BBC Two 1991–2001 idents

This article is about the set of idents used on BBC Two between 1991 and 2001. For more of the channel's identity before and after this timescale, see the channel's section within the History of BBC television idents.

Paint, the first of this series to be broadcast and the last to be broadcast during their first run.

The BBC Two '1991–2001' idents were broadcast from 16 February 1991 until 19 November 2001, and again (in modified form) since 9 July 2014, on BBC Two in the United Kingdom. The idents, which consist of a sans-serif '2', accompanied by the colour viridian, were created by branding agency Lambie-Nairn (and later, BBC Animation & Design), who also created the Channel 4 logo.

The ident package was retained following the corporate rebrand of the BBC in 1997 with a new logo and new idents commissioned.

The idents were revived in 2014 for the 50th birthday of the channel however the idents have aired past 2014 and now are permanent and will air for the foreseeable future.

Conception

The newly recruited BBC2 controller, Alan Yentob, noticed that the then-logo for the channel, which featured the word 'TWO' in red, green and blue within a white background and the 'O' being white, was affecting the reputation of BBC2. Surveys commissioned realised that most viewers thought the new look "dull" and "worthy". He then decided to commission a worthy successor capable of displaying the personality of the channel, revealing his thoughts in the How Do They Do That? episode - about the idents.

I realised there was a problem almost as soon as I took over the channel [BBC2]. It was obvious that the logo [TWO] made absolutely no impact. In fact, it was something anyone could have told you. It was singularly unmemorable, and told you nothing about the personality of the channel. So we decided to commission a corporate design company to do some research.

— Alan Yentob

The idents were designed by branding expert Martin Lambie-Nairn, and first aired on the same day as the BBC1 virtual globe ident, also designed by Lambie-Nairn as part of a corporate rebrand of both channels.

We took this '2', actually, and you think to yourself "Well, there's nothing special about this". But there is something special about this, actually. It's a very distinctive '2'. It has very sharp bits on it and it's rather nice and fat. The reason we wanted that particular '2' is because we wanted to do things with it. So, you need lots of '2', lots of body on the '2' in order to achieve that.

— Martin Lambie-Nairn

Idents

The idents featured a sans-serif '2' in a variety of different forms and environments usually accompanied by an element of the colour viridian and accompanied by a static corporate logo DOG below the '2'. Another DOG often used with the look was a small '888' legend in the top right of the screen. This meant that subtitles were available to accompany the programme on Ceefax page 888. Following the 1997 rebrand, the BBC logo was changed, with the word TWO added after the logo at the bottom of the screen. The '888' legend was also phased out, to be replaced with 'Subtitles' following the uptake in digital television and the increased use of the new BBC Text service. A section of the TV programme How Do They Do That? that was broadcast in 1995 described how the graphics and sound of some of the idents were created.

The new idents commissioned after 1997 placed less emphasis on the use of the colour viridian and the bell/harp music. Later on, as the Internet began to grow, the URL of BBC's website (www.bbc.co.uk) was included in idents on-screen in January 2000. The idents, Predator and Christmas 2000 were put back in use in 2006 but were withdrawn in February 2007 due to a rebrand. In 2012 BBC 2 NI used a combination of bell music, from several idents to create the titanic ident. These were created using perspex, motion control and a camera. As of July 2014, due to the 50th birthday of the channel, multiple idents from the series have been put back in use. They have semi-permanently replaced the main Window on the World package, sometimes in tandem with the 50th Birthday idents from the current series. In January 2015, the idents returned after taking a break from the Christmas period, replacing the 50 years logo with the original teal logo that is used for programme slides and endboards. However in Northern Ireland, the logo is in the centre of the idents (without the box). Therefore ending the ident package of Window on the World after 8 years.

