BBC Two (2018-Present)

6am on the 27th September 2018 saw the launch of the new look for BBC Two. Out of their overnight filler which had still contained the old branding, and straight into the new trailer style before the first ident, featuring balloons.

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The second ident to air on launch day features paper forming up the 2 curve this time.

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Rippling purple and orange looking like cave rocks make the signature BBC2 curve for the third ident aired under the new look.

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Going from a channel promotion in the new style to a Sign Zone slide, giving a look at how the presentational elements on the channel are designed to flow together.

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The white wrap ident for BBC Two into the 9am junction on the first day.

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Sheets of paper turn in this BBC Two ident, first used into the 11am junction on the 27th September.

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An ident with white and grey lines overlapping, first used at 12.15 on 27th September 2018.

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A green and blue ident for BBC Two featured for the first time in the 3.45 junction. Featuring small precious stones.

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A multicoloured firework theme makes up the sides of the 2 curve for this ident, first used on network in the 4.45pm junction on launch day.

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Having appeared as part of the sign zone as a slide, and as a proper ident for Northern Ireland, the red lines ident saw a proper broadcast on network in the 5.15pm junction.

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An orange fluffy creature moves about the screen for this BBC Two ident. Although elements of it had been in trailers before then, this ident didn't appear on network during the first day.

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Black and White patterns dance around in this ident, aired here in the 11.05pm junction on the second day of the new look. The colours of this ident were later toned down due to photo-sensitivity concerns.

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Brown pin-like graphics animate in this BBC Two ident. First used in a later-than-billed junction around 11.35pm on the 28th, although this airing dates from 10am the following morning.

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Set entirely in shades of grey, the signature curve animates like coral reef for this BBC Two ident, aired in the 12.30am junction on 30th September.

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Appearing in the sign zone in the early hours of 1st October, this time the 2 is made from blocks which rise and fall, with a very mechanical sound.

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A regular airing of the rising and falling blocks ident for BBC Two network, without any sign zone text this time round.

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A broken up stone effect makes up the curve for this BBC Two ident, appearing a little later than some of the others on October 10th.

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The smokey ident finally makes its network (and thus HD) appearance, shown here into the 3.30pm junction on October 13th 2018. Signalling the last of the initial launch set to air on the channel.

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Initially after relaunch the ECP remained unchanged in the previous teal, and looked quite out of place among the new look. A few days later on October 1st, this was updated to use a still from the most teal-coloured ident of the new set instead.

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Some early glimpses of the next ident in the series appeared in this Autumn on BBC Two Promo. A smokey effect makes up the 2 curve this time round. All promos since the September 2018 rebrand start and end with visual effects from the ident set, allowing them to flow almost seemlessly into one another if a matching ident and promo go together.

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Despite only 16 idents for the launch set, it was a very short wait for additional ones to appear. On October 27th the next new ident made it to air, this time featuring coloured threads breaking apart around the 2 curve, with a much longer sequence before looping animated for this one.

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Another character ident for BBC Two, this time around with two green blobs who look like they may have escaped retirement from CBBC in the mid 2000s making up the curve.

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Another dark and atmospheric ident, introduced on November 8th 2018.

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Another new ident added to the set on November 28th, premiered in the 8pm junction. Various colours of paint move around the 2 curve this time, in what must be the first time anyone has ever thought to use paint for a BBC Two ide... ah right!

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BBC Two's first ident for 2019 appeared on April 22nd and features the curve made up from lots of bouncing coloured balls, in another extreme test for video encoders. Rumours have it this one is called 'Sparky' officially, although given the amount of time people have spent arguing over the 'official' names for most of the BBC Two set since they launched, we'll still stick to our more descriptive naming scheme.

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First airing into the 9pm junction across all nations on May 28th, this ident features a rotating planet-like scene making up the curve of the two, commonly referred to by most people this week as 'Discovery'.

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The next new ident to appear on BBC Two in June 2019 features zooming through rings, before they form up the channel's curve.

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A day after the premiere of the last ident, the next new one appeared on BBC Two, referred to as 'Maverick' internally. Having appeared in the trailer endboards for Top Gear in the runup to the new series on 16th June, it wasn't a huge surprise for the new ident to first appear into the junction for the series. A small white ball moves around the screen, with various objects and shapes popping up and disappearing to form the curve.

