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Background[]

Western Great Blue Hill (WGBH) (now GBH) is a PBS affiliate located in Boston, MA. It is owned by the WGBH Educational Foundation and produces more than two-thirds of the national programs for PBS and NET, and it first went on the air in 1955 (though they did not have a logo until 1972, where it became PBS) as an NET affiliate.

Logos[]

1st logo (1955-1956?)[]

The logo consists of the following text on the lower center position of the screen:

WGBH-TV BOSTON

CHANNEL 2

Various lines of various sizes and angles can be seen in the background. Names of cities that received the station can be seen on the left center of the screen.

2nd logo (1956-1971)[]

The logo consists of an "X" connected to a triangle on the bottom and a vertical line throughout the center. Circles are on both the left and right side of the symbol. Next to the symbol is the number "2" with "WGBH-TV Cambridge/Boston" underneath.

Variant[]

For television productions, the following is seen with the symbol next to the word "TV":

in association with WGBH-TV

BOSTON

3rd logo (1969-1971)[]

It's a In-credit logo but, with a early design of the WGBH logo:

A production of

WGBH

BOSTON

4th logo (1971-1977)[]

Against a blue background, the letters "WGBH" in a yellow generic Helvetica font quickly zoom back, away from the viewer to the vanishing point, and disappearing when the text is very small. Then the word "Boston," also in yellow, also appears out of nowhere and then zooms forward really fast, taking up the whole screen and creating a yellow background. And finally, the word "Presents" zooms forward at a fast pace, in blue.

Variants[]

  • On some prints of this logo, due to either film deterioration or film quality, the blue colors are instead sea green.
  • The very first episode of NOVA has this logo with the words all in green in a Different Font, zooming out, and scanimated as part of the show's intro. And at the end, it flashes rapidly.
  • On many early episodes of NOVA, the background is beige at first, and turns brown after "Boston" zooms in; the words "WGBH" and "Boston" are brown while "Presents" is in beige and it would zoom forward as always, transitioning to the opening cinematic.
  • On The French Chef, the logo is chroma-keyed over a slanted flag of France (which has the colors flipped around, making it look more like a Netherlands flag or the 1792 First French Republic flag) against a blue background, animation and all. Also, when the "Boston" text gets close to the screen, it inverts to being a cutout in a yellow square to get the proper effect.
  • Some episodes of the aforementioned series would have an extremely rare variant of the logo instead of the previous variant that is usually used, where the color scheme is black and cyan.
  • On the Bicentennial edition of Evening at Pops, there is a black background with yellow confetti. The first two words are white and when "Boston" zooms in and takes the full screen, the background is white, and "Presents" is black.
  • A brighter version of the blue version is featured on several episodes of The Advocates. The version has a bright blue/yellow-orange background. Some episodes also feature the logo with a bright teal/cyan background.
  • Another variant from The Advocates has the word "WGBH" in yellow on a burgundy background. This is the earliest known version of it.
  • A Recently Spotted Version on The Aforementioned Show Exists, Where The Blue colors Are Indigo.
  • On A Tribute to John Cage, the color scheme is purple and lime green.
  • On Godspell Goes to Plimoth Plantation for Thanksgiving, the background consists of the bottom view of floating red and blue balloons. The text are inverted colors of the background with "Boston" changing the whole screen to this effect.
  • On A Blind Teacher In A Public School, the color scheme is blue and white.

5th logo (1974-Late 2020?)[]

Superimposed on the end credits of the show, there is the WGBH logo, which consists of the text "WGBH" in a bold font, with the outlines being extended out from the front and back, creating a shadow effect. "Boston" is typically under it, with the colors for both being different at times. Typically, there's also a copyright for WGBH Educational Foundation.