Regular

1991–1997

Title	Air Dates	Description
Paint	16 February 1991 – 19 November 2001; 28 July 2014 – present (Northern Ireland)	Paint featured a white polystyrene '2' on a black & white background, splashed by a blob of viridian paint which hurtles in horizontally from the right side of the screen. In this ident's soundtrack (entitled "Wind Time"), the paint is heralded by a steady cymbal crash as it comes into view, reaching a peak upon contact with the '2', followed by a two-note resonant sound, symbolic of the dripping paint. This illusion was created by moving the '2' and the camera onto its side by 90 degrees anti-clockwise, to make it appear as though the paint was falling sideways. The first showing of this ident as well as the first showing of the whole run, coincidentally or not, did not feature the DOG as it would later show the 1991 and later on the 1997 corporate logo, subtitles indicator (originally 888 then later on "Subtitles") etc. It was both the first and last in this series of idents to be broadcast. This ident made a 2014 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in February 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand; and four months later was shown on both Network, Wales and Northern Ireland for their 90s Night, later being used in that version for the Afternoon Classics strand. It also may be a Northern-Ireland only ident for the 50th anniversary. Edited in October 1997.
Water	16 February 1991 – 19 November 2001; 31 July 2014 – present (Northern Ireland)	This ident featured an aqua-coloured '2' on a background of the same colour, half submerged in a pool of water at a 45 degree angle. Using a similar method to Paint, the '2' and camera are both at 45 degrees, giving the impression of the water flowing diagonally when the shot of the '2' is upright. Wind instruments and reverberated ethnic percussion featured in the audio, enhancing the atmosphere. One of the four original idents to be shown throughout the run of the whole series. This ident made a 2014 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in March 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand, and also may be a Northern-Ireland only ident for the 50th anniversary (it aired with a blue DOG). Edited in October 1997.
Blade	16 February 1991 – 19 November 2001; 1 August 2014 – present (Northern Ireland)	One of the four idents to last the entire run, Blade featured a sharp, metal '2' falling into a viridian-coloured block and impaling it on its edge, standing and wobbling. Audio is a short, sharp cymbal crash with slow attack, subtly changing tone and fading out as the '2' has pierced the block. This ident was brought back as a Northern Ireland only ident for the 50th anniversary. Edited in October 1997.
Neon	16 February 1991 – 19 November 2001; 1 August 2014 – present (Northern Ireland)	Originally known as Sign, it had a '2' on a black background with seven viridian neon lights attached to it, flashing in random sequences. The soundtrack matched the timing of the lights as they flashed on and off. It was one of the four original idents to be shown throughout the entire run. The Neon ident's music was repeated at Christmas 1995 with the Christmas BBC2 idents that year featuring Wallace and Gromit and the 2 ident covered in fairy lights – the music was played in time with the fairy lights flashing. This ident made a 2014 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in April 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand; and two months later was twice shown on Network for their 90s Night, later being used in that version for the Afternoon Classics strand. It also may be a Northern-Ireland only ident for the 50th anniversary. Edited in October 1997.
Copper Cut-Out	16 February 1991 – 31 December 1999, 7 January 2015 – present (Northern Ireland)	As the title suggests, it featured a copper cut-out of a '2' off of which sparks flew, as the figure glowed at its edges. This was punctuated with a loud, distinctive metallic clang sound in the audio, which overlaid a gentle, major chord pad. Edited in October 1997 but was withdrawn at the end of 1999 along with Silk, Firecracker, Diary and Steam. This ident returned on 28 October 2013 for the Network and Wales airings of the Afternoon Classics strand. It has made a 2015 comeback in Northern Ireland as of 7 January 2015 and it is currently being used as a Northern Ireland-only ident for the 2015 rebrand. However, it was unknown that Network will return to reaired this ident in 2015.
Glass	16 February 1991 – 31 October 1993, 2 January 2015 – present (Northern Ireland)	Featured a glass-cut '2', which reflected light — with some noticeable viridian colour — in various directions. Soundtrack consists of a resonant bell-like chime, between lighter bells paired with breathy sounds, giving a relaxing feel. It was one of the first to be taken out of service, along with Paper Cut-Out, but was played by accident once in the North West in about 1996/1997. However, this ident continued in Northern Ireland until the 1997 revamp. A digitally-remastered, widescreen version was shown multiple times in Northern Ireland in October 2014, for the celebrations of ninety years of the BBC giving coverage to the region. Since then, it has made a 2015 comeback for the 2015 rebrand on 2 January 2015, and it is currently being used as a Northern Ireland-only ident for the 2015 rebrand.
Silk	16 February 1991 – 31 December 1999, 1 January 2015 – present (Northern Ireland)	This ident included a swathe of viridian silk literally drifting over the top of a '2' shape, as if they were ocean waves. Haunting wails and loud bell tolls to form a dramatic soundtrack, conjuring up imagery of the '2' as a sinking ship. The jingle used in Neon is also heard in the audio. Along with Copper Cut-Out, Elements of the jingle was reused for the titanic ident in 2012. However it is only used in Northern Ireland This ident made a 2014 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in March 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand, it has made a comeback in Northern Ireland on 1 January 2015, and it is currently being used as a Northern Ireland-only ident for the 2015 rebrand. Edited in October 1997 but was dropped from the line-up at the end of 1999 along with four other idents.
Paper Cut-Out	16 February 1991 – 31 October 1993	Paper Cut-Out featured a completely grey, paper-like foreground, with a '2'-shaped cut-out in the middle. The background behind it featured a colourful blue sky, with white clouds. The audio track is minimal, with faint drums and a high-pitched, tweeting melody, heavy on repetition. It was one of the first to be taken out of service, along with Glass.
Black & White Copper Cut-Out	16 February 1991 – 3 October 1997, 1 January 2015 – present (Northern Ireland)	This ident was the black-&-white equivalent of the original Copper Cut Out with viridian sparks flying off the '2'. It also had the same audio as Copper Cut Out. This was also withdrawn from the line-up in October 1997, when the BBC corporate logo was revamped. This ident has made a comeback in Northern Ireland on 1 January 2015, and it is currently being used as a Northern Ireland-only ident for the 2015 rebrand.
Shadow	16 February 1991 – 3 October 1997	A simple ident, showing the cast shadow of a slowly rotating '2' on a viridian wall. The soundtrack shares some note similarities with Paint and Glass, albeit is not as minimal, with hints of percussion and greater variety and prominence in the chords. Was withdrawn from the line-up in 1997, when the BBC corporate logo was revamped.
Water Reflection	16 February 1991 – 3 October 1997	A subtle variation on Water, the light was altered in such a way that it cast a reflection of the water line onto the top half of the '2'. It also had the same audio as Water. This was also withdrawn before the 1997 corporate logo revamp along with four other idents.
Garden	1 March 1991 – 3 October 1997; 21 May 2001 – 19 November 2001; 1 August 2014 – present (Northern Ireland)	Garden depicted a circular patch of grass in the middle, from which sprouted several white flowers that formed the shape of the '2'. Introduced as a regular ident in 1991 for a series of gardening programmes and few normal shows, albeit with different music. The soundtrack originally had a remix of Water between 1 March 1991 and 25 October 1992, but from 26 October 1992 onwards, upon its big change was given its own soundtrack with the music being quite similar to that of Car a year later in 1993, small sound of bells to begin with and gets louder when the '2' rises from the patch. It was withdrawn before the 1997 corporate revamp, however it was brought back again for the 2001 Chelsea Flower Show, and again in Northern Ireland for the channel's 50th Birthday. On 10 January 2015, the original 1991-1992 music was brought back to the ident, in addition to its own music. Both the original version with a remix of the Water theme and with its own music are currently airing as Northern Ireland-only idents for the 2015 rebrand.
Powder	26 October 1992 – 19 November 2001; 31 July 2014 – present (Northern Ireland)	This featured a birds-eye view of the '2' falling onto a bed of white powder, revealing a layer of viridian powder beneath it, left streaked around the '2' as the stray particles clear away. Red and blue lights were cast onto the figure as it fell. The audio track has a sharp, cymbal-like effect as the '2' is falling, and this culminates in a deep cymbal crash as the '2' hits the surface, along with a sustained bass note. The soundtrack continues in the aftermath of the crash, with a faint, deep texture accompanying the bass, although this would have been rarely heard, due to the track usually being faded down for continuity by that point. This ident made a 2014 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in February 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand; and it also may be a Northern-Ireland only ident for the 50th anniversary. It also aired in Wales that April, for the anniversary of BBC Cymru Wales. A variant for celebrating 30 years of BBC2 had the background a cake with "30" on it; the 2 is blue and instead of powder flying away, cream flies away. It, unusually, has the same tune as the regular Powder ident. The following year, Centenary was shown, which saw a 2 plunging onto a bed of film, only causing it to bounce on the film. Edited in October 1997.
