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MCA Television
Compiled by Jason Jones, Michael Bode, Kurt Toy and James Fabiano
Logo captures by Shadeed A. Kelly, Eric S. and V of Doom
Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom and Mr. Logo Lord
Video captures courtesy of Eric S., Shadeed A. Kelly, Meesterfonnyboy and JohnnyL80
Background: MCA Television (also known as MCA TV, Ltd. and MCA Television Enterprises), was an American television production/distribution company that was founded in 1951, several years before parent MCA's purchase of the U.S. branch of Decca Records (in 1959) and Universal Pictures (in 1962). For more than four decades, it was one of the most active producers of television programming. MCA TV's other television divisions included Universal Television and MCA Television Entertainment (also known as MTE). From 1965-December 1973, MCA TV remained as the company distributor byline for Universal Television until January 1974, the company unveiled their first logo in nearly a decade. In 1997, MCA was reincorporated as Universal Studios, and as a result MCA TV was renamed to Universal Television Enterprises).
1st Logo
(1951-1953)
Nickname: ''The Filmreel from Hell''
Logo: We see, on a dark background (shot on the Revue camera), a reel of film, with a black rectangle in front of it. The words ''DISTRIBUTED BY'' in a futura font, appear atop the reel. Inside the rectangle are the words:
"MCA TV'' appears in a variation of the futura, while ''Ltd.'' which appears underneath, is in a fancy cursive font. Underneath the reel, the words ''EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVES'' in the same font as ''DISTRIBUTED BY'', are shown contoured (if that's the right word), taking up half the reel's shape.
FX: None, this is a still logo.
Cheesy Factor: The film reel looks sort of hand drawn.
Music/Sounds: None, it's silent.
Availability: Extinct. The Abbott and Costello Show, for many years, perhaps the last remaining source of this logo, has gone through syndicator changes over the years. Episodes now end with either Alan Enterprises (pre-1983 prints) or [DFS] Program Exchange logos (current licensee of TCA Television Corp., the copyright holders) plastered over the reel logo. The version with the Revue "Turning Camera" logo has appeared on The Adventures of Kit Carson.
Scare Factor: Medium to high; dark backgrounds and silence can give someone the shakes.
2nd Logo
(1953-1956)
Nickname: ''The Sunburst Filmreel''
Logo: Virtually the same alignment as before, except that the reel doesn't take up as much picture space, is on a sunburst background, the ''DISTRIBUTED BY'' is in a different font, ''MCA'', ''TV'' and ''LTD.'' [the latter now shown in block letters] are in a variation of the same 3-dimensional font as the then Revue logo, the ''TV'' and ''LTD'' are smaller than ''MCA'', and the ''EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVES'' doesn't take up as much reel space.
Variant: There is a variant that doesn't feature ''EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVES'' below the filmreel.
FX: None, same as before.
Cheesy Factor: The sunburst background makes this logo SCREAM 1950s.
Music/Sounds: The closing theme of the show.
Music/Sound Variant: There was a variant that featured a television version of Republic Pictures' 1930s theme from a 1950s television reissue print of The Big Show.
Availability: Can be seen at the end of The Adventures of Kit Carson on Encore Westerns, as well as first-season episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, the pilot of Leave it to Beaver, and early episodes of The Millionaire alongside the Don Fedderson Productions logo. (MCA was Fedderson's agent. [The latter three titles were in-credit]).
Scare Factor: Low. The background may make a few people feel uneasy, but an improvement over the previous logo.
3rd Logo
(1956-1965)
Nickname: ''The Arrowhead''
Logo: On a dark screen, a trio of trilons turn to reveal an arrowhead which has the letters ''mca'' in a lower-case font inside, set against a satiny background. After a second or two, the ''a'' appears on top of the ''mca'', while ''tv'', underneath, and the word ''release'', under the arrowhead, fade in. The trilons then turn a different direction, and the screen is dark once again.
Closing Variant: Also shown as an in-credit logo at the end of Revue shows alongside the Revue logo from 1956 to 1961, as well as black-and-white episodes of My Three Sons made prior to 1965. However, on the Revue/MCA cards in 1957, "Exclusive Representatives" became "Exclusive Distributor" such as those early episodes on Leave it to Beaver.
