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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 7 2009, 9:11 AM EST (current) | VofDoom | 1 word added, 1 word deleted |
| Oct 15 2009, 9:16 AM EDT | gshowguy | 17 words added |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
Logo descriptions by Jeffrey Gray and Shadeed A. Kelly
Logo captures by V of Doom, Shadeed A. Kelly, Bob Fish, and Eric S.
Editions by V of Doom and bmasters9
Video captures courtesy of JohnnyL80 and rhomeo5
Background: This production company originally started in 1980 by Stephen J. Cannell. He was and still is an author and a producer for most shows. I will not go very much into detail about the animation because the animation in all of his logos are the same, but I will break down the description of each one and will being squeezed into one article. After, this company merged to New World Entertainment in 1995, and finally, to News Corporation in 1997, with the acquisition of the parent company. Nowdays, this company is still alive, but mainly for Cannell's work as a novelist. The logo has not been used on an original show since 1999, when Silk Stalkings ended its long run on the USA Network. There is still possibilities that the logo will be used on an original project in the future, namely a movie version of Hunter or The A-Team. Today, all Cannell library (except for The A-Team, Stone, and The Duke owned by NBC Universal, Inc., Hardcastle & McCormick and Riptide owned by Sony Pictures Television and Hunter distributed by Sony Pictures Television (by way of TeleVentures) and MGM International Television Distribution (global rights through NBC Universal, with certain rights by Warner Bros. Entertainment) is owned mainly by News Corporation and distributed by 20th Television.
1st Logo
(1981-1982)
Logo: Just an in-credit text saying: "A STEPHEN J. CANNELL PRODUCTION". with a copyright stamp below.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show.
Availability: Extinct. Was only seen on The Great American Hero.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
(1981-1999) 
Nicknames: "Guy on Typewriter", "Cannell", "The Angry Typewriter Man!"
Logo: A live-action man (Stephen J. Cannell himself) with a pompadour and a beard is typing at a typewriter in an office/study area with bookshelves and awards galore. The camera then pans clockwise from his face to his back. Once the camera is towards Cannell's back, he throws the paper he is typing on over his head. The paper becomes animated on a black background, and floats downwards towards a stack of animated papers below. The paper "scoops" up the top papers in the stack and forms a C. The text "Stephen J. Cannell Productions (Inc.)", or "A Stephen J. Cannell Production", with "Production/Productions (Inc.)" sliding out from below the company name, is formed above.
Variants:
Trivia: This logo is parodied at the near end of the music video for the song "DVNO" by Justice. It was also parodied in a 2000 episode of Family Guy--, "The Story on Page One".
Outfit List: Here is a list of outfits worn by Mr. Cannell over the years:
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The animation used to "turn" the "real" paper into an animated one may be tacky to some, though it is a great transition.
Music/Sounds: A dramatic tune is played while Cannell types, which contains string-like instruments and pounding synthesizers. The tone is more soothing when Cannell throws the paper, reaching a climax with a wind instrument (probably a flute). When the C forms, ominous horns and flutes played along with the pounding synthesizers while Cannell types.
Music/Sound Variants:
Availability: Still saved on Cannell's shows when reran, especially The A-Team back when Sleuth reran it (it has since been pulled from the schedule, due to its new "grittier" direction). Also seen on the reruns of Hunter and DVD releases of 21 Jump Street, Riptide, Hunter, Silk Stalkings, and Hardcastle and McCormick (the Hardcastle releases are from VEI of Toronto, Canada).
Scare Factor: Low to medium; the music is quite dramatic, the animation looks a little creepy to some, and Mr. Cannell himself doesn't look like the nicest guy in the world here (especially in the early years).
3rd Logo
(1991-1994)
Nicknames: "3D Cannell", "The Cannell Studios"
Logo: On a purple marble background, we see a 3D "silvery" version of the "C" zooming out, along with the 3D text "THE
CANNELL STUDIOS" in Times New Roman font tilted at a 90-degree angle, then does a 90-degree turn to face us while the "C" takes its position below the Cannell text. Once the text and the "C" go into their above and below positions, respectively, the "C" quickly flashes, turning everything into 2D. A copyright notice for Stephen J. Cannell Productions, Inc. fades in below the logo after the animation is all done.
FX/SFX: The "C" and text zooming out; the copyright notice fading in.
Music/Sounds: A dramatic synthesizer tune.
Availability: Extinct; only known to be seen on later Caesar's Challenge episodes on NBC and the 1991-92 show Personals. If you live in Canada, and you have Game TV, you should be able to spot this logo, as Caesar's Challenge is airing in reruns there.
Scare Factor: Low; the pace of the logo and the music may unnerve more than a few.
Logo captures by V of Doom, Shadeed A. Kelly, Bob Fish, and Eric S.
Editions by V of Doom and bmasters9
Video captures courtesy of JohnnyL80 and rhomeo5
1st Logo
(1981-1982)
Logo: Just an in-credit text saying: "A STEPHEN J. CANNELL PRODUCTION". with a copyright stamp below.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show.