Optics	26 October 1992 – 19 November 2001; 23 July 2014 – present (Northern Ireland)	Optics included many optical fibres of mainly viridian and green colour, swaying from side to side, initially with great momentum but slowly and eventually settling into the shape of the '2' symbol. The slow-tempo audio (entitled "Inhale") was atmospheric, carried by warm melodic sounds and a deep bass note, with a high choir pad towards the end. Along with Powder, this was one of the first new idents to be added to the roster in 1992, and it was to be the joint-second-longest-running ident and would last for the rest of the series until the 2001 rebrand. Before the BBC Re-brand in 1997, apology screens would be made with a still image of this ident. The first of the idents produced with CGI, Optics was also the last ident to be played out with the slanted BBC logo in the early hours of 4 October 1997. This ident made a comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in February 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand, and it also may be a Northern-Ireland only ident for the 50th anniversary. Edited in October 1997.
Car	1 November 1993 – 19 November 2001; 18 July 2014 – present	One of a new series of idents introduced in 1993. It featured a viridian '2' with an aerial moving about on wheels in a yellow studio, in the same manner as a remote-controlled car. The car noise varies in pitch as it whizzes around at varying speeds. The bassline of the audio track is the same as that heard in Garden was musically changed back in 1992. It is possible that this inspired the 2001-2007 series of idents. Two variations were made: one with the car coming from the left hand side (the more common version) and one coming from the right hand side. The former variation made a 2014 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in April 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand; and two months later shown in Wales for the 90s Night. The same variation has been brought back in July 2014 for the channel's 50th anniversary, and was one of a few to air in its 50th Anniversary form in Northern Ireland before showing in Network and Wales (alongside Woodpecker, Duck, Zapper, Dog and the currently Northern Ireland-only idents), being the second (after Dog) to show on Network afterwards two days later. Edited in October 1997.
Dog	1 November 1993 – 19 November 2001; 22 July 2014 – present	Also known as "Fluffy Dog". This ident included a fluffy mint green '2' whirring, yapping and doing back flips in the manner of a toy mechanical dog. The bassline of the audio track is the same as that heard in Copper Cut Out. Along with Car, this was one of the first new idents to be added to the roster in 1993, and allegedly replacing Glass and Paper Cut Out, it was to be the joint-third-longest-running ident and would last up for eight years until the 2001 rebrand. There was also a special variant where the '2' turned into a scared piece of cotton, it was seen during a Monster Night from 1998. This ident made a 2014 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in March 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand; and three months later shown in both Wales and Northern Ireland for the 90s Night. This ident has been brought back in July 2014 for the channel's 50th anniversary, and was one of a few to air in its 50th Anniversary form in Northern Ireland before showing in Network and Wales (alongside Woodpecker, Duck, Zapper, Car and the currently Northern Ireland-only idents), being the first of those to show on Network afterwards the next day. Edited in October 1997.
Balloon	1 November 1993 – 3 October 1997; 1 January 2015 – present (Northern Ireland)	Another of the more simple idents, Balloon featured a silver, helium-filled balloon in the shape of a '2' bobbing around gently in a fixed spot. This was withdrawn in 1997 to avoid a clash with the BBC One 'Balloon' idents. The music for this sequence begins with similar ethnic percussion to Water, and, in the middle, an ascending flute trill is heard. A bongo drum could also be heard supporting the soundtrack. Two versions of the ident were made: one with the music starting with the percussion, and one with the music starting with the trill, the latter being more common. This ident has made a 2015 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in January 2015 for the 2015 rebrand and it is currently being used as a Northern Ireland-only ident for the 2015 rebrand.
Crystal Ball	1 November 1993 – 19 December 1993; 3 February 2015 – present (Northern Ireland)	Also known simply as "Ball", this was rarely seen ident that was introduced as one of the 1993 idents, Crystal Ball was inexplicably dropped after just a month before Christmas. It featured a crystal ball rolling across a blue, purple and green background, revealing a distorted image of a '2' as it passed over the middle of the screen. One possible explanation for its removal so quickly after launch was the similarity between it and the BBC One 'Virtual Globe' ident. It is also rumoured that the ident was pulled due to the reduced visibility of the '2', which was only in view for a split second. For its soundtrack (entitled "Abstraction"), a sparse minor chord composition overlays subtle howling effects, lending a mystical feel. This ident has made a 2015 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in February 2015 for the 2015 rebrand and it is currently being used as a Northern Ireland-only ident for the 2015 rebrand.
Firecracker	1 November 1993 – 31 December 1999, 12 January 2015 – present (Northern Ireland)	Also known as "Firework", this ident featured a viridian '2' on a rusty-looking brown desk, with live firecrackers attached to it. The firecrackers go off, launching the '2' towards the camera, before it is pulled back into place by an attached cable — which can be clearly seen after the final explosion. The final firecracker actually fails to go off. The featured soundtrack (entitled "Puff Ball") starts with a rich, deep orchestral texture as the fuse burns down, then as each firecracker goes off, it is paired with a simultaneous crash and musical note — while both during the explosion and in the aftermath, windchimes play a waltz through the piece. The notes played during the explosions are vaguely similar to what became BBC Two's signature tune from 2001–2007. This ident made a 2014 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in March 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand; and three months later was shown in the region for their 90s Night. It has made a 2015 comeback in Northern Ireland as of 12 January 2015 and it is currently being used as a Northern Ireland-only ident for the 2015 rebrand. Edited in October 1997 but was withdrawn at the end of 1999 along with 4 other idents.
Diary	1 February 1995 – 31 December 1999; 1 January 2015 – present (Northern Ireland)	This ident featured a white '2' on a black background, with paper layers peeling off and drifting away. This was originally meant to have several layers quickly peel off, but instead looped the same four layers in different directions due to tangling wirework. The music (entitled "Harmonic Beauty") consists of a gentle E-minor chord-scale piece, led by a harp on single plucked notes, plus very faint, high-pitched strings. This ident along with Steam were the last regular idents to be added to the line-up before the 1997 revamp. This ident made a 2014 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in March 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand; and three months later was shown in the region for their 90s Night. It has made a comeback in Northern Ireland on 1 January 2015, and it is currently being used as a Northern Ireland-only ident for the 2015 rebrand. Edited in October 1997 but was withdrawn at the end of 1999 along with four other idents.
Steam	1 February 1995 – 31 December 1999, 1 January 2015 – present (Northern Ireland)	This featured a viridian-coloured, metallic '2' of extremely hot temperature, as a ring of syringes dispensed water droplets which fell onto and around the figure. Any drops landing on the boiling '2' instantly evaporated into steam, and upon impact were accompanied by a tinkling sound on the audio track. The soundtrack bore a strong resemblance to that of Optics, only with a D# chord progression, with four synth-lead notes in order to create an atmospheric, mystical feel. This ident along with Diary were the last regular idents to be added to the line-up before the 1997 revamp. This was also the first surviving regular ident at the time of the BBC Revamp on 4 October 1997 to feature the new logo. This ident made a 2014 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in March 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand, it has made a comeback in Northern Ireland on 1 January 2015, and it is currently being used as a Northern Ireland-only ident for the 2015 rebrand. Edited in October 1997 but was withdrawn at the end of 1999 along with four other idents. Like Firecracker, the four notes played at the beginning of the ident are vaguely similar to what became BBC Two's signature tune from 2001–2007.

