Universal Television (2011-present)

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Background: Universal Television has its roots going back to 1947 when they entered the television market via United World Films. But after very little success, they shifted into producing TV commercials under Universal International Television, with the United World Name being renamed Universal Television by 1956. The current company of Universal Television was formed in 1962 after MCA bought Decca Records, who was also the owner of Universal-International Pictures and renamed MCA's television production company Revue Studios to the then-current name. They co-produced many shows with Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited such as Adam-12 and a revival of the 1951 series Dragnet in 1967. In 1988, Universal Television and MCA TV formed a sub-division known as MCA Television Entertainment (or "MTE"). In 1990, Uni TV began the Law & Order franchise. The same year, Universal was acquired by the electronics company Mastushi-ta Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (now "Panasonic Corporation"). In 1995, Universal was acquired by Joseph A. Seagram and Sons and later acquired the USA Networks. In 1996, MCA was reincorporated as "Universal Studios" and acquired Multimedia Entertainment from Gannett, Inc., and Universal Television's distribution arm, MCA TV, as well as its sub-division, MTE were renamed to Universal Television Enterprises and Universal Television Entertainment respectively. In 1997, Universal sold off its USA Networks and Universal Television to HSN Inc. (a company owned by Barry Diller), who renamed it to Studios USA. In 1998, the breakup of United International Pictures' TV arm led to Universal reforming its own international television distributor, Universal Worldwide Television. It handled international distribution of Studios USA shows, while Studios USA handled domestic distribution of Universal's own library. In 1998, Seagram bought PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, which included PolyGram Television. The deal closed in 1999, and the name PolyGram was soon scrubbed and replaced with the Universal name. However in 1999, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios used its debt to acquire most of the pre-1996 films (1,300 titles) by PolyGram from Seagram. In 2001, Vivendi Universal acquired USA Networks and made Diller as CEO of VU Entertainment fully reforming Universal Television. On May 12, 2004, General Electric (GE) acquired 80% of Universal Studios and merged the studio with NBC to form "NBC Universal, Inc." (now "NBCUniversal, LLC") and merged the two television companies to form "NBC Universal Television" (now "NBCUniversal Television"). However, the company decided to keep the NBC and Universal Television names in the end credits from any series by NBC or Universal. On September 12, 2011, the name "Universal Television" was reinstated, replacing the name "Universal Media Studios".

1st Logo (1963-1964) Universal Television (1963, Early Variant)Universal TV (B&W): 1963-1964Universal Television (1966)Universal TV: 1963-1964Universal Television (1963)

Nickname: "Blinking Negatives"

Logo: It looks just like the 1962 Revue "Blinking Negatives" logo, without the additional animation. The company name flickers 6 times, during the first 5 bars of the fanfare and makes a stop during the rest of the jingle. The phrase is "filmed at universal city, MCA-TV EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR" with a small MCA logo bug next to the distributor's byline (which was outside the logo as always). The color version has a wallflower-type background in red with white '60s-type star designs over it. The filmstrip blocks were red and blue, the background of the tubular border was light blue, and all the block colors revert to black and white over and over. The B&W variation of the logo was the same as the B&W version of the Revue logo, but the only block colors that flicker are the black and white ones.

Variant: Some series such as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, the logo appears without the MCA byline, and then fades to the co-producer's card.

FX/SFX: The blinking blocks.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 1960 Revue logo theme. A sped-up version of the short 1960 Revue jingle was heard when Hallmark Channel reran The Virginian due to time compressing.

Availability: Rare. The B&W version is currently seen on season 2 of McHale's Navy, Suspense Theatre, and The Jack Benny Program on Antenna TV, as well as season 7 of Wagon Train and season 2 of The Virginian, both on Encore Westerns.

Editor's Note: Recycling the same design and animation from the 1962 Revue logo suggests that this was a placeholder before switching to the globe the following year.

2nd Logo (February 1964-April 1969)



Nicknames: "Zooming Globe", "MCA Globe", "Zooming MCA Globe"

Logo: Like its then-current movie logo, the rotating globe zooms in, along with the two Van Allen radiation belts. The text:

FILMED AT THE STUDIOS OF

UNIVERSAL CITY

MCA-TV EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR

is superimposed simultaneously. The text, in the same font as the then-current movie logo (minus the texture), will usually appear in the normal near-yellow font with a shadow effect, but a bronze/brown or white color appears sometimes. The MCA union bug appears with the byline.