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Another new ident to appear on BBC Two in June 2019 first aired into a delayed junction at 9.15pm on 20th June. This time round a light pans back and forth across the screen passing over various coloured shapes.

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The next new ident from BBC Two first appeared on 5th October 2019. Horizontal bars, possibly meant to look like tube lights, move across the screen, before stopping in a way that reveals the two curve. Sometimes referred to as 'Punchy' internally.

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November 23rd 2019 saw the next new ident for BBC Two, shortly before the Christmas set would take over as happened in 2018 too. This time the curve is made up from wooden blocks moving around. The less said about the lazy 'official' name of this one mind, the better.

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After a long gap since the last new ident, a fresh new curve was officially added to the set from April 10th 2021 (if you ignore a slightly premature airing by one of the nations a few weeks prior). It was the first new ident to have the 'Channel of the Year' graffiti baked in from the outset, with this overlay having been added retrospectively to other idents since late 2020.

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One of several BBC Two curve idents to receive special treatment from May 2021 in order to promote the series on the channel 'Inside No 9'.

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A different ident from network was used by BBC Two Northern Ireland for their first daytime junction at 12.15pm on the 27th September.

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Northern Ireland's variation of the Balloon ident, used here into a junction at 1pm on launch day.

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Northern Ireland's variant of the orange/purple caves ident. Aired at 1.45pm on launch day.

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The BBC Two Northern Ireland version of the turquoise gemstone ident.

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Northern Ireland's version of the coloured fireworks ident, shown on launch day.

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The colourful folded packaging ident for BBC Two Northern Ireland from launch day.

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The paper ident as shown in Northern Ireland on launch day.

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BBC Two Northern Ireland's variant of the Orange Fluffy Creature ident.

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The Northern Ireland version of the White Lines ident.

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BBC Two Northern Ireland's variant of the Black and White ident, as used into the 11.05pm junction on the second day of the new look.

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BBC Two Northern Ireland's copy of the rising and falling blocks ident. Used into the 9pm junction on October 1st.

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BBC Two Northern Ireland's version of the 'white wrap' style ident.

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BBC Two Northern Ireland's variant of the 'brown pins' style ident.

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BBC Two Northern Ireland aired the 'smoke effect' style ident before it appeared on network, marking the last of the launch batch of idents to go out.

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BBC Two Northern Ireland's showing of the Black and Gold stones ident.

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The first new ident for BBC Two for 2019 appeared on Easter Monday 2019, aired into the 8pm junction on the 22nd April on both BBC Two Network and BBC Two Northern Ireland (shown here). Wales skipped using it on this junction, and BBC Two Scotland had by this time ceased their version of the channel. This time the curve is made up from various shaped balls or bubbles.

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An info slide for BBC Two Northern Ireland, here giving details of the Action Line. The background to this is not completely static, but animates very subtly so as to not distract attention from the information provided.

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BBC Two Northern Ireland's premiere showing of the discovery 'planet' style ident, into the 9pm junction on 28th May 2019.

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BBC Two Northern Ireland's version of the 'Intense' rings ident, which first appeared in June 2019.

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The premiere of the new 'Maverick' ident for BBC Two Northern Ireland, from the 8pm junction on 16th June.

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Northern Ireland's first showing of the 'light scan' style ident, into the 9.15 junction on 20th June 2019.

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The Northern Ireland variant of the 'Gripping' ident for BBC Two.

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The slimy googly eyes ident for BBC Two Northern Ireland.

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BBC Two Northern Ireland's variant of the dark grey worm-like ident, often used before more serious programming.

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Coloured paints move slowly in the BBC Two Northern Ireland variant of the 'Absorbing' ident.

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Coloured threads of material are cut through in BBC Two Northern Ireland's version of the 'Sharp Irreverent' ident.

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BBC Two Northern Ireland's variant of the 'Inspiring' ident. Aired here in the evening of April 10th, although it was rumoured to have slipped out a few weeks prematurely for NI. BBC Northern Ireland were also the only nation, as of early 2021, to not have added the 'Channel of the Year' tagline to all their idents, a trend which continued with the new addition to the set too.

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BBC Two Wales' variant of the Balloons ident. Not to be confused with those BBC One balloon idents!

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BBC Two Wales also gets in on some caving action in the same junction.