1997–2001

Title	Air Dates	Description
Aerial	4 October 1997 – 19 November 2001; 23 July 2014 – present (Northern Ireland)	Aerial featured a dark green '2' with aerials attached to it in a red studio, appearing in random places between flashes of static, before finally appearing in the centre of the screen. The soundtrack is slightly similar to Car (which aired in 1993 from the previous era), featuring notably prolific use of harp sounds, albeit in the D-chord-scale as opposed to the F#-chord-scale in Car. This was the first ident to be shown with the then-new "BBC TWO" legend. This was one of the new idents to be added to the line-up after the 1997 revamp along with Duck, Paint Pot, Zapper and Gorilla. On 21 June 2014, the ident was shown in Wales for the 90s Night. It is currently being used as a Northern Ireland only ident for the 50th birthday.
Duck	4 October 1997 – 19 November 2001; 21 July 2014 – present	This ident depicted a soapy setting, from which a yellow '2' resembling a rubber duck emerged, giving a little squeak. Later showings of Duck has the 'BBC TWO' DOG's colour changed to black in order to be visible on the lighter background. This ident has been brought back in July 2014 for the channel's 50th anniversary, with a white DOG, and was one of a few to air in its 50th Anniversary form in Northern Ireland before showing in Network (which happened in the early hours on the 26th) and Wales (alongside Woodpecker, Car, Zapper, Dog and the currently Northern Ireland-only idents) Three stings exist of this - all three have been shown in Northern Ireland.
Paint Pot	4 October 1997 – 19 November 2001; 27 July 2014 – present	In a parody of the original Paint ident, a silver paint pot is bombarded by lots of little viridian '2's, once again falling sideways. The music is similar to Paint, with some slight changes to the score. Usually, apology screens were made on this ident. This ident has been brought back in July 2014 for the channel's 50th anniversary.
Zapper	4 October 1997 – 19 November 2001; 25 July 2014 – present	This featured a fly zapper in the shape of a '2' upon a wall. A fly is attracted to it, but the zapper breaks on contact and the fly buzzes away, leaving a smoke trail behind it. Behind the sound effects of the zapper is essentially the same audio as Neon. This ident made a 2014 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in March 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand; and three months later shown in the region for the 90s Night. This ident has been brought back in July 2014 for the channel's 50th anniversary, and was one of a few to air in its 50th Anniversary form in Northern Ireland before showing in Network (on 7 August) and Wales (alongside Woodpecker, Duck, Car, Dog and the currently Northern Ireland-only idents).
Gorilla	12 October 1997 – 19 November 2001, 1 January 2015 – present (Northern Ireland)	There were two variations on this ident. A gorilla stands up a yellow '2' in one ident, named Gorilla Shadow and knocks it over in the other, named Gorilla Tantrum. Originally a special ident for a wildlife programme, it became a regular symbol. The music (entitled "Forest Canopy") is the same for both idents, and is suitably jungle-themed. It was brought back in Northern Ireland on 1 January 2015 and it is currently being used as a Northern Ireland-only ident for the 2015 rebrand.
Swan	19 January 1998 – 19 November 2001; 9 July 2014 – present	Introduced at the start of 1998, it featured three white '2's swimming past a clearly bemused swan, which shakes its head shortly after. The soundtrack was of mid-slow tempo, no percussion, with harp and a rich, dreamy background texture. This ident made a 2014 comeback on BBC Two Northern Ireland in February 2014 for the Afternoon Classics strand (with the 1991–1997 logo); five months later, this ident was the first of two (alongside Predator/Venus Fly Trap) to have been brought back in July 2014 for the channel's 50th anniversary. As of the 2014 comeback, it is the one aired most often. A sting exists where the swan 2s swim away from the swan.
Dalek	13 November 1999 – 19 November 2001; 19 August 2014 – present (Northern Ireland)	Originally a special ident for Doctor Who Night, its popularity meant it went on to join the roster of regular idents. It featured black & white Daleks in the shape of '2's moving between a grey corridor. The audio intro draws inspiration from the style of the series' famous theme tune lead. A variant on this ident, named Exterminate, has the sequence opening with the Dalek '2' shouting the familiar phrase. Both variants have aired for the 50th birthday of the channel in Northern Ireland. It is also believed this may have inspired the 'Invisible Walls' Ident in the next batch some 4 years after the introduction.
Excalibur	1 January 2000 – 19 November 2001; 31 July 2014 – present (Northern Ireland)	One of six new idents to be introduced at early 2000, Excalibur featured a cerulean-blue '2' rising from a pool of water sideways, à la Paint. As the '2' emerges, stray droplets of water fall off the '2' and back into the water, causing (vertical) ripples, with each drop that hits the water being accompanied by a finger cymbal-esque note on the soundtrack. This only ident did feature the cerulean, not the viridian. It was the last in this series of idents to be broadcast on BBC Two Scotland. It also may be a Northern-Ireland only ident for the 50th anniversary.
Catalyst	1 January 2000 – 19 November 2001; 31 July 2014 – present (Northern Ireland)	Catalyst features a turquoise polystyrene '2' on a black & dark teal background, in this ident, a bunch of liquid droplets fly in from the top right corner of the screen and cause flames to flare up around the '2' on contact. This is heralded with the sound of dramatic, blaring horns. The flames die down after about 16 seconds, revealing the 2 to be completely undamaged, before the cycle starts again. It also may be a Northern-Ireland only ident for the 50th anniversary.
Wave Day	1 January 2000 – 19 November 2001; 23 July 2014 – present (Northern Ireland)	Originally called Wave, this featured a dark cyan '2' within a shaded-white background and a sheet of blue liquid that splashes around it throughout. The soundtrack opens with a three-note melodic synth chime that features occasionally thereafter, and the sound of filling water serves to enhance the visuals. It is also a Northern-Ireland only ident for the 50th anniversary.
Predator	1 January 2000 – 19 November 2001; 22 May 2006 – 18 February 2007; 9 July 2014 – present	Predator begins centered on a '2'-shaped butterfly sitting within a jungle environment. The camera then zooms out, and the '2' is gobbled up by a larger green '2' in the form of a Venus Flytrap. The audio starts off quiet and gentle, but then builds to a crescendo as the butterfly '2' gets swallowed, before returning to quietude. This ident was later revived (albeit with the then-current look) in mid-2006 (renamed Venus Fly Trap), and remained in occasional use until the entire set was revamped in 2007. This along with the Christmas 2000 ident (used for the 2006 Winter Olympics between 10–26 February) were the only idents to be revived in the 2001–2007 set. This ident was the first of two (alongside Swan) to have been brought back in July 2014 for the channel's 50th anniversary thus making this the only ident to be revived twice in 2 different sets. The ident usually appeared before (and still does as of both comebacks) programmes about gardening and horticulture.
Kebab	1 January 2000 – 19 November 2001; 27 July 2014 – present	Kebab has a '2' made of meat on a kebab spinning. It has a new Eastern soundtrack (entitled "Arabian Freakact"), differing slightly in each variation. There were 3 variations where the kebab was in different stages of cooking. The ident has been brought back for the channel's 50th birthday in a new variation - the variation currently airing is a mixture of Version 1's visuals with Version 3's music. The ident usually appeared before (and still does as of the 2014 comeback) programmes about food and cooking. As well, a sting exists.
Woodpecker	1 January 2000 – 19 November 2001; 21 July 2014 – present	This ident depicted five metal poles, of varying distance, against an orange background. Viridian '2's edge their way down the poles in the same manner as a mechanical woodpecker. The soundtrack is slightly similar to Dog (which aired in 1993 from the previous era), featuring a fitting whistled four-note jingle, vaguely similar to what became BBC Two's signature tune from 2001–2007, amongst the drilling of the woodpecker '2's: all of this overlaying an F#/A major chord pad. As well as being shown in Wales for the 90s Night on 21 June 2014, this ident has been brought back in July 2014 for the channel's 50th birthday, and was one of a few to air in its 50th Anniversary form in Northern Ireland before showing in Network (on 11 August) and Wales (alongside Car, Duck, Zapper, Dog and the currently Northern Ireland-only idents). As well, a sting exists.
Wave Night	2 September 2000 – 19 November 2001, 1 January 2015 – present (Northern Ireland)	Introduced in the last half of the year, it was a retake on the original Wave (Day) ident. It now featured a darker background and liquid pool, with a bright cyan '2'. The side(s) at which the liquid rose were also reversed, for example starting up the left side instead of the right. The soundtrack was the same as the original Wave Day, with some changes to the filling water sound effects. This was the final ident to be added to the regular roster before the entire set was revamped in 2001. It was brought back in Northern Ireland on 1 January 2015 for the 2015 rebrand and it is currently being used as a Northern Ireland-only ident for the 2015 rebrand.

