hours, apparently due to a copyright dispute over the background music. BBC One Scotland continued to use the original version until the rebranding in 2006. It was filmed on location at the now-demolished BBC Birmingham Pebble Mill studios, and was the final "Rhythm & Movement" ident to be added to its regular playlist.
 * Channel 4's cable channel, E4, has a version that combines the 3 dances. The BBC One logo is also replaced by a purple box containing the E4 logo.
 * There is also a Comic Relief variant.
 * An episode of Dead Ringers has Jon Culshaw as Tony Blair dancing in a fictional ident outside 10 Downing Street.
 * In the early hours of 7 October 2006, in place of the regular promos prior to handover, a montage of all the idents (bar Hakka) was played.
 * Christmas variants:
 * Christmas 2002-2003: Several dancers dressed as snowflakes against a red sky, are falling to the ground and then walking round in circles.
 * Christmas 2004: Children dressed in red are bouncing on Space Hoppers that look like Christmas puddings, under white snow structures. This was designed by a young viewer of the children's programme Blue Peter, as part of a competition.
 * Christmas 2005: Several children, again dressed in red, are walking round a giant Christmas tree, carrying brightly coloured balls.

Music/Sounds: Depends on the variant, though they all share the same basic melody. Availability: No longer current. Was last seen on 7 October 2006, but you may still find these idents on old recordings of BBC One programmes from 2002-2006.
 * Acrobatic: A mid-tempo jingle performed by a string section.
 * Ballet: A string quartet, with the cello dominant.
 * Festival: A techno-style theme, somewhat resembling a rave party. This version of the jingle would be sampled in a dance track, Forever and a Day by State One in 2003.
 * Haka: A slow, string theme, accompanying the sound of the rugby player's chant.
 * Hip-Hop: A hip-hop version of the jingle.
 * Maasai: A percussion based theme.
 * Skateboarders: A mellow jingle, played on a solo piano.
 * Tapdogs: An upbeat theme, incorporating the sound of the troupe's tap shoes.
 * Tumbler: An upbeat jingle featuring synthesized brass.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (October 7, 2006-December 31, 2016)
vlJJ5SOT2Jc sFGaM2nfJ2g Nickname: "Circles"

Logo: Depends on the scene. At the center of the scene is the current BBC One logo, using BBC logo and the text "one" next to it, still large, but now in lowercase,in a proprietary font. It is set on a circular area. Starting in May 2009, the idents are shorter and the BBC One logo is formed before the main circle formation: FX/SFX: Same as the previous logo.
 * Kites: On a cloudy and mountainous landscape, several people are playing with red kites. Some of these kites move around like a "circle".
 * Motorbikes: TBA
 * Hippos: TBA
 * Football: TBA
 * Ring A Roses: TBA
 * Surfers: TBA
 * Windows: TBA
 * Moon: TBA
 * Magical Forest: TBA
 * Mission Control: TBA
 * Neon: TBA
 * Helicopters: TBA
 * Penguins: TBA
 * Bikes: TBA
 * Dog Show: TBA
 * Lawn: TBA

Music/Sounds: Same as before.

Availability: No longer current, but may be seen on recordings of BBC One programmes from 2006-2017.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (January 1, 2017-)


Nicknames: "Oneness", "People", "Budget Rhythm & Movement", "2010s Oneness"

Logo: Depending on the ident, it showcases the everyday lives of British people and their activities. On the bottom are details (activity, location) of the scene, which fades out to the text "oneness" forming via a circular swirling line, in the same transition to the 2006 idents. The "e" extends to "ness" in an elegant font. "ness" fades out and the 1997 BBC logo fades in on the top left of "one".

Later Variant: Beginning on October 20, 2021, with the introduction of the BBC's new logo, the idents were altered a bit. The new BBC logo appears with the blocks deforming in shape a bit, and Instead of the "Oneness" text appearing, the activity and location fades to "ONE" in the BBC Reith font, like with the new BBC logo. The "Subtitles" graphic is now placed in a full widescreen picture, rather than being in its original place of a 4:3 picture.