Trivia: The logo was designed and animated by Universal Title, who also designed and animated all of the logos by Universal until 1990 and handled all title and optical effects for all films and Universal Television series.

Variants:

The logo would either appear in color or B&W. On some shows, the MCA byline is not present below the Universal City name. This happens on most co-productions. This is seen on The Munsters from the Kayro-Vue logo. On the short-lived series Pistols 'n' Petticoats, this was seen before the Kayro-UTV in-credit. On The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, this logo is always seen before the Shamley Productions logo. Some shows (mainly those produced by Jack Webb's Mark VII, like Dragnet) would have a shot over the globe saying "In Association With (UNIVERSAL TELEVISION)" centered in the same font (and sometimes color) used in the closing credits. This text would then fade out, the globe would zoom and appear as usual. This text may or may not be written in all-caps. On early Dragnet episodes in '67, the "Universal Television" text was not shown. Some shows would feature this logo after a Revue logo (as seen on McHale's Navy) or a Kayro-Vue logo (as seen on The Munsters). The theme would start on the Kayro-Vue logo and finish on the Universal logo. There is a variant that says "A UNIVERSAL PRODUCTION" or "A UNIVERSAL PRESENTATION", in the same style (but not in the same font) as the then-current movie logo. This was usually only seen on made-for-TV movies and TV pilots and was seen from 1966-1969. On the short-lived show Court Martial, the text reads "FROM THE STUDIOS OF UNIVERSAL CITY".

FX/SFX: The zooming in of the globe with the text fading in.

Music/Sounds:

1964-1965: Same as above. 1965-1967: A re-arranged version of the two previous jingles, done by Jack Marshall. September 14, 1967-1969: Another long version by Marshall.

Music/Sounds Variants:

From September 17, 1966-1967, a short version of the first Marshall theme was sometimes used. Played on some made-for-TV movies through the 1967-68 season, including the first Columbo movie Prescription: Murder. A short version of the 1967 theme was used in 1967-1968. From 1968-1969, another re-arranged short version was done by Marshall. There is a warped version of this theme that was heard on The Virginian due to time compressing when it was aired on Hallmark Channel years ago. The opening variant uses the opening theme of the TV movie or it's silent.

Availability: Common. It's currently seen on seasons 2-4 of McHale's Navy, It Takes a Thief, and Adam-12 and Dragnet on Me-TV (with both series rejoining Me-TV on January 1, 2020) and season 1 and first half season 2 of Ironside, and season 3 and beyond of The Virginian on INSP and Starz Encore Westerns, as Universal's past logos are kept quite well. It also exists on the DVD releases of McHale's Navy, preceding the 11th Universal logo.

Editor's Note: A classic combination of using the globe with the Revue/Universal themes.

3rd Logo (January 1969-1973)



Nicknames: "Zooming Globe II", "MCA Globe II", "Zooming MCA Globe II"

Logo: Same as above, but the phrase now appears as:

FILMED IN UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIF. AT

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

MCA-TV EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR

The entire text is in a different font (which that time is Eurostile Bold, the same font also used in the opening credits of Ironside), compared to the previous logo, which Universal's name was all yellow from that point on. The MCA union bug appears with the byline.

Variants:

Just like the last logo, co-productions like those by Mark VII Limited would have the phrase "IN ASSOCIATION WITH UNIVERSAL TELEVISION" in a yellow Compacta BT font. There is also an opening variant that says "A UNIVERSAL STUDIOS PRODUCTION" or for TV movies (especially pilots of TV series) "A UNIVERSAL STUDIOS PRESENTATION", in the same style (but not in the same font) as the then-current movie logo. This was seen only on made-for-TV movies from 1969-1973, such as the pilot movie of Marcus Welby, M.D., entitled "A Matter of Humanities," originally broadcast on ABC March 26, 1969, but filmed in December of 1968. This is saved on the recent DVD release of Welby.

FX/SFX: Same as the 2nd logo.

