Ragdoll Limited

1st Logo (October 1985-1994)

Nickname: "The Ragdoll"

Logo: On a black background, we see a black and white Raggedy Ann/Andy-like doll holding a candle with a "yellow sun" behind it. Written around it are "A Ragdoll (U.K.) Production for Central". Below that is a copyright date.

Variants: On Pob's Programme, a toy ragdoll appears, Pob decides to blow the ragdoll's candle. At the end of 1993-1994 episodes of Tots TV, the background is a blue gradient. On Brum, the 'for Central' and the (U.K.) are absent. Plus, all the text is in another font, and the copyright date below is different. On Rosie and Jim, the logo is obscured inside a porthole on a dark red background. This version lasted until 1996, although was redrawn several times

FX/SFX: None. For the Pob variant, Pob blowing out the toy ragdoll's candle.

Music/Sounds: None usually, but on Brum, an ascending synthesised piano jingle is played.

Availability: Rare. The normal variant is seen on Playbox, Rosie and Jim, and Brum. The logo was first seen on Pob's Programme.

Scare Factor: Depending on variant:

None to medium. The weird look of the doll with its lack of pupils and bright shine, against the black background, can unnerve some. Medium to high for the Brum variant, as the music can be quite unsettling, especially if you're not expecting it.

2nd Logo (October 6- December 1, 1994)

Nicknames: "The Ragdoll II", "Lying Ragdoll"

Logo: On a black background, we see the ragdoll (colorized with orange hair) in checkered red/white overalls lying over the word "Ragdoll" in a bold, yellow font. The ragdoll is still holding the candle over him, with a "yellow sun" behind it. The sun "wobbles" for a second or two. "works for children" is seen in a small white font, below "doll". Below the logo is "A Ragdoll Production", in the same white font, but bigger. Below that is a copyright date.

FX/SFX: The wobbling sun.

Music/Sounds: A re-arrangement of the first jingle, but played on a harp rather than a synth-piano, and in a different key.

Availability: Rare. Seen on original screenings and VHS recordings of the second series of Brum.

Scare Factor: None to medium, due to the black BG, the music and the slightly creepy-looking doll. The logo is particularly unnerving if you are expecting the first logo and wind up with this.

3rd Logo (1994-2000)

Nickname: "The Ragdoll III"

Logo: We see the same ragdoll from before, only smaller and colorized in checkered teal(or blue)/white overalls and red hair, isn't holding a candle (but we see the "yellow sun" anyway), inside a door-shaped frame, a la Columbia Pictures' '80s print logo. Under the ragdoll, the red word "Ragdoll" is seen. Underneath that, "A Ragdoll Production" (in red) is seen underneath. At the bottom of the screen is copyright info.

Variants: On Teletubbies, under the Ragdoll logo, the BBC logo is underneath. "A Ragdoll Production" is seen underneath as usual. The background is black. On PBS airings of Teletubbies, the words "A Ragdoll/BBC Production for PBS in association with The itsy bitsy Entertainment Co." is under the logo with a teal blue gradient BG. On some direct-to-video releases using the characters from Tots TV, (Which were aptly named Tots Videos) the logo is much bigger.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None for the regular variant. on the Tots Videos variant, the music from logo 2 is used.

Music/Sounds Variant: On early versions of the ident, the music is re-arranged in a music box style.

Availability: Seen on reruns of 1991-1994 episodes of Brum, 1995-1998 episodes of Tots TV (and plastered on earlier episodes)and on 1997-2000 episodes of Teletubbies.

Scare Factor: Depending on variant:

None for the regular variant. Medium for the jingle-variant, as the jingle doesn't begin playing until about five seconds into the logo, when you're not expecting it.

4th Logo (2000- )

Nickname: "The Drawing Smile", "The Ragdoll IV"

Logo: We see the black word "Ragdoll" and a red doodle of a ragdoll's head with eyes, but no mouth. A smile is drawn below the eyes. Copyright info is on the bottom of the screen.

Variants: On Teletubbies episodes from mid-late 2000, it was seen on a yellow-orange background. From late 2000-early 2001, it was seen on a black background, with a yellow-orange box for the Ragdoll logo. The text "A Ragdoll production" was seen between the Ragdoll logo and copyright. In the Night Garden uses a logo that is the same as the previous one, but with "for BBC" and the BBC logo below. Sometimes, the CBeebies logo would be used instead, which consists of "CBeebies" in a arcing bulgy yellow font with purple blobs in the holes of the B's and E's, and a white BBC logo below it. On Boohbah, it is superimposed on the closing credits. DVD releases of Boohbah have the still Ragdoll logo with the words "A Ragdoll Production in association with GMTV". There is a more longer version, in which the logo's hair, eyes and mouth are drawn in as the camera shows shots of the logo forming.

FX/SFX: The smile drawing.

Music/Sounds: A sound effect to make the drawing of the smile, or the end theme of the show. The animated variant has a drawing sound, followed by various squeaky party blower-like sounds.

Availability: Seen on Teletubbies from 2000-2001, Boohbah, In the Night Garden, and Brum.

Scare Factor: Low. The sound can catch you off guard.