Decode Entertainment

Background

Decode Entertainment (later known as DHX Media Toronto) was a Canadian television production company. It was founded in 1997 by Steven DeNure, Neil Court, and John Delmage. The name "Decode" is an acronym of the combination of the founders' last names.

In 2006, the company merged with Halifax Film to form DHX Media (now WildBrain). In 2010, all DHX Media subsidiaries including Decode Entertainment were rebranded under the DHX Media name. By 2011, DHX Media ceased production on producing content at the ex-Decode offices. The company known as Epitome Pictures, which DHX acquired in 2014, assumed the name of DHX Studios Toronto in 2016, but it has no relation outside the name.

Contents

1st Logo (September 13, 1997-September 22, 2000)	2nd Logo (October 4, 1999-April 21, 2009)	3rd Logo (August 31, 2007-October 15, 2011)

1st Logo (September 13, 1997-September 22, 2000)

Visuals: On a white grainy background, the word "DECODE" in the American Typewriter font appears letter-by-letter, while its light swirls. After, the text "Entertainment Inc." in a sans-serif font, fades in while shooting out light rays. The entire text is in violet.

Variant: A short version, with just the finished product, exists on all the output excluding Watership Down.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: None or the ending theme.

Availability:

Seen on the first 38 episodes of Rainbow Fish on HBO Family, as well as the first season of Freaky Stories.
It also appeared on The New Ghostwriter Mysteries, Brats of the Lost Nebula, Watership Down and Weird-Oh's.

2nd Logo (October 4, 1999-April 21, 2009)

The Save-Ums! in-credit version

Visuals: On a blue background filled with TV static, a bunch of symbols change at lightning quick speed. They are as follows:

A crudely drawn "1"
A "6" in the Army font
A blocky "T"
A "3" in Calibri Bold
An "E" in Times New Roman Italic
An asterisk
A peace sign
A chromosome
The Scorpio symbol
An "i"
An italic "C"
A "R"
A tall, very thin "A"
A "d" in Comic Sans
An information symbol

They form the word "DECODE" in Mekanik Std Regular. As this happens, a yellow smiling robot head with one eye and a crooked antenna, sorting transmission symbols, appears on the lower left corner of the screen looking at the viewer(s), before blinking once.

Variants:

Depending on the show, the logo either cuts or fades to black at the end.
- On rare occasions, the logo would cut the robot head blinking.
On many shows, a copyright stamp appears next to the robot.
An in-credit variant exists on some shows, where the robot head is shown on a white square above the word "DECODE" (the word itself is in white this time). Seen on the British dub of Franny's Feet and also on Planet Sketch and The Adrenaline Project (albeit with a byline underneath).
On Bromwell High, the logo is slightly longer.
On some shows, like The Hoobs, the logo is shown via split screen with other production logos.
On The Save-Ums!, the robot head (which is not tilted to its side this time) is shown in the end credits as it's blinking.

Technique: 2D computer animation. A digital graphic for the in-credit variant.

Audio: A TV static sound or the closing theme.

Audio Variants:

On early episodes of Chop Socky Chooks, none.
On Angela Anaconda, the title character (voiced by Sue Rose) is heard laughing psychotically.

Availability:

While their output isn't reran on TV that often (at least in the U.S.), it was seen on a lot of different shows produced by Decode, such as seasons one and two of Franny's Feet (WNET prints only use this on season one), King, Angela Anaconda, The Naughty Naughty Pets, The Zack Files, Naturally Sadie, Dudson, Olliver's Adventures, Our Hero, Bromwell High, and The Save-Ums! (last reran on Family Jr. on February 14, 2022).
Also appeared on season one episodes of Planet Sketch and Delilah and Julius, the first nine episodes of Chop Socky Chooks, Radio Free Roscoe, and later episodes of Weird-Oh's and Watership Down, just to name a few.

3rd Logo (August 31, 2007-October 15, 2011)

Franny's Feet (2009, Series 3)
Nick Jr. UK Airings

Visuals: On a blue background, the robot head (now with a slightly modified design) is walking on the letters in "Entertainment". The text says "DECODE Entertainment Inc." It bounces on over the "t" and once it gets to an "i", its antenna gets stuck, which sends it jumping. It floats over the "n" and lands on the "e", then does a flip as the antenna gets caught on the "t". The robot head is catapulted and the text is revealed with the DHX Media byline, with another robot head under it, watching the other robot head float in the air. The "DECODE" text is in yellow, and the robot head looks at the viewer(s) once the other one is off screen.

Variants:

On most shows, the first part of the logo is cut off.
A much shorter version of the logo appears on Poppetstown with the first 2 parts cut off.
On WNET prints of Franny's Feet, only the last part of the logo is seen, but on season 2 (which is split into seasons 2 and 3 for WNET prints), it does not get to see the catapult scene.
On The Mighty Jungle, Bo on the Go!, Animal Mechanicals and Pirates: Adventures in Art, the logo (including background) is superimposed over the closing credits. However, the latter show uses the full version.
- On 2010s American reruns of the former show, the logo is sped-up. However, all other prints would have this shortened but in normal speed.
On Waybuloo, the print logo (which is stacked for the company name and the byline) appears as an in-credit logo, which is next to The Foundation and CBeebies logos. The variant for this logo is seen on at least one episode.
A common variant features the copyright stamp, seen on Clang Invasion, Urban Vermin, The Latest Buzz, Naturally Sadie and season 3 of Franny's Feet.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The closing theme. On the remainder of Chop Socky Chooks and the trailer for How to Be Indie, silence.

Availability:

It debuted on season 2 of Delilah & Julius.
Seen on the first season of Super Why! on PBS Kids (the second and third seasons replace this with the DHX Media logo). It was also seen on shows by Halifax Film after the merger, such as The Mighty Jungle, Bo on the Go!, Animal Mechanicals and Pirates: Adventures in Art.
The longer version was seen only on the aforementioned Pirates: Adventures in Art and, so far, on the aforementioned trailer for How to Be Indie.
It is also seen on The Latest Buzz, Clang Invasion, and the second season of Planet Sketch, as well as the final seventeen episodes of Chop Socky Chooks.
It plasters the previous logo on current prints of Naturally Sadie Season 3.
This doesn't appear on The Adrenaline Project, as the in-credit version of the second logo is used instead.
Nowadays, all of the shows described above (save for Super Why!, which used to be one of the most rerun shows on PBS Kids) are barely ever reran.
- Additionally, this logo (and other DHX/WildBrain divisions' logos) is plastered by the DHX Media/WildBrain logo in newer prints, making it scarce to come across these days.

Decode Entertainment

DHX Media

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