Ziv Television Programs

Credits

Descriptions by
Logoboy95 and Eric S.

Captures by
Logoboy95, Eric S., Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom, and Pygmalion X

Editions by
Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom and MJ2003

Video captures courtesy of
JeiceTheWarrior and Eric S.

Background

Ziv Television Programs was a television production company founded by Frederick W. Ziv in 1948 and was a subsidiary of his successful radio syndication business. In 1960 the company was purchased by United Artists and merged with UA's own television company to become Ziv-United Artists Television (or "Ziv-United Artists"). During its first two years after the merger, the company failed to sell pilots of television shows. In 1962, the name reverted back to United Artists Television after United Artists phased out Ziv Television. Today, most of Ziv's shows are owned by MGM Holdings Inc. The Cisco Kid was sold by Ziv to Chicago-based syndicator Walter Schwimmer in the 1960s, who eventually sold it on to Rhodes Productions; the rights to the show are currently handled by the Peter Rodgers Organization. The rest of Ziv's shows have fallen into the public domain.

1st Logo (September 5, 1950-1960)

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Visuals: There are the words “A ZIV Television Production” superimposed on a show's opening or closing scene before or after the credits with "A" and "Television Production" in a script font. There is a stylized, Screen Gems-like TV tube around “ZIV”, which is in either a blocky font or a Times New Roman Bold font.

Variants:

• Sometimes, the TV tube would look more "rounded" or "boxy".
• Sometimes, the logo is smaller.
• On Home Run Derby, "PRESENTATION" replaces "PRODUCTION".
• Another variant has the letter "A" on top of the logo rather than on the top tip of the TV tube. The letter "A" and the text "TELEVISION PRODUCTION" is in a serif font.

Technique: It appears to be a cel-painted image.

Audio: The intro or the end of the show's theme.

Availability: It appears on Bat Masterson and The Cisco Kid by Alpha Home Video (though MGM Television owns the masters of the former title), as well as on Home Run Derby on ESPN Classic and DVD.

2nd Logo (September 29, 1960-1962)

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Visuals: Same as before, except “A” and “Television Production” were removed. Under “ZIV”, the words “United Artists” are written in the same font as the recent logo. The TV tube zooms-out and "ZIV-United Artists" zooms-in to meet in the center.

Variants:

• On the program Keyhole Program: Americans Abroad, the Ziv-UA logo appears in the same animation as the logo. Inside it has the text: "A DOCUMATIC PRODUCTION by" with "A" and "by" in the same script font as United Artists and "DOCUMATIC" in the same font as "ZIV". The text would later cross-fade to the Ziv-UA text.
• If the company was distributing the program, the still logo is seen with the words "Distributed by" seen above it.

Technique: Camera-controlled animation.

Audio: Same as before.

Availability: It is seen on Bat Masterson on ThisTV.