6th logo (1977-2020)[]

  • 1977-1987: On a black background, two orange lines of "electricity" form two orange 2D "shadows", one on top and one on bottom. Then the lines form an orange outline of "WGBH" in between the "shadows". The lines stop and an orange flash starts behind the outline. The flash clears out "WGBH" as "Boston Presents" appears in an orange Helvetica font. The "Boston Presents" logo was a bumper used at the beginning of the show.
  • 1986-1993: Same as above but shortened to when WGBH begins to flash.
  • 1993-2009: Similar to the other versions, but with the "WGBH" logo already formed as it fades in, then the flash occurs and the word "BOSTON" appears spaced out below the logo in an orange Art Deco font. This version began in 1993 playing at the end of shows
  • 2002-2009: Similar to the 1993 version, but this time the "WGBH" logo forms at warp speed.
  • 2008-2020: Same as above, except the lighting an drawing effects are smoother and more refined, with starts surrounding the logo when it flashes. The flash is brighter than in previous variants, and "BOSTON" doesn't appear underneath the logo.

Variants[]

There are many variants in terms of the music and the announcer:

  • A version can occasionally be spotted in which the "glowing" animation is played, but "BOSTON" doesn't appear. This can be seen on most pre-2005 episodes of Arthur.
  • Another version exists where the "glowing" animation is delayed for half a second and the "glow" is slightly slowed down. This was only seen on episodes of Arthur.
  • On later episodes of Arthur, the byline "WGBH is a trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation" (and sometimes a URL) is shown below written in the Arthur font.
  • There is a variant in which the word "BOSTON" briefly appears in black over the center of the logo until the flash dies out. It's seen on Postcards from Buster and Peep and the Big Wide World.
  • Another local version used in the 1980s begins with a blue flash, followed by an orange "2" written in the same style as the WGBH logo zooming up. This variant was always played when the station signed on in the morning, and played in reverse when it signed off at night. No music or sounds play here.
  • On Evening with Pops, the 1986 logo is superimposed into the intro.
  • On Out Of Money, the ending is replaced with "in association with" along with the logo for Money (the magazine) in orange.
  • The 1993 version of the logo was superimposed of The American Experience.
  • There is a variant of the 2008 logo that is tinted blue. This was seen on their local productions, such as Greater Boston.
  • In another variant of the 2008 logo, the logo stays on-screen after the flash and shines before fading out.
  • A variant of the 2001 logo exists where during the flash, the logo turns into the PBS logo. This is seen before WGBH-produced programming on the station itself.
  • A filmed variant exists, which makes it clear that "Boston" simply fades in.
  • A variant exists where "Boston Presents" transitions to the text "IN ASSOCIATION WITH MONEY MAGAZINE." "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" is above "MONEY" in the same font as "Presents" as is "MAGAZINE" which is below. "Money" is in its corporate font. The text glows for a couple of seconds until fading out.

7th logo (1977-1982)[]

There is a large number 2, next to the 2 is the name of the show that's coming up next.

8th logo (1979?-1982)[]

On a black background, there is a silver outline of the "2" from before, with a flash of light on its top. To the left of the 2 is "WGBH TV" and to the right of it is "BOSTON". After a couple seconds, the logo fades to the 3rd logo.7th logo:

9th logo (1983?-1989)[]

Over a shot of the Boston skyline at night, a white colored "2" (with the extrusions filled and the "2" being a cutout) zooms back to the center of the screen. To the left of the "2" is the text "WGBH TV" and to the right of the "2" is the word "BOSTON." The "2" flashes similar to the 3rd logo turning the background black, the "2" white, and the outline orange. And the announcer (Willam Pierce) says, “This is viewer supported television in Boston, WGBH TV.”

10th logo (1986?-1989?)[]

They fade into what appears to be space. The background is entirely black with the exception of a dark blue glowing semicircle that represents Earth. The "2" from the previous logo zooms out, but it's in a shade of gold rather than orange. As it stops zooming back, pinkish red, green, and blue comets come in from the top left of the screen and go through the cut-out "2" as they streak off to the right. "W G B H T V B O S T O N" appears below in a gray-white generic font. The animation loops a few more times before the logo ends.

