History

News and Sport North West - 1970s

It may not have any sound, but this clip is a fine example of how the news used to be introduced to the region. At the time this was the very height of sophistication - trust us!

These titles, from the early 1980s, heralded the change in the programme title from Look North to a name that reflected the region as a whole.

Stuart Hall remained at the helm of the show, with he and John Mundy being dubbed the "dream team" of news presentation in the region.

Look North West - 1984

Orwell's vision wasn't particularly applicable to the North West as the programme got a new title and urgent title music in 1984.

These titles also show the dawning of a more computerised age, especially in the purple of the Pennines.

By 1984, the programme's title had been changed again, this time to the name that it retains to this day.

The map of the region featured in the opening titles also helped to give the programme more of an identity with the region that it served.

North West Tonight - 1988

The dawning of the computer age is readily highlighted in these titles that were affectionately known as 'the worms' thanks to the freehand style of the 'NW'.

The silhouette of the worms is still visible on the front of New Broadcasting House on Oxford Road in Manchester!

Stuart and John can also be seen reading the headlines from this day, in late January 1989.

By 1991, Stuart had left North West Tonight and was replaced by Cathy Smith. John Mundy remained but is absent from this bulletin, with Winifred Robinson taking his place.

The titles are another indicator of the advancement of computer graphics but, peculiarly, do not feature any aspect of life in the North West.

Many thanks to Hayden Walker of television history website TV Ark for his help in tracking down these videos. Apologies for the variable quality in some of them.

Thanks also to the North West Film Archive at Manchester Metropolitan University for supplying videos. Apologies for the lack of sound in some of them.