Spelling Television

Credits

Descriptions by
Jason Jones and Shadeed A. Kelly

Captures by
Eric S., V of Doom, Shadeed A. Kelly, Bob Fish, bmasters9, EnormousRat, snelfu, Logophile, Gilblitz112, Pygmalion X, and Bree/LogoCuck

Editions by
V of Doom, Shadeed A. Kelly, bmasters9, and Bob Fish

Video captures courtesy of
LogoCuck

Background

The film and television producer Aaron Spelling established his own television production company initially known as "Aaron Spelling Productions, Inc." in 1969. In 1986, Spelling made his company public after raising $80 million. On March 11, 1989, Aaron Spelling Productions was renamed to "Spelling Entertainment Inc." after acquiring Laurel Entertainment, Inc. and Worldvision Enterprises Inc. The same year, Spelling launched a sub-division named "Torand Productions, Inc.", which was named after Spelling's two children: Tori and Randy Spelling. On April 6, 1991, Spelling Entertainment Inc. was acquired by The Charter Company, which then merged with Spelling Entertainment Inc. and was renamed to "Spelling Entertainment Group" on October 5, 1992. In 1992, Spelling Entertainment was again renamed to "Spelling Television". In 1993, Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation acquired a 67% stake in Spelling Entertainment Group and established "Big Ticket Television" (a.k.a. "Big Ticket Entertainment" and "Big Ticket Pictures") in 1994. In 1994, Blockbuster merged with Viacom, Inc. (later renamed "CBS Corporation" in 2006, and later "ViacomCBS" in 2019 and "Paramount Global" in 2022). In 1999, Viacom acquired the rest of the Spelling Entertainment Group, making it a division of the Paramount Television Group, but Spelling continued producing shows until his death on June 23, 2006, at the age of 83. On April 4, 2007, it was announced that 7th Heaven's series finale on May 13, 2007 would be dedicated to Aaron Spelling, and every single episode of Season 11 featured the text "In Memory of Aaron Spelling." at the beginning of the closing credits. Today, most of the Spelling Television library is owned by Paramount Global through CBS Media Ventures, while the company still survives as an in-name-only unit of CBS Studios (formerly "CBS Paramount Network Television" and "CBS Television Studios").

1st Logo (April 8, 1990-January 9, 1992, October 25, 1994, August 18, 1998-March 10, 2002)

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Logo: Just a black screen with "SPELLING ENTERTAINMENT INC." in a white Elephant font, and a stylized "S" that somewhat resembles the "S From Hell" Screen Gems logo, consisting of three lines going upward, three lines going down, and a rounded rectangular structure behind it. "SPELLING" is in a larger typeface, and "ENTERTAINMENT INC." is smaller and below it.

Variants:

• On Twin Peaks, the logo is shown on a darkblue background, and the words are in a different font (though some episodes have the normal font).
• On Any Day Now starting with Season 2, the logo is much bigger than usual and "ENTERTAINMENT INC." is replaced by "ENTERTAINMENT GROUP INC.".
• On 2nd season episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 and the TV movie Back to the Streets of San Francisco, the logo zooms in.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the show.

Music/Sounds Variant: A 1995 CBS re-airing of Fatal Vows: The Alexandra O'Hara Story used the network's generic theme.

Availability: Uncommon.

• This was seen on Twin Peaks, but the CBS DVD releases, Cloo, Crime & Investigation airings and Netflix viewings remove this logo (though it is seen intact on the Season 1 R2 DVD released by Universal/Playback/Republic, save for the pilot which is plastered by the Worldvision Enterprises logo. Might be on the Warner Home Video releases too).
• It's also seen on the first season of Beverly Hills, 90210 on Pop (not the UK one), Paramount+, Pluto TV, and the season 1 DVD, season 2 plasters it with the 4th logo with the 2006 CBS byline, Pop airings use the DVD prints.
• This logo was revived in 1994 for the TV movie Fatal Vows: The Alexandra O'Hara Story and in 1998 for the Lifetime series Any Day Now, which can be currently seen on Start TV.

2nd Logo (January 23-May 7, 1992)

Logo: Against a steelblue/white gradient background, we see the same "S" from the previous logo, but without the rounded rectangular structure, being drawn in. The name "SPELLING ENTERTAINMENT INC." slides in, a registered trademark symbol fades in, and the name sparkles.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: The finishing of the show's ending theme, or none.

Availability: Extinct.

• It was seen on Beverly Hills, 90210 episodes of the time.
• On Pop rebroadcasts, DVD releases and Paramount+/Pluto TV prints of the said show, it's plastered by the next logo with the CBS byline.
• It was last seen when SoapNet aired it until the channel's closure in 2013.

3rd Logo (July 8, 1992-May 13, 2007)

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  French Byline variant

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Logo: Against a teal background, two lines (one with streaks; the other with filmstrip sprockets) parallel to one another roll out, then they connect with an arch at the right side, resembling the shape of a magnet. The word "silver" in the Century Schoolbook font slides in from that direction, with the word "TELEVISION" inside the lower line. The "silver" in "silver" is a bit larger than the rest of the word, which shines in with "pings". From 1994 onward, the respective company byline fades in below the logo.

Bylines:

• 1994-1995: "A UNIT OF BLOCKBUSTER ENTERTAINMENT" (accompanied by the Blockbuster Video logo, a blue and #FFD900 ticket stub)
• 1994-1995: "A SUBSIDIARY OF BLOCKBUSTER ENTERTAINMENT" (accompanied by the Blockbuster Entertainment logo)
• 1995-1999: "a subsidiary of SPELLING ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC."
• September 1999-2000: "A Paramount/Viacom Company" (in Helvetica)
• October 1999-May 8, 2006: "A PARAMOUNT/VIACOM COMPANY" (set in Viacom's "Wigga-Wigga" font, the text appears in a laser inscription effect under the logo)
• January 22, 2006-May 13, 2007: "A CBS COMPANY" (appears in a laser inscription effect right under the Spelling logo; the text is in Viacom's "Wigga-Wigga" font, but thinner)

Variants:

• Starting in 1999, "TELEVISION" was replaced by "TELEVISION INC.".
• On Sunset Beach from 1997-1999, "TELEVISION" was replaced by "DAYTIME TELEVISION".
• On a few episodes of the short-lived series Robin's Hoods, after the main logo is formed, the Blockbuster Video logo slides in from the left to its spot, making the byline appear as it moves.
• A true 16:9 widescreen version exists.
• A French version of the Blockbuster byline exists

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: The finishing of the ending theme from any show, generic themes on ABC, CBS, NBC and The WB (and later The CW), or silence (like when ABC Family reran 7th Heaven).

Availability: Common.

• It can be seen on Beverly Hills, 90210, 7th Heaven, Melrose Place, and Charmed, among other Spelling productions of the time.
• The "Daytime Television" variant is long gone, as Sunset Beach (the only show it was on) has not seen the light of day in nearly two decades. However, international prints of said show have this plastered by the regular "Television" logo.
• The 2006 variant is currently seen on Pop, Paramount+/Pluto TV prints and DVD releases of Beverly Hills, 90210 as it plasters the older logos, and also appeared on the final season of both 7th Heaven and Charmed.
• It was also seen on a few made-for-TV movies, such as Jane's House, After Jimmy, A Stranger in the Mirror and A Season in Purgatory.