11th logo (1989-Early 1990s)[]

On a black background, a gold colored "2" (with the extrusions filled and the "2" being a cutout) zooms and tilts back until it disappears.

12th logo (1990-Early 1990's?)[]

On an orange sky background, There are the 2 from the previous 5 logos, made out of glass, tilt and zoom out, ending in the centre of the screen. the words "WGBH" and "TV" Appear at the top of the 2, while "BOSTON" is on the bottom. These words fade in when the 2 is in place. the 2 shines afterwards

13th logo (1991-1996)[]

There is a small globe rotate and there is the word WQED (in yellow-orange) with "PITTSBURGH".

14th logo (Early 2000s)[]

On a rendered platform featuring Greek Temple-like columns, monitors of at least six WGBH programs are present, as the camera moves forward until the Boston skyline can be seen in the background. As it does, a blue circle appears with the words "GBH 2" carved in it, with "2" in the same font as the previous 5 logos. Underneath the circle is "WGBH Boston" also in blue.

15th logo (2001-2013)[]

A brief flash shows us uncolored pipes. Suddenly, gold beams fly through them, as the camera pans around, following it. The camera then pans and zooms outward, revealing the now-completed WGBH logo in a neon format as it flashes bright like the 1977 logo. The logo goes dim as a neon number "2" [the channel number] lights up in a bluish-white color for about 3 seconds and goes out.

Variants[]

  • Also seen with affiliate stations in a black typeface on the bottom of the logo.
  • A short version exists beginning where the screen zooms out to show the logo lighting up.
  • Another shorter version cuts off the first two seconds of the logo.

16th logo (2013-2020)[]

On a black background, orange neon lights start to trace out the inner part of the WGBH logo, with the top coming first, followed by the bottom part, the 2 holes on the "B", and finally the part that makes part of the "G". The light then draws out the full outline as another line starts to draw the "shadow" part. When the inner outline is complete, the rest of the logo flickers on and flashes, revealing "WGBH-TV BOSTON" on the bottom. The logo then glows a la the "2" in logo 7 then shortens out in a similar matter.

Music/Sounds[]

[]

Unknown, but it may have an announcer.

[]

Unknown for the station ID. The in credit variant uses the ending audio to the program it follows.

[]

Currently unknown as the narrator reads over the airing of the program but, most likely the ending theme of the program.

[]

Composed by Gershon Kingsley, we hear eerie, choppy, UFO-like computer blips that ascend and descend several times; a rising Moog violin stinger then plays over the blips, until said stinger settles on a high note.

Music/Sounds Variants[]

  • The jingle is often sometimes played at a slower speed.
  • Sometimes, the B&W version of this logo has a higher pitch.
  • A low tone variant exists.

[]

None or the show's end theme

[]

Same as the 4th logo. There have been 2 versions, a long version and a short version. The entire 7-second jingle is used as the long version, and is in much better sound quality and plays at the correct speed. The short version features only the rising synth chord (but we still hear the eerie UFO sound, but only abridged), and is much more common nowadays. Sometimes, an announcer will say "A production/presentation of WGBH Boston." or "(show's name) is a production/presentation of WGBH Boston."

Music/Sounds Variants[]

  • The local version has two versions.
    • Before WGBH programming on the station, it features the full music along with a male announcer saying "(show's name) is a production of WGBH. Produced in Boston, shared with the world."
    • The station ID has the abridged music with an announcer saying "You're watching WGBH Boston".
  • A version has been seen with abridged animation, no voice-over, and slightly lower-pitched music on Design Squad.
  • Two versions can be heard whether it's long or short; one is the original pitch, while the other is slightly higher pitched. The 1986 and 2008 versions have the former, while the 1993 version has the latter. The 1977 version has either.
  • Sometimes the 1993 or 2001 logos have an announcer saying "(Show's name) is a production/presentation of WGBH Boston." or simply "A production/presentation of WGBH Boston".
    • On Mystery and Masterpiece Theatre, the announcer has a British accent; this lasted until 2002 and 2000, respectively.
    • On the 1999 revival of Zoom, a kid from the show voices over, with the short music. Starting in 2002, there would be no announcer and it would just have the music.
  • On High School Quiz Show, the 2008 logo has an announcer say "A production of WGBH"
  • On Neighborhoods, the 1977 logo has a female announcer saying "The following program is a co-production of WGBH Boston and Cablevision of Boston". That's a case where only the 1977 logo uses an announcer.
  • In the "Money Magazine" variant, the jingle has a slight reverb at the end.

