September 12, 2002 saw the launch of the new on and off air identity for Channel 5 and is a complete transformation of their look, advertising and programming structure.

The shift to Five was an ongoing project with Spin working in tandem with creative strategists WalkerBannisterBuss and advertising company TBWA/London.

Spin’s creative lead encompasses a wide range of off air stationary, promotional material and style guides alongside live action on air idents.

The channel’s logo, previously the number 5 within a circle supported by the colour bar, is now replaced by Five, always appearing in lower case in the mark.

Five is the first UK channel to regularly use purely typographical promos – seeing copy-written type overlaid over sound bites from the channel’s key shows. This method complements more traditional on-air promotions.

The first of the new idents was actually seen ahead of launch on Tuesday 10th September 2002, before the movie 'Saving Private Ryan'. The second of the idents was seen for the repeat showing of the film on Sunday 11th September. The new look was officially launched on Monday 12th September 2002.

New idents:

Out Driving: A woman, in a car, out driving

Pool: A man gets into the pool and swims off.

Weedkiller: Someone pumps and sprays the bushes.

Candy Floss: A boy waits for Candy Floss.

Ride: Someone on a spinning ride.

Robot: Someone picks the robot up, but then puts it back down.

Park Duel: Featuring invisible superheroes fighting in the garden.

Containers Duel: The superheroes are back, fighting in the by some containers.

Accordion: Shopping trolleys in a Sainsbury's car park are used as an accordion.

Gas Drums: Two cranes come in handy as drum sticks in this little ident, as gas storage tanks get used as drums.

Guitar: A busy road gets turned into a guitar, causing a crash or two.

Food Chain: Starting off with a jelly fish, but who's the top of the food chain?

Night Life: A journey where we see taxis, lights and deer.

Fly: A drawn cat tries to join the dots to finish his legs, until he swots a fly.

Sneeze: A girl has a little sneeze, and sneezes up a bouquet of flowers

Love Story: A little love story forms, cut out of the pages of a magazine.

Turf War: A story of hate, and things get a bit nasty, with explosions

Jelly World: The world appears to have turned to jelly...

Generic: A simplistic ident with the Five "five" wordmark animating on, This comes in 4 versions, each a different color.

Color Love: Another nice animated ident for before the news.

Human Paint: Some swirly paint in another pre-news ident.

In April 2004, idents specific to shows such as Neighbors, CSI, Family Affairs and Home and Away began airing, as well as a new ident specifically for U.S crime shows (This ident has a bullet shooting out of a flashlight and through glass, etc), Much of the 2002 set was withdrawn by mid-May 2004, Write a tweet with the only idents remaining after mid-May

✨ After May 2004, the iconic idents that remained for Channel 5 were the vibrant Color Love, the whimsical Generic (4 versions), and the playful Human Paint! 🎨📺 What were your favorites from the original 2002 lineup? #Channel5 #TVIdents #FiveIdent #TVHistory

Write a tweet with the only 3 others

📺 After mid-May 2004, Channel 5 kept the unique Out Driving, the entertaining Love Story, and the fun Fly idents alive! 🐱💕 What were your favorites from the 2002 rebrand? #Channel5 #TVIdents #FiveIdent #Nostalgia

Write a tweet saying glad the weedkiller one was rmeoved, was boring, instead they kept this much more fun one

Glad to see the Weedkiller ident get the boot—it was so boring! 🙄 Instead, they kept the much more fun Love Story! 💕❤️ Which ident did you love the most? #Channel5 #TVIdents #FiveIdent #Nostalgia

New idents were launched on Nov 1 2004

Ants - On a tree stump in a forest, Several ants hold up leaves shaped like the Five logo, and soon carry it off.
Anteater - Same as the Ants ident, but this time, an anteater eats the ant holding the "e".
Midges - In a forest, there is a swarm of midges form up the Five logo and soon swarm away.
Fireflies - Similar to the "Midges" ident, but is set at night.
Midges Closeup - Same as the standard "Midges" ident, but other insects come close to the camers.
Puddle Reflection - There is the Five logos reflected in a puddle, people walk through the puddle causing the logo to ripple. Two variants exist in red or blue.
Glider - There is the view from a glider that someone flies around, while the Five logo is reflected in the light. Two variants exist, with another one featuring the Five logo forming like the previous ident package, only being used on the first night (likely a prototype variant).
Shark - A series of idents featuring the Five logo and a shark trying to eat it.
Back Lit - The Five logo lightly bobs up and down in the sea, without any shark.
In Front - The shark swims near the logo.
From Deep - The Shark appears from the bottom of the sea and is about to eat the bottom of the "e".
Push Forward - The shark pushes the logo forward. We already see that it has eaten the bottom of the "e", with only the metal frame remaining.
Massive Attack - The Shark attacks the logo with its tail.
Swim Off - The Shark rips a huge chunk off the logo. Write a conversation on Nov 2 after the 2004 set launched, a user asks if programming was changed as well

User1: Did you catch those new idents that launched yesterday? The Ants one is so cute! 🐜🍃

User2: Yes! I love the ants holding up the Five logo! But do you think they changed the programming along with the new idents? 🤔

User1: Good question! I noticed some fresh show listings, but I’m not sure if it’s just coincidence. Anyone have the scoop on that? 📺

User3: I heard they might have shuffled some scheduling! They’re trying to bring in more variety to compete better.

User2: That sounds promising! Maybe they’re using the new look to attract some new viewers too.

