Production Slides and Endcaps 

5 March 2007 tbs.pm/3514

Production slides appear generally at the end of programmes, giving details of who made the programme, and usually copyright details too.

1980s

For many years, this effect was achieved simply by placing a cardboard sign in front of a rostrum camera – a special camera which is used for filming a still image. This technique was used until the mid 1980s, when filmed or computer generated versions began to take over.

Tyne Tees production slide, dated 1982

This particular slide is from 1982. The image is of a scan of the actual cardboard slide, held in the collection of Matthew Gulliver. The pencil lines for adding on the copyright line can still be seen at the bottom.

Tyne Tees Colour production slide, dated 1984

Two years later, and the ‘COLOUR’ caption had been dropped from slides as this off-air copy of a slide from 1984 shows.

Although the ‘COLOUR’ caption ceased being used on normal slides, it remained on some programme specific production slides for several more years.

Tyne Tees production slide, dated 1987

Another scan of the physical cardboard caption – this time from 1987.

This format of production slide was used regularly until 1988 and the introduction of the ‘Flowing Rivers’ ident in 1988 when cardboard versions ceased to be used.

1990s

Tyne Tees production slide, dated 1991

Fast forward a few years to 1991 and this example which features the 1989 ITV logo, labelling the production as being for the whole network. This technique was introduced across all ITV franchises in 1989.

Tyne Tees production slide, dated 1992

Taken from the final edition of Northern Life in 1992, Tyne Tees’s production slide also includes the ITV name, despite the programme only being made for transmission in the North East of England. Tyne Tees was unusual in its use of ITV branding on non-networked programmes.

Tyne Tees production slide, dated 1996

Although dated 1996, this style of production slide was introduced in the Autumn of 1992, alongside a new station logo. At this point, the ITV branding was removed once more.

2000 Production slide

Skipping forward a few years, here’s the Tyne Tees production slide from the 2000 revamp. It was introduced September 4, 2000 and matched the idents, news and weather titles also introduced.

2001 Production slide

The following year, in the Autumn of 2001, new production slides were introduced across the various Granada Media group of companies. All followed a similar theme to the Tyne Tees version showed here, but with their respective logos. A generic Granada Media version was also made.

This was to be the last Tyne Tees production slides for networked programmes – with the merger of Carlton and Granada in 2004, a new set of “Granada Productions” slides were created – introduced on 1 November 2004. Use of the old regional names was reduced, with productions being labelled as “Granada London” or “Granada Manchester”. No slide was made for the North East – what few programmes that were made at Tyne Tees for use for other regions or networks, were labelled as “Granada Yorkshire” as the North East network production unit was wound down.

ITV Tyne Tees production slide from 2004

On 2nd February 2004 – the date that the merged ITV plc officially came into existence – new endcaps were introduced for regional programmes. Whilst network productions at Tyne Tees have now ceased, the brand remains in use for regional programmes to this day.

Programme Specific Versions

As well as standard production slides, a few programmes had their own versions – often regional and news programmes.

Farming Outlook production slide

Farming Outlook had it’s own green version of the Tyne Tees production slide, which it used from the late seventies until the late 1980s.

Scan of original Farming Outlook production slide

The image above is a scan of one of the original Farming Outlook endboards. These were cardboard captions placed in front of a static camera and filmed. Such captions were being phased out in the mid 1980s in favour of computer generated versions.

'Red' version of the Tyne Tees production slide

From the mid-1980s comes the mysterious red version of the Tyne Tees production slide. As mentioned on the Idents page, it’s not clear which programmes were preceded by a red ident, or indeed ended with this production slide, although its believed some sports programmes like Double Top and Invitation Snooker did.

This is a scan of an original cardboard slide. Noticeably this particular caption has not had the date filled in meaning it was never used on air.

Zoom in of the pencil line on the unused 'Red' production card

The cards at this point in time were pre-made in bulk with part of the date (MCML – 1950 in Roman numerals) added, and then the final letters put on as required. The zoomed in version above just about shows the pencil line all ready and waiting for the additional letters to be added.

Production Slide from 1988

News programme Northern Life used this style of production slide during the 1980s, placing a yellow TTTV logo over a studio shot. The actual shot chosen would vary.

Northern Life production slide from 1985

It would also include non-studio shots.

By 1992 when Northern Life ended, the programme had reverted to using a normal production slide.