[]

The announcer saying the name of the show that's next on WGBH 2

[]

A female announcer says "This is Channel 2, WGBH-TV Boston."

[]

A mellow synth theme with a synthesized whoosh as the logo zooms out. There is a "ping" as the logo flashes and a drumbeat afterwards. Throughout the logo, an announcer (William Pierce) says "This is viewer supported television from Boston. WGBH TV."

[]

An excerpt of "Shadowdance" by "Shadowfax."

[]

None.

[]

An 8-note trumpet theme, with a string holding a "C" note throughout. at the end, we hear a 3 note tinkle from a vibraphone.

[]

  • September 30, 1991-December 25, 1992: The first part of the theme of the show as Lynne Thigpen says "Today's caper is presented by WQED Pittsburgh.
  • September 27, 1993-October 4, 1996: The end theme of the show with Lynne Thigpen (who died in 2003) saying "This program is presented by WQED Pittsburgh.

[]

A tribal kind of song with an announcer saying "You're watching the best television on television, Boston's PBS station: WGBH 2."

[]

A slightly extended version of the infamous WGBH synth theme. When the WGBH logo flashes, announcer Jim Birdsall, who has done work for CNBC and NBC stations KING and KGW in Seattle and Portland, says "WGBH Boston". Finally, a humming sound is heard when the "2" appears.

Music/Sounds Variant[]

On Greater Boston, a male announcer (with the opening theme playing over his announcement) says, "This is a production of WGBH 2 Boston".

[]

An ominous hum is heard first, followed by a series of snippets of the infamous theme when the neon traces the logo, but computer blips are now terribly out of tune. The logo then plays the full theme with an announcer saying "You're watching WGBH 2, Boston.", followed with the same humming sound from the 7th logo.


Scare Factor[]

1st logo[]

None to medium, the background can look off-putting to some, but it's harmless.

2nd logo[]

Low, it's mainly due to the symbol. Otherwise, it's tame.

3rd logo[]

None.

4th logo[]

Depending on the variant:

  • Original Version: Low to medium. The zooming-ins and the music can scare some, but it's a great logo.
  • High-Pitched/Black and White Variant: Medium. The logo is colorless and the music is higher pitched which can scare some, but it's still a great logo.
  • Silent version: None to medium. Due to the zoom-ins.

5th logo[]

Minimal to high, depending on the ending themes (it's typically none).

6th logo[]

None. This is a great logo, and it is a favorite of many.

7th logo[]

None. It's very basic.

8th logo[]

None to medium. The logo itself isn't scary, but with the black background, no audio except for the announcer (which is quite calm and can decrease the scare factor for some), and especially with it fading to the 3rd logo, it can creep out a few.

9th logo[]

Low to high. The logo comes out of nowhere without warning and the flash could scare some. The scare factor could increase if the third logo follows it. As usual, the scare factor is lower for those who aren't scared or used to the third logo.

10th logo[]

None.

11th logo[]

Minimal to low. You may be surprised when you first see the "2", but it's otherwise harmless.

12th logo[]

Minimal to low. It's an elegant and mesmerising logo.

13th logo[]

None.

14th logo[]

None.

15th logo[]

None. It’s cool.

16th logo[]

None. It's a great mix of the 6th logo, 15th logo and 16th logo.

Videos[]

Gallery[]


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