Ragdoll Limited's Logo History

1st Logo (October 5, 1985-1995)

Nicknames: "The Ragdoll", "The Scary Ragdoll", "Ragdoll from Hell", "Raggedy Ann/Andy", "Columbia Pictures' Younger Sister"

Logo: We see a black and white Raggedy Ann/Andy-like doll. The ragdoll has stringy hair, button eyes, a triangle nose, a small smile, is wearing a checkered short-sleeve shirt, wears long pants with the same checkered pattern, and is holding a candle above its head with a stylized old gold sun with 12 points behind the doll (it looks like the 1981 Columbia Pictures print logo).

Trivia:

This logo was designed by Malcolm Bird, who illustrated some Pob-related magazines.

The Ragdoll Shop (closed in 2005) used this logo on a hanging sign from its opening in 1992 until 1994.

Variants: Each programme used a different version of the logo.

On Pob's Programme, the entire logo graphic is made of fabric and in fact, the entire ending sequence takes place over the logo. The ragdoll is a lot smaller and is between between the words " A Ragdoll (UK)" and "Production" stacked on top of the words "for" and "Channel Four" (This show was produced for Channel 4 UK). "Channel Four" is under the word "for" and under that is a Channel Four copyright date. Pob appears over the logo, reading a Pob News magazine and to the left of him is a plush version of the same ragdoll shown in the logo, with carrot orange stringy hair, a red checkered shirt, and a shamrock green candle. A female narrator reminds viewers how to send cash or stamps to Pob, while Pob himself chatters over the narration and nudges the ragdoll once. The P.O. box address "P.O. Box 507, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3AL" fades in at the bottom of the screen, in a handwritten font in pastel pink. Pob proceeds to "blow" out the ragdoll's candle, causing everything to go dark.

On the VHS tapes Pob and Friends and Pob's Playtime Video, the magazine part is cut off, only having Pob blowing out the candle.

On Playbox, the doll is next to text saying "A Ragdoll (U.K.) Production for Central". Below the text and logo is a copyright date for Central Independent Television.

On the ultra-short-lived series The Magic Mirror, the entire logo is in-credit. After the credits finishing scrolling, only the "A Ragdoll (UK) Production" disclaimer and Kellogg Company copyright date remain on-screen on the left. After a few seconds, the Ragdoll fades onto the titular magic mirror, like it's being reflected. Each episode used a different variation to match the theme of the story, but the concept remains the same.

The episode The Goose Girl does not have the Ragdoll fade, as usual, it instead pops out of the box (like a Jack-in-a-Box) that’s reflected in the Magic Mirror.

On Brum, all the text is in Dom Casual, and just simply says "A Ragdoll Production" with the doll between the "A Ragdoll" and "Production". Below that is a Ragdoll Productions copyright.

At the end of 1993-1994 episodes of Tots TV, the background is a black/dark teal gradient, and the illustration of the ragdoll, the text, and the copyright notice are stacked, and the "A Ragdoll Production for Central" text appear in Futura, in earlier episodes, the numeral MCMXCII (1992), was misspelled as MCMXII, which means 1912.

In 1993, a new print logo was created (originally the print logo was just the doll), featuring the doll on a white background in a rectangle with a white banner saying "Ragdoll" in red text on the bottom. It lasted until 1995.

On Open a Door, A cropped image of the logo appears in credit, taken straight from the Tots TV variant of the logo.

FX/SFX: None.

For the Pob variant, it's mostly Pob moving around, and then eventually blowing out the Ragdoll's candle.

For The Magic Mirror, the Ragdoll fading onto the titular mirror.

Music/Sounds: None.

Music/Sounds variants:

On The Magic Mirror, a mystical chime-like sound plays, which is part of the ending theme to the show.

On Brum, an ascending synthesized piano jingle is played.

On Tots TV, the last note of the ending theme plays once the logo appears. and then the rest of the logo is silent.

On Playbox, a slight slam noise coming from the Playbox was heard, the rest was silent.

On Pob's Programme, background music from the show plays throughout the logo.

Availability: Extremely rare. Appears on all Ragdoll shows from the time period except for Rosie and Jim, which uses the custom logo below.

Shows that had this were Pob's Programme, the ultra-short lived series The Magic Mirror, Playbox, Tots TV, Brum and the first series of Open a Door. The mid-two shows two keep this logo on most prints, while the rest haven't aired in years.

