The Carsey-Werner Company

Background

The Carsey-Werner Company (also known as "Carsey-Werner Television") is an independent production company that was established in 1981 by Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner to produce what became to be popular television shows such as The Cosby Show, Roseanne, 3rd Rock From the Sun, That '70s Show, A Different World (a spin-off of The Cosby Show), Cybill, Grace Under Fire, That '80s Show (a spin-off of That '70s Show), and other shows.

In the company's earlier years, distribution was handled by bigger companies (such as Viacom Enterprises, who only distributed 1980s and early-to-mid 1990s reruns of Roseanne, A Different World, and The Cosby Show, and later by Paramount Domestic Television, which is now "CBS Media Ventures"), but because of the most successful programs produced by the company, Carsey-Werner in 1997, "grew" into a larger company into where they were able to distribute their own programs. Caryn Mandabach later joined to the company in 1984 (then-known as Caryn Snyder until 1986 and credited as "Caryn Snyder-Mandabach" from 1985-1986) as the supervising executive and was made a partner in 2001, until she left the company in 2004 to begin her own company.

After Marcy Carsey left the company in 2005, the company was reorganized as Werner/Gold/Miller, but Eric L. Gold and Jimmy Miller left in 2007 and it was renamed to Werner Entertainment.

Contents

1st Logo (September 27, 1983-March 13, 1984)	2nd Logo (October 8, 1987-May 20, 1997)	3rd Logo (January 2, 1995-May 17, 1999)	4th Logo (3rd Rock from the Sun custom variant) (January 9, 1996-May 22, 2001)	5th Logo (That '70s Show custom variant) (August 23, 1998-May 18, 2006)


6th Logo (September 29, 1999-)	7th Logo (Don't Ask custom variant) (2000)	8th Logo (Normal, Ohio custom variant) (November 1-December 13, 2000)	9th Logo (That '80s Show custom variant) (January 23-May 29, 2002)	10th Logo (2004-2005)

1st Logo (September 27, 1983-March 13, 1984)

Visuals: On a gray background, there's the text

The

Carsey-Werner

Company

in a Cooper Black font, with black etchings on the letters. Below, there's the copyright text in a white color.

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: The closing theme to the program.

Availability: Appears on Oh Madeline.

2nd Logo (October 8, 1987-May 20, 1997)

Visuals: On a blue background, there's the gold text

A
CARSEY-WERNER
PRODUCTION

in a bold Gill Sans font with a copyright stamp above. After that, there's the following text

In
Association
With
BILL COSBY

Variants:

Usually, the text "SUPERVISING EXECUTIVE, CARYN MANDABACH" appears above the text.
From 1989-1991 on The Cosby Show, the copyright stamp mistakenly said "© [YEAR] The Carsey-Werner Show. All Rights Reserved.".
For seasons 7-9 of Roseanne, an "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" title would appear on the background, followed by the now name saying "THE CARSEY-WERNER COMPANY". On the final season, the copyright stamp is absent.

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: The ending theme of the show.

Availability: Appears on The Cosby Show beginning with later season 4 episodes, seasons 2-6 of A Different World, early episodes of Roseanne, Chicken Soup, and the '90s short-lived revival of the game show You Bet Your Life.

It also originally appeared on the first two seasons of Grace Under Fire, but modern releases replace it with the next logo.
It also appears on Davis Rules, but this logo is strangely not shown on Hulu's prints, except for the episodes "Twisted Sister" and "Sign of the Times", respectively.

3rd Logo (January 2, 1995-May 17, 1999)

Visuals: On a white background, there is a teal-green and blue TV set, with half of the inside using the same color, while the other half is dark blue, with "CARSEY WERNER" seen on the halves respetively.

Variants:

On season 1 and early season 2 episodes of Cybill, there is a copyright stamp for YBYL Productions underneath.
Original ABC broadcasts of the episodes of Roseanne from 1995 (only the last five episodes from season 7) had this logo with an IAW screen, but with a tan-colored background, and then switched to Caryn Mandabach's supervising excutive name. It was later reverted back to the previous logo a while later. This can be seen on syndicated episodes as well.
For syndication, the text "DISTRIBUTION LLC" is seen below, sandwiched between the TV and the copyright stamp.
On Cosby, the IAW text appears above the logo.

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: None, the end theme of the show or a generic theme on CBS.

Audio Variant: On some shows, the 1987 Paramount TV theme is heard, probably due to sloppy editing.

Availability: This logo first appeared on Cybill, and was also appears on Cosby, and later episodes of Roseanne (starting with "Rear Window") and Grace Under Fire (staring with "The Good Mother").

It also plasters the previous logo on current prints of the first two seasons of Grace Under Fire, which appears on the complete series DVD release from Visual Entertainment.
It also appears on the short-lived series Damon, Townies, and Men Behaving Badly, respectively.

4th Logo (3rd Rock from the Sun custom variant) (January 9, 1996-May 22, 2001)

Visuals: There is a planet base (all in a blue tint) in space with a planet seen in the background, as a rock flies throughout. The text "THE CARSEY-WERNER CO." is seen at the bottom.

Variant: On syndication airings, the text "CARSEY-WERNER DISTRIBUTION, LLC" is seen instead, sometimes with the show's URL below.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A whoosh is heard when the rock flies by.

Audio Variants:

Other times, it's the closing theme of the show.
Original NBC airings used a generic theme and a voiceover.

