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Norman Lear Companies
Logo descriptions by Matt Anscher, Jeffrey Gray, and Shadeed A. Kelly
Logo captures by Eric S., Shadeed A. Kelly and V of Doom
Editions by Eric S., Shadeed A. Kelly and V of Doom
Tandem Productions, Inc.
Background: Tandem Productions (a.k.a. Tandem Enterprises, Inc.) was formed in 1963 by former writers Alan David "Bud" Yorkin and Norman Lear to produce movies joining forces with United Artists, Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Warner Bros. Pictures originally, but in 1968, they started to produce television shows starting with All in the Family. The series would have a first pilot on ABC, but the network said it was "Too hot to handle". The series would later be picked up in 1970 by CBS and would air in 1971. The duo would also create a company called "Norbud Productions, Inc." and would only copyright early seasons of Sanford and Son that debuted in 1972. In 1985, Tandem Productions and Embassy Television including the rest of the Embassy empire were sold to Coca-Cola for $485 million. When Diff'rent Strokes was cancelled in 1986, Tandem Productions was abandoned and was merged with Embassy Television and Embassy Telecommunications to from Embassy Communications allowing the company to become in-name-only. This company remains currently as an in-name-only unit of Sony Pictures Television.
(1968/1970-1985)
Logo: Tandem Productions never had a real on-screen logo. In the ending credits of shows like All in the Family and Sanford and Son, the text would scroll up at the end:
After 1978, Archie Bunker's Place, Diff'rent Strokes, and Sanford would have a text that reads:
Variants:
FX/SFX: Seen on closing sequences with crawl screens. Others would appear superimposed after the credits.
Music/Sounds: Closing theme from the specific show.
Availability: Common, currently seen on All in the Family on TV Land, Sanford and Son and Good Times on TV Land and TV One, and Diff'rent Strokes and Sanford on BET (whenever BET or any other network decides to rebroadcast the latter two) since it's an in-credit text. It's also on DVD releases of All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, Maude, and Archie Bunker's Place.
Scare Factor: None.
Final Note: After the sale of Tandem to Embassy Television and both to Coca-Cola in 1985, then Tandem in-credit notice was replaced in favor of the Embassy Television logo on the final season of Diff'rent Strokes.
_______________________________________________________________
T.A.T. Communications Co.
Background: T.A.T Communications Company was formed in 1975 by Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio after Yorkin ended his partnership with Lear. The same thing went with T.A.T. Communications, which produced The Jeffersons and One Day at a Time among others, being reincorporated as Embassy Television in 1982 after Lear acquired Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation. T.A.T. stood for a Yiddish phrase pronounced "Tokas-a****-tokin," which meant "Putting one's butt on the line".
1st Logo
(1975-1982)
Logo: It would just say:
or
But on One Day at a Time and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, it would read:
Variants:
FX/SFX: The scrolling of the credits or superimposed.
Music/Sounds: Closing theme from specific show.
Availability: Since it's an in-credit text, it's only common on The Jeffersons on TV Land and two episodes of The Jeffersons on TV One since the remaining has been plastered by the SPT logo, which makes it bad editing after the T.A.T. copyright stamp. The others are uncommon. Also seen on DVD releases of One Day At a Time, The Jeffersons, The Facts of Life, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
TBA
_______________________________________________________________
PITS Films
Background: PITS Films was a television distribution arm of Tandem Productions launched in 1978 to distribute Sanford and Son, Maude, and Good Times, all of which were produced by Norman Lear, being reincorporated as Embassy Telecommunications in 1982 with the acquisition of Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation by Lear. PITS is an acronym which stood for "Pie In The Sky".
(1978-1982) 
Nicknames: "PITS Stars", "Cheesy Stars"
Logo: Against a blue background reads the following text:
And in the three spaces of the letters come some white stars, one by one, that seem to be "coming at you," and then settle in their spaces. As it fades out, it reads:
FX/SFX: The stars "growing". All Scanimate effects.
Cheesy Factor: Very high. The entire logo is done with cheap chyron, and the stars look terrible.
Music/Sounds: A weird synth tune that ascends and descends repeatedly, ending in a strange fanfare composed by John Maxwell Anderson.
