Concept and creative process
Following the success of the 1994 ‘Why Don’t You...?’ identity, in 1995 BBC Children’s again commissioned the BBC Resources broadcast design team in Manchester to produce a new title sequence and programme kit of parts for this classic Children’s TV programme. The programme was presented by children for children and still aimed at giving lots of ideas for children to do different fun activities and games, rather than spending their time watching TV. But this time the programme was aimed at older, teenage children. For this series, the key clients at BBC Children’s were executive producer Richard Simkin, producer Hardeep Singh Kholi and editor Malcolm Cowan. Designers Gregory Millar and Susan Frost were supported by senior designer Mark Allen. The title sequence shows a road leading to a distant horizon through a landscape of animating coloured particles. Lava lamp-like shapes were overlaid on top of video clips of young people taking part in different activities, including playing basketball, making sandwiches, racing go-karts and making art. The angle of the horizon constantly changes, as if the viewer is travelling in an aerobatics flight simulator. Eventually a 3D version of the new ‘Why Don’t You...?’ logo appears from the horizon. A few seconds later the logo becomes a transition device into the week’s show. The sequence was edited and post-produced in-house at BBC Resources in Manchester.