Special

Since 1974, BBC Two has aired special idents for use at national celebrations such as Christmas. The Christmas idents were changed annually throughout this period (except for 2001 where the channel would have rebranded prior to Christmas of 2001), and were seen as a Christmas tradition for BBC's 1 and 2 to produce a new Christmas package on an annual basis (This tradition was broken in 2003 when BBC One reused the previous year's ident, and in recent times when the same ident was used alongside BBC Two for 4 Christmases consecutively). In contrast, Halloween and St. Valentine's Day idents were only produced between 1991 and 1997. As well as the Holiday idents, many other special idents were produced, mainly to introduce themed nights of programming on the channel, or specific programmes.

1991–1997

Title	Air Dates	Description
Made in Japan	7 September – 28 December 1991	The animation starts with a Japanese "2". A smoke effect billows out, and the Japanese "2" dissolves through to the usual "2". Audio was the same as Paint.
Pop Art	14 September – 5 October 1991	Apparently, pop art animation, at the end, the "2" zooms in. Audio was the same as Glass.
English	15 October – 1 December 1991	A tea-cosy appears in the centre of the screen which is removed to reveal the "2" as a teapot. Hilda Ogden style ducks can be seen on the wall.
Christmas 1991	Christmas 1991	A reference to Georges Méliès' A Trip to the Moon featuring a wrapped-up 2 set against a cloudy night sky with stars and the moon interacting and looking.
Rembrandt Week	22 March – 30 December 1992	The "2" is part of the eye in a self-portrait of Rembrandt. It starts as a pencil sketch, and as the camera pulls back, we see the artist's hand adding detail to the painting in a series of mixes, until the finished portrait is revealed.
One World	3 May – 10 June 1992	The globe is a flat disk which starts the sequence side-on, rotating 90 degrees along its vertical axis, until it faces the camera. Coloured powder "blows" on to the disk, finally forming the image on the left. The sequence is obviously the reverse of how it was shot - the powder was blown off the disk as it rotated away from the camera. Audio was the same as "Paint".
Wet and Windy	9 May 1992	This ident was used for weather programmes during Saturday evenings of May 1992. The cyan moon-shaped "2" is reflected in the window, which bangs open and shut the door in the wind and rain.
Billboard	16 – 17 May 1992	In time-lapse, a man on a ladder pastes the advertising billboard with sheets of paper, finally revealing the complete picture - a large "2". Audio was similar to Copper Cutout.
Edinburgh Nights	17 August – 4 September 1992	This ident was used for programmes during the 1992 Edinburgh Festival. A red curtain both opens, then an aqua-coloured "2" welcomes to the stage and steps in to the spotlight.
War and Peace	3 October – 8 November 1992	A "2" made of barbed-wire forms around a single poppy.
Halloween Night	31 October 1992	The Halloween Night special consists of three idents. The first was a parody of Paint, in which red blood splashes on the 2, which is then cut by a chainsaw. The second ident for "The Vault of Horror" night of programmes features the 2 electrocuted by jumper cables. The third ident, a parody of the Ghost sting, featured the 2 covered in white cloth and stabbed by a knife.
Christmas 1992	Christmas 1992	A red 2 appears as fairy lights on a Christmas tree.
A Night of Love	13 February 1993	The "2" symbol rose out of the water, with its reflection making the shape of a heart.
Birth Night	27 February 1993	The "2" is in form of a baby inside the body. All this is on the doctors' body electronic system.
Crime and Punishment	16 May – 13 June 1993	The "2" is in form of a light with the shadows of the jail cells in it. This takes place inside the prisoner room. It was revived in 1997 lineup as a sting.
One Day in the Sixties	29 – 30 August 1993	The ident had suitably groovy to accompany it, as the various small squares alternated randomly between 60s imagery and the familiar "2".
After Margaret	23 – 29 October 1993	A "2" is fixed to the door of Number 10 Downing Street after it slams the door. Audio was the same as Powder.
Animated 2	1 November 1993 – 16 November 2001	This special ident was introduced in 1993 before animated and cartoon programmes, a black "2" with a piano falls from the sky accompanied by piano music and crashes to the floor before displaying the 2 in its place and the Animated letter being formed above on the top left hand side. It was withdrawn in 2001.
Christmas 1993	Christmas 1993	A metallic coloured 2 is hoisted up atop a Christmas tree by hobbit like creatures.
30th Anniversary	16 April 1994	This appropriately named ident was used on 16 April 1994 to celebrate BBC2's 30th Birthday. A "2" falls and splashes into a cake, in the style of Powder. Surprisingly, it also has the exact same soundtrack as Powder.
Goal TV	30 May 1994	This ident is used only for coincide the greatest football world cup fevers in Goal TV for bank holiday Monday before the World Cup 94 kicks off on 17 June, the following month. The stadium LED screen appears on the viridian screen as the light teal "2" flipcards diagonally to the left in a whole logo of the 2. Audio was the same as Optics.
Moon	28 June – 2 July 1994	Another appropriately named ident was used between 28 June and 2 July 1994 to celebrate Neil Armstrong's landing on the moon for 25th Anniversary. The "2" is in form of a satellite tower in a shadow. This takes place in the moon. Audio was the same as Optics, albeit with astronaut sounds.
Shakespeare	16 October – 14 December 1994	This special ident is used for a month of seasonal Bard on the Box programmes. A potato-shaped "2" suddenly appears from the black cauldron after 5 seconds of magical myth.
Berlin Wall	29 October – 9 November 1994	Another special ident was used to coincide with the season on the Tales from Berlin and the collapse of the Berlin Wall. The Great Berlin Wall in the mid-center of a "2" gets hoisted away by a crane to reveal a 2-shaped hole and see a dark blue sky background in the center area of Berlin. It is possible that it will served as a regular ident for primetime shows or schedule changes for 2015 as the Network-only ident, Northern Ireland will follow the suit later on.
Christmas 1994	Christmas 1994	A large yellow 2 in a dome against a tundra landscape.
Centenary	7 January 1995 – 4 January 1996	This ident was used in 1995 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of cinema and film. The "2" plunged down from a great height onto a bed of film and cinema tapes.
Christmas 1995	Christmas 1995	Wallace and Gromit accompany a 2 covered in fairy lights while sat at Christmas dinner. As with Neon, the music plays in time with the fairy lights flashing.
Christmas 1996	Christmas 1996	A wizard walks on clouds in the sky, before spinning and turning into a 2 made of stars.
Mars Weekend	4 July – 2 October 1997	It starts in close-up on the "2" Martian surface, then zooms out to reveal the full scene, with the flying saucer blipping in and out of view. There were two versions - one with the flying saucer, and one without. This ident is used for special Mars Weekend, later comedy shows like 3rd Rock from the Sun and It's Ulrika, and this was the final new ident before the channel's revamp in October 1997.

