This version of the BBC1 globe, designed by Lambie-Nairn, was used from 16th February 1991. When it was introduced, it was met with much criticism from viewers. Compare it to the idents that had gone before, especially its stylish blue-and-gold predecessor, and it's not difficult to see why. The figure '1' was placed inside the globe for the first time, and there was a multitude of computer-generated smoke, lights, reflections and other meaningless stuff floating round it - and for much of the time the continents were impossible to make out. In other words, it was a bit of a mess. And yet over its six-and-a-half year life, it did manage to develop a charm all of its own, and even won a string of design awards. But like most of the spinning globes over the years, it soon became totally innocuous - you simply didn't notice it any more. Incidentally, the sequence takes sixty seconds to complete.                        
Watch a clip from 1992  Watch a closedown from 1995 
The clock that accompanied the globe. This design was only used from late 1991; the original version had a larger clock face and different background. It was presumably changed to match the size of the globe. Watch a clip
 
The design of BBC1 programme slides remained constant between 1991 and 1997 (these two were seen on Friday 21st July 1995).  
As part of the 1991 revamp, there was a standard look to trailers on both BBC1 and BBC2 for the very first time, and followed a similar layout to static slides. Although not initially, from around late 1992 the stylised '1' remained in the top left corner throughout the trail.  
Seasonal programme promotions which were par for the course prior to 1991 continued beyond the new look. This example is from April 1992.  
By 1993 the seasonal themes were dropped and instead a variety of between-trail bumpers were introduced, with the figure '1' being applied in various situations. Nice ideas, but it was pretty much the same as what BBC2 was doing at the same time.  
Two menus from the end of line-up trailers in 1995.
This is how the BBC-loving Daily Mail greeted the arrival of the new BBC1 and BBC2 idents: NEW WORLD OF TV (Daily Mail, 6 February 1991)  "BBC television is changing its image. New logos for BBC1 and 2 will make their screen debuts in ten days. The main channel will feature an updated version of its famous revolving globe. BBC2 is scrapping the word 'TWO' - which first appeared in 1986 - and replacing it with nine different versions of the figure 2.
Sir Paul Fox, managing director of the network's television, said: 'We now have new symbols that spell out the identities of our two channels so that they complement each other'." Copyright © Daily Mail 1991 As in 1985, these small pictures could not prepare me for the shock that
came ten days later: My diary (16 February 1991) "Woke up early to see the new BBC1 globe - I saw the new clock first, which
was all right, but the globe itself, first shown at 9.05am, is a complete and
utter mess! At 2.45 I tuned into the first of nine new 'two's. The one I saw showed a figure 2 with paint thrown onto it. Oh dear.." But by 6th March... "...that globe is starting to grow on me.."
The virtual globe was to become one of the longest-serving BBC1 idents, on air for over six years and seven months. It took until the BBC overhauled its corporate logo on 4th October 1997 for the next change to come about - and this time, the BBC1 globe was to take a most unexpected twist... | 