Availability: Extinct. Good Times late 1990s reruns on TBS were the last place it was seen, on the 1978 episode "J.J. the Teacher," and only because C-T forgot to remove it. It's gone for good outside of tape trading.
Scare Factor: Low to medium. The music can scare many people, but it's mostly just annoying.
_______________________________________________________________
Bud Yorkin Productions, Inc.
Background: Bud Yorkin Productions was a company founded by Bud Yorkin after ending his partnership with Norman Lear in 1975. However, the series like What's Happening!! would have Yorkin's copyright stamp on the show.
(1975-1976)
Logo: Just an in-credit text saying:
TOY Productions
Background: TOY Productions was a partnership between TV producers Saul Turteltaub, Bernie Orenstein, and Bud Yorkin.
(1976-1982)
Logo: The company didn't use a logo until 1977. A ball with the stylized text: TOY in it, and under it the text: TOY PRODUCTIONS or A TOY PRODUCTION. It scrolls in with the credits of a show, much like the Tandem Productions and T.A.T. Communications credits. Sometimes the empty space is colored in a very tacky shade of orange, white, or burnt gold. From 1976-1977, the company used an in-credit disclaimer saying:
But later changed to...
Variant: An animated rendition of this logo consists of the round ball, and the T and Y sliding from the left and right side of the ball. The O pops in afterward, right before the company name zooms in from the bottom of the screen.
FX/SFX: Just scrolling or superimposed in the credits.
Music/Sounds: Closing theme of show.
Availability: Uncommon. Seen throughout all three seasons of What's Happening!! on DVD. Was also seen on Carter Country. The animated version was seen on the short-lived 1981 NBC sitcom Me and the Boys with Mickey Rooney. No source of that has been seen in over two decades.
Scare Factor: None.
_______________________________________________________________
Act III Productions
Background: Act III Productions (formerly Act III Television) was Norman Lear's 3rd production company formed in 1986, one year after Lear sold Tandem/Embassy Television to Coca-Cola. His first film under the Act III name was Stand By Me and was released by Columbia Pictures. Act III was also the name of a broadcaster Norman Lear was involved in, which owned several Fox and independent stations during the early '90s (most of its stations are now owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group). This company didn't have a logo until 1990.
(1990-1994/1997-1998)
Nickname: "ACT III"
Logo: On a blue background, we see "ACT III" in white with a shadow effect with "III" in Roman numerals. There is a white a line that is streatched out underneath the name with the word "TELEVISION" below also in white.
Variant: There is a variant that says "ACT III Productions" in blue and underneath it has a bird of some sort wearing a hat flying in a nighttime sky with "Enchanté George" by it.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: The end title theme from any show.
Availability: Extinct. Was last seen on Sunday Dinner and Channel Umptee-3 among others.
Scare Factor: None.
Logo captures by Eric S., Shadeed A. Kelly and V of Doom
Editions by Eric S., Shadeed A. Kelly and V of Doom
Tandem Productions, Inc.
Background: Tandem Productions (a.k.a. Tandem Enterprises, Inc.) was formed in 1963 by former writers Alan David "Bud" Yorkin and Norman Lear to produce movies joining forces with United Artists, Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Warner Bros. Pictures originally, but in 1968, they started to produce television shows starting with All in the Family. The series would have a first pilot on ABC, but the network said it was "Too hot to handle". The series would later be picked up in 1970 by CBS and would air in 1971. The duo would also create a company called "Norbud Productions, Inc." and would only copyright early seasons of Sanford and Son that debuted in 1972. In 1985, Tandem Productions and Embassy Television including the rest of the Embassy empire were sold to Coca-Cola for $485 million. When Diff'rent Strokes was cancelled in 1986, Tandem Productions was abandoned and was merged with Embassy Television and Embassy Telecommunications to from Embassy Communications allowing the company to become in-name-only. This company remains currently as an in-name-only unit of Sony Pictures Television.
(1968/1970-1985)
A
BUD YORKIN-NORMAN LEAR
TANDEM PRODUCTION
BUD YORKIN-NORMAN LEAR
TANDEM PRODUCTION
After 1978, Archie Bunker's Place, Diff'rent Strokes, and Sanford would have a text that reads:
A
TANDEM PRODUCTION
Variants:
- Some series would feature a copyright stamp below the notice. Such as All in the Family from 1971-1972 and always on Sanford and Son.
