BBC One idents revamped by photographer Martin Parr

BBC One idents - the images between programmes which have ranged from swimming hippos to a revolving globe - are getting a makeover.

The broadcaster has commissioned renowned British documentary photographer Martin Parr to "capture an evolving portrait of modern Britain in all its diversity" for 2017, based around the theme of "oneness".

The new campaign launched on New Year's Day, with the image of a group of sea swimmers from Clevedon, Somerset.

Other images to have been shot include a Zumba class from Bristol and wheelchair rugby players from Wales.

The BBC said that the portraits will feature "different groups of people coming together across the UK, united by their shared passions and interests".

The groups have been selected "to reflect the diversity of modern Britain and the changing mood of the nation through significant moments in the calendar year".

The images - which are expected to number around 20 with the rest still to be shot - will replace the circle themed idents that have aired since 2006.

The BBC came under fire at the time for spending £1.2 million on the images, which included a family of computer-generated hippos practising synchronised swimming, surfers, stunt motorbike riders and kite fliers.

Famous idents over the years have included a hot air balloon and the revolving globe.

The BBC declined to say how much the new idents cost, but said that they were made in-house.

It said that the idents were designed to reflect BBC One's "role in bringing the nation together with unmissable programmes and events and celebrating all the things we share and have in common."

Director of BBC content Charlotte Moore said: "I want BBC One, the nation's favourite channel, to continue to evolve creatively and so it's important that the channel idents continue to move with the times too - and feel relevant and in touch with its big, broad mainstream audience.

"BBC One is a channel with its finger on the pulse of a fast-changing modern Britain.

"What better way to demonstrate this than by commissioning Martin Parr, one of the most celebrated documentary photographers of our time, to create idents from a series of portraits that reflect and represent the rich diversity of communities living in the UK today?

"Renowned for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, I hope that the series of images Parr captures across the year will document everyday Britain in all its glory and serve as a fascinating and lasting record of 2017."

Parr said: "To have the chance to makes stills and film these diverse groups of people, but sharing the same interests or roles all over the United Kingdom is a real privilege."

Source: BBC One idents revamped by photographer Martin Parr