Test Card F
Encyclopedia
Test card
A test card, also known as a test pattern in North America and Australia, is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast...
that was created by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and used on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and in countries elsewhere in the world for more than four decades. Like other test cards, it was usually shown while no programmes were being broadcast, but was the first to be transmitted in colour in the UK and the first to feature a person, and has become an iconic British image regularly subject to parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
.
The central image on the card shows eight-year-old Carole Hersee
Carole Hersee
Carole Hersee is a costume designer who is best known for appearing in the centrepiece of the iconic United Kingdom television Test Card F, which aired on BBC Television from 1967 to 1998 and was revived in 2009...
, playing noughts and crosses
Tic-tac-toe
Tic-tac-toe, also called wick wack woe and noughts and crosses , is a pencil-and-paper game for two players, X and O, who take turns marking the spaces in a 3×3 grid. The X player usually goes first...
with a clown doll, Bubbles the Clown, surrounded by various greyscales
Grayscale
In photography and computing, a grayscale or greyscale digital image is an image in which the value of each pixel is a single sample, that is, it carries only intensity information...
and colour test signals needed to ensure a correct picture. It was first broadcast on 2 July 1967 (the day after the first colour pictures appeared to the public on television) on BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
.
The card was developed by a BBC engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, George Hersee
George Hersee
George Hersee was a BBC engineer, who is most famous for his development of Test Card F. This design came about after Hersee was asked to intervene by the committee charged with the creation of technical standards for the new colour TV services.Hersee was born in Sussex, England...
, father of the girl in the central image. It was frequently broadcast during downtime on BBC1
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
until that channel went fully 24 hours in November 1997, and on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
until its downtime was replaced entirely by Pages from Ceefax in 1998, after which it was only seen during engineering work, and was last seen in this role in 1999. The card was also seen on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. Test Card J
Test Card J
Test Card J is a test card, an image used to determine the quality of a broadcast television picture. It is an updated version of Test Card F, which was created by BBC engineer George Hersee, and is used to test analogue television signals...
, Test Card W
Test Card W
Test Card W is a test card, an image used to determine the quality of a broadcast television picture. It is an updated 16:9 widescreen version of Test Card F, which was created by BBC engineer George Hersee. Test Card W is similar to Test Card J, the latter being a 4:3 version...
and Test Card X
Test Card X
Test Card X is a BBC testcard, used on the BBC HD channel, designed for 1080 line vision. It includes a picture of Carole Hersee and Bubbles the clown, which also appears on the BBC testcards Test Card F, Test Card J and Test Card W. The testcard can be viewed every two hours as part of the BBC HD...
, which are digitally enhanced, widescreen and high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
versions respectively, have replaced it, although they are very infrequently broadcast because the BBC now broadcasts BBC News and Ceefax
Ceefax
Ceefax is the BBC's teletext information service transmitted via the analogue signal, started in 1974 and will run until April 2012 for Pages from Ceefax, while the actual interactive service will run until 24 October 2012, in-line with the digital switchover.-History:During the late 60s, engineer...
pages on its terrestrial channels during downtime. Testcards now only appear during the annual RBS Test Transmissions (part of engineering works taking place around January) and during the BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
preview loop, which uses the BBC HD Test Card.
Technical information
Virtually all the designs and patterns on the card have some significance. Along the top (see above) are 95% colour-bars in descending order of luminanceLuminance
Luminance is a photometric measure of the luminous intensity per unit area of light travelling in a given direction. It describes the amount of light that passes through or is emitted from a particular area, and falls within a given solid angle. The SI unit for luminance is candela per square...
- white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
, yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
, cyan
Cyan
Cyan from , transliterated: kýanos, meaning "dark blue substance") may be used as the name of any of a number of colors in the blue/green range of the spectrum. In reference to the visible spectrum cyan is used to refer to the color obtained by mixing equal amounts of green and blue light or the...
, green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
, magenta
Magenta
Magenta is a color evoked by light stronger in blue and red wavelengths than in yellowish-green wavelengths . In light experiments, magenta can be produced by removing the lime-green wavelengths from white light...
