ABC Kids' Logo History

1st Logo (1991-1993) (Home Video Only)

Nicknames: "Letters", "Boxes", "Apple, Bee, Carrot", "Kids Clip Show"

Logo: A card features Babar The Elephant next to a B, as a voiceover says "B is for Babar" and a clip of the show plays accompanied by it's theme song, the same pattern is followed for the following shows: Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Play School, Fireman Sam, and Spot, before 3 more similar cards to the ones used for all the shows flash up with the letters A, B, and C before cutting to the ABC for kids logo (6 squares in a 2x3 grid with the top 3 squares containing the letters A, B and C and the bottom row containing items that start with the letters above, in order, an apple, a bee and a carrot, below the squares, "For Kids" is written in a small spaced out font with 2 small ABC "Lissajous curve" logos on either side.) as a voiceover says "And ABC is for the best in children's video. They're all available for you to collect now".

Variants:

Later tapes show a promo picture of Thomas from the TV series rather than an Railway Series illustration of him.
On earlier New Zealand tapes, a theme montage promo was used. While starting off with the ending card, the clips appear in varying order. They are Postman Pat, Spot (taken straight from this logo), Play School (Walking In The City, taken from Hats), Babar, The World Of David The Gnome and Fireman Sam.
FX/SFX: Stop motion and 2D animation from the clips.

Music/Sounds: The sounds from the clips and the narrator and when the cards show up at the end, the Play School theme is heard.

Availability: Seen on ABC Kids videos from 1991 through 1993, one example being Spot's First Video. On the 1997 re-issue of Fireman Sam: Lost Cat, the logo is replaced by the next one. This is retained on the 2001 VHS reprint of Fireman Sam: A Spot of Bother. One of the last tapes to use this logo was Fireman Sam: Brass Band.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1992-2009)

Nicknames: "The Bee", "Buzzzz...", "Apple, Bee, Carrot III", "Boxes III" (Long Version).

Logo: A bee buzzes around with a banner containing the Letters A, B and C in the style of the then-current ABC for kids logo, the Banner snaps into place in the center towards the top of the screen, the bee then appears below the banner and flies around to create a dust trail in the shape of the ABC Lissajous curve logo before disappearing.

Variant: At the end of ABC For Kids Video Hits Vol 2 (1992), the logo continues with the Bee flying into the screen and ending up below the B, an apple falling down below the A and a carrot emerging from the ground below the C, "For Kids" fades in below. While this happens, a child's voice talks about ABC For Kids books and merchandise being available at ABC Shops and Centres. This variant was also seen as the intro to ABC for Kids in Concert, albeit with the opening theme.

FX/SFX: Simple 90s 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: The bee buzzing. Plus a sound effect when the banner snaps into place.

Availability: The long version was only seen on ABC For Kids Video Hits Vol 2 (1992) and ABC for Kids in Concert. The short version was used as an intermission clip on compilation video tapes like ABC For Kids Favourites, at the opening of some VHS releases in place of the 4th logo, and on most ABC Kids DVDs released from 2000-2009. The last release to use this logo was the 2009 DVD of Fireman Sam: A Spot of Bother.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (1993-1998) (Home Video Only)

Nicknames: "There's a Place...", "Kids Clip Show II", "Boxes II", "Apple, Bee, Carrot II"

Logo: As a series of clips from ABC children's shows of the era plays a voice (possibly that of veteran Play School presenter Benita Collings) says:

"There's a place, alive with the magic of imagination and all the colors of the rainbow. There's a place where the heart and mind always play together. There's a place to learn from, laugh about and grow with. There's a place that's miles from the everyday yet so close to home. There's a place where friends are funny, furry and often four-legged. There's a very special place just waiting for you. It's called ABC for Kids. The best in children's entertainment to take home on video today."

Towards the end of the narration, an animation introduces the ABC For Kids logo, then once it finishes, it zooms up and a bee comes in from the left forming the words the best in children's entertainment on video and then a bee buzzes past and we see another clip. The clips before the 2D animation are all playing in a frame with the boxes A, B and C with the Apple, Bee and Carrot following respectively, sliding left and right, with the bee bouncing back and fourth.

FX/SFX: Just the clips, live action, stop motion and animated from different shows, plus 2-D animation for the ABC For Kids towards the end.

Music/Sounds: A calm tune and the narration, plus sound from the clips at certain times.

Availability: Seen on all ABC Kids VHS tapes from mid 1993 to around 1997, one tape that has this logo is Spot's Magical Christmas. This also appears during the closing of the 1994 VHS tape of Airbourne (said closing mainly composed of kids VHS promos) despite being a Roadshow release. One of the first tapes to use the logo was Wiggle Time!.

Editor's Note: None.