Four D Productions, Inc.
Adam P., Nicholas Aczel, Jess Williams, Kris Starring, bmasters9, and others
Captures by
V of Doom, bmasters9, and snelfu
Editions by
Shadeed A. Kelly, D.L. Chandell, bmasters9, and others
Video captures 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 dropped federal and state lawsuits against Columbia over the sharing of profits from Barney Miller.
Logo (August 22, 1974-May 20, 1982)
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Standard Version
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Blue Variant
Visuals: Over a yellow background, the text "FOUR PRODUCTIONS, INC." in a black Clarendon Condensed font are seen 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: On older prints of this logo, a 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 season 8 episode 10 of Barney Miller titled "The Clown", the logo occurs on a blue background rather than the standard yellow. This was caused by a videotape 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.
Technique: Cel animation.
Audio: An upbeat ditty composed by Jack Elliott and Allyn Ferguson, who composed the theme for Barney Miller and also composed the Lorimar Productions 1971-1986 jingle. With the following arrangements:
- August 22, 1974-March 20, 1975: An analog synth and a clarinet arrangement with a drumbeat on the first note, chimes in the appearance of the D's. This version debuted in the 1974 pilot The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller, and was used until the end of the first season.
- February 27, 1975-May 20, 1982: A muted trumpet with a keyboard arrangement for the ringing chimes in the appearance of the D's. This was used for the remainder of the logo's existence.
- 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:
- It's seen at the end of Barney Miller on Antenna TV and 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 blue variant is intact on the Shout! Factory complete series release as well as the Season 8 set.
- 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.
