The Media Merchants Production

Credits

Descriptions by
DisneyInternationalFan, Rhodri, Blue2000 and TrademarkMagic04

Editions by
TrademarkMagic04, Blue2000 and Michael Kenchington

Background

The Media Merchants was an independent children's television production company run by Neil Buchanan and Tim Edmunds, known for producing series such as Art Attack. It merged with Television Support Services prior to a takeover by Gullane Entertainment in 2000, which was in turn was taken over by HIT Entertainment on July 5, 2002. The company was closed in 2007 after ITV cancelled Art Attack, and HIT later sold the rights to the show. Currently, Mattel controls the rights to Media Merchants's productions.

(January 8, 1993-June 29, 2007)

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Nickname: "The Swinging Text" (1993-1995), "TONG!" (1995-2007)

Logo: On a matte paper background, the red text "the media merchants" quickly flips up. After that, "the" then drops off and quickly swings about, resting at a 90 degree angle when it stops.

Variants:

• Beginning in 1995, the logo is completely still and has the word "production" below in gray. The word "the" also looks closer.
• On ZZZAP!, the text now appears in an explosion shape and in a different font.
• Starting with series 10 of Art Attack, the background would have stains of different colours, like:
  • 1998-2000: 5 paint coloured stains of yellow, dark chrome green, purple, blue and orange. On seasons 12-13 the logo is shows next to the 2000 Scottish Television logo and appears in a box with the text appearing below the two logo reading "THE MEDIA MERCHANTS PRODUCTION FOR SCOTTISH TELEVISION".
  • 2001-December 22, 2003: 4 and 3D-rendered coloured stains of yellow, orange, blue and red, with the text "production for" appering below the SMG TV Productions
  • August 30, 2004-June 29, 2007: 5 paint coloured splats of red, yellow, cyan, green and blue with the same text and the same SMG TV Productions logo being seen below.
• On series 5-6 of the said programme, the logo uses the text below the logo reading "production for Scottish Television Enterprises".

FX/SFX: The word falling and the word quickly shaking.

Music/Sounds:

• Animated version: A slamming sound following with a like a door hinges without lubricant squeaking sound.
• Still version: A cartoony noise, like the sound of a ruler being bent from the side of a table. The sound was removed in August 2004 starting with series 17 of Art Attack.

Availability: Seen on Art Attack, ZZZap! and Terror Towers, among others.