Written and compilated by Nicholas Aczel and Sean Beard
Editions by V of Doom


Background: Genesis Entertainment was founded by Nashville-based television producer Al Gannaway in 1982; however, in 1988, this company makes independent until 1989, when it was sold to Gannett Corporation (publishers of the newspaper USA Today). Gannett spun it off after the show’s failure, making it independent again, but in 1994 this company merged with New World Entertainment. Then in 1995, a clean cut logo for the New World/Genesis merge appeared, but as a variant of the New World Television logo only. Alas, the logo was to be Genesis’ last, as the New World Entertainment buyout by News Corporation in 1997 effectively put an end to both companies.


1st Logo
(1982-1989)

Nickname: "The Cloudburst”

Logo: On a cloudy sky background, we see a shady blue card with a logo on it zooming out rapidly. The logo is a dark blue abstract cloud with a sunburst popping out of its top, surrounded by four “still” sparkles and a “pop-up” shadow effect. Below the sunburst on the cloud is the words “GENESIS ENTERTAINMENT” (in white) in an old-style font.

Variant: A version with the byline "A DIVISION OF GANNAWAY ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED" (in dark blue) was used until 1988.

FX: Apart from the “flipping” effect, it’s a still logo.

Music/Sounds: Plays over the end theme. Shows like "Highway to Heaven" have this logo being silent.

Availability: Still retrained on Highway to Heaven.

Scare Factor: Low; the graphics are tacky, and combined with the dramatic end themes of certain shows, so some may be startled by it. But even this logo is pretty harmless compared to what followed…


2nd Logo
(1989-1995)

Nicknames: "G in Space”, “G from Hell”, "Cheesy CGI G"

Logo: On a space background, we see legions of shooting stars. From the right, a giant “G” (looking as if carved from a block of ice) zooms out, turning at an angle towards the screen. As shooting stars fly by the “G,” it sparkles, and turns into a TV-tube ice shape with the “G” appearing as a cutout with small streaks flying from the left. Below the “G” tube, a bunch of sparkles form the words:


Variants:

• An early variant with the byline “A Division of the Gannett Corporation” appeared on the short-lived series “USA Today on TV”, and it was used from 1989-1990.
• When Genesis Entertainment merged with New World Entertainment in 1994, the byline “A New World Entertainment Company” was seen below the logo. This variant appeared on 1994-1995 episodes of “Real Stories of the Highway Patrol” and “Marvel Action Hour.”

FX: The shooting stars, the sparkle effects, and the zooming “G”.

Cheesy Factor: Primitive early CGI effects, and the 1989-1994 synthesizer soundtrack is unmusical to the point of evil.

Music/Sounds: A droning hellish synthesizer. When the New World byline began use, a new jingle was instituted: a jingle with lots of "zoom" sounds, leading up to a shimmering sound when "GENESIS" shines in. This jingle fits the logo much better and less scary than its predecessor.

Availability: Rare. Can be seen on 1993-1995 episodes of Real Stories of the Highway Patrol on Fox Reality, and Tales from the Crypt on Chiller.

Scare Factor: Depends on the music variant:

• 1989-1994: Medium to high; the eerie music, the scary “G,” and the sparkle effects make this a nightmare-inducing logo.
• 1994-1995: Low; the music here is much improved over the previous jingle.

3rd Logo
(1995-1997)

Nicknames: “CGI Sphere”, “New World/Genesis Distribution”

Logo: With a shooting star effect, we see a blurred red-orange sphere that clears up to create a small reddish-orange abstract globe and below that is text reading “New World/Genesis Distribution.” Occasionally, only the "explosion" is shown.

FX: The fireworks, the sphere clearing up.

Music/Sounds: A synthesizer sounder that ends with a series of non-musical noises resembling a seagull. In the other version, the seagull sounds are absent, replaced by what sounds like ghostly moaning.

Availability: Can be seen on Tales from the Crypt.

Scare Factor: Low.