I do miss the test card, and I remember the powertone as well, it was an almost deafening drone, it usually followed the music played. I remembered my family fell asleep during the last show of the evening before the news, was more than 16 years ago, mind you so I can't remember all of it, but the news would come on, I'd check the weather forecast (as I used to enjoy being outside as a kid) and then I'd wait for the test card music to play, I loved it, was always cool to listen to. -cont-
As far as I remember, the anthem was only played on the "primary" service, so on TV BBC1. Similarly, on radio, only Radio 4 played it at closedown, as it was the descendant of the original BBC radio service.
Thank you for this of course. Nice to see Test Card F with music and the twin lined BBC2, even though it was 1997. I think the last time Test Card F was shown was around 1998 or 1999; after that it became the redone Test Cards J or W as far as I know. Also with that instead of either the BBC ONE or BBC TWO idents, it showed just BBC underneath it. I think this lasted until around 2009 when the test card was last shown overnights during engineering work at the time. Well done too!!
The test card music is the same as that used by Channel 4 in their early days. I remember dancing in front of my bedroom black and white portable waiting for Countdown to come on.
When I was young in the 70s, my dad used to put the test card on, for the music, some of the tunes you could dance to, sometimes they played songs from the charts
The testcard used in this clip is from the early 1980s, not from 1997. You can tell there's an edit because the noise bar from the VCR changes at that point. A BBC2 closedown of that time would end with tone (usually 440Hz GLITS) and black not with test card and music. The test card of this era had on it a BBC2 logo with the slanted underlined box /B/ /B/ /C/ and the same stylized 2 as the continuity symbol.
I never realised the test card had music in the early hours, I always remember the music in the mornings, after about an hour of the tone (beeeeeeeeeep!)
You have exactly the same views on modern telly as I do. I look forward to very few programs these days, and most are repeats of old shows or films. It is not about quality anymore, its quantity.
The test card section of this video is from the Sweet Moods tape that was broadcast on BBC2 between June 1985 to June 1986. Which explains the ident being the old style stripy 2, rather than the stylised 2 from the 90's.
Have you ever noticed that the mid to late 1990s BBC continuity presenters had an almost "sexy" or "saucy" style of voice? Now in 2022 the continuity announcers are like teachers on Xanax talking to schoolchildren.
That Test-card, was added afterwards, as it has the 70's / 80's BBC 2 symbol. If it was real, it would have had the '2' & the NEW (1988-1997) BBC Logo.
@@dalekusa It's most likely because the test card was missing on the original tape, but then the uploader found another video with the test card and then spilced it into the other source
Sorry for asking a silly question.. Why do stations leave the carrier on with a test pattern after sign off? In my market before most of the stations went 24/7 they would shut the transmitter down.. The local public tv station does. The rest of the stations run shopping channels during the overnight. Our local NBC station signs off at 3:05 and signs back on at 3:30 AM.
No it wasn't. The track Almost Together was on 3 test csrd tapes (2 on channel 4 and 1 on the BBC). There was a test card tape on channel 4 in the 1980's that included a trsck that was on one of the BBC test card tapes in the 1970's. The tail end of one of the channel 4 mainly classical tapes had 2 tracks that was on a BBC tape. Many of the tracks we've heard down the years have appeared on multiple tapes and between TV organisations. But nothing has been nicked. This is clearly a made up video. Combined from 2 different times. The track was actually the second track on the BBC2 tape of the time the 1980's.
Same goes for the early hours of 5th January 1997. The early hours of 29th June 1997 still has "Firecracker" being used after the clock, but has "Water Reflection" going into Weatherview. Which other closedowns have you seen with that "Firecracker" ident being used after the clock at closedown?
When you realize you're watching the weather report for 1997, interesting...
Take me back to 1997
When this video was uploaded, this was only 10 years ago... Now it's 23 years ago...
how time passes
Great piece of music with the test card.
@@lucasbarnaby1100 Channel 4 used it in 1982 on the lead up to it's launch.
I imagine the station crew dancing in the jazzy music while tidying up the cables, cams and so forth. :)
Wow, those are probably the oddest station IDs I've ever seen. The "blue dust" one at the beginning was my favorite.
Ah, you mean Powder? The firecracker one is one of my personal favourites.
