Witt/Thomas Productions

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Witt/Thomas Productions was a production company that was formed in 1973 when Paul Junger Witt joined with Tony Thomas, the son of comedian Danny Thomas. In 1976, the company was renamed to Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions when writer and Witt's wife, Susan Harris joined the company with their first series Soap a year later. In the 1980s, the company was renamed back to "Witt/Thomas Productions", but the Witt/Thomas/Harris name continued until 1995 when Empty Nest ended.

Logo (September 4, 1975-April 27, 1999)


Visuals: During the closing credits, there is the following text, often in a Clarendon Bold font on most shows produced by the company:

A
WITT
THOMAS
HARRIS
PRODUCTION

Variants:

  • During the later years, it was referred to as "A WITT/THOMAS PRODUCTION". This variant of the logo is also seen on It's a Living as well as the ABC sitcom Condo from early 1983; the latter used a copyright notice.
  • Beginning in 1994, the "Witt/Thomas" ("Witt-Thomas-Harris" for Empty Nest) in-credit name is shown outside of the credits and placed on a black background with a gradient shade of blue to make it seem like an outside logo. The font changes depending on the show.
  • On the fifth and final season of Blossom, the logo is placed on a black background.
  • On the pilot episode of Herman's Head, the company name is written with the names in separate lines, but without Harris.
  • On Beauty and the Beast, the two names are separated by a hyphen instead of a forward slash and superimposed into the credits.
  • On Woops!, the company name is placed on a dark blue background, and the two names are separated by a hyphen.
  • On some episodes of Herman's Head, the variant above is seen, but it's shown in-credit.
  • On the third and final season of Nurses, this logo is in a double-font combo, much like the closing credits from that season.
  • During the later years of Benson, as well as on Hail to the Chief and the first-run syndicated episodes of It's a Living, the copyright notice is in the Helvetica font.
  • On the Blossom episode "Rockumentary", instead of the usual in-credit logo, the logo is in a pink color at the bottom of the screen on a black background with a live action shot of Dreyfuss the dog from Empty Nest inside a circle (which is also in a pink outline) with the barking being dubbed by Blossom (Mayim Bialik).

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: The ending theme of the show. NBC and CBS used generic themes starting in 1994.

Availability: Seen on Soap, Benson, The Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Nurses, The Golden Palace, Blossom, Beauty and the Beast, Brotherly Love, The John Larroquette Show, Minor Adjustments, Muscle, and It's a Living, among others.

Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.