After all of the promotional activity over the last few days, the new series of Life On Mars started on BBC One tonight at 9pm...with something old, namely a recreated widescreen BBC 1 COLOUR globe instead of a standard ident; this had been preceded by a brief 'flashback sequence' featuring various tape rewinding effects.
(Edit: Except for viewers in Wales, who were fortunate enough to be treated to a genuine vintage globe and a genuine 1970s continuity announcer. Trust BBC Wales to do it properly!)
Given the recent and highly imaginative use of 'old-school' BBC1 graphics for various promotions both on and off-screen, not showing such a globe tonight would have been akin to getting engaged to someone you love then booking a honeymoon, arranging the church venue, sending out invitations then not bothering to turn up at the marriage service!
And somewhat coincidentally, today also saw a BBC press release that announced something else that's new, namely some details of the forthcoming new BBC Two idents that will be introduced next Sunday.
These new idents also partly recall the past glories of the excellent art-inspired idents introduced in 1991 - albeit in a new form - so in one respect it could also be viewed as another look back at the past but in a new form readopted for the present.
A bit like Life On Mars, actually.
