Talkback Thames

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

On 10 February 2003, FremantleMedia merged their two successful television production company subsidiaries, Talkback Productions and Thames Television, into Talkback Thames (spelled as talkbackTHAMES). Both companies continued using their respective logos with the Talkback Thames logo added until 2006, when the company unveiled a new production logo combining both names. On 1 January 2012, the company was split into four separate brands under FremantleMedia UK: Thames (entertainment shows), Talkback (comedy shows), Retort (scripted comedy; until 2018) and Boundless (factual programming; until 2020).

1st Logo (placeholder logo) (November 23, 2004)


Visuals: On a white background with bits of green and blue (the respective colours of Talkback Thames as seen on the 2003 logos) on several corners and the top after a bright light flashes at the beginning, the "talkbackTHAMES" name in green (for "talkback") and dark purple (for "THAMES") respectively, in bold, is seen when it fades in. The byline "A FremantleMedia Company" is shown underneath it in a smaller font, which is also fading in. It is also next to the 1999 Channel 4 "Square" logo.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: The end theme of the show.

Availability: This is a placeholder logo and was only seen on the pilot episode of The Sex Inspectors.

2nd Logo (January 4, 2006-December 31, 2011)


Visuals: On a blue background, there is a lowercase green "t" inside an uppercase blue "T", both set in Gill Sans Ultra Bold. Both T's slide apart with the lowercase "t" sliding up and the uppercase "T" sliding down. The T's later turn diagonal and have the remaining letters fading in and zooming out with "alkback" above and "HAMES" below. The left side of the background turns green on the lower left-hand corner and light blue on the right side while the logo is animating and the logo zooms out into a white oval-like field. The copyright stamp "© FremantleMedia Ltd [YEAR]" fades in below.

Variants:

  • This logo appears in-credit as it zooms to the corner on co-produced shows.
  • On the game Family Fortunes for NDS, the logo is made on white background.
  • Sometimes, the byline "Part of FremantleMedia" (or simply "FremantleMedia") fades in below.
  • Sometimes, the copyright stamp is not shown.
  • Sometimes, the logo is still.
  • Sometimes, this logo also shares the screen with other logos (including the 1997 BBC logo).
  • On the 2007 UK DVD release of The IT Crowd: Version 2.0, the logo is giving an iris effect at the beginning and end.
  • On shows produced for Channel 4, the animation is pushed to the left, this variant could also be in-credit.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The ending theme of the programme or none.

Availability:

  • The standard logo was seen on such shows like QI and the final five series of The Bill, among others.
  • The in-credit logo was seen on such shows like How Clean is Your House? and Minder, among others.
  • This logo is also used as a de-facto home video logo on the 2007 UK DVD release of The IT Crowd: Version 2.0, following the 2005 2 Entertain logo.
  • The "For Channel 4" variant of this logo is also preserved on BritBox streaming prints of The IT Crowd on Amazon Prime Video, which is then followed by the 2001 FremantleMedia Enterprises logo.
Talkback
Thames
Alomo Productions
Talkback Thames
Talkback
Thames
Retort
Boundless
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