, red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
, blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
and black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
. There are triangles on each of the four sides of the card to check for correct overscan
Overscan
Overscan is extra image area around the four edges of a video image that may not be seen reliably by the viewer. It exists because television sets in the 1930s through 1970s were highly variable in how the video image was framed within the cathode ray tube .-Origins of overscan:Early televisions...
ning of the picture. Standard greyscale and frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
response tests are found on the left and right respectively of the central picture. On the updated Test Card J
Test Card J
Test Card J is a test card, an image used to determine the quality of a broadcast television picture. It is an updated version of Test Card F, which was created by BBC engineer George Hersee, and is used to test analogue television signals...
, the X on the noughts-and-crosses board is an indicator for aligning the centre of the screen.
F
F is the sixth letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet.-History:The origin of ⟨f⟩ is the Semitic letter vâv that represented a sound like or . Graphically, it originally probably depicted either a hook or a club...
— a sans serif F denoting an original optical version of the test card.
Originally a photographic slide made up of two transparencies in perfect registration - one containing the colour information and the other the monochrome background — the card was converted to electronic form in 1984 when electronic storage became possible.
Test Card F music
A sound of some kind usually is transmitted in the background. It is sometimes music, usually a composition commissioned by the station itself or "royalty-free" stock music. Composers whose music has been used include Roger RogerRoger Roger (composer)
Roger Roger was a French film composer and bandleader. His aliases included: Eric Swan, Cecil Leuter, the last being a pseudonym he used for his electronic productions...
, Johnny Pearson
Johnny Pearson
John Valmore Pearson known as Johnny Pearson, was a British composer, orchestra leader and pianist...
, Neil Richardson and Frank Chacksfield
Frank Chacksfield
Frank Chacksfield was an English pianist, organist, composer and conductor of popular light orchestral easy listening music, who had great success in Britain and internationally in the 1950s and early 1960s.-Life and career:...
.
However, during more recent years in which the Test Card is only played during engineering tests on the BBC, it is more common to hear a steady tone of various pitches accompanied by a female talking clock. Test Card music had ceased to be frequently heard in the 1980s (though it continues to be played over Pages From Ceefax).
Bubbles the Clown
Colour
Bubbles' original body colour was blueBlue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
and white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
, but the BBC engineers decided that green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
was also needed within the scene as the other two television primary colours, red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
and blue, were already shown. A green wrap was made to cover his body and this can be seen in Test Cards J
Test Card J
Test Card J is a test card, an image used to determine the quality of a broadcast television picture. It is an updated version of Test Card F, which was created by BBC engineer George Hersee, and is used to test analogue television signals...
and W
Test Card W
Test Card W is a test card, an image used to determine the quality of a broadcast television picture. It is an updated 16:9 widescreen version of Test Card F, which was created by BBC engineer George Hersee. Test Card W is similar to Test Card J, the latter being a 4:3 version...
, along with more of his body shown in the photograph — revealing the fact that he is actually holding a piece of chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
, which was not previously visible.
However, the shade of green material chosen was too subtle for the engineers' liking and so Bubbles' body colour in Test Card F was retouched
Photo editing
Photo editing can refer to:* Image editing techniques applied to photographs.* The cultural impact and ethical concerns of photo manipulation....
(this can be seen from the edges of his image) to make it more saturated
Saturation (color theory)
In colorimetry and color theory, colorfulness, chroma, and saturation are related but distinct concepts referring to the perceived intensity of a specific color. Colorfulness is the degree of difference between a color and gray. Chroma is the colorfulness relative to the brightness of another color...
and also to give it a higher luminance
Luminance
Luminance is a photometric measure of the luminous intensity per unit area of light travelling in a given direction. It describes the amount of light that passes through or is emitted from a particular area, and falls within a given solid angle. The SI unit for luminance is candela per square...
value on screen.
Recent years
Since the late 1990s, Bubbles has only very rarely appeared on television as Test Card F has been discontinued, and Test Cards J and W are very seldom shown due to the advent of digital televisionDigital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
and 24-hour programming.
For the fortieth anniversary of Test Card F, there has been renewed interest in Bubbles in the media; in a 2007 interview, Hersee mentioned that she took Bubbles into school with her to prove to her headmaster that she really was the girl in the picture.
The BBC Website (as of June 2009) features Bubbles next to a chalkboard with '404' inscribed on it when a user visits a page that does not exist. (BBC Website 404 Page)
The BBC website's '500' Internal Error page features Bubbles next to a chalkboard but with fire in the background.