Trivia: The BBC commissioned Martin Parr, one of Britain’s leading documentary photo­graphers, to create 24 images and short films on the theme of “oneness”.

Variants: Depends on the variant:
 * Exercise Class, Avonmouth (2 versions): A group of people are performing a dance workout routine. Filmed in Avonmouth. This was the first ident of the new look to be used at 1am on 1 January 2017. Removed after a few months due to initial poor reception.
 * Sea Swimmers, Clevedon (2 versions): A group of people are walking in and back out of the sea. Filmed in Clevedon. Initially used for the BBC News before the introduction of more suitable idents. Removed after a few months due to initial poor reception - however, version 2 of the ident appeared before Sunday Politics on 2 July 2017.
 * Mountain Rescue Volunteers, Brecon Beacons (2 versions): A mountain rescue team and their dog are walking down from a 4x4 emergency vehicle in a wintry forest. Filmed in the Brecon Beacons.
 * Wheelchair Rugby Team, Llantrisant (3 versions): A team of wheelchair rugby players. Filmed in Llantrisant.
 * Forest: A still forest with no people in sight. Filmed in the Brecon Beacons. This ident lacks the 'oneness' animation.
 * Skaters, Southwark: A group of skaters skate around a dance hall. Filmed in Southwark.
 * Birdwatchers, Rainham Marshes (2 versions): A group of birdwatchers stand in a field, looking at offscreen birds with their binoculars and commenting on them. Filmed in the Rainham Marshes.
 * Cavers, Wemyss: A group of modern cavers with headlamps are going underground inside the cave. Filmed in Wemyss.
 * Bhangra, Edinburgh New Town: A group of bhangra dancers dance to Indian music. Filmed in Edinburgh New Town.
 * Tandem Cyclists, Belfast: A group of tandem cyclists look at the camera and then cycle off. Filmed in Belfast.
 * Night Kayakers, Killyleagh: A group of kayakers paddle in the water during the nighttime. Filmed in Killyleagh.
 * Allotment Holders, Smethwick: A group of allotment holders tend to the ground and then pose to the camera. FIlmed in Smethwick.
 * Bog Snorkellers, Llanwrtyd Wells (2 versions): Five Bog Snorkellers in various costumes. In one ident there are preparing to enter the bog, while in the other they emerge. Filmed in Llanwrtyd Wells.
 * Boxers, Digbeth: A group of boxers pose for the camera and then start an exercise session. Filmed in Digbeth.
 * Banger Racers, St Brides: A group of racers pose through the open windows of their cars, while a race takes place in the background. Filmed in St Brides.
 * Ten Pin Bowlers, Hockley: A group of ten pin bowlers are ready and waiting to knock down some skittles by using a ten pin bowl. Filmed in Hockley.
 * Fell Runners, Mourne Mountains: A group of runners come to a stop at a group of rocks, and decide where to go next. Filmed in the Mourne Mountains.
 * Llama Trekkers, Armagh: A group of young people walk through a gate with three llamas. Filmed in Armagh.
 * Drone Racers, Nottingham: A group of young people play around with their drones. Filmed in Nottingham. Frequently used to introduce entertainment, reality and comedy programmes. Originally filmed in August 2017, but was held back from being shown until the New Year's Day 2018.
 * Wild Campers, Glencoe: A group of young people come out of their tents. Filmed in Glencoe. Used for the likes of drama, serious programmes and everyday programmes. Originally filmed in August 2017, but was held back from being shown until the New Year's Day 2018.
 * Under 7 Footballers, Barnet (2 versions): A team of under 7 footballers participate in a training session. Filmed in Barnet.
 * Sausage Dog Walkers, Newcastle upon Tyne: A group of people with sausage dogs are walking in the seaside park outside the bridge in the background, whilst sausage dogs are barking and yapping to help them to fetch some food. Filmed in Newcastle upon Tyne.
 * Cheerleaders, Manchester: A group of cheerleaders (9 women and 1 man) dance to hip hop/electropop music. Filmed in Manchester.
 * Taekwondo Club, Trafford: A group of 9 children performs taekwondo martial arts movements during the training session with 2 supporters (mum and dad) watch and learn. Filmed in Trafford.
 * Swing Dancers, County Durham: A group of 12 swing dancers dancing in a variety of styles. Filmed in Crook, County Durham.
 * Volunteer Lifeguards, Exmouth (2 versions): Nine lifeguards in different surf rescue coats. In one ident there are using surfboards to go back into the sea for surfing, while in the other carry an Inflatable Rescue Boat for the rescue sea mission. Filmed in Exmouth.
 * Steel Pan Band, Plymouth: A group of 12 people in red T-shirts performing Calypso music with steel pan drums. Filmed in Plymouth at Tinside Lido.