1997–2001

Title	Air Dates	Description
Christmas 1997	24 December 1997	A white 2 in a snowglobe. A few variants with the faces of BBC Two's Christmas lineup appearing as reflections in the snowglobe were made; however, only one (with the cast of Shooting Stars) was shown.
Red Dwarf Night	14 February 1998	A series of five idents, each used on "Red Dwarf Night" from 14 February 1998. Each ident was transmitted only once. Unfortunately BBC Presentation made a mess of the first one, fading up half a still on top of the image. The theme is a love affair between the "2", which has a red antenna sticking out of its head, and a skutter, one of the mechanical robot service droids on board Red Dwarf. The theme of a love affair was fitting, as it showed that Valentine's Day. Idents show the 2 rejecting the skutter's passes, the 2 and skutter at a cinema date in which they noisily share a soft drink, disrobing to have sex (complete with saxophone theme), getting married and, finally, the 2 giving birth to their children.
Evolution Weekend	27 – 29 March 1998	The single ident was animated by starting with the still image of a "2" in clear water. A stone is dropped causing large ripples in the water. We see the reflection of a monkey peering into the water, as it morphs into an ape, early man, and into modern man before he moves away to reveal the "2" where we started. Further ripples are seen with just the "2" visible.
Christmas 1998	23 December 1998, 6 December 2014	A green fairy moves back to reveal the 2 atop a Christmas tree with surreal white and green colours. Reused at Christmas 2014 to introduce archive programming (new content was introduced with the 2013 animations)
Millennium	4 January – 31 December 1999	A camera zooming down on an hourglass reavels that many little 2's are falling instead of sand, counting down to the new millennium.
Monty Python Night	9 October 1999	BBC Two celebrates the 30 years of Monty Python and Monty Python's Flying Circus. A series of three spoof-based idents, each used on "Monty Python Night" from 9 October 1999. In the first, a white mouse climbs down inside the 2-shaped glass-cage against the light blue background, then exits out the cage, but is suddenly smashed by a hammer and replaced by a little white kitten (accompanied by a now kitten's den-shaped 2, except with killing the kitten with splattering blood next to our actor and comedian John Cleese). In the second, the grey 2 made of hardened clay against a same light blue background, then hoists them up with a gripping rope to reveal the Monty Python's viewers as "Comedy of the Millennium" logo zooms in. In the third, the plain blue 2 against the peach-coloured background is filled by a freshly amber coloured mango juice drink inside the 2 as it turns amber, then peels off and drops it down with a hand, then replaced by a fake red BBC One Balloon logo with "BBC ONE" has written on it, after a several seconds the balloon logo deflats away and lands on the floor. And finally, against the same as above, the clay hardened-2 is holding a rope whilst John Cleese ends the Monty Python Night. He says: "That was the end of Monty Python. And now the BBC is closing down... Forever.", afterwards, the 2 drops onto the stylised BBC TWO logo then shatters into pieces at the end (albeit with clumsy clattering cartoon sounds). Audio was the same as Neon.
Christmas 1999	23 December 1999	A similar theme to last year, and the first ident to feature the bbc.co.uk URL. The 2, complete with wings, knocks the fairy off the tree before taking her place, a christmassy view from the cities against a cerulean background as the 2 with wings sits well at the top of the Christmas tree.
It's Scary Out There	8 January 2000 – 19 November 2001	The ident features an empty graveyard. The camera then zooms further into the graveyard until a giant '2' pops out of nowhere, and the camera zooms back. This rare special ident is used for horror movies and horror shows, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Demon Seed, but joined by regular roster of BBC Two idents and became a regular and rare ident until 19 November 2001.
Simpsons Night	23 June 2000	Two idents that were produced for Simpsons night. The first one was a parody of the show's opening titles, showing a yellow coloured '2' cracking the camera recording it. The second shows a power cut in the Simpsons household. The Simpsons family are all '2's.
I Love 1970's	22 July – 23 September 2000	A blood–orange '2' appeares in a lava lamp before disappearing moments later.
X-Files Night	12 November 2000 – 19 November 2001	3 idents were created for use throughout X-Files night, two joined the regular roster of idents (Camcorder and Super 8) however the third was only used on the night. It is possible Camcorder and Super-8 will make an appearance soon in Northern Ireland for the 50th Birthday of the channel.
Christmas 2000	22 December 2000	Two small white 2's skate on top of, and fall off, a huge ice-covered 2 against a blue background. This ident was reused for the 2006 Winter Olympics and sporting programmes.
I Love 1980's	13 January – 24 March 2001	In the first ident, the '2' would be seen dancing to a song of Don't You Want Me by The Human League from the late 1981 ident. In the second ident, the 2 can be seen kissing the television screen, then let go to body moves to a song of Planet Earth by Duran Duran from the early 1981 ident.
Comedy Zone	26 February – 27 August 2001	A series of three idents with a caricature of Anne Robinson behind a blue, techno-like background with 2s behind her. In one ident she is shown dancing to Kelis' Caught Out There. Those idents also doubled up as continuity announcements, as the voiceover would match the Robinson caricature's mouth movements.
Star Trek Night	16 September 2001	Also known as 'Teleporter'. This ident was originally a sting, the '2' can be seen teleporting. This was the last ever ident used for one of BBC 2's themed nights.

2014–present

Title	Air Dates	Description
The Wrong Mans Series 2	18 December 2014 – 2 January 2015	Special ident for the second series of The Wrong Mans. It is first aired on Thursday 18th December 2014, Sam and Phil are exited out of the prison and heading their way to the plane for escape, but they are both chased by the '2'-shaped car that drives around outside the area, then blocking the plane to prevent The Wrong Mans, whilst the Teal-coloured 2 interacting around and looks after them both to dance around the path.
Meet The Super Rich Season	5 – 15 January 2015	This special ident is used for two weeks between 5th to 15th January 2015 to promote the Super-rich season, a helicopter lands slowly then a helicopter door opens to reveal a golden '2' who sits comfortably in the chair.
We Know Food	16 March 2015 – present	Another special ident is used for Food Seasons, so starting the oven, seven photo mat boards from the memories of food presenters are jettisoned: Lorraine Pascale, Gordon Ramsay, Tom Kerridge, Mary Berry, The Hairy Bikers, Alice Roberts and Raymond Blanc (whose saying 'oh la la') and the three cooking pots are surrounded by Kitchen utensils as the steam evaporates and the '2'-shaped mirror view of the steam is rocking like a chair. The channel logo presents itself as a 3D cube, one side having "WE KNOW FOOD" written on it.
Christmas 2015	24 December 2015

Stings

During the run of the idents, there were also quick, usually humorous short animations shown before the trailers known as 'Stings'. Examples included a 2-shaped pancake landing in a frying pan, a '2' performing stunts on a bicycle, or a set of spinning plates in the form of the '2'. These were sometimes themed to suit a particular event, such as sport coverage; for instance, a set of snooker balls racked in the '2' shape. Animations were also created to match the theme of a year's Christmas symbol. During the 1995 Christmas period, for example, a set of short animations featuring Wallace and Gromit were used, along with a similarly themed ident.