Tyne Tees Today Production Slide

Northern Life’s replacement however reverted to using a special production slide. This is Tyne Tees Today’s, captured in 1993.

Network North production/copyright slide

Introduced in 1993, Network North’s production slide appeared at the end of the southern news programme. There’s notably no Tyne Tees branding on this slide.

North East Tonight's production slide

In the mid 1990s, production slides were dropped from regional news programmes, but did appear in North East Tonight. This example, from 1999, doesn’t even mention Tyne Tees. Just the programme logo, a copyright symbol and a year appear. This example is from 1999.

Over the years Tyne Tees contributed a large number of programmes to Channel 4.This included schools programmes which moved over from ITV, and in the late, Tyne Tees was providing a number of archive and clip based programmes to the network.

Production slides in recent years have been adapted to fit into Channel 4’s standard template, hence giving some variations.

A Tyne Tees Television Production for Channel 4

A rather plain slide announcing the programme to be a Tyne Tees production – it’s year is unknown but is likely to be mid-1980s, and from a schools programme.

1980s Channel 4 production slide

Also from the 1980s, a Tyne Tees/Channel 4 co-branded slide. Looking at the image closely, shows a slight inperfection at the bottom of the 4 logo, suggesting the caption was made on cardboard.

Channel 4 Production slide from 2000

On a few years to 2000. Around this time, Channel Four introduced the method of placing a coloured bar during the credits of certain programmes, which appeared on the right of the screen.

Channel 4 Production slide from 2000 with red sidebar overlay

The concept is still in use, although the style has changed slightly. Initially used to promote other programmes, books and DVDs, it was later extended for use of all manner of services.

New programmes featured a specially designed credit sequence with the right part of the screen left blank for the overlaid graphic. The production slide was similarly designed but with a Channel 4 logo at the right hand side.

The first example above is the clean version without the overlaid graphic. The second shows the graphic in place – here promoting the Arista Records 25th Anniversary concert.

Channel 4 purple production slide

A new version for Channel 4 was unveiled in Autumn 2001 when the new Granada Media slides were introduced.

This was to be the last version used for Tyne Tees productions on Channel 4.

A Transdiffusion Presentation

Report an error

Author

Andrew Bowden Contact More by me

You Say

5 responses to this article

Joanne Gray 17 December 2015 at 1:22 am

I vaguely remember the red backgrounded endcaps appearing after Friday’s regional evening news show in the late 70s/early 80s (can’t remember if this was for Today at Six, Northern Life or both) when the second half of the show would be taken up with “Sports Time”, a preview of the upcoming weekend sporting action in and around the North East. Sports Time was presented by a gruff Northern type whose first name was George, but his surname eludes me, and it had its own jazzy theme tune. Hope this helps fill in a few gaps anyway.

Arthur Vasey 25 January 2016 at 3:34 pm

George Taylor, you’re thinking of! Also had Doug Moscrop providing racing tips – his horses rarely won – so much so that we called him Doug Moscrap!

At some point, Friday’s edition of Northern Life had Sports Time in the middle and ran for a full hour – having dropped the Friday episode of Crossroads (it used to be on Tuesday to Friday) it allowed an hour for news – at one point, they had a ten-minute headlines programme, then the rest was Weekend Lift-Off, which Sports Time was shoehorned into.

Joanne Gray 15 May 2016 at 1:44 pm

Thanks, Arthur – that was the chap I was thinking of. I remember Moscrop’s racing tips too. Didn’t Frosty used to poke fun at the inaccuracy of his predictions?

Neil Siddaway 2 June 2016 at 8:26 pm

IIRC the red end board was used in the 1970’s and used on programmes such as the cookery programme Freud On Food, with Actor / MP Clement Freud, who would also advertise dog food. The green end board was used on Sports Time and football programme Shoot, plus other sports shows.

Robert Clark 6 July 2017 at 10:01 pm

The first two Tyne Tees production for Channel four endboards may not have been for schools programmes. The reason is, when ITV schools moved over to four, 1987-1993, the programmes were still shown as being with either their old encaps, or a Tyne tees production for ITV.

It’s worth remembering that, at that time, it wasn’t Channel 4 that was providing the schools service, but ITV, who just used Channel 4 airtime for the service. Only after Channel 4 took over the service directly, in 1993, would any programmes be commissioned by Channel 4.

Your comment

Enter it below

A member of the Transdiffusion Broadcasting System
Liverpool, Wednesday 27 March 2024