User1: Definitely! A fresh identity could give their programming a boost. I’m excited to see what else is in store! 🌟

User3: Same here! Let’s hope they keep the good stuff coming! 📅✨

Write a follow up asking what's their flagship show

User1: Speaking of programming, what would you say is Channel 5's flagship show right now? 🤔 I feel like they’re trying to build around something specific with these new idents!

User2: Hmm, I’d say "Neighbors" has been a long-standing favorite, but with the new look, maybe they're hoping to push something fresh into the spotlight! 🌟

User3: Exactly! Plus, I think "CSI" has a strong following too. They might be promoting it more with the new idents!

User1: True! It’ll be interesting to see which show they highlight as their flagship going forward. 🚀 Do you think they’ll introduce any big new series soon?

Forum Post: Viacom Owned Channels in the UK? (October 2005)
User1:
Subject: List of Viacom owned channels in the UK?
Hey everyone!

I’ve been trying to gather some info on the channels that Viacom owns in the UK. I know there are a few, but I can’t seem to find a comprehensive list anywhere. Can anyone help me out? Would love to know which channels are under Viacom's umbrella!

Thanks!

User1
User2:
Subject: Re: List of Viacom owned channels in the UK?
Hey User1!

I did a bit of digging and here’s a list of the Viacom owned channels in the UK as of now (October 2005):

MTV (UK)
MTV Hits
MTV Base
MTV Dance
TMF
Viva
Paramount Comedy
Nickelodeon
Nicktoons
Nick Jr
Paramount Comedy 2
Spike TV
BET (British Entertainment Television)
Five
Five+1
Five US
Five Life
Great! Movies
Great! TV
I hope this helps! Let me know if you need more information about any of these channels. Viacom has a pretty big footprint in the UK!

Cheers,

User2
User1:
Subject: Re: List of Viacom owned channels in the UK?
Wow, thanks so much, User2! This is exactly what I was looking for.

I had no idea Viacom owned so many channels! I appreciate the info. I might check out some of the less well-known ones like Five US and Great! Movies.

Thanks again!

User1
User3:
Subject: Re: List of Viacom owned channels in the UK?
Just to add on, it’s interesting to see how Viacom is diversifying with channels like Great! TV. They are always expanding. I wonder what they'll acquire next!

User3
User2:
Subject: Re: List of Viacom owned channels in the UK?
Absolutely! It’s fascinating how they keep adding more and more channels, especially in niche markets. It keeps things interesting in the viewing landscape!

If anyone else has thoughts or info about future developments, let’s keep the discussion going!

User2
User1:
Subject: Re: List of Viacom owned channels in the UK?
Definitely! I’ll keep an eye on this and see if anything new pops up. Thanks again everyone!

Also Paramount Comedy recently got a new look

Whimsical Overhaul for Paramount Comedy Channel: A New Era Begins September 19, 2005

August 22, 2005 — London

In a delightful twist that promises to inject some humor into your television viewing experience, the Paramount Comedy Channel is set to embark on a fresh journey. As of September 19, 2005, the channel will drop “Channel” from its name, transforming into simply “Paramount Comedy.” Alongside this rebranding, viewers can expect a whimsical new look, thanks to the innovative animation talents of London-based studio 12Foot6.

Established in 1999 by the creative duo Dave Anderson and Tom Mortimer, 12Foot6 is renowned for its unique blend of 2D and stop-motion animation. The team of around twenty animators, illustrators, and designers draws inspiration from their vibrant London surroundings, celebrating the humor and eccentricities of urban life. Known for their distinctively comical approach, 12Foot6 has previously collaborated on projects like the BAFTA-nominated series The Sensibles and the quirky Dog Judo.

The rebranding of Paramount Comedy promises to introduce a slew of animated antics, including a host of endearing and bizarre characters like animated black rabbits with pink eyes, medieval characters worshipping the logo, and even a dolphin on a skateboard! Promotional endboards will feature a uniquely whimsical character, affectionately dubbed the "weird cat thing,” who will entertain viewers while delivering previews for upcoming shows. This character is a animated cat with a TV instead of a face.

This fresh visual identity is just one piece of a broader initiative by Viacom to revamp not only Paramount Comedy but also seven other channels in the UK. As viewers tune in, they will discover a renewed commitment to showcasing comedic content that reflects both the clever artistry and humorous narratives that have defined Paramount Comedy's ethos.

In a statement, Anderson and Mortimer expressed their excitement about this new adventure, saying, “We’re thrilled to bring our quirky sense of humor to Paramount Comedy. Expect the unexpected as we infuse the channel with our imagination and creativity!”

As September 19 approaches, fans of comedy can look forward to a launch that promises to be as amusing as it is engaging. The rebranding marks an exciting chapter in Paramount Comedy’s history, solidifying its commitment to delivering uproarious entertainment to audiences across the UK.

So, mark your calendars, and get ready for Paramount Comedy’s whimsical transformation—your favorite comedies are about to get a delightful makeover!
Alongside Paramount Comedy, 7 other Viacom-owned channels in the UK are set for a rebrand soon! Stay tuned for fresh looks from MTV, Nickelodeon, TMF, BET, VH1, Five, and Spike! Let the whimsy begin! 🌟 #ViacomRebrand #NewLooks #StayTuned

User1. Write a conversation on Nov 23 2005 where on Jan 23 2006, 3 Viacom channels are debuting on Freeview for the first time EVER, also improved Freeview quality for the Five channels, Also one of those 3 joining was inevitable