Music/Sounds:

Jack Marshall's infamous 1967 long version theme (IAW-Universal Television starting January 1969). Marshall's 1968 standard theme (starting in January 1969). Pete Rugolo's re-arranged themes (standard and long versions starting in September 1969). TV movies would have either the opening theme or none.

Availability: Pretty common. Should be saved on any Universal show of the era such as It Takes a Thief, S2 of Adam-12, and the final season of Dragnet '67, as well as the second half of season 2 and seasons 3 and 4 of Ironside among others on Antenna TV, Me-TV and COZI TV, as well as the 1st season of Marcus Welby, M.D. last seen on COZI TV (as of January 2015) and DVDs.

Editor's Note: Same as the 2nd logo.

4th Logo (September 1970-April 1971) Revue/Universal Television Entertainment - CLG WikiUniversal Television 1970

Nicknames: "Zooming Globe III", "MCA Globe III", "Zooming MCA Globe III"

Logo: Same as above and the phrase once again reads:

FILMED IN UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIF., AT

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

MCA-TV EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR

Trivia: This logo variation was initially made for on-location series and TV movies such as McCloud.

Variants: This one features two other variations:

As early as 1971, it uses the phrase "FROM UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS". Same as above on shows co-produced by Mark VII Limited, the "IAW" version is seen.

All featuring the MCA globe bug along the company byline.

FX/SFX: Same as the 2nd logo.

Music/Sounds:

The same theme from the last logo. Later on, it was a re-arranged and shortened jingle with ten notes by Pete Rugolo.

Availability: Rare, as it only used for 8 months, but it's still saved on any Universal series during this era, such as Marcus Welby, M.D., Adam-12, Columbo, and Night Gallery, as well as the final season of The Virginian and the 1st season of Alias Smith and Jones. It's also seen on the final season of It Takes a Thief on Antenna TV and now COZI TV.

Editor's Note: Same as the 2nd logo.

5th Logo (September 1971-December 8, 1973) Universal TV 1971Universal Studios (And)Universal TelevisionIAW-Universal TV 1971-1973Mark VII Limited/Universal Television (1971)

Nicknames: "Universal Globe", "MCA Globe IV", "Still Zooming Globe"

Logo: This time, the globe is just a still picture. The shortened text fades in, in the same yellow bold font from the logo above:

FROM UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

MCA-TV EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR

Variants: This one has four other variations:

"IN ASSOCIATION WITH UNIVERSAL STUDIOS" "AND UNIVERSAL STUDIOS" January 31, 1973?: The text "UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIF." was added below the "UNIVERSAL STUDIOS" text. On Emergency +4, there is in-credit text that reads:

MARK VII LIMITED And UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIF.--- MCA-TV EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR

...all sporting the MCA union bug alongside the said company byline. Was only referred to as "IN ASSOCIATION WITH UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. MCA-TV EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR" during the 1971-72 season (the logo's first).

FX/SFX: Just the text fading in.

Music/Sounds: Changed depending on the year, all arranged by Quincy Jones.

1971-1972: Composed on strings, doesn't lean on Wilson/Esquivel, Marshall, or Rugolo's versions. 1972-1973: A bit slower than the first, composed on horns. September 26, 1973: Another slow theme using horns.

Availability: Uncommon.

It's seen on Adam-12 starting from S4 on Me-TV (rejoining on January 1, 2020), S1 of Kojak when last seen on Me-TV, and Columbo on Me-TV. This variant also plastered the 3rd logo on a 1968 episode of Ironside on a Me-TV rerun as well. The "Universal City" variant is extremely rare as it used during the last 3 months of this logo, but should be reserved on a few season 3 episodes of Emergency on COZI TV.

Editor's Note: Same as the 2nd logo, though it's disappointing that the globe was downgraded to a still image.

6th Logo (October 7, 1973-April 30, 1975) From Universal TV 1974-1975From Universal TV 1974-1975Revue/Universal Television Entertainment - CLG WikiUniversal Television (1975, And) [16:9]IAW-Universal TV 1973 Universal Television (1975)

Nicknames: "Universal Globe II", "MCA Globe V", "Still Zooming Globe II"

Logo: Same backdrop as above, but the phrase was shortened again to...