FX: The turning walls.
Cheesy Factor: Bad grammar; it should be ''AN MCA tv release, not ''a''.
Music/Sounds: A fanfare that starts with drumbeats similar to the first notes of 20th Century-Fox's famed jingle, then goes to a 3-note ominous sounding horn sounder. For the superimposed variant, it used only the closing theme of the show.
Availability: Appears on old MCA DiscoVision/Videocassette/Home Video releases of pre-1950 Paramount movies; these are too easy to spot due to the MCA TV prints being 16mm rather than the original Paramount 35mm master negatives and are therefore lower in picture quality. This company switch is due to Paramount selling their entire pre-1950 film library to MCA. The in-credit logo that's shared with the Revue logo is uncommon. However, it can be seen on Leave it to Beaver on TV Land and Alfred Hitchcock Presents on Chiller.
Scare Factor: Depending on the logo variant:
4th Logo
(January 1974-1990)
Nickname: "Globe of Doom"
Logo: Similar to the 1971-1991 logos of Universal Television, except the text, in yellow, now reads "MCA TV," with "EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR" under that. Usually preceded by a graphic with the show's title and other information (like the "In Association With" screen). Also, one version of the logo has the picture "flipping away" when the music finishes.
Variants:
FX: Originally, the entire text fades in. After, it's completely still.
Cheesy Factor: None for the earlier variant. On the still variant, the flipping effect and the freeze-frame of the logo looks really low-budget.
Music/Sounds: The 1964 long version theme of Universal Television, excluding the xylophone note intro in some cases. However, the bass has been enhanced. Rearranged by James Horner.
Music/Sound Variants: Some shows would have a shorter version of this theme:
Availability: Rare. Appeared on Bionic Six, Puttin' On The Hits, and reruns of Gimmie A Break!, Kate and Allie in the 80s. Can still be seen on 1986-1990 reruns of Amen on TVOne.
Scare Factor: Medium to high; it's a bit shocking thanks to the dramatic Revue music. But it's also based on what you think of the theme. For My Secret Identity, the scare factor is low.
5th Logo
(November 1987-June 1988)
Nickname: "Globe of Doom"
Logo: Like Universal Television's 1971-1991 logo, we see a still of the then-current Universal “Zooming Globe”, but the logo now reads, in the same font as the MCA byline on that logo:
FX: Just the entire text fading in.
Cheesy Factor: This seemed more like a rushed job the way the name is set up.
Music/Sounds: Universal TV’s 1982 and 1987 themes.
Availability: Extinct, only known to have been seen on the short-lived 1988 ABC series Probe. The logo should be preserved whenever the show is reran again.
Scare Factor: Medium to high.
6th Logo
(1990-1994)
Nickname: "CGI Globe 1"
Logo: We see a computer generated rendition of the globe logo. The company name "MCA TV" (which is now in the font used on MCA Records and MCA/Universal Home Video) slides in from the top of the screen, and makes a stop in front of the globe. The words "Exclusive Distributor" fade in below the MCA name. There is also a shine effect afterwards.
FX: The slide-in of the name.
Music/Sounds:
Availability: Rare, but it's seen on the last season of Amen on TVOne with the 1987 Uni TV. The version with the 1991 Uni TV theme originally appeared on the shows Mr. Poop Stuff, I Don't See the Truth, Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, Here I Am At Camp Granada, Everybody Needs Some Money Sometimes, and early Action Pack TV movies. Also appears on Exosquad.
Scare Factor: Depending on the logo variant:
7th Logo
(1994-February 1997)
Nickname: "CGI Globe 2"
Logo: Like its network counterpart, the words "MCA TV" (in the previous logo's typeface) appear from behind the rotating globe and makes a stop in front of it. The byline, "Exclusive Distributor", fades in afterward.
FX: CGI of rotating globe and company name.
Music/Sounds: Universal Television's 1991 logo theme or the end title theme from any show.
Availability: Uncommon. Was last seen on the first season of Xena: Warrior Princess on Oxygen network (whenever the network decides to air it again), and intact on all Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess DVD box sets. This logo was later replaced with the 1996 bylineless Universal Pictures logo in February 1997.
Scare Factor: Minimal.
