Carlton Visual Entertainment

Credits

Descriptions by
mr3urious, Logophile, Mariofan88 and Henrynguye5

Captures by
Henrynguye5, SubparMario63 and Lorcan Wooster

Editions by
Tabit and Michael Kenchington

Video captures courtesy of
dylan fagan

Background

In 1992, Pickwick Group PLC was purchased by Carlton Communications for £65 million. In 1995, the company was restructured under the Carlton name and renamed as Carlton Home Entertainment. The home video division was renamed as Carlton Video, while the company's other divisions became Carlton Records, Carlton Classics and Carlton Publishing. Pickwick's own label was transitioned to Carlton Classics and rebranded under the Hallmark name, while the brand was retained for children's releases under Carlton Records.

In 1998, Carlton sold off their music division to The Point Group, while keeping the video division. After various administrations, this division later reverted under the Pickwick name and continues to operate to this day.

In 2002, Carlton Home Entertainment was renamed Carlton Visual Entertainment, with all releases being branded under this name.

In September 2004, Granada Video's distributor Video Collection International merged with BBC Video to form 2 Entertain, and as a result they ended their partnership with VCI and they folded into their unit, ITV plc rebranded Carlton Visual Entertainment as Granada Ventures.

1st Logo (October 2, 1995-1998)

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Visuals: On a flowing red background, the giant letters of the Carlton logo slide across the screen in all directions, with shadows seen going in the opposite direction. Once it gets to the "N", it instead zooms in and, as the shadow zooms out and lingers for a bit, the Carlton logo compresses and focuses into view, along with "Video" below in the same font.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A droning synth chord with whooshes.

Availability: Seen at the beginning and end of Carlton Video VHS releases from the time-period until 1998.

• These include The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, Bananas In Pyjamas, Tots TV, and Starla & the Jewel Riders, among others.
• Later releases still have this logo on the box cover, but uses the Carlton Home Entertainment logo that only appears at the end of the tape.
• It is also seen on the 1995 UK VHS release of The Story Store: Who's Minding The Store, the 1996 UK VHS release of Geo Kids: Chomping on Bugs, Swimming Sea Slugs, the 1997 UK VHS releases of Bananas in Pyjamas: It's Music Time!, and The Willows In Winter, and the 1998 UK VHS release of Bananas in Pyjamas: Bananasaurus, respectively.

Legacy: Along with the related Carlton Screen Advertising logo, this has been known to scare viewers who weren't expecting it with its dramatic appearance.

2nd Logo (1998-1999)

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Visuals: Just the "24 Hours" variant of the 1996 Carlton Television ident, without any video indicator and starting at the point where "CARLTON" appears.

Variants:

• A longer variant exists, where the "O" descends slower and uses the full "24 Hours" ident music.
• A variant for promos has the Carlton logo at the top of the screen.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: An abridged version of the "24 Hours" ident music.

Availability: Seen on certain Carlton Video VHS releases from the time-period until 1999.

• It was also used in tandem with the previous one.
• It is also seen on the 1998 UK VHS releases of David Hand's Animaland and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie, and the 1999 UK VHS releases of Extreme Dinosaurs: Raptoroid, Extreme Dinosaurs: Cyber-Raptors, and The Slow Norris: Decorating and Other Stories, respectively.
• It is also intact at the end of very early UK DVD releases, including the 1998 UK DVD release of Goodnight, Mister Tom.

3rd Logo (September 1999-2004)

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Visuals: Just the finished product of the 1999 Carlton ident (with the orange background), without the 1998 ITV logo (similar to the version used on TV productions).

Variants:

• The background may be still. This is mainly seen on pre-2000 VHS and DVD releases. It is also preserved on some VHS releases after 2000 as well.
• "VIDEO" appears below the logo on some occasions.
• The URL may also appear below.
• A 16:9 widescreen version exists.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on Carlton Video VHS and DVD releases from the time-period until 2004.

• It is also seen on VHS and DVD releases of shows that were produced by ITC Entertainment such as Thunderbirds, Stingray, and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, respectively, among others.
• Some reissues of Carlton DVD releases in the ITV plc era will either keep this intact or mainly plaster this with the 2006 ITV DVD logo.
• Despite the logo appearing on the spine and back covers and tape labels of the reissued versions of the 1997 The World of Peter Rabbit & Friends UK VHS releases, it does not appear on them as they use the first logo instead due to them being direct reissues.
• It is also seen on the 2000 UK VHS releases of Jellikins: Christmas Special, the 1999 TV movie Santa's Last Christmas, A Monkey's Tale, and Casper's Haunted Christmas (2000), the 2001 UK VHS releases of Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids: The Spaghetti Man, Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys, and The Brave Little Toaster (1987, 2001 re-release), the 2002 UK VHS releases of Bananas in Pyjamas: Space Bananas, Starstreet: Thaila's Birthday, and Nini's Treehouse: Ooberry Alphabet Zoo, and the 2003 UK VHS releases of Tiny Planets: Bing And Bong's Big Adventures, Ben Hur (2003), and The Last Unicorn (1982, 2003 re-release), respectively, among others.

◄ Pickwick Video

Carlton Visual Entertainment

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