Worldvision Home Video

Credits

Descriptions by
Jason Jones, Sean Beard, and indycar

Captures by
thehugetvfan, V of Doom, Mr.Logo, indycar, and Pygmalion X

Editions by
V of Doom, CNViewer2006, Michael Kenchington and indycar

Video captures courtesy of
czar7474, Eric S., V of Doom and VHSBetaOpeningPreviewLover1991

Background

Worldvision Home Video Inc. was the home media division of television production company and syndicator Worldvision Enterprises, that primarily released television programs (Worldvision's own material, along with material from ABC Films and QM Productions that Worldvision controlled the distribution rights to the former and all rights to the latter), Hanna-Barbera Productions (owned by Taft Broadcasting, Worldvision's owner at the time) material and special-interest releases (such as the golf legend Jack Nicklaus' Golf My Way series). Worldvision was later sold to Spelling Inc. (later Spelling Entertainment Group) and began releasing Spelling Entertainment programs. In 1994, Spelling purchased Republic Pictures and Worldvision Home Video was folded into Republic Pictures Home Video (now Paramount Home Media Distribution and CBS Home Entertainment).

1st Logo (1983-1995)

Nicknames: "Radar Globe", "Radar W", "Worldvision W Globe", "WHOOSH Globe (of Doom)"

Logo: On a white screen, the Worldvision Enterprises globe with a red "W" zooms-out from the center. As the camera zooms out, the word "WORLDVISION" emerges from the front, and both plaster themselves into place. The text "HOME VIDEO INC." slides in from the Worldvision name, as the background fades to black. Afterwards, the radar globe shines and the "World Vision International" print stamp (in very small type here) fades onto the bottom of the screen. The finished logo then cuts to black.

Trivia: This logo would become the basis of the 1988 Worldvision logo.

Bylines:

• 1983-1987: "A TAFT COMPANY" and the "World Vision International" print stamp replacing the byline a second later.
• 1987-1989: (Bylineless; just the "World Vision International" print stamp appearing in)
• 1989-1994: "A UNIT OF SPELLING ENTERTAINMENT INC." (with the "World Vision International" print stamp below the byline) Trademark symbol appears by the "Radar W" logo in 1991.
• 1994-1995: "A UNIT OF SPELLING ENTERTAINMENT INC., A BLOCKBUSTER ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY"

Variants:

• There is a filmed variation of this logo.
• On the 1991 release of the 1987 television movie Hands of a Stranger, as soon as the text "HOME VIDEO INC." stops sliding in, it cuts to the finished 1988 television logo (which also cuts out after it finishes). That last second of the the globe zooming in on the television version is seen for a split second.
• One trailer variant featured the phrase "COMING SOON FROM" in a red/black gradient on a white background before the logo begins. the words "COMING SOON" and "FROM" are divided by a black line.

FX/SFX: The zoom out, the lettering layering effects and the shining radar globe.

Music/Sounds: It starts with a loud, long "whoosh". After the "whoosh" dies down, an 8-note synthesized tune with "air" in the background plays, which is actually a slowed-down version of Andy Clarke's "Moog Statement 14".

Music/Sounds Variant: There is a quiet (but not silent) version of the music.

Availability: Very rare. It's seen on most releases of material from the Hanna-Barbera Productions and Spelling Entertainment libraries. Other notable releases were Sam's Son, The Goodbye Bird, Happily Ever After and Get Smart…Again!

• Much of the back catalog (mainly the feature films, television films and some mini-series) were reissued by Republic Pictures Home Video in the mid-1990s (much of it in EP mode with Worldvision packaging and even recycling the original tape masters.)
• Could also be seen on EP mode reissues of films from AIP Home Video.
• Also seen on the first releases of Beverly Hills 90210 and any show that had the Worldvision Enterprises logo on it.
• The quiet version is only used after the 1986 Taft Video logo.
• This can be found on a Canadian VHS of The Stand from Malofilm Video, as well as Netflix's print of The Stand episode "The Plague".
• The filmed version is extremely rare, but can be found on a Guild Home Video UK VHS release of Atom Ant.
• It was also seen at the start of an HBO broadcast of the 1994 film Crackerjack.
• Also found on a few early 1990s GoodTimes Home Video reissued tapes that were under license from the company.
• A 1994 VHS of Cujo doesn't have this logo; instead, it uses the Worldvision Enterprises logo, both at the beginning and end.
• It makes surprise apperances on the CBS Home Entertainment MOD DVD-R of The Stepford Children, a recent UK TalkingPictures TV airing of Breakthrough (Steiner - Das eiserne Kreuz, 2. Teil, 1979), and Bunnicula the Vampire Rabbit (1982) on the Boomerang streaming service.
• It also appears on UK VHS releases of the Hanna-Barbera shows from both Guild Home Video and The Video Collection in the 1980s, respectively.

Legacy: The first appearance of the Worldvision identity everybody knows and loves. You'll grow to love it once you don't get startled by the loud whoosh at the beginning. The Hands of a Stranger variant is one of the most abysmal attempts of splicing ever.

2nd Logo (1983-1985)

Nicknames: "Print Globe", "Radar W II", "Worldvision W Globe II"

Logo: A still version of the 1974 Worldvision Enterprises logo, albeit with the text from the 1st logo.

Variants:

• There is a variant where this logo zooms in.
• Another variant has clips from the company's material being shown in the globe's area.

FX/SFX: None. See "Variants" for those versions' animations.

Music/Sounds: None for the standard variant. The second variant has the "whoosh" noise from the 1st logo.

Availability: Very rare. Most Worldvision tapes released between 1983 and 1985 carry the "We're Comin' At 'Cha" promo in which this logo is used, located after the end of the program.

Legacy: This logo may have only been used in the aforementioned promotional reel at the end of tapes.