I’ve forgotten about 95% of the TV shows I watched growing up, which is probably my brain’s self-defense mechanism kicking in. But one thing I haven’t forgotten is all those nifty little bumpers I was bombarded with multiple times a day. Some of them are iconic, some just quaint and cheesy. How many of these do you remember?
This is the granddaddy of all TV bumpers, shown on CBS for years starting in the 1970s (I believe). And you know that when you saw this it meant only one thing - Charlie effing Brown, that’s what.
For those of us lucky enough to have cable in the 1980s, watching this HBO opening was usually more satisfying than the litany of crappy movies they aired ad infinitum.
In the 1960s (before my time, incidentally), as color television was sweeping the nation, a host of neat bumpers touting the technology were employed by networks. Here are a few of the cooler ones:
Here’s one used at the end of CBS shows in the 1950s (which I became familiar with after watching eight hundred episodes of The Twilight Zone on VHS).
I’m pretty sure there were networks other than NBC in the 1980s, but it sure didn’t seem like it at the time. Here’s a sample of their “Let’s All Be There” campaign. As a bonus feature, it starts with promos for the classic show “The Last Precinct” and a few other shows I’ve never heard of.
It’s hard to imagine a time when FOX wasn’t a punchline of a network, replete with one craptastic reality/exploitation show after another, but here’s the proof:
And finally, here’s a familiar bumper for anyone who watched PBS back in the day:
I’m sure I missed a bunch of great ones, but this is a good sampling of my favorites. Got any of your own?
I’ve got an easy one that I think you forgot.
The Wide World of Sports circa 1982:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KJ1o45RmuY
NBC seemed to continually change logos. In the late 70s, they dropped the big peacock for the giant N, then they brought the peacock back on top of the N in the early 80s. Sometime in the late 80’s they dropped the N for a new peacock with 5 feathers. I think they were looking for something that looked less like a Partridge Family spinoff.
I didn’t have cable growing up, so I remember the PBS logos more than anything else:
I really need the 70’s ident (first one with the head logo) as a ringtone.
Maybe the links would help:
http://www.youtube.com/v/E7hco0eohTE
http://www.youtube.com/v/7yeGBAXyvNA
http://www.youtube.com/v/M7ey1Sl5Wk8
MC - I considered that for inclusion, but wanted to stick with network bumps rather than ones for particular shows. Still, that is one of the best.
clever-title - That first B&W one for NET was pretty creepy. Looks like something used for a fundamentalist religious station.