This period for Today could be described as the most inconsistent with the on-air presentation and presenters. Today were in a distressed state after they were wiped from the number 1 reign by newly created juggernaut Sunrise. This also marked the final two years of veteran host Steve Liebman.
Original 2003 Opener:
Modified Opener introduce early 2004:
Remember during this period they did Summer in the City and broadcasted from Sydney’s Intercontinental Hotel for a number of weeks.
In a hope to grab the ‘newer’ audience switching to Sunrise, Today tried for a set design of a more ostentatious style- bright colours- more of a relaxed presenting style. These things would have never been even considered just 18 months earlier.
Summer in the City:
For the time in Today’s history they introduced a ‘ticker’. Sunrise was the first program in Australia to use one in December 2002.
Slight modifications occurred by simply change the blue text and graphics to black
Today Show - Nine Network - 2003 - Birth Live on Air
Caps Taken from 29/08/2003
I miss the 2003 opener with the use of U2’s Beautiful day. I want them to bring it back.
Opener:
News:
Sport:
Finance:
Weather:
Live Crosses:
Phone Crosses:
Throw to break:
My favourite set of graphics/sets was in the 2003 - 2005 era (I still liked how the apartment set was used in 2006 - mid 2008 though I wasn’t a huge fan of the last update in mid 2008 - early 2009).
I loved how the graphics animated throughout the show (especially in 2005 with the today clock graphic) and the look of the 9 watermark as it was “lit up” when the middle super was present.
The 2004 set wasn’t too bad a set, kind of like a prelude to the 2005 Apartment set which as discussed on this forum many a time before was amazingly nice.
Thanks for uploading these gems @Zampakid, any chance of a video from where these caps have come from? All good if not.
Edit: Yes, I also loved the U2 Beautiful Day intro they used, they used the really nice parts of the song making it sound really nice overall.
Here’s the Opener
I’ll upload the other 50 minutes of it at a later date.
Ugh- Tony on sport. Told you Burling/Wick made last year’s Today feel like when they were last on the show 15 years earlier. Even the same sport presenter, lol- which I wasn’t aware of.
I quite like this set- the fake porch is nice but also adaptable if you don’t have a view.
Oh thanks so much!
That would be awesome if you could up the other 50 mins at some stage!
Much appreciated 
Great to see this 
Was also my favourite era of the program.
Also who was doing the finance segment?
Oriel Morrison 
Was Today broadcast in 16:9 widescreen/HD during this time?
Thurday 13/5/2004
Opener:
News:
Finance:
Sport:
Weather:
Steve in Hong Kong:
Today’s Comment segment with Alan Jones:
Crosses:
Live shots:
misc:
A Windows 2000 PC on the 2GB set
Give me that backdrop over a video wall any day!
The 2003 set reminds me of TVNZ’s Breakfast in the late 90s as it seems familiar
