Studios USA Television

Credits

Descriptions by
Jason Jones and Shadeed A. Kelly

Captures by
Eric S., V of Doom, EnormousRat, Shadeed A. Kelly, ClosingLogosHD, Mr. Gann, and Pygmalion X

Editions by
Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom, mr3urious and Michael Kenchington

Studios USA Television
Founded:	1998 (25 years ago)
Defunct:	May 28, 2002 (20 years ago)
Location:	United States

Background

When Universal Television, USA Network, Sci-Fi Channel and the 1929–1949 Paramount Pictures sound feature film library were sold to Barry Diller's HSN Inc. from The Seagram Company in 1998 (though they kept a 45% interest in Diller's operations), the company was renamed to Studios USA Television LLC. However in 1998, Universal Studios acquired PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and then folded PolyGram into Universal, forming Universal Studios Network Programming when the acquisition was completed in 1999. In 2001, USA Networks' entertainment assets were purchased by Vivendi Universal, reuniting Studios USA with Universal Studios, and renaming Studios USA to "Universal Network Television" and Studios USA Television Distribution to "Universal Domestic Television". In September 2002, the Universal Network Television and Universal Domestic Television logos replaced the Studios USA logo.

Contents
1st Logo (1998)	2nd Logo (July 8, 1998-September 1, 2002)

1st Logo (1998)

Logo: On a gray background, we see the words "STUDIOS USA" in silver lettering with the word "STUDIOS" above in a small font and "USA" in a large font below with a shadow effect behind the letters. There is a blue line in between the words.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The end-title theme.

Availability: Ultra rare. This was only a placeholder that was only seen on the unsold/unaired pilot of Hollyweird.

2nd Logo (July 8, 1998-September 1, 2002)

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  Filmed version

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Logo: Many red and blue lines spin through a white background. The words "STUDIOS USA" slide in near the left of the screen with "STUDIOS" above "USA". The lines make a stop to reveal a U.S. flag motif.

Variants:

• For co-produced shows, "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" appears above the logo.
• There is a variant of this logo where it is up-close.
• A filmed version of this logo exists.
• On HD prints of some season 2 episodes of Law & Order: SVU, this logo is cropped to 16:9.
• Starting in 2000, the logo was enhanced. The flag animation in the beginning is slightly different, the text is now 3D, the "USA" text now has a shadow, and the flag "waves" once the logo is finished forming.
• For co-produced shows, "In association with" in a spaced-out Gill Sans font is seen above "STUDIOS".
• On Crossing Over with John Edward, "distributed by" is seen above "STUDIOS".
• A widescreen version of this logo exists, starting in 2000.
• There was a still shot of the 1998 version seen on the short-lived series, Payne and Brother's Keeper.
• On USA Network TV movies from 1998-1999, a still/filmed version of this logo appears.

Technique: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: Whoosh sounds are heard when the flag animates.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On Xena: Warrior Princess starting with season 4, only one whoosh sound is heard.
• On later episodes of Young Hercules, the finishing of the 1994 Renaissance Pictures logo's music is played over it.
• Some shows, like Maury, Jerry Springer and some season 2 episodes of New York Undercover on Centric, have wind sound effects following the whoosh sound.
• Starting in 2000, the above sound variant is used, but more whoosh sounds are added for when the flag animates.
• Season 1 episodes 2-14 of Cleopatra: 2525 have a 3-note piano theme (which is actually the last 3 notes of the 1998 Sally Jessy Raphael theme music).
• Depending on how long the 2000 enhanced variant of this logo is shown on-screen, descending wind sounds may be heard when the flag starts waving.
• Sometimes, it is silent, or the end title theme of any show or TV movie may play over.
• NBC, CBS and ABC airings used a generic theme.

Availability: Common.

• It appeared on network and syndicated shows of the time such as Law & Order episodes from the era, The Agency, season 1 of The District, Jerry Springer and Maury, among others. Reruns of the latter two shows will however have the NBCUniversal Television Distribution logo. It was previously seen on Crossing Over with John Edward on Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy).
• It can be seen on 4:3 prints of 1998-2002 seasons of Law & Order (not on the Sundance airings, which use the 2004 NBC Universal Television Distribution logo, nor widescreen DVDs, which use the NBC Universal Television Studio logo instead, or on local reruns, which use the 2011 NBCUniversal Television Distribution logo), the first three seasons of Law & Order: SVU on MyNetworkTV and intact on its DVD box sets, the final two seasons of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys on TeleXitos, H&I, and when last aired on the Hub Network (before the rebrand to Discovery Family). It was also seen on Arrest & Trial, which last aired on the now-defunct Fox Reality Channel.
• It also appears on Xena: Warrior Princess on DVD starting on season 4, some season 2 episodes of New York Undercover last seen on Centric (now BET Her) plastering the 1991 Universal Television logo, and was also seen on The Mummy: The Animated Series, in which Peacock's prints and DVD releases retain this.
• The still/filmed variant of the logo is rare, as it can be only found on original airings of TV movies produced for USA Network from 1998 to 1999, like Every Mother's Worst Fear or The Color of Courage. Home media releases and reruns of these films remove this in favor of the 1997 Universal Pictures logo at the start of the films.
• The logo was also seen when ABC briefly aired season 1 episodes of USA Network's Monk in 2003.

External links

• Studios USA Television filmography on IMDb

◄ Universal Television Universal Television Enterprises Universal Television Entertainment

Studios USA Television

Universal Network Television Universal Domestic Television Universal Television Distribution ►