Four D Productions, Inc.

Logo description by Adam P., Nicholas Aczel, Matt Williams, Kris Starring, bmasters9, and others Logo captures by V of Doom, bmasters9, and snelfu Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, D.L. Chandell, bmasters9, and others Video capture courtesy of DudeThatLogo

Background: Four D Productions, Inc. was an independent television production company formed by producer Danny Arnold in 1974. In 1977, Columbia Pictures Television acquired worldwide distribution rights to Barney Miller and its spin-off Fish. On August 28, 1986, the CPT Group acquired Four D Productions including his other companies part of Danny Arnold Productions, Inc. for $50 million after Danny Arnold dismissed the Federal and State lawsuits against Columbia. Arnold then retired the same time.

(August 22, 1974-May 20, 1982) Four D Productions "4-D" (1975-1982)Four D Productions (1974)Four D Productions, Inc. (1977)Barney Miller: Four D logo in blue shade (tape error from "The Clown")

Nicknames: "Four D", "4-D"

Logo: On a yellow background, we see "FOUR PRODUCTIONS, INC." in a black Clarendon Condensed font followed by the appearance of four overlapping "D" logos from smallest to largest. The D's form in the center in between "FOUR" and "PRODUCTIONS".

Trivia: It's seen on older prints of this logo, the white dot flashes in tune with the closing timpani note when it fades out (the film projector/telecine cue mark). This was also seen on prints where it was followed by the 1996 Columbia TriStar Television logo.

Variant: On the eighth and final season episode "The Clown" (OAD Jan. 21, 1982 on ABC), the logo appears in a shade of blue due to a tape error (most prints of the episode had the standard version instead that was corrected by CPT; the print from Shout!'s complete series DVD release is the one with said tape error).

FX/SFX: The appearance of the D's.

Music/Sounds: These logo themes were composed by Jack Elliott and Allyn Ferguson, who composed the theme for Barney Miller and also composed the Lorimar Television 1971-1986 jingle:

August 22, 1974-March 20, 1975: An analog synth and a clarinet arrangement, with a drumbeat on the first note chime with in the appearance of the D's, followed by the same instruments for the last note when the logo fades out. This version debuted in the 1974 pilot The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller. February 27, 1975-May 20, 1982: A muted trumpet with a piano arrangement for the ringing chimes in the appearance of the D's, followed by a timpani pound for the last note to close the logo out. November 13, 1975: The logo is silent at the end of the Season 2 episode "You Dirty Rat" on both the SPHE S2 DVD release and the 2011 Shout! Factory complete series release. On the final episode of Barney Miller titled "Landmark: Part 3", it's the applause from the audience.

Availability: Rare.

It's seen at the end of Barney Miller on Antenna TV and Sony Crackle. It is also on the end of each episode of Barney Miller, beginning with the second season as released on both the individual releases of seasons 1-3 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and the complete series release from Shout! Factory released in 2011. The logo was omitted from the season 1 release by SPHE and Shout! Factory (as it used the original masters from SPHE). Shout! Factory's release of season 4 (as part of the complete series set) omits this logo as well on all but two episodes, replacing them with the Sony Pictures Television International logo instead.

Editor's Note: None.