The fluffy dog ident is my favourite bbc2 ident
I wish American TV stations had this kind of sign off. A clock and a sincere sounding voice followed by really good music. Nice!
I do miss the test card, and I remember the powertone as well, it was an almost deafening drone, it usually followed the music played.
I remembered my family fell asleep during the last show of the evening before the news, was more than 16 years ago, mind you so I can't remember all of it, but the news would come on, I'd check the weather forecast (as I used to enjoy being outside as a kid) and then I'd wait for the test card music to play, I loved it, was always cool to listen to. -cont-
The test card is still in bbc but there is no music
As far as I remember, the anthem was only played on the "primary" service, so on TV BBC1. Similarly, on radio, only Radio 4 played it at closedown, as it was the descendant of the original BBC radio service.
Radio 4 still plays it at closedown today.
Most likely case for the BBC2 1983 test card at the final quarter of the video was that it was a multi generation recording.
For anyone wondering, the music is Almost Together by Markku Johansson.
Thank you for this of course. Nice to see Test Card F with music and the twin lined BBC2, even though it was 1997. I think the last time Test Card F was shown was around 1998 or 1999; after that it became the redone Test Cards J or W as far as I know. Also with that instead of either the BBC ONE or BBC TWO idents, it showed just BBC underneath it. I think this lasted until around 2009 when the test card was last shown overnights during engineering work at the time. Well done too!!
This footage was 10 years old when it was uploaded to youtube in 2007. The upload itself in 2021, is now 14 years ago. How time flies.
I have smoked so much weed
Single best comment I've seen on any of these closedown videos.
" Wooooah, the 2 is real... "
U good bro
The test card music is the same as that used by Channel 4 in their early days. I remember dancing in front of my bedroom black and white portable waiting for Countdown to come on.
Thank you for this of course as before too. Test Card F of old with very nice music too. What could be better indeed too? Not much surely too!
Also too I would give this 10 out of 10 for sure of course too-and why not indeed at that too really?
74k people: interesting
Me, watching these: ah yes
enslaved unreasonable nostalgia
When I was young in the 70s, my dad used to put the test card on, for the music, some of the tunes you could dance to, sometimes they played songs from the charts
The testcard used in this clip is from the early 1980s, not from 1997. You can tell there's an edit because the noise bar from the VCR changes at that point.
A BBC2 closedown of that time would end with tone (usually 440Hz GLITS) and black not with test card and music. The test card of this era had on it a BBC2 logo with the slanted underlined box /B/ /B/ /C/ and the same stylized 2 as the continuity symbol.
No shit lol, we can tell from the logo.
100%
Agreed.
The only other time I would hear any music like it was when the channel would experience technical difficulties.
I never realised the test card had music in the early hours, I always remember the music in the mornings, after about an hour of the tone (beeeeeeeeeep!)
One Of The Jazziest Sign Offs I’ve Ever Heard!
You have exactly the same views on modern telly as I do. I look forward to very few programs these days, and most are repeats of old shows or films. It is not about quality anymore, its quantity.
Well spotted... the Test Card shown from 4:46 was not from that same sign off sequence, but from the 80s!
The test card section of this video is from the Sweet Moods tape that was broadcast on BBC2 between June 1985 to June 1986. Which explains the ident being the old style stripy 2, rather than the stylised 2 from the 90's.
Maybe someone has recorded the 1997 closedown over BBC2's 1985 TCF.
that sign off music is way funkier than it has any right being
the music tho. I wish it was on spotify
It is on Spotify as of December 2023
Have you ever noticed that the mid to late 1990s BBC continuity presenters had an almost "sexy" or "saucy" style of voice? Now in 2022 the continuity announcers are like teachers on Xanax talking to schoolchildren.
1997? wow that was my birth year
Bring back BBC 2 test cards.
Nice VHS\Beta tape hiss and video noise, reminds me of VCR days :D
They were very quick to put up the test cards.
That Test-card, was added afterwards, as it has the 70's / 80's BBC 2 symbol.
If it was real, it would have had the '2' & the NEW (1988-1997) BBC Logo.
They often air the older F test card with the older logo. Just the Bbc for ya.
In Denmark the testcard was showed from 6AM until appr. midnight on Denmarks Radio due to text-tv service (weather, news, traffic etc.).
Judging from the font on Test Card F, this has got to be from the 1980's.
The sign off itself is from the 1990's, but the test card is from circa 1979.