In popular culture
Variations and parodies of Test Card F are common in British broadcasting, Internet sites and games.Television
- In the 1970s ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
satirical seriesSatireSatire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
, End of Part OneEnd of Part OneEnd of Part One was a British television comedy sketch show written by David Renwick and Andrew Marshall and produced by Simon Brett, it was made by London Weekend Television. It ran for two series on ITV, from 1979 to 1980 and was an attempt at a TV version of The Burkiss Way...
, there is an audition for a new test card 'girl'. This features various adults (including a bearded man) sitting behind a giant test-card cutout and attempting the same pose as Test Card F. - A fictional version of Test Card F, of sorts, appears in the BBC television series Life on MarsLife on Mars (TV series)Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
. A girl resembling Carole Hersee as she appeared in the test card acts as a sort of spiritual guide in the series. The real thing flashes on and off during a BBC One ident in order to create the feeling of the 1970s. - The Weebl and BobWeebl and BobThe Everyday Happenings of Weebl is a Flash cartoon series created by Jonti Picking and co-scripted by Chris Vick .-Main summary:...
cartoon "merchandise" features a parody of Test Card F, in which Carole is replaced by Weebl and the clown is replaced by Bob wearing a clown's hat and makeup. - A version of Test Card F (with Carole replaced) was seen in 2006 on Channel MChannel mChannel M is a regional television station, based in Manchester, England. It began broadcasting on 14 February 2000 as Manchester Student Television and is owned and operated by the Guardian Media Group.-Coverage:...
as part of the Frank SidebottomFrank SidebottomChristopher Mark Sievey was an English musician and comedian known for fronting the band The Freshies in the late 1970s and early 1980s and for his comic persona Frank Sidebottom from 1984 onwards....
show. - In a HeadcasesHeadcasesHeadcases was an ITV satirical animation show based on current affairs. It employed the same satirical style as Spitting Image, 2DTV and Bo' Selecta! but using 3D animation created by UK Visual Effects and animation house Red Vision...
sketch, Katie Price is shown as Hersee, while a made-up Peter AndrePeter AndréPeter James Andrea , better known by the stage name as Peter Andre, is an English-born Australian musician, singer-songwriter, television personality and businessman. As a recording artist, he has achieving four top 10 UK albums and ten top 10 singles.-Early life:Andre was born at Northwick Park...
is the doll Bubbles. - ITV DigitalITV DigitalITV Digital was a British digital terrestrial television broadcaster, which launched a pay-TV service on the world's first digital terrestrial television network as ONdigital in 1998 and briefly re-branded as ITV Digital in July 2001, before the service ceased in May 2002. Its main shareholders...
, the former UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pay-TV platform, featured Al (Johnny VegasJohnny VegasJohnny Vegas is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his angry rants, portly figure, high husky voice and support of St Helens rugby league club. More recently he has moved into dramatic acting.-Early life:He was born in St Helens, Lancashire, the youngest of four children of Laurence...
) and Monkey as the girl and clown on its spoof testcard, shown when some of the channels on the platform were off air. - An updated version of Test Card F has appeared on Sky HDSky HDSky+ HD is the brand name of the HDTV service launched by BSkyB on 22 May 2006 in the United Kingdom and Ireland to enable high definition channels on Sky to be viewed. For the first 2 years after launch, the service was branded Sky HD. The service requires the user to have a Sky+ HD Digibox...
, with television presenter Myleene KlassMyleene KlassMyleene Angela Quinn is an English singer, pianist, media personality and occasional model. She was formerly a member of the defunct British pop band Hear'Say.-Early life:...
playing the role of Carole Hersee. Unlike the original static Test Card F, Klass steps out of the frame and gives viewers a ten-minute guide to high-definition television. - Julian BarrattJulian BarrattJulian Barratt is an English comedian, musician, music producer and actor. Barratt is best known for playing the character of Howard Moon in the cult comedy The Mighty Boosh, which he also co-writes with comedy partner, Noel Fielding.-The Mighty Boosh:Barratt stars as the character Howard Moon...
and Noel FieldingNoel FieldingNoel Fielding is a British artist, comedian and actor. He is known for his roles as Vince Noir in The Mighty Boosh, which he co-writes with comedy partner Julian Barratt, and as team captain on the music panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.-Stand-up comedy:Noel Fielding performed regularly as a...
of BBC ThreeBBC ThreeBBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
's cult comedy programme The Mighty BooshThe Mighty BooshThe Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
posed for a parody of Test Card F for Guardian UnlimitedGuardian Unlimitedguardian.co.uk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. Georgina Henry is the editor...
in 2006. - Nick UK showed a parody of Test Card F during off-time circa 1993, using Test Card N. It features a big Nick splat logo in the center, and pictures of stars (like Tommy from Rugrats, or Stimpy from Ren & Stimpy) on other areas.