These 'sting' animations were usually only a few seconds long and, particularly from 22 March 1993 onwards, the '2' would become a character as well as merely a symbol, an idea that was carried on for the BBC Two yellow idents from 2001.

Below is a complete list in short summary of BBC Two Stings.

Toaster	Two slices of bread come out and drop onto a plate upon a '2' logo appears on the left side of the screen. First aired 1991 and withdrawn soon after.
Cactus	A cactus in a desert blooms '2' logo on the left side of the screen coming out. First aired 1991 and withdrawn soon after.
Chameleon	A grey chameleon stands on the rocks to change the colour from plain grey to colourful green as a '2' logo appears on the left side of the screen. First aired 1991 and withdrawn soon after.
Ostrich	An ostrich sticks its head out of the ground upon the '2' logo on the left side of the screen as it appeared. First aired 1991 and withdrawn soon after.
Jelly	A gelatin (jelly) '2' jumps over the floor in a room. The room and the 2 are both black and yellow. First aired 1993.
Cliffhanger	A '2' is hanging on the top of the dark-wooden mantelpiece, possibly about to fall off. First aired 1993.
Crane	A '2' made of metal is picked up by a hook. First aired 1993.
Egg	An egg cracks, revealing a '2' which seems like a reptile. First aired 1993.
Wood	A grey '2' chips a wooden floor that leaves the wood carved trail behind as it goes. There was a variation where it was viewed from a top-down angle. First aired 1993.
Zebra	A '2' coloured white and black stripes blends on a same coloured background. There were total of eight random variations in this sting. First aired 1993.
Boombox	A '2' gets blown away by a boombox from a right-hand side. There was a variation whereas a 2 gets shaked & vibrated violently by a boombox from a left-hand slide. First aired 1993.
Hangover	A glass of water (or some other type of transparent liquid), with two '2'-shaped Alka-Seltzer tablets being dropped into the water and dissolving. First aired 1992.
Cheese	A mouse eats all the cheese to reveal a hole of a '2', then a mouse scutters off. First aired 1992.
Whacky	A saw makes a circle around the '2', do a classic cartoon gag, then the 2 causes to fall. First aired 1993.
Carrot	A donkey in the field is eating a '2'-shaped carrot by pulling off it's tail. First aired 1992.
Football	A '2' slides down the banisters and kicks the circular grip representing a "ball" into the fireplace which represents the "goal". First aired 1993.
Ski Jump	A snow version of Football where the '2' slides down the banisters and does the ski jump. First aired 1993.
Stay-Puft	A giant light grey '2' is rampaging in New York City which represents Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. First aired 1994.
Teleleporter	A '2' transports via a Star Trek like device. First aired 1993.
Hair Curlers	A hair drying machine opens to reveal a '2'-shaped hair curlers in the woman's hair. First aired 1992.
Chewing Gum	A chewing gum-shaped '2' on the pedestrian road was squashed by a man's left foot. First aired 1992.
Dead Body	A man is showing a dead body of a '2' where has examined by police investigators. First aired 1992.
Pancake	A frying pan is holding by a cookery man by using to land a '2'-shaped pancake on a frying pan, spot on target. First aired 1992.
Snowshoes	A man is using a snowshoes to walk like a mountain climber. Both '2'-shaped snowshoes are made off footwear to tread the snow during winter. First aired 1992.
Parking Meter	A red arrow-shaped '2' suddenly appears above the parking meter after two seconds of disappearing the black arrow. First aired 1992.
Snooker Balls	A '2' is made from snooker balls. First aired 1992.
Dry	A hair dryer dries a '2' made of cotton. First aired 1992.
Traffic Lights	A traffic light stops by red, ready by yellow and now go by green as a yellow '2' appears below inside the green light. First aired 1992.
Chimney Sweep	The houses are covered in snow made of chimneys as the Chimney sweep wipes a dirty soot off in a puff of smoke to be appeared by a '2'-shaped broomstick. First aired 1992.
Clown	A clown flies towards the screen, then smiles nicely and winks as the '2' on the left eye around the face-paint. First aired 1992.
Pantomime Season	A funny old horse costume immediately rips them off in both half during the pantomime season as the red '2' (complete with white wings) draws the curtains down. First aired 1992.
Spaghetti	A bowl of 2-shaped spaghetti pieces in a tomato sauce. First aired 1992.
Cows	A couple of cows are mooing in the field, cows are made of black and white 2 above the skin. First aired 1992.
Polaroid	A polaroid camera, printing off a photograph with a 2 on. The colour of the 2, and the angle of the camera, where changed from time to time. First aired 1992.
Test Card F	The test card girl, or Carole Hersee replaces Bubbles the Clown with a viridian toy shaped in a 2. First aired 1992.
Dalmatian Dog	The girl is walking in the park with a Dalmatian dog, both girl's black tight socks made of white 2-shaped spots and a Dalmatian dog with white coat made of black 2-shaped spots albeit with barking Hip Hop music sounds. First aired 1992.
Plummet	A 2 jumps from the high diving board into a pool of water inside the circus tent. First aired 1994.
Tent	A white 2 cuts the tent supports off outside the campsite area. First aired 1996.
Ballet	A gold 2 dances by spinning a la ballet in a ballet classroom, then stops. First aired 1993.
Animated Film	An ivory 2 in the garden with 14:9 picture comes closer and closer to the screen (as the Jaws theme played), then stops. First aired 1993.
Demolition	A wrecking ball hits a giant 2 made of rock but cracks on impact. First aired 1993.
Sneeze	A white 2 in the dark attic was dropped by a feather, then sneezes to send the 2 flying out of the attic. First aired 1993.
Slinky	A Slinky-shaped 2 rolls down some stairs after it presumably "sneezes". First aired 1993.
Magnet	A 2 magnet gets everything and the camera attached next to it. There was a variation with no music at all. First aired 1993.
Pump	An inflatable 2 pumps on a patio, accompanied by a deep trombone piece. There was a variation where the 2 is pumped to big, and the music ends differently. First aired 1993.
Sub	One of three animated shorts featuring a duck 2, who also starred in its own ident. The 2 pops up from underneath the bubbles, and like a submarine periscope, looks around in different directions, before sinking below surface again. First aired 1997.
Ducks	The second in this family of shorts. A 2 is crowded by hundreds of rubber ducks. First aired 1997.
Jaws	The third in this family of shorts. This one features the duck 2 swimming through the bubble bath squeaking the theme from Jaws. First aired 1997.
Swan Change Mind	The shorter version of its own ident. Two little white 2s swim passes the clearly bemused swan, then third little white 2 gets timid, then goes right at the wrong way after swims away from the swan. First aired 1998.
Pounce	A black and white 2 looks like a cat and tries to pounce on a dot. First aired 1994.
Spider's Web	The spider makes its web, and the web turns into a 2, at the end it snaps (due to the web turning into a 2). First aired 1995.
Harley's Bike	A bicycle 2 does a trick, and then rides home. First aired 1993 and usually used as a closing ident in mid 1995.
Corridor	An electro-light 2 patrols around the low lit corridors as they go in and out of doors. First aired 1994.
Door	A 2 in a dark room, with a door being closed, leaving the 2 in darkness. There were three versions in this ident. First aired 1993 and usually used as a closing ident in late 1993.
Newton's Cradle	A 2 ball is seen in a Newton's Cradle type of toy against a black background. First aired 1994.
Modern Art Gallery	A multi-coloured 2 in the artroom splits into 4 different perspectives blocks; Blue sky, Cobalt plastic, Teal stone & Red bricks, by reverting back and fourth à la Channel 4's 3D idents from a right slanted camera zooming an angle. There were two versions in this one. First aired 1993.
Television	A 2 does a dance on TV by another 2 in a hot red room. First aired 1993.
Kebab	The shorter version of its own ident. The 2 is made of meat on a kebab spinning, with a single cooking fire roasts the 2-shaped meat on a kebab alive. First aired 2000.
Cuckoo Clock	A naughty cuckoo 2 leaps out of a clock, and tries to hits the camera as they zooms back before goes back to a clock again. There were three cuckoo sounds that used in random with this one. First aired 1993.
Milk	A Milk-shaped 2 becomes fat in a fridge-freezer after drinking too much juice and falls down due to its weight. First aired 1995.
Shoal	Lots of fishes form a 2 before swimming off. First aired 1994.
Woodpecker	The shorter version of its own ident. This sting depicts one metal pole, of varying distance, against an orange background instead of five, three viridian 2s flickers one at a time by drilling like mechanical woodpeckers. First aired 2000.
Bowling Alley	A bowling game, showing a 2 as the only pin not knocked down. A ball is rolled to try to knock the 2 over, but the 2 jumps into the air, making the ball fall down. First aired 1994.
Kiss	A 2 jumps to a TV and kisses the screen, then let go to stand and watch. First aired 1993.
Robot	A giant 2 gets smaller one at top which that one gets a 2 which gets a 2 with a robotic camera. There were two sounds that used in random with this one. First aired 1993.
Fast	A silver 2 walks down a road then speeds off with a trail of blaze. First aired 1994.
Seeing Stars	A white 2 in a colourful cube jumps around and crashes into the screen and gets dizzy. There was a variation with disco lights as the 2 knocks the screen once, then the colourful cube zooms up to the center area where the 2 dances around the now rectangled cube for the Comedy Zone promos. First aired 1995.
Tin Foil	Layers of tin foil overlap and create a 2 shape which causes the machine producing the tin foil to malfunction. First aired 1993.
Velcro	Also known as 'Sticky Pad'. An orange 2 made out of Velcro in a viridian room tries to get out. First aired 1993.
Whirlwind	A 2 spins around the glass objects, stops then hits a glass object to making it spin again. First aired 1996.
Hide & Seek	A 2 is kissing on the TV, then jumps out of a pile of videos, as another 2 plays hide and seek, then a 2 running and pants around the TV and jumps up to give it a squeak and down again. First aired 1993.
Spinning Plates	A group of plates spinning in a 2 shape while a man tries to balance them. First aired 1993.