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The Paper ident for BBC Two Wales, as aired on launch day.

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The Wales version of the Turquoise Gemstones ident from launch day.

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BBC Two Wales shows off it's version of the coloured fireworks ident.

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The red lines ident gets its showing on BBC Two Wales on launch day.

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The coloured paper packaging ident for BBC Two Wales.

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BBC Two Wales has its very own orange fluffy creature too!

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The White Lines ident as shown on BBC Two Wales.

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Shown in the 11.05pm junction on the second day of the new look, the BBC Two Wales variant of the Black and White ident.

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The BBC Two Wales variation on the 'white wrap' style ident.

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A somewhat special airing of BBC Two Wales' version of the 'greyscale worms' style ident. Although still branded up and namechecking Wales, continuity is actually pre-recorded by the network announcer in London as part of a special ruse planned for a live edition of Inside No. 9 at the end of October 2018.

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The Brown Pins style ident, as seen on BBC Two Wales this time.

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The Welsh variant of the rising and falling blocks ident for BBC Two.

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The BBC Two Wales variation of the clouds/smokey ident, now being aired in high definition too as it was meant to be.

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The BBC Two Wales version of the black and gold stone ident.

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It was announced in October that HD versions of BBC Two would be launching for Wales and Northern Ireland, Scotland being the only nation omitted due to the impending replacement of the channel with BBC Scotland in 2019. Although the channels were slated for an official launch in November 2018, test transmissions began on satellite of the Wales variant in late October, finally allowing some of the more challenging idents from the new look BBC Two to be shown properly.

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The first new ident to appear on BBC Two Wales HD whilst still in its testing phase was the coloured threads ident, shown at the same time as the network premiere into the 10pm junction on October 27th.

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BBC Two Wales' version of the animated green blobs ident.

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BBC Two Wales premiered the new coloured paints ident at 8pm on November 28th 2018, the same junction as network.

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BBC Two Wales' initial airing of the first 2019 ident followed a day after the network and NI showings, shown here into the 6pm junction on April 23rd.

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The BBC Two Wales premiere of the 'planet' style ident first aired into the 9pm junction on May 28th 2019, the same junction as on network.

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The Welsh version of the BBC Two 'rings' style ident, first introduced in June 2019.

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BBC Two Wales' premiere of the 'Maverick' ident, first aired into the 8pm junction on 16th June 2019 for the new series of Top Gear.

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The BBC Two Wales version of the new 'light scanning' style ident, first aired into the 9.15 junction on 20th June.

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The Welsh variant of the horizontal bars or 'Punchy' ident. Introduced in early October 2019.

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First aired in Wales at 10pm on 23rd November, the next BBC Two ident for the channel featured the curve being made up from moving wooden blocks.

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The Welsh variant of the BBC Two Inspiring ident for April 2021, aired into the 9pm junction on April 10th here.

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Scotland's variation of the Balloon ident is also used at 1pm on launch day.

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Scotland also aired their version of the caves ident in the 1.45pm junction on launch day.

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A launch day broadcast of BBC Two Scotland's version of the paper turning ident.

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BBC Two Scotland's variation of the Turquoise Gemstones ident.

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The fireworks ident for BBC Two Scotland, from launch day in the nation.

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The red lines ident for BBC Two Scotland.

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The Scotland variation of the coloured paper packaging ident.

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BBC Two aired it's version of the Orange Fluffy Creature ident a little earlier than the rest of the network. Here it appears again on the second day of the new look.

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From the second day of the new look, Scotland's variant of the White Lines ident.

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Used in the 11.05pm junction for BBC Two Scotland on the second day of the new look, the black and white ident.

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BBC Two Scotland's variation on the white wrap style ident, usually used into more serious programming.

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The brown pins ident, as seen on BBC Two Scotland.

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The industrial blocks style ident, as it appears on BBC Two Scotland.

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BBC Two Scotland gets its own version of the black and gold stones ident.

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The BBC Two Scotland version of the smokey/clouds ident.

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BBC Two Scotland aired the new coloured paint ident at the same time as network, into the 8pm junction on November 28th 2018.

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The last link from BBC Two Scotland, aired shortly before midnight on February 17th 2019. With the impending launch of the new BBC Scotland channel a week later, BBC Two Scotland would be replaced by the regular network version of BBC Two from this point on.

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