PolyGram Television (1997-1999)

Credits

Descriptions by
Sean Beard and Shadeed A. Kelly

Captures by
Eric S, iheartparamount, Dean Stewart Rumsey, and TheEriccorpinc

Editions by
Shadeed A. Kelly, Eric S., V of Doom, and others

Video captures courtesy of
Phasicblu and EnormousRat

Background

PolyGram Records also had a television division in 1981 (first under the name of "PolyGram TeleVision Ltd."), which managed to survive until 1987 but it was resurrected in 1993. When PolyGram Filmed Entertainment bought ITC Entertainment Group in 1995, the new PolyGram Television logo was affixed to prints of ITC shows aired on British TV and elsewhere, but in America, PolyGram kept the ITC name and logo (operating as "ITC Distribution, Inc.") until 1997. Later that year, ITC Distribution was folded into the parent company to continue producing and distributing television shows in Britain and other countries, including the U.S., until 1999 when it was folded into Universal Television in 2000. However, the ITC library was later bought by Carlton International Media and is currently owned by ITV Global Entertainment, a subsidiary of ITV plc. The film Rehearsal for Murder is in the public domain, although Lionsgate has the official rights to the title, due to Hearst Entertainment.

1st Logo (May 26, 1982-1987)

Nickname: "Star Line"

Logo: On a black background, we see the name "PolyGram Television", in blue, flying from right to the center of a logo while an orange star zooms out to place itself under the "P" and makes more stars underneath the name. We later see an orange (or red) light shining across the stars to make a line.

FX/SFX: The name flying and the stars forming.

Music/Sounds: A simple synth tune.

Availability: Extremely rare. It appears at the end of a DVD release of Rehearsal for Murder (which is in the public domain), and appeared at the end of an Amazon Prime Video print of the TV Movie The Five of Me.

2nd Logo (September 22, 1997-1999)

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Nicknames: "PolyGram Wing Man", "Icarus"

Logo: Same as its film counterpart, except with "TELEVISION" replacing "FILMED ENTERTAINMENT".

Variants:

• A version with "distributed by" in a blue font above the Icarus was put onto some ITC feature films and television shows.
• The print version was seen in the closing credits of the Nick Jr. cartoon Maisy and the 1998 TV movie Outrage.
• A version with the words "TELEVISION INTERNATIONAL" also exists.
• "VISUAL PROGRAMMING" may replace "TELEVISION".

FX/SFX: Same as its film counterpart or none.

Music/Sounds: None or the end theme of the show.

Availability: Extremely rare.

• The distribution version was last seen on The Moderns on the Showtime Networks, The Tamarind Seed when it was on Netflix, a European airing of Winter People on MGM HD and a Netflix print of the latter film, the 1998 PolyGram VHS of Ski Patrol, an Epix print (and possibly the MGM Limited Edition Collection DVD-R) of the TV movie The Right of the People (preceded by the 2010 MGM logo), and supposedly on the 2008 Hen's Tooth DVD of The Boys in Company C.
• The regular version is intact on the mini-series The Billionaire Boys Club (originally produced by ITC) on DVD from A&E Home Video and on some episodes of The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, including the pilot. It is also seen on the TV special Barney's First Adventures, which can be found as a bonus feature on the Barney's Great Adventure: The Movie DVD. It also plastered the Moonlight Productions logo on a 90s syndicated print of the 1984 TV movie Obsessive Love.
• This also appeared on Netflix viewings of The Lunatics.
• The "VISUAL PROGRAMMING" variant can be found on Cats, and some prints of The Best Bits of Mr. Bean.
• The in-credit print version is still seen on Maisy episodes from the era on Peacock. It was also seen on the TV movie Outrage, which can be found on DVD.
• This appears on Shout! Factory TV's print of the TV Movie Friendly Fire from 1979.