- Some in-credit texts would appear in shadow mode in 1975 on Sanford and Son, Good Times in 1978, and the others in 1979.
- An earlier version of this from an unaired pilot of All in the Family would appear as:
EXECUTIVE
PRODUCERS
BUD YORKIN
&
NORMAN LEAR
A TANDEM PRODUCTION
PRODUCERS
BUD YORKIN
&
NORMAN LEAR
A TANDEM PRODUCTION
FX/SFX: Seen on closing sequences with crawl screens. Others would appear superimposed after the credits.
Music/Sounds: Closing theme from the specific show.
Availability: Common, currently seen on All in the Family on TV Land, Sanford and Son and Good Times on TV Land and TV One, and Diff'rent Strokes and Sanford on BET (whenever BET or any other network decides to rebroadcast the latter two) since it's an in-credit text. It's also on DVD releases of All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, Maude, and Archie Bunker's Place.
Scare Factor: None.
Final Note: After the sale of Tandem to Embassy Television and both to Coca-Cola in 1985, then Tandem in-credit notice was replaced in favor of the Embassy Television logo on the final season of Diff'rent Strokes.
_______________________________________________________________
T.A.T. Communications Co.
Background: T.A.T Communications Company was formed in 1975 by Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio after Yorkin ended his partnership with Lear. The same thing went with T.A.T. Communications, which produced The Jeffersons and One Day at a Time among others, being reincorporated as Embassy Television in 1982 after Lear acquired Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation. T.A.T. stood for a Yiddish phrase pronounced "Tokas-a****-tokin," which meant "Putting one's butt on the line".
1st Logo
(1975-1982)
Logo: It would just say:
A
T.A.T. COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY
PRODUCTION
T.A.T. COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY
PRODUCTION
or
A
T.A.T. COMMUNICATIONS CO.
PRODUCTION
T.A.T. COMMUNICATIONS CO.
PRODUCTION
But on One Day at a Time and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, it would read:
A
NORMAN LEAR
T.A.T.
COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY
PRODUCTION
NORMAN LEAR
T.A.T.
COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY
PRODUCTION
Variants:
- In 1977, some shows like Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Fernwood 2nite would have afterwards:
WORLD WIDE DISTRIBUTION
BY
T.A.T. COMMUNICATIONS CO.
- Appears in shadow mode in 1979.
FX/SFX: The scrolling of the credits or superimposed.
Music/Sounds: Closing theme from specific show.
Availability: Since it's an in-credit text, it's only common on The Jeffersons on TV Land and two episodes of The Jeffersons on TV One since the remaining has been plastered by the SPT logo, which makes it bad editing after the T.A.T. copyright stamp. The others are uncommon. Also seen on DVD releases of One Day At a Time, The Jeffersons, The Facts of Life, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
TBA
_______________________________________________________________
PITS Films
Background: PITS Films was a television distribution arm of Tandem Productions launched in 1978 to distribute Sanford and Son, Maude, and Good Times, all of which were produced by Norman Lear, being reincorporated as Embassy Telecommunications in 1982 with the acquisition of Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation by Lear. PITS is an acronym which stood for "Pie In The Sky".
(1978-1982)
Nicknames: "PITS Stars", "Cheesy Stars"
Logo: Against a blue background reads the following text:
DISTRIBUTED BY
P--------I--------T--------S
FILMS
P--------I--------T--------S
FILMS
And in the three spaces of the letters come some white stars, one by one, that seem to be "coming at you," and then settle in their spaces. As it fades out, it reads:
DISTRIBUTED BY
P*I*T*S
FILMS
P*I*T*S
FILMS
Cheesy Factor: Very high. The entire logo is done with cheap chyron, and the stars look terrible.
Music/Sounds: A weird synth tune that ascends and descends repeatedly, ending in a strange fanfare composed by John Maxwell Anderson.
Availability: Extinct. Good Times late 1990s reruns on TBS were the last place it was seen, on the 1978 episode "J.J. the Teacher," and only because C-T forgot to remove it. It's gone for good outside of tape trading.
Scare Factor: Low to medium. The music can scare many people, but it's mostly just annoying.
_______________________________________________________________
Bud Yorkin Productions, Inc.