- The celebrity quiz show "It's Only TV, But I Like It" used a version of the test card replacing the scene with the host Jonathon RossJonathon RossJonathon Ross is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. He played with the Adelaide Crows.A well-built, strong key position player, Jonathon Ross had the potential to go far...
and regular team captains Julian ClaryJulian ClaryJulian Peter McDonald Clary is an English comedian and novelist, known for his deliberately stereotypical camp style, with a heavy reliance on innuendo and double entendre.-Early life and education:...
and Phill JupitusPhill JupitusPhillip Christopher Jupitus is an English stand-up and improvised comedian, actor, performance poet, musician and podcaster....
surrounding the chalkboard as a promotional image. - The S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear SkyS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear SkyS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, is the prequel to S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, a first-person shooter video game by Ukrainian developer GSC Game World. The game consists of a roughly 50/50 mix of new areas and old, remodeled areas from the previous game...
episode of the show Zero PunctuationZero PunctuationZero Punctuation is an ongoing video game review series created by comedy writer and video game journalist Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw and published by the online magazine The Escapist.-Background:...
uses a similar image, with the girl replaced by Yahtzee and the clown replaced by an imp. - It was spoofed in an episode of Spitting ImageSpitting ImageSpitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
which featured Bubbles complaining about the music being played, then going on strike, with Nicholas WitchellNicholas WitchellNicholas Newton Henshall Witchell is an English journalist. He is the current diplomatic and royal correspondent for BBC News...
bought in as a replacement, much to Carole's dismay. - In the sketch show That Mitchell and Webb LookThat Mitchell and Webb LookThat Mitchell and Webb Look is a British television sketch show starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. Shown on BBC Two since 2006, its first two series were directed by David Kerr, who also directed Mitchell and Webb's previous television sketch show The Mitchell and Webb Situation, whereas...
, there is a series of sketches portraying the aftermath of "The Event" which feature a parody of Test Card F, featuring Bubbles with a sad face, Carole wearing a gas maskGas maskA gas mask is a mask put on over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Some gas masks are also respirators, though the word...
, and depressing phrases such as "Mummy won't wake up" written on the blackboard. - The ominous "Poetry Girl" appears in a frame with a pattern very similar to that of Test Card F in the 2010 Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episode, "The Beast BelowThe Beast Below"The Beast Below" is the second episode of the fifth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by showrunner Steven Moffat and broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 10 April 2010....
". - The FonejackerFonejackerFonejacker is a British comedy programme broadcast on E4 featuring a series of prank calls involving a number of different characters performed by British Iranian television actor Kayvan Novak. It first appeared in May 2006, although it did not become a full series until 2007.The first series began...
life insurance sketch features Test Card F on the screen of an ECG machine. - In the Credits of Gravity Falls. Grunkle Stan Parody of Testcard F Replacing the Image of Carole HerseeCarole HerseeCarole Hersee is a costume designer who is best known for appearing in the centrepiece of the iconic United Kingdom television Test Card F, which aired on BBC Television from 1967 to 1998 and was revived in 2009...
Other
- The 1967 Jimi HendrixJimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
song The Wind Cries MaryThe Wind Cries MaryThe Wind Cries Mary is a song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience released as the band's third single, backed with "Highway Chile", on May 5, 1967. It reached no. 6 in the UK Charts. The track is an example of psychedelic blues-rock, as the song is in the key of F major, with a guitar solo primarily...
allegedly features a reference to the clown in the opening line, "and the clowns have gone to bed". As Jimi was in Britain in the 1960s he would often see the test card at night. - The image has appeared on recordings of easy listeningEasy listeningEasy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
music played during transmissions: The Girl, The Doll, The Music and Big Bandwidth, both released by Chandos RecordsChandos RecordsChandos Records is an independent classical music recording company based in Colchester, Essex, in the United Kingdom, founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.- Background :...
. - In Fable II, a parody of the card is found in the video option screen.