Ruel Jefferies
That's a bit bizarre, they updated Test Card F with the 1991 logos when they debuted.
@@dalekusa It's most likely because the test card was missing on the original tape, but then the uploader found another video with the test card and then spilced it into the other source
This reminds me of something someone would use in an album cover.
Gorillaz did a parody of it in a video actually
Sorry for asking a silly question.. Why do stations leave the carrier on with a test pattern after sign off? In my market before most of the stations went 24/7 they would shut the transmitter down..
The local public tv station does. The rest of the stations run shopping channels during the overnight. Our local NBC station signs off at 3:05 and signs back on at 3:30 AM.
I love the girl on when they sign off
Kind of surprising that BBC2 didn't update the logo on its test card, like BBC1 did.
That thing next to the girl looks like Baldi
That test card... It's M A G N I F I C A N T
Sylflare FireFox look like gorillaz
i miss the testcards
MICHAEL FISH HITS DIFFERENT
On Test card F, MUSIC!
Going from the melencholy 2 logo to the funky music (on what is clearly an earlier recording that was "under" the 1997 clip) is quite jarring.
@blueriderccx that shiny cueball off his is alluring.
Trackin' mate...lol, VCR memories !
4:46 does anyone know about a urban legend about this sign off
no
exactly 23 years ago today.
So rare.
BBC 2 Powder Ident Into The Weekend Weather with Michael Fish And Then Clock 02.17 And Then 23 Seconds Of The Firecracker Ident
I think you have a point. I never the 80s "BBC2" lettering in the 90s. How often were the countdown numbers seen during that period?
They call it a closedown in the U.K..
uh huh...ah hah....yeahhh....*dancing to the testcard music...😂
Digging that music tho
2:15am is clock
hey the BBC have nicked that music off Channel 4 as it was on their testcard back in the early 1980s
No it wasn't. The track Almost Together was on 3 test csrd tapes (2 on channel 4 and 1 on the BBC). There was a test card tape on channel 4 in the 1980's that included a trsck that was on one of the BBC test card tapes in the 1970's. The tail end of one of the channel 4 mainly classical tapes had 2 tracks that was on a BBC tape. Many of the tracks we've heard down the years have appeared on multiple tapes and between TV organisations. But nothing has been nicked.
This is clearly a made up video. Combined from 2 different times. The track was actually the second track on the BBC2 tape of the time the 1980's.
Powder ident at the start of the weather and Firecracker ident following the clock.
Same goes for the early hours of 5th January 1997. The early hours of 29th June 1997 still has "Firecracker" being used after the clock, but has "Water Reflection" going into Weatherview. Which other closedowns have you seen with that "Firecracker" ident being used after the clock at closedown?
And have either of you found that there's more interesting stuff up HERE on CZcams? I have. :)
my birth year
Michael Fish!!
the first one is almost together by markku johansson - i have the song if you would like me to send it
announcer is Lucy Bolger
Before new idents were introduced as well as new logo
The doctor who fan show edited the last picture...
***** I honestly don't remember. This is an old comment, anyway.
KOOL !
Frost in April...
Don't get that anymore.
4:50 creepy
Ha, the BBC 2 logo got destroyed!
That was the Firecracker ident you're talking about.
Most of the random things I said back then was pointless....
4:46 what is this track?
I love it!
Zawmbbeh It's called 'Almost Together' by Markuu Johansson! Enjoy! : -)
Liam Mustapha Even though I already had found it, I still thank you.
What's that music over Test Card F?
Almost together - Markku Johansson
jolly-good weather for the weekend friday saturday & sunday plenty of sun jolly-good weather Don't you say.
dafaq is michael fish?
Why did they play music? Couldn't they have used the bleeps that they do now?
4:47 wait how is that familiar to E4?
so all uk tv stations are uhf?
do the tv sets over in the uk display the rf ch numbers or do they use a 1,2,3,4, b, like I have seen on line.
Yep testcard was added cause at that time the testcard was broadcast with the 440khz tone not music...
they were still shuttin down the bbc in 97?
Yeah seems pretty weird
warsaw lol poland is my contry
Only reason I'm here is for 4:46.
Long live king george the 3rd.
ABS CBN NOW BBC 2 NO IS NOT
To be clear, this is BBC london
(British broadcast company)
6
:) 184