Since 19 August 2014, BBC Two Northern Ireland has been airing a selection of stings from the set. Three days after, Network followed suit. Bizarrely, only ones related to idents have been shown (Sub, Jaws and Ducks, Woodpecker, Swan Change Mind and Kebab). Swan Change Mind has become the opening sting on all BBC Two programmes available on BBC iPlayer since 13 November 2014. However, as of 13 January 2015, stings from the 1990s that are not related to idents are starting to make a comeback and are airing between programmes as part of the 2015 rebrand, which include Newton's Cradle, Bowling Alley, Shoal, Slinky, Spider's Web, Spinning Plates, Whirlwind, Magnet, Whacky, Boombox, Robot, Seeing Stars (currently in Northern Ireland only), Pounce, Milk, Stay-Puft, Cuckoo Clock, Harley's Bike, Ballet and Pump (currently across the Network).

Further references

• The 1991–1997 version of Powder was aired in the titles of the 3rd National Television Awards on 8 October 1997 on ITV. This was the final broadcast of this version, and it had ceased to exist on BBC Two some days before. It was only a second long clip of the ident.
• The B.F.T. titles from Children's BBC in 1991 featured a small recreation of the Blade ident in the opening titles.
• 'Glass' appeared as part of a spoof BBC Two programme menu sequence in 1994 comedy series The Day Today, which aired shortly after the ident had been removed from regular network use.
• A British Pizza Hut advert from 1994 parodied the idents greatly. The advert started with the Paint ident. A man appears, presumably the "painter", and tells the viewer about a new offer at Pizza Hut, before splashing the screen with paint while doing the 'Hit the Hut' hand motion. This then changes to a family eating in Pizza Hut as a big '2' falls down from nowhere and pierces into the table (a parody of Blade), and the family say "that could take someone's eye out". The advert closes with a version of the Powder ident with the Pizza Hut logo replacing the '2'.
• The '2' features in the opening titles of BBC Two shows Top of the Pops 2 and BFT2
• In 2013, the Copper Cut-Out was re-aired for the 'Afternoon Classics' block. When the block ran again in 2014, BBC Two Northern Ireland re-aired several of the '1991–2001' idents including Dog, Optics, Paint, Powder, Swan (which used the 1991 slanted BBC logo rather than the Gill Sans BBC Two from 1997 until 2001), Zapper, Neon, Silk, Steam, Diary, Car, Firecracker and Water. Some of the idents were transmitted in error as part of the 50th Birthday re-airings explained below. Alongside it was the 40th Birthday ident from the 'Personality 2' set.
• In 2014, Powder was re-aired on BBC Two Wales as part of the 50th anniversary of BBC Cymru Wales.
• On 21 June 2014, BBC Two had a '90s Night' which showed programming from and dedicated to (in the case of I Love '96) the 1990s. Various idents from this set were aired including Paint (the only one shown in all three regions), Neon (Network only), Firecracker (Northern Ireland only), Dog (Wales and Northern Ireland only), Copper Cut-Out (Network only), Aerial (Wales only), Zapper (Northern Ireland and Wales only), Car (Wales only), Diary (Northern Ireland only) and Woodpecker (Wales only).
• In July 2014, BBC Two have semi-permanently brought back a selection of idents from the set to run alongside the 50th Birthday set from the 'Window on the World' package, complete with the 50th Birthday dog. The first two, Swan and Predator, were brought back on 9 July. Later in the month, as well as the month after, Car, Woodpecker, Duck, Paint Pot, Kebab, Zapper and Dog were added. Aerial, Paint, Catalyst, Wave Day, Excalibur, Powder, Water, Neon, Dalek, Exterminate, Optics, Blade and Garden have all been shown in Northern Ireland, and they may potentially be shown in other regions later in the year if it continues, as one or two more or are rumoured to be added later in the year. The date has not been announced for when they would end, but a BBC spokesman said two months after re-introduction that "the plan is to keep these retro idents on air for the foreseeable future and into 2015."

External links

• BBC Two page on idents
  • Idents wall poster (750KB)
• idents.tv the new BBC Two idents
• BBC Two 1997-2001 idents at TV Ark
• Ident Gallery Special Pres 2013