- Roger MellieRoger MellieRoger Mellie is a fictional character featured in Viz magazine. His catchphrase is "Hello, good evening and bollocks!", satirising David Frost's catchphrase "Hello, good evening, and welcome". The character is foul-mouthed, an obnoxious misogynist who manages to maintain a career as a television...
of Viz magazine fame appeared in the introductory frame of one of his cartoons as a substitute for Carole Hersee. Instead of playing noughts and crosses, he has written "bollocks" on the blackboard. - Sun television columnist Ally Ross uses a parody of Test Card F, replacing Carole Hersee with himself, the blackboard text always referencing an event from that weeks popular TV programmes.
- In the film Sid and NancySid and NancySid and Nancy is a 1986 British biopic directed by Alex Cox. The film portrays the life of Sid Vicious , bassist of the seminal punk rock band the Sex Pistols, and his relationship with girlfriend Nancy Spungen .-Plot:The film opens with several police officers dragging Sid Vicious out of the Hotel...
, the test card can be seen on the television in the apartment. - On the Cracking ContraptionsCracking ContraptionsWallace and Gromit's Cracking Contraptions are a series of ten Wallace and Gromit stop motion animations varying in length from 1 to 3 minutes. Each episode features one of Wallace's new inventions and Gromit's skeptical reaction to it...
episode "The Tellyscope", the test card appears, but it is nicknamed Test Card "W&G", and Bubbles and Carole are replaced by Shaun and Wallace. - Bubbles is often seen as an evil clownEvil clownThe image of the evil clown is a development in popular culture, in which the playful trope of the clown is rendered as disturbing through the use of horror elements and dark humor.-Background:...
, inciting phobiaPhobiaA phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
in some young children who witnessed him, and is described as "somewhat unsettling". Dorian Lynskey of The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
notes of a spoof of the clown's style:
- The test card is parodied in the music video for "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train(Waiting For) The Ghost Train" The Ghost-Train" is a one-off single by Madness. Released in 1986 shortly after the band announced it was to split, it was their last recording of original material until they officially reformed in 1992...
" by MadnessMadness (band)In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
, replacing Hersee with a band member, Chas SmashChas SmashCathal Smyth, also known as Chas Smash is an English musician, best known as the backing singer and dancer in the ska/pop band Madness. He also plays trumpet, acoustic guitar and various percussion instruments...
, in drag and replacing the "BBC TV" logo with the text "MAD 1 COLOUR" (with a similar look to the BBC logo). - A parody of Test Card F appears numerous times in the music video of Moving to New YorkMoving to New York"Moving to New York" is a song by the Liverpool band The Wombats. It was originally released exclusively on 7-inch, in limited edition packaging, on October 26, 2006 and then re-released on January 14, 2008. The song is taken from the band's album A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation...
by the band The WombatsThe WombatsThe Wombats are an indie rock band formed in Liverpool, England. The band comprises native Liverpudlians Matthew Murphy and Dan Haggis , alongside Norwegian-born Tord Øverland-Knudsen...
. Carole Hersee is replaced by images of the band in various poses. - In 2000 a sketch group called The BendersThe BendersThe Benders were a British comedy sketch group who performed on the London comedy circuit between 2000 & 2002.This sketch group comprised the following comic actors and writers:*Neil Edmond *Stephen Evans...
parody Test Card F in a short film sequence where Carole Hersee is kidnapped by a hooded figure and taken round various locations in a wheelbarrow before meeting with a sad demise. - At the end of the Shrek 4-DShrek 4-DShrek 4-D is a 4-D film at various theme parks around the world. Universal Parks & Resorts owns the main rights to the film which is currently shown at their parks in Hollywood, Florida, Japan and Singapore...
pre-show, the monitor screen shows Lord Farquaad replacing the image of Carole HerseeCarole HerseeCarole Hersee is a costume designer who is best known for appearing in the centrepiece of the iconic United Kingdom television Test Card F, which aired on BBC Television from 1967 to 1998 and was revived in 2009...
with himself.
BBC links
- Test card special (BBC News, 19 April 2001)
- Down-loadable test card wallpaper from the BBC
Interviews
- Carole Hersee interview marking the 40th anniversary of test card F
- Interview about the Mighty Boosh's Test Card F parody
Others
- The Test Card Circle Fan group site includes history of the BBC and ITA Test Cards, the music, and details about the Trade Test Colour Films shown from the late fifties to 1973.
- A history of the card
- A history of the BBC's test cards