Columbia Pictures Television

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Image:CPT 1992.jpg Columbia Pictures Television (CPT) is the 2nd name and replacement name of the Columbia Pictures television division, Screen Gems(SG). The studio changed its name from SG to CPT in 1974.

Note: Columbia Pictures Television is not to be confused with Columbia TriStar Television or Sony Pictures Television

CPT was home to the popular daytime soap operas, Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless. During the 1970's and 80's, CPT made many co-productions with Spelling-Goldberg Productions, including S.W.A.T., Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart, and T.J. Hooker. In 1982, The Coca-Cola Company bought Columbia Pictures, and CPT with it. In 1984, CPT joined forces with Lexington Broadcasting Services by creating a joint venture between the two called Colex Enterprises. Colex was known for distributing classic shows from the libraries of Screen Gems and CPT. In 1985, Norman Lear's hit TV shows joined the CPT family when the studio acquired his Embassy Pictures' television division, as well as his production companies, and his library of shows, including All in the Family, Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, Who's The Boss?, and Married... with Children, among others. The new partnership between CPT and Embassy Television (which was then called Embassy Communications (EC)) in 1986 was called Columbia/Embassy Television (CET), but CET continued to use CPT and EC as their separate names, and CPT went on to produce the hit sitcom, Designing Women. During that same time, CPT produced What's Happening Now!! as the 80s version of What's Happening!!. CPT considered the 70s version as their own. In 1986, CET acquired Merv Griffin Enterprises, known for producing the popular game shows, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. In 1987, Coca-Cola launched a television distribution arm of CPT called Coca-Cola Telecommunications. A merger took place in late 1987 when CET acquired TriStar Television (T-STV or TSTV) (then spelled Tri-Star) from partners CBS and HBO, and CET and T-STV merged to form a brand new Columbia Pictures Television, as part of the new Columbia Pictures Entertainment (CPE). In 1988, the shows that were produced by Embassy Communications were now produced by CPT, but in the closing credits, the copyright was going to the new ELP Communications. In 1989, Sony Corporation bought CPT's parent, CPE, from Coke, and in 1991, CPE changed its name to Sony Pictures Entertainment. Also that year, TriStar Television was re-created as a TV production label. In 1994, CPT and TSTV launched Columbia TriStar Television (CTT) as a joint venture between the two television companies, and CTT also had the rights to produce the ELP Communications shows, as well as Merv Griffin's Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune (Although Griffin still holds the copyrights to both shows). That same year, Susan Stafford, the former letter turner of Wheel of Fortune along with Jack Barry's family sold Barry & Enright Productions to SPE. CTT reran and produced the classic game show The Joker's Wild and is still being produced today. CPT, meanwhile, went on to produce the animated series, The Critic. In 1995, Columbia TriStar Television Distribution (CTTD) was created to distribute classic shows from its library, as well as produce and distribute new syndicated shows, and distribute the Columbia TriStar movie library. In 1996, CTT launched Columbia TriStar Children's Television, the studio's animation division. The company's name was later changed to Adelaide Productions in 1997. In 1997, CTT acquired Chuck Barris Productions from Chuck Barris, including a revival of The Newlywed Game. In 1998, ELP was consolidated to CTT after Beakman's World was cancelled. That same year, the group celebrated 50 years of television entertainment since the re-activation of Screen Gems as Columbia's TV division. In 1999, CTTD introduced Screen Gems Network, the first broadcasted show to air classic shows from the 1950s to the 1980s from the CTT vault and got cancelled in 2001. That same year in 1999, TriStar TV was folded into CTT after Mad About You and The Nanny went off the air, but TriStar still kept its name on Early Edition and Malcolm & Eddie, which both got cancelled and ended its name in 2000. On July 2, 2001, CPT was folded into CTT, however, SPE kept the name CPT Holdings on The Young and the Restless. That same year, CTT and CTTD merged to create Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (CTDT). In 2002, Bob Stewart sold his company to CTDT and a revival of one of his game shows, Pyramid. That same year between July and September, Sony Pictures announced that it will change its TV subsidiary from CTDT to Sony Pictures Television.

About the logos of Columbia Pictures Television

CPT Pretzel (1974-1976) On a red background, the yellow letters "C" on the left, "P" on the right, and "T" in the middle appears by the first 3 notes of the 1971 Screen Gems short version logo theme. They then connect to form a pretzel. The pretzel zooms back and you have "COLUMBIA" under "C," "PICTURES" under "P," and "TELEVISION" under "T" and the company byline "A DIVISION OF COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES, INC." below.

CPT Sunburst (1976-1982) It is the same as the then-current Columbia Pictures logo, but the animation starts with the torch beginning to turn into the sunburst, which is orange instead of blue and still having thirteen light rays. Under it is "Columbia Pictures Television". The second half of the movie logo was the music for this logo. There was also a shortened version of the 1982 jingle. It was the last 5 notes for shows "in association with" CPT, which was used on the red sunburst logo.

Coke Bottle Torch Lady/80s Torch Lady (1982-1992) The Torch Lady in her 1980s incarnation holding a light torch on top of a pedestal is seen with "Columbia Pictures" on either side of her and "Television" underneath her. Many versions of the logo were used:

• Gold Company name with the byline "A UNIT OF THE Coca-Cola COMPANY" with "Coca-Cola" in its familiar logo font. Starting in 1986, a smaller version of this byline was used. Another version had a dark and muddy Torch Lady and no animation.
• Blue/Ivory company name as seen in the movies, with the byline "A Unit of Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc."
• Gold company name with the CPE byline.
• Blue/Ivory company name with no byline.
• Gold company name with no byline and animation.

Notes: The Blue/Gold logo actually stood for those shows only by CPT, however the Blue/Ivory logo is only those by Tri-Star Television, ELP Communications, and TeleVentures. The bylineless logo means that the company is by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

For TV distribution, the logo had the words "Distributed by" over the Torch Lady.

From 1982-1987, a shortened version of the last logo's music was used. Starting in 1987, the music changed to a 6-note horn-driven jingle. There was also a shortened version of the 1982 jingle. It was the last 5 notes for shows "in association with" CPT.

Colex Enterprises (1984-1988) On a blue background, two sets of three red lines come from either side and merge into one set of three. A blue "COLEX", written in cursive, drops down onto the lines, and at the bottom, a four-pointed star passes, leaving behind the word, "ENTERPRISES".

Coca-Cola Telecommunications (1987-1988) On a black background is a red box with the Coca-Cola "wave" in it, outlined in black (the space under it is decorated with horizontal black lines).

90s Torch Lady(1992-2001) The Columbia Torch Lady holds a light torch on top of a pedestal. "COLUMBIA" is in large, silver letters at the very top of the screen. Underneath are the words "COLUMBIA PICTURES TELEVISION (DISTRIBUTION)" and "a SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT company". From 1992-1993, it had the 1987 music for its predecessor, but in 1993, another 6-note tune was used. It is majestic and full of brass instruments.