Logo captures by Shadeed A. Kelly, Eric S. and V of Doom
Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom and Mr. Logo Lord
Video captures courtesy of Eric S., Shadeed A. Kelly, Meesterfonnyboy and JohnnyL80
1st Logo
(1951-1953)
Nickname: ''The Filmreel from Hell''
Logo: We see, on a dark background (shot on the Revue camera), a reel of film, with a black rectangle in front of it. The words ''DISTRIBUTED BY'' in a futura font, appear atop the reel. Inside the rectangle are the words:
MCA TV
Ltd.
Ltd.
"MCA TV'' appears in a variation of the futura, while ''Ltd.'' which appears underneath, is in a fancy cursive font. Underneath the reel, the words ''EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVES'' in the same font as ''DISTRIBUTED BY'', are shown contoured (if that's the right word), taking up half the reel's shape.
FX: None, this is a still logo.
Cheesy Factor: The film reel looks sort of hand drawn.
Music/Sounds: None, it's silent.
Availability: Extinct. The Abbott and Costello Show, for many years, perhaps the last remaining source of this logo, has gone through syndicator changes over the years. Episodes now end with either Alan Enterprises (pre-1983 prints) or [DFS] Program Exchange logos (current licensee of TCA Television Corp., the copyright holders) plastered over the reel logo. The version with the Revue "Turning Camera" logo has appeared on The Adventures of Kit Carson.
Scare Factor: Medium to high; dark backgrounds and silence can give someone the shakes.
(1953-1956)
Nickname: ''The Sunburst Filmreel''
Logo: Virtually the same alignment as before, except that the reel doesn't take up as much picture space, is on a sunburst background, the ''DISTRIBUTED BY'' is in a different font, ''MCA'', ''TV'' and ''LTD.'' [the latter now shown in block letters] are
Variant: There is a variant that doesn't feature ''EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVES'' below the filmreel.
FX: None, same as before.
Cheesy Factor: The sunburst background makes this logo SCREAM 1950s.
Music/Sounds: The closing theme of the show.
Music/Sound Variant: There was a variant that featured a television version of Republic Pictures' 1930s theme from a 1950s television reissue print of The Big Show.
Availability: Can be seen at the end of The Adventures of Kit Carson on Encore Westerns, as well as first-season episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, the pilot of Leave it to Beaver, and early episodes of The Millionaire alongside the Don Fedderson Productions logo. (MCA was Fedderson's agent. [The latter three titles were in-credit]).
Scare Factor: Low. The background may make a few people feel uneasy, but an improvement over the previous logo.
3rd Logo
(1956-1965)
Nickname: ''The Arrowhead''
Logo: On a dark screen, a trio of trilons turn to reveal an arrowhead which has the letters ''mca'' in a lower-case font inside, set against a satiny background. After a second or two, the ''a'' appears on top of the ''mca'', while ''tv'', underneath, and the word ''release'', under the arrowhead, fade in. The trilons then turn a different direction, and the screen is dark once again.
Closing Variant: Also shown as an in-credit logo at the end of Revue shows alongside the Revue logo from 1956 to 1961, as well as black-and-white episodes of My Three Sons made prior to 1965. However, on the Revue/MCA cards in 1957, "Exclusive Representatives" became "Exclusive Distributor" such as those early episodes on Leave it to Beaver.
FX: The turning walls.
Cheesy Factor: Bad grammar; it should be ''AN MCA tv release, not ''a''.
Music/Sounds: A fanfare that starts with drumbeats similar to the first notes of 20th Century-Fox's famed jingle, then goes to a 3-note ominous sounding horn sounder. For the superimposed variant, it used only the closing theme of the show.
Availability: Appears on old MCA DiscoVision/Videocassette/Home Video releases of pre-1950 Paramount movies; these are too easy to spot due to the MCA TV prints being 16mm rather than the original Paramount 35mm master negatives and are therefore lower in picture quality. This company switch is due to Paramount selling their entire pre-1950 film library to MCA. The in-credit logo that's shared with the Revue logo is uncommon. However, it can be seen on Leave it to Beaver on TV Land and Alfred Hitchcock Presents on Chiller.
Scare Factor: Depending on the logo variant:
- Medium to high for the original variant, largely on account of the scary-sounding fanfare. Overall, the arrowhead doesn't look very friendly, either.
