Okay, not sure what they are actually called, but you know the tags in the lower right hand corner of the TV telling you what channel you are watching? They probably have a catchy phrase for them, like Station Overlays To Force The Watcher To Acknowledge That This Program Is Ours! Was thinking of letting this one go till today I got a double shot of red ass associated with this phenomenon.
Was flipping the channels (I mean come on Sunday afternoon... what do you want from me) and saw that Pinky and the Brain was playing on .... a certain station (Don't want to get sued so lets call it DIMEODEON)
Screw it, on second thought, let's not. :)
Anyway, I don't remember when Pinky and the Brain showed on other channels it having a Nickleodeon overlay inserted into every scene of the opening sequence. Oh and I don't mean the semi-transparent Nickleodeon Tag in the lower right hand corner (which was there as well), I mean they Forest Gumped the following thing into the sequence.
A Nickleodeon Globe that Brain spins (which was a normal globe before).
A Nickleodeon human brain cutout on a chart that Brain points to (which wasn't there before).
Turning gold bars that P & B are stealing Orange Nickleodeon Bricks.
Now these are just a few that stick out but trust me, EVERY scene had a Nickleodeon Thing in it... and this was just the opening sequence. For God's sake they even overlaid Nickleodeon over the top of the ACME Labs sign! I don't think there has been a desecration like this since... hmmm let's call them Dust Demons (the law suit thing again) (COUGH Dirt Devil COUGH) made the late Fred Astaire dance with a vacuum cleaner. (Um, the Nat King Cole / Natalie Cole thing comes in a very close second). I mean I could almost understand if Nickleodeon had actually made the damn show but just buying the rights to televise it doesn't mean they should plaster Nickleodeon all over it as if they had.
Then just a few minutes ago flipping channels again (scuse the hell out of me, it's not my fault I have an attention span of a tsetse fly) and stopped on The Simpsons, all ready in progress. In the lower right hand corner was the obligatory local FOX channel tag (which in itself was not that bad... transparent and smallish compared to most others) but what got me was in the lower LEFT hand corner was a large non-transparent yellow oval with THE SIMPSONS displayed in it. I understand that I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer but if I see a yellow spikey haired kid is saying "Hey, Homer." um I am pretty sure I am watching The Simpsons without having FOX pointing it out for me.
As far as I am concerned if you HAVE to have these Channel Tags in the lower right hand corner of the screen you need to follow some very simple rules.
Transparency - The more transparent the better. If I have to press my nose up to the screen and squint my eyes real tight to make it out... you are almost there.
Time Limits - They shouldn't last more than 30 seconds at the start of the program (and maybe after commercial breaks.... just maybe.) If they have to be on the entire show then double the above transparency.
The Name of the Show - This should never, ever, ever, be placed on the screen. If you can't figure out what show you are watching then you obviously haven't done your homework on the subject. Go read a book you slacker, TV is too good for you!
Time and/or Temp - Damn, I know it's cold outside... why in the hell do you think I am inside watching TV? As far as the time, I watch TV to pass the time, I don't need a reminder of how many hours of my life is draining away, hours that I will never ever get back. Ever....
Sigh....
Um never mind...