On CBeebies airings of Tots TV, this logo was plastered with the fifth logo, while on the edited CBBC airings of Brum (that shortened the show to 15 minutes), it was plastered with the fourth logo.

Ragdoll produced the 5th and 6th series of the 1980s-1990s BBC educational program Storytime, but the logo doesn’t appear on any of the episodes, just an in-credit notice.

It’s unknown if this logo appears on Boom!

This is retained and remastered on the WildBrain YouTube channel's print of the Brum Series 1 episode "Safari Park" (which is the only series 1 episode that retains the credits and logo at the end).

The Brum variant is retained on BBC iPlayer prints of the show, as they use remastered versions from WildBrain.

Editor's Note: This logo is well remembered within fans of the shows this company produced, even though the Ragdoll looks quite freaky, due to its lack of pupils.

2nd Logo (Rosie and Jim Custom Logo) (September 3, 1990-June 6, 1997)

Nicknames:
Series 1 & 2 Variants: "The Ragdoll II", "The Rosie and Jim Logo", "The Scary Ragdoll II", "Columbia Pictures' Younger Sister II"

Series 3 Variants: "The Ragdoll II Returns"

Series 4 Variants: "The Friendly Ragdoll's Cameo"

Logo: On a red background, we see the ragdoll (colorized with brown hair) in checkered black and white overalls obscured inside a porthole. The ragdoll is still holding the candle over her, with a "yellow sun" behind it. Below the porthole is a curved banner with red text saying "A Ragdoll Production for Central" and a copyright date for Central Independent Television.

Variants:

On Rosie & Jim Series 2, the logo is smaller, and the copyright date is in a different font.

On 2 direct-to-video releases titled Learn to Read and Write with Rosie & Jim, the "A Ragdoll Production for Central" part is removed, and the Central copyright date is replaced with a Ragdoll Productions copyright date.

On Rosie & Jim Series 3, the same doll was redrawn with a pencil-colour look, and the sun has more points. This variant also has the sun wobbling if you look carefully.

On Rosie & Jim Series 4 and 5, the redesigned doll from the fourth logo appears instead. The copyright text can ether be yellow or white.

FX/SFX:

On Series 1, the logo closes like a book cover, so it appears that the logo is on the back of a book.

On Series 2, it uses a page turning transition.

On Learn to Read and Write with Rosie & Jim, the logo and text fade in and out.

On Series 3, the sun wobbles, if one looks carefully.

On Series 4 and 5, the logo is completely still.

Music/Sounds:

On Series 1 & 2, the end theme of the show plays.

On Learn to Read and Write with Rosie and Jim, the 1st logo's own music plays, albeit somber and softer.

On Series 3-5, A shortened version of the harp music from the next logo plays, although in one instance the standard music plays.

Availability: Extremely rare. It only appeared on the first five series of Rosie and Jim and is preserved on VHS and DVD, as well as re-runs of those seasons.

The 1992 variant is even rarer, and only appeared on 2 direct-to-video tapes called Learn to Read and Write with Rosie and Jim, neither of which have been reissued.

Series 5 of the series (the first series with Neil Brewer as the host) also used this logo when it first broadcast in 1997, but later reruns and VHS releases plastered it with the fourth logo, and later the fifth logo.

Editor's Note: Even though the ragdoll in the first three variants looks a little creepy looking, it's still a favorite among Rosie & Jim fans.

3rd Logo (October 6-December 22, 1994)

Nicknames: "The Ragdoll III", "Lying Ragdoll", "The Scary Ragdoll III", "Columbia Pictures' Younger Sister III"

Logo: On a black background, we see the ragdoll (colorized with orange hair) in checkered red/white overalls lying over the word "Ragdoll" in a bold, yellow font. The ragdoll is still holding the candle over him, with a "yellow sun" behind it. The sun "wobbles" for a second or two. "works for children" is seen in a small white font, below "doll". Below the logo is "A Ragdoll Production", in the same white font, but bigger. Below that is a copyright date.

FX/SFX: The wobbling sun.

Music/Sounds: A re-arrangement of the first jingle, but played on a harp rather than a synth-piano, and in a different key.

Availability: Extremely rare.

Was only seen on original screenings and VHS tapes of the second series of Brum.

When Series 2 reaired in the UK during the late 90's, the logo was plastered with the next one, but is preserved on BBC iPlayer, as they use remastered prints from WildBrain.

Editor's Note: A rarity indeed, considering this only appeared on the second series of Brum, although it did appear on some print material at this time, as well.