- None to minimal for the superimposed closing variant.
4th Logo
(January 1974-1990)
Nickname: "Globe of Doom"
Logo: Similar to the 1971-1991 logos of Universal Television, except the text, in yellow, now reads "MCA TV," with "EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR" under that. Usually preceded by a graphic with the show's title and other information (like the "In Association With" screen). Also, one version of the logo has the picture "flipping away" when the music finishes.
Variants:
- On The Munsters Today, the MCA logo would have a copyright stamp byline from Arthur Co. & Associates.
- This logo would appear in different colors. The letters would appear in either yellow, neon yellow, gold, or orange and the globe as either blue or green.
FX: Originally, the entire text fades in. After, it's completely still.
Cheesy Factor: None for the earlier variant. On the still variant, the flipping effect and the freeze-frame of the logo looks really low-budget.
Music/Sounds: The 1964 long version theme of Universal Television, excluding the xylophone note intro in some cases. However, the bass has been enhanced. Rearranged by James Horner.
Music/Sound Variants: Some shows would have a shorter version of this theme:
- 1984-1990: Shows like Kate and Allie and Gimme A Break! would have the last ten notes of the theme.
- 1987-1990: Shows like Out of this World would have the last six notes of the theme instead of ten.
- On The Munsters Today, the series used the last 11 notes (the second half) from the MCA TV theme.
- On My Secret Identity, the music theme of the series would play over this logo.
- On the earlier variant of this logo, it used the Universal TV 1974 and 1975 themes.
- There is also a silent version.
Availability: Rare. Appeared on Bionic Six, Puttin' On The Hits, and reruns of Gimmie A Break!, Kate and Allie in the 80s. Can still be seen on 1986-1990 reruns of Amen on TVOne.
5th Logo
(November 1987-June 1988)
Nickname: "Globe of Doom"
Logo: Like Universal Television's 1971-1991 logo, we see a still of the then-current Universal “Zooming Globe”, but the logo now reads, in the same font as the MCA byline on that logo:
F R O M
MCA
T E L E V I S I O N
MCA
T E L E V I S I O N
FX: Just the entire text fading in.
Cheesy Factor: This seemed more like a rushed job the way the name is set up.
Music/Sounds: Universal TV’s 1982 and 1987 themes.
Availability: Extinct, only known to have been seen on the short-lived 1988 ABC series Probe. The logo should be preserved whenever the show is reran again.
Scare Factor: Medium to high.
6th Logo
(1990-1994)
Nickname: "CGI Globe 1"
Logo: We see a computer generated rendition of the globe logo. The company name "MCA TV" (which is now in the font used on MCA Records and MCA/Universal Home Video) slides in from the top of the screen, and makes a stop in front of the globe. The words "Exclusive Distributor" fade in below the MCA name. There is also a shine effect afterwards.
FX: The slide-in of the name.
Music/Sounds:
- 1990-1991: Universal Television's 1987 standard tone logo theme
- 1991-1994: Universal Television's 1991 logo theme.
- Sometimes, the ending theme of the show plays over it.
Availability: Rare, but it's seen on the last season of Amen on TVOne with the 1987 Uni TV. The version with the 1991 Uni TV theme originally appeared on the shows Mr. Poop Stuff, I Don't See the Truth, Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, Here I Am At Camp Granada, Everybody Needs Some Money Sometimes, and early Action Pack TV movies. Also appears on Exosquad.
Scare Factor: Depending on the logo variant:
- 1990-1991: Low to medium.
- 1991-1994: None.
7th Logo
(1994-February 1997)
Nickname: "CGI Globe 2"
Logo: Like its network counterpart, the words "MCA TV" (in the previous logo's typeface) appear from behind the rotating globe and makes a stop in front of it. The byline, "Exclusive Distributor", fades in afterward.
FX: CGI of rotating globe and company name.
Music/Sounds: Universal Television's 1991 logo theme or the end title theme from any show.
Availability: Uncommon. Was last seen on the first season of Xena: Warrior Princess on Oxygen network (whenever the network decides to air it again), and intact on all Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess DVD box sets. This logo was later replaced with the 1996 bylineless Universal Pictures logo in February 1997.
Scare Factor: Minimal.
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