Availability: This is a custom logo which only appears on 3rd Rock from the Sun.

5th Logo (That '70s Show custom variant) (August 23, 1998-May 18, 2006)

Visuals: There is a dark gold license plate on a car. On the top of the license plate reads "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND", which is Wisconsin's motto, with the company name seen below. Under the name, there is "WISCONSIN", and a license sticker surrounding the plate, with a small outline of the aforementioned state to the left and an expiration date for a year in the 1970s, which varies depending on when the episode takes place.

Trivia: This logo is based on the opening sequence of That '70s Show.

Variants:

Sometimes, the license sticker is rarely absent.
Sometimes, the show's URL also appears below.
On the episode "That '70s Musical", the searchlights and sparkles with a dark blue vignette are used.
On the episode "Thank You", a flash appears at the beginning.

Technique: Live-action.

Audio: The end theme of the show or none. Original Fox airings used a generic theme and a voiceover.

Availability: This is a custom logo which only appears on That '70s Show.

6th Logo (September 29, 1999-)

Visuals: On a white background, there are two lines, with "CARSEY-WERNER" (in a capitalized Trajan Pro font until the early 2000s; which later switched to a lowercase Trebuchet MS font) shown with a pyramidal diamond which takes its place of an hyphen, shown between the two lines. Under it, there's the turquoise word "COMPANY, LLC". A service mark symbol is also seen to the right.

Variants:

From 2001 to 2004, it had "MANDABACH" under the name.
In syndication, it would be read as "DISTRIBUTION, LLC" (or simply "DISTRIBUTION").
On season 3 of Cosby, the above variant has the IAW notice and the website under it.
A variant exists where the name is moved upwards and appears smaller, with a coat of arms shield colored in silver and blue respectively. Inside is two gold drama masks (comedy and tragedy) and two lions in the same color facing left and right inside. Below the shield is "BY APPOINTMENT" and "Purveyors of Fine Comedy", sandwiched between two lines with a small Roman numeral year below. At the bottom is a copyright notice "© That 70's Company Limited 1999".
On some shows like the unsold pilot of the U.S. version of Peep Show and That '90s Show, only the name is seen in the middle with no other words whatsoever.
On the 2018 revival of Roseanne, the logo is formed by the halves of the pyramidal diamond sliding in from the sides over a black background before connecting to each other, revealing the logo albeit without the lines.
On God, the Devil & Bob, the logo is preceded by an "In association with" screen.
On Humanoids in Korolev (a Russian adaptation of 3rd Rock from the Sun), one line from above is missing.

Technique: A still, digital graphic. Flash animation for the 2018 variant.

Audio: None, the generic network theme or the closing theme of the show.

Audio Variant: The 2018 variant has a short harmonica music composed by Dan Foliart and Howard Pearl, which is based on the production music of Roseanne and its spin-off The Conners.

Availability: Appears on the first season of Grounded for Life (later seasons have the "Mandabach" variant), That '90s Show and God, the Devil & Bob.

It also appears on newer prints of The Cosby Show, A Different World, Roseanne, and Cosby, among others.
The 2018 variant only appears on the 2018 revival of Roseanne, and does not appear on its spin-off The Conners, as it's now under Werner Entertainment.
The shield logo only appears on Days Like These (a British adaptation of That '70s Show).

7th Logo (Don't Ask custom variant) (2000)

Visuals: On a cloudy background, there are some tropical plants moving to reveal the text "CARSEY-WERNER PRODUCTIONS".

Trivia: This logo is based on the scene transitions from Don't Ask.

Technique: Live-action.

Audio: An unknown Mexican music from the pilot.

Availability: Only used as a custom logo for the unsold pilot of Don't Ask, which would be later renamed to Normal, Ohio.

8th Logo (Normal, Ohio custom variant) (November 1-December 13, 2000)

Visuals: The logo starts with film footage of a boy and a girl walking on a field. The text "Carsey-Werner" is seen at the bottom as it fades in. The film burns at the end.

Trivia: This logo is based on the opening sequence of Normal, Ohio.

Technique: Live-action, with the film effect and text being computer-animated.

Audio: The ending theme of the show. Original Fox airings used a generic theme and a voiceover.

Availability: This is a custom logo which only appears on Normal, Ohio.

9th Logo (That '80s Show custom variant) (January 23-May 29, 2002)

Visuals: The logo starts with in what appears to be a record store, a vinyl record in its sleeve on a middle shelf. The cover has a gray pinball sitting on a black and white tile floor with two windows on either side each with a cloud background. At the top of the cover, there's the stacked text "CARSEY*WERNER MANDABACH" with a small diamond in between the two words.

Trivia: This logo is based on the opening sequence of That '80s Show.

Technique: A still, digital graphic.

Audio: The ending theme of the show. Original Fox airings used a generic theme and a voiceover.

Availability: This is a custom logo which only appears on That '80s Show.

10th Logo (2004-2005)

Visuals: On a blue background, the company name (in the same lowercase Trebuchet MS font as the 6th logo), zooms toward in 3D. After it finishes, the background becomes white as the logo shines.

Technique: CGI by Scott Williams at New Wave Entertainment.

Audio: None.

Availability: It appears as the home entertainment logo on DVD releases of That '70s Show and Roseanne released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

The Carsey-Werner Company

Werner/Gold/Miller

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