Availability: Extinct. Was only seen on The Great American Hero.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
(1981-1999)
Nicknames: "Guy on Typewriter", "Cannell", "The Angry Typewriter Man!"
Logo: A live-action man (Stephen J. Cannell himself) with a pompadour and a beard is typing at a typewriter in an office/study area with bookshelves and awards galore. The camera then pans clockwise from his face to his back. Once the camera is towards Cannell's back, he throws the paper he is typing on over his head. The paper becomes animated on a black background, and floats downwards towards a stack of animated papers below. The paper "scoops" up the top papers in the stack and forms a C. The text "Stephen J. Cannell Productions (Inc.)", or "A Stephen J. Cannell Production", with "Production/Productions (Inc.)" sliding out from below the company name, is formed above.
Variants:
- In the early years, we just see Stephen typing at the typewriter from the front. He throws the paper up into the air, and the animation sequence continues as usual.
- Occasionally, after we see Cannell toss the paper, the animation cuts awkwardly to the black screen, and "Cannell Entertainment Inc.", with "Inc." sliding out from below the company name, appears instead. The 20th Century Fox ID (Cannell's parent company) would follow. This was seen on some episodes of Silk Stalkings and Renegade in the early 1990s.
- Same as above, except Cannell gently tosses the paper in front of him instead.
- Of course, this logo was updated often, the main difference is with Cannell wearing different clothes, possibly new awards in the office added as well, and even different offices were used. The concept was always the same, as well as the animation. A list of outfits can be seen below.
- On some (maybe all) episodes of Renegade, the text above the finished logo says "Renegade IV Productions", but the live action sequence is intact.
Trivia: This logo is parodied at the near end of the music video for the song "DVNO" by Justice. It was also parodied in a 2000 episode of Family Guy--, "The Story on Page One".
Outfit List: Here is a list of outfits worn by Mr. Cannell over the years:
- 1981-1983: Cannell has a dark colored sweater with white collar shirt, plus he is smoking his pipe.
- 1983-1984: Cannell has a blue jacket and white flannel shirt over a black turtleneck, plus he is smoking his pipe.
- 1984-1985: Cannell has a black jacket and dark colored sweater over white collar shirt (no pipe this time, as he quit smoking in later years).
- 1985-1987: Cannell is wearing a white striped flannel shirt.
- 1987-1989: Cannell is wearing a casual black polo shirt.
- 1989-1996: Cannell is wearing red polo shirt (with the collar up).
- 1996-1999: Cannell is wearing a black sweater. Can be seen on the 6th, 7th, and final season of Silk Stalkings, and the 2nd half of the Renegade final season.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The animation used to "turn" the "real" paper into an animated one may be tacky to some, though it is a great transition.
Music/Sounds: A dramatic tune is played while Cannell types, which contains string-like instruments and pounding synthesizers. The tone is more soothing when Cannell throws the paper, reaching a climax with a wind instrument (probably a flute). When the C forms, ominous horns and flutes played along with the pounding synthesizers while Cannell types.
Music/Sound Variants:
- 1981-1982: There is a very rare music variant that appeared on season 2 of The Greatest American Hero which contains a xylophone and a very different four-note ending theme, which sounds similar to the show's theme song.
- 1982-1987: An abridged version of the theme, both of the early and later variants, was also seen.
- 1987-1990/1999: A Malibu-style guitar starting in 1987 plays a four note tune.
- 1990-1999: Another variant using a piano, guitar, bells, and orchestration playing at the same time with a flue sound before the rousing music plays and later a guitar playing the last notes of the theme.
Availability: Still saved on Cannell's shows when reran, especially The A-Team back when Sleuth reran it (it has since been pulled from the schedule, due to its new "grittier" direction). Also seen on the reruns of Hunter and DVD releases of 21 Jump Street, Riptide, Hunter, Silk Stalkings, and Hardcastle and McCormick (the Hardcastle releases are from VEI of Toronto, Canada).
Scare Factor: Low to medium; the music is quite dramatic, the animation looks a little creepy to some, and Mr. Cannell himself doesn't look like the nicest guy in the world here (especially in the early years).
3rd Logo
(1991-1994)
Nicknames: "3D Cannell", "The Cannell Studios"
Logo: On a purple marble background, we see a 3D "silvery" version of the "C" zooming out, along with the 3D text "THE
CANNELL STUDIOS" in Times New Roman font tilted at a 90-degree angle, then does a 90-degree turn to face us while the "C" takes its position below the Cannell text. Once the text and the "C" go into their above and below positions, respectively, the "C" quickly flashes, turning everything into 2D. A copyright notice for Stephen J. Cannell Productions, Inc. fades in below the logo after the animation is all done.FX/SFX: The "C" and text zooming out; the copyright notice fading in.
Music/Sounds: A dramatic synthesizer tune.
Availability: Extinct; only known to be seen on later Caesar's Challenge episodes on NBC and the 1991-92 show Personals. If you live in Canada, and you have Game TV, you should be able to spot this logo, as Caesar's Challenge is airing in reruns there.
