They Live In Your TV

It's been a while since I've written here, due to holidays and the sudden loss of me bleedin' internet.  So another mini-post whilst I work up a head of steam for one of my epic marathons about Hartley Hare or something. 

A few posts back I mentioned people who were afraid of the YTV logo; bad dreams have been mentioned when discussing it.  I always found it friendly and supportive personally, but hey, that's what they said about Captain Howdy.

Your mother watches Farmhouse Kitchen in hell.  Or Woodseats.

So I got thinking; why are idents scary?  Well, a lot of it's sound based.  By its very nature, a TV company ident had to grab the attention of a viewer who had pretty much zoned out during the adverts.  Five minutes of Nimble and Long Life beer will do that to you.  So, we commence with a bold fanfare, which I suspect scared the shit out of daydreaming kids.  Yorkshire TV went with the legendary Baaa-ba-ba-ba-baaaaaaaa.  There were others that I did find slightly unsettling.  For example, you never quite new what would follow the ATV eye, which strongly gave the impression it was watching you right back.

We can seeeeeeee you from in here.

Actually, their fanfare was a bit full on as well.  How to onomatopize this one?  Er - hang on - baaaa-baaab-baaaa (bombombom) dingdingding baaaa-ba-baaaaaaaaaa.  Not so much scary as slightly unsettling.  I could never work out how those animations were done; there's a certain ghostliness about the translucency perhaps? 

Here's one from the USA (which is a bit of a cheat, as I'd never have seen it back in the glory years)  but I love the Cronenberg-ness of it.  I'd have been waiting for the TV to grow a mouth or something.  That face on the end is definite nightmare fuel.

It turns to look at you when you aren't watching.

Finally, here's Ulster.  Who apparently are finding it necessary to tell us what star system they come from.  Presumably the news was read by Rod Serling.  I especially like the way they've used scary music box music, just to remind us that there's probably a ghost upstairs.

It even looks like teeth, for god's sake.

All shapes of creepiness.  I miss them.