PITS Films
Matt Anscher, and Jeffrey Gray
Captures by
Shadeed A. Kelly
Editions by
Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom, and Unnepad
Background
PITS Films was a television distribution arm of Tandem Productions, launched in 1978 to distribute most of their material such as Sanford and Son, Maude, and Good Times, all of which were produced by Norman Lear, with the former by Bud Yorkin. On January 6, 1982, it was folded into "Embassy Telecommunications" with the acquisition of Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation by Lear and Jerry Perenchio, both by renaming the distribution division of T.A.T. Communications Co. PITS was an acronym, which stood for "Pie in the Sky".
(1979-1982)
Nickname: "PITS Stars"
Logo: Against a blue background reads the text "DISTRIBUTED BY PITS FILMS" with the word "PITS" in 3-D lettering and in green. In the three spaces of the letters, some white stars, one by one, that seem to be growing, and then settle in their spaces. As it fades out, it reads:
P☆I☆T☆S
FILMS
FX/SFX: The stars "growing". All Scanimate effects.
Music/Sounds: A synth tune that ascends and descends repeatedly, composed by John Maxwell Anderson.
Availability: Extinct. While not nearly as rare as the T.A.T. logo, it's still quite difficult to spot, as this logo is scrubbed on current prints.
- Late 1990s reruns of Good Times on TBS was the last network it was seen, on the final season episode "J.J. the Teacher", and only because Columbia TriStar forgot to plaster it with the then-infamous "Boxes of Boredom".
- It was also reportedly seen on a 2003 TV Land airing of Sanford & Son with SPT following it.
- It was also seen on Maude.
Editor’s Note: This logo is notorious for its rarity, ugly animation, color scheme and synth music. Not to mention, the music is from the same composer who did the infamous T.A.T. Communications Company logo.