FX/SFX: Same as the previous logo.

Music/Sounds: Sounds vary throughout the variants, ranging from ambience, to music.

Availability: Current. After Christmas 2016, the first ident, "Exercise Class", started broadcasting at 1am on New Year's Day, and more idents would appear throughout the years. The first two idents were removed after a few months following initial negative reception. During the UK lockdown to reduce spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, and following complaints from viewers on social media that the current set of BBC One idents were not good examples of social distancing, BBC One temporarily suspended their normal idents on 30th April 2020 in favour of the next logo which was used until 19 July 2021.

Editor's Note: Oneness is often agreed to be the laziest series of BBC idents, showing no charm or value that previous ident branches had shown. It is often compared unfavourably to the Rhythm & Movement idents from 2002. The later 2021 version just feels like a placeholder until a new ident package in 2022.

5th Logo (April 30, 2020-July 19, 2021)
Regular Idents

Nicknames: "Oneness II", "People II", "Budget Rhythm & Movement II", "COVID-19 Oneness", "2020s Oneness", "Socially-Distanced Oneness", "Oneness on Lockdown"

Logo: Several rectangles in different sizes appear one by one on a black background. Inside each of the rectangles, it shows someone doing a certain activity in their home (Everyone does the same activity for each ident). After a few seconds, the "oneness" logo from the last logo animates as usual.

Variants: Depends on the variant:
 * Tea breaks, Across the UK: Cups of tea are being made at various kitchens.
 * Teammates, Training at Home: People kicking a football to one other across different gardens.
 * Isolation Disco, Neighbours: People dancing around to music in their own living rooms.
 * In Bloom, Across the UK: Flowers blooming all at once.
 * Capoeira Group Practise, At Home: Originally Capoeira Group Practice, At Home. People dancing in a Capoeira style, inspired by 2002 Capoeira ident from the 2002 'Rhythm & Movement' set. On the evening of Monday 22nd June, the caption was changed to Capoeira Group Practise, At Home.
 * Cabaret Cooking, At Home: People cooking and eating their Cabaret food.
 * Knit Club, At Home: People are doing knitting in their own dining rooms.
 * Choir Rehearsal, Across the UK: People singing and choirs in a style of melodies.
 * Cat Naps, At Home: Domestic cats meowing, purring and sleeping in their someone else's rooms.
 * Bread Makers, Across the UK: People making bread by using a dough on board covered with flour in their kitchens.
 * Special Idents:
 * Fundraisers, Across the UK: Aired before programming related to Children in Need 2020.
 * England Fans, From Across the UK (2 versions): Aired before programming leading to the finals of Euro 2021 between England and Italy.

FX/SFX: The rectangles appearing and the people doing their activities.

Music/Sounds: TBA.

Availability: No longer current. Can be seen before every BBC One programme before 19 July 2021. The first ident, "Tea breaks", started broadcasting before the news at 6pm on April 30, 2020 on BBC One Yorkshire, and more idents would appear in May of the same year. These idents were retired on 19 July 2021 due to the UK lifting its COVID-19 restrictions, with "Cat Naps" the last one shown at 1:05am.

Editor's Note: TBA.