Chuck Lorre Productions

Credits

Descriptions by
Michael David Bass and BenIsRandom

Captures by
Michael David Bass and BenIsRandom

Background

This is Chuck Lorre's vanity card. He is best known for his work on Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, Mike & Molly and Mom.

1st Logo (January 2-December 17, 1995)

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Logo: We see an Apple Macintosh SE (specifically the less-common dual disk model) on a desk with lots of office supplies surrounding it, including a keyboard, mouse, pencils and a floppy disk, as well as a drink. "Chuck Lorre Productions" in white Peignot font (the font used on the Viacom "Pinball," as well as the title card of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the first logo of The Jerry Springer Show), is written on the monitor against a dark blue background.

Variants:

• The Macintosh SE (1987) is replaced with a later Compact Macintosh, either a Macintosh Classic (1990) or Classic II (1992), but it cannot be determined exactly which because both use the same case, and the name was removed from the computer in the logo.
• The font is changed from Peignot to a standard sans-serif font (i.e. Arial). This version also has a decanter on the desk.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The closing theme of Cybill or a CBS generic theme on original airings.

Availability: Originally seen on season 1 and early season 2 episodes of Cybill when originally aired on CBS.

Editor's Note: Not as well known as the card below.

2nd Logo (September 24, 1997-)

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Nickname: "The Essays"

Logo: On a white background, we see "CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS" at the top of the screen in a black typewriter font, with a number next to it that groups how many of the logos there have been. Below it is a short, humorous (and often cynical and at times, political) essay in a very small font which must be paused to read it.

Trivia:

• The logo was briefly retired due to the media taking the essays too seriously during the Charlie Sheen controversy that went on season 8 of Two and a Half Men.
• There are currently more than 500 different essays.
• This logo was parodied in MAD magazine when it spoofed The Big Bang Theory.
• A special coffee-table book was printed in 2012 called What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Bitter, which features artsy arrangements of hundreds of Chuck's essays.

Variants:

• When this logo first appeared, it featured a black background with white text. Starting on September 28, 1999, it was later inverted so it could be easier to read, especially after VHS got retired.
• On some episodes of Two and a Half Men, photos replace the normal text.
• On one episode of Two and a Half Men, "Chuck Lorre" is replaced with the symbol for the musician Prince.
• On the Dharma & Greg episode, "Yes, We Have No Bananas (or Anything Else for That Matter)", the name "Chuck Lorre" is replaced with a bunch of symbols.
• One season 2 Dharma & Greg episode has a sketch of a man laying with some birds fly above him at the middle of the essay.
• On the Two and a Half Men episode "Thank You for the Intercourse", the company name is replaced with "FOOD, PETTING AND PLAYING PRODUCTIONS".
• On the Two and a Half Men episode "The Pot-Smoking Monkey", there's a card featuring an ovular photo of Chuck Lorre with Brian Lowry, and Andy Wallenstein. The company name appears in lowercase with the card number both in WordArt style, while the essay is in a white box.
• In some cases, a card numbered "111" is used when he has "nothing to write about". It has only been seen on two occasions.
• On the season 2 episode of Two and a Half Men "Does This Smell Funny to You?", the text is replaced with the words "Gone fishin'", and the background is a picture of Chuck Lorre underwater in a scuba suit giving the "OK" signal to the camera. The vanity card number for this one is #138.
• On the season 7 episode of Two and a Half Men, "Warning, It's Dirty", "CHUCK LORRE" is replaced with another logo called "A Marty Pepper Production" in an old-school Broadway background with a funny voice saying "It's a Pepper!", followed by a cuckoo sound.
• Special "Censored" cards have been used when the networks reject a certain essay.
• On the Big Bang Theory episode "The Pants Alternative", as well as the Two and a Half Men episode "Ixnay on the Oggie Day", a "sideways smiley face" is seen at the top of the essay, which reads out like a memorial epitaph to it.
• On the Big Bang Theory episode "The Colonization Application", the essay is replaced with a memorial card to Leonard Nimoy, who died that week. It's a picture of Nimoy with the text "The impact you had on our show and our lives is everlasting."
• Essay #513 (seen on The Big Bang Theory) has the company name is replaced with the text "HOLIDAY GREETINGS FROM CHUCK LORRE".
• Essay #570 (seen on the Mom episode "Fish Town and Too Many Thank You's") features a CGI emoji pig who says "Believe me!"

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: A brief sound clip of a heavenly choir singing, none, or the closing theme of the series. ABC and CBS airings used their generic themes.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On the Two and a Half Men episode "Of Course He's Dead", the choir is rearranged.
• On one episode of The Big Bang Theory, Raj Koothrappali (played by Kunal Nayyar) is still talking throughout the show's closing theme until the 2003 Warner Bros. Television logo's music plays.

Availability: Common. Seen on shows such as Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly, The Big Bang Theory, Mom, The Kominsky Method, B Positive, and Bob Hearts Abishola.

Editor's Note: Overall, thanks to its unique concept and funny essays, it's a very popular logo and is well-liked by many.

Archives: There is a complete collection (which is updated every time a new episode airs) of the vanity cards at Chuck Lorre's website.

3rd Logo (August 25, 2017-January 12, 2018)

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Logo: TBA

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show. Sometimes, the sound of the audience laughing and clapping is heard.

Availability: Seen on Disjointed.

Editor's Note: None.