Background: Bud Yorkin Productions was a company founded by Bud Yorkin after ending his partnership with Norman Lear in 1975. However, the series like What's Happening!! would have Yorkin's copyright stamp on the show.
(1975-1976)
Logo: Just an in-credit text saying:
BUD YORKIN
PRODUCTIONS, INC.
_______________________________________________________________ PRODUCTIONS, INC.
with a copyright stamp below it. On episode two of What's Happening!!, the text would read "A BUD YORKIN PRODUCTION".
FX/SFX: None, just the scrolling of the credits.
Music/Sounds: Just the end title theme from any show.
Availability: Rare. Seen on the Grady spin-off episode from Sanford and Son called The Family Man and the What's Happening!! episode The Birthday Present.
Scare Factor: None.
FX/SFX: None, just the scrolling of the credits.
Music/Sounds: Just the end title theme from any show.
Availability: Rare. Seen on the Grady spin-off episode from Sanford and Son called The Family Man and the What's Happening!! episode The Birthday Present.
Scare Factor: None.
TOY Productions
Background: TOY Productions was a partnership between TV producers Saul Turteltaub, Bernie Orenstein, and Bud Yorkin.
(1976-1982)
Logo: The company didn't use a logo until 1977. A ball with the stylized text: TOY in it, and under it the text: TOY PRODUCTIONS or A TOY PRODUCTION. It scrolls in with the credits of a show, much like the Tandem Productions and T.A.T. Communications credits. Sometimes the empty space is colored in a very tacky shade of orange, white, or burnt gold. From 1976-1977, the company used an in-credit disclaimer saying:
A
T.O.Y.
PRODUCTION
T.O.Y.
PRODUCTION
But later changed to...
A
TOY
PRODUCTION
TOY
PRODUCTION
Variant: An animated rendition of this logo consists of the round ball, and the T and Y sliding from the left and right side of the ball. The O pops in afterward, right before the company name zooms in from the bottom of the screen.
FX/SFX: Just scrolling or superimposed in the credits.
Music/Sounds: Closing theme of show.
Availability: Uncommon. Seen throughout all three seasons of What's Happening!! on DVD. Was also seen on Carter Country. The animated version was seen on the short-lived 1981 NBC sitcom Me and the Boys with Mickey Rooney. No source of that has been seen in over two decades.
Scare Factor: None.
_______________________________________________________________
Act III Productions
Background: Act III Productions (formerly Act III Television) was Norman Lear's 3rd production company formed in 1986, one year after Lear sold Tandem/Embassy Television to Coca-Cola. His first film under the Act III name was Stand By Me and was released by Columbia Pictures. Act III was also the name of a broadcaster Norman Lear was involved in, which owned several Fox and independent stations during the early '90s (most of its stations are now owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group). This company didn't have a logo until 1990.
(1990-1994/1997-1998)
Nickname: "ACT III"
Logo: On a blue background, we see "ACT III" in white with a shadow effect with "III" in Roman numerals. There is a white a line that is streatched out underneath the name with the word "TELEVISION" below also in white.
Variant: There is a variant that says "ACT III Productions" in blue and underneath it has a bird of some sort wearing a hat flying in a nighttime sky with "Enchanté George" by it.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: The end title theme from any show.
Availability: Extinct. Was last seen on Sunday Dinner and Channel Umptee-3 among others.
Scare Factor: None.
VofDoom |
Latest page update: made by VofDoom
, Oct 20 2009, 10:12 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by VofDoom
10 words added 6 words deleted view changes - complete history) |
|
Keyword tags:
Bud Yorkin Productions Inc.
ELP Communications
Embassy Television
PITS Films
Sony Corporation
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Television
T.A.T. Communications Co.
Tandem Productions Inc.
TOY Productions
More Info: links to this page
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logocurious | The Rare T.A.T. Jingle | 6 | May 4 2009, 1:22 PM EDT by Shadeed329 | ||
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Thread started: Apr 18 2009, 1:23 PM EDT
Watch
In 1980, During the CBS Daytime reruns of "One Day At A Time", There was some creepy T.A.T. jingle which had a synthesized theme with large T.A.T. letters & A shining star atop the ending "T" logo, It just happened to be one of the scariest jingles of all time. Can this be found somewhere?.
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