FROM

UNIVERSAL AN MCA COMPANY

or

FROM

UNIVERSAL

AN MCA COMPANY

This time, "UNIVERSAL" is in the same font as used in that era's movie logo and also appears textured (in fact, this looks like a still of the 1963-1990 movie logo, with MCA information added in afterwards). The MCA byline is also the same, although the position is a bit shifted to the right due to the MCA union bug's appearance with the byline, and the byline may be shifted closer up in some appearances. The MCA globe bug is bigger than the recent and is seen to the left of its respective byline. The top text line sometimes reads "AND" or "IN ASSOCIATION WITH".

FX/SFX: Only the text above and the byline below fading in. The "UNIVERSAL" name was only still. Although on one late season 5 episode of Marcus Welby, M.D., the entire logo fades out as opposed to cutting out.

Music/Sounds:

1973-1974: Same as the 6th logo from September 1973. 1974-1975: Two more re-arranged jingles done by Quincy Jones. These arrangements vary upon years. 1974: A rearranged theme almost the same as the 1973 version.

Music/Sounds Variants:

Series like Switch and Ironside among others would have different variants. At least 2 episodes of the 1st season of The Rockford Files,"The Case is Closed", Parts I & II, use this logo with the 1978-1980 Universal jingle.

Availability: Uncommon.

Can be seen on UFO. It was also seen on Kolchak: The Night Stalker and Marcus Welby, M.D. It's currently seen on late season 1 and season 2 of Kojak on Me-TV and Chicago's local MeToo channel, late season 6 and the final season of Adam-12 on Antenna TV, COZI TV (last seen in December 2019), and Me-TV (rejoining on January 1, 2020), late season 3 to season 4 of Columbo, and season 1 of The Rockford Files on Me-TV, as well as the 1st season of Baretta on DVD. This is also currently seen on season 4 episodes of Emergency! on Me-TV (though newer print reruns of season 3 inexplicably seemed to use the 5th logo), as well the final season and a half of Ironside and the 1st 2 seasons of The Six Million Dollar Man seen on COZI TV (as of January 2015) and on the now-defunct Esquire.

Editor's Note: Same as the 5th logo.

7th Logo (September 14, 1975-October 29, 1991)



Nicknames: "Universal Globe III", "Globe from/of Hell/Doom", "Evil Globe", "MCA Globe VI", "Still Zooming Globe III"

Logo: Same as the 6th logo, but with a few differences from the previous logo:

The font color seems to be mainly white, ivory, or yellow (though this may be due to film deterioration), while still a bit planetary. The "UNIVERSAL" font is different from the movie version, and is much skinnier and stretched out. The MCA globe bug common with previous logos is no longer included with the logo (as it was moved to the copyright notice on the ending credits). On the "AN MCA COMPANY" byline, "MCA" seems to be taller the rest of the other letters.

The top text line had the same "FROM," "AND," and "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" lines centered in from previous logos. On The A-Team, it used the "FROM" top line and added the word "AND" (which later turned green starting in the 1984-1985 season) below the MCA byline. This was done to present the Stephen J. Cannell logo that followed it.

Variants:

There is also an opening variant where the globe is animated like in the movie logo, but before the globe finishes zooming, the word, "UNIVERSAL" fades in over the globe. A second later, the byline, "AN MCA COMPANY" appears under "UNIVERSAL". That has appeared at the beginning of few TV movies from that time such as the 1979 TV movie, The Seekers. On the 1991 TV movie Keeping Secrets, the logo fades out instead of cutting out. On the first 2 seasons of The A-Team, starting with the season 1 episode "A Small and Deadly War", there is a "wipe" effect that brings forth the Cannell logo. The later seasons replaced it with a straight fade. On Still the Beaver, the entire logo just fades in as it's just a still image.

FX/SFX: Just the entire text fading in.

Music/Sounds: A new 5-note fanfare that retains the first four elements of the classic Revue theme but does not feature the 9-note trademark fanfare used since the Revue days. There are many versions of this jingle, with the orchestration changing with each rendition. All were arranged by Robert Prince.

1975-1976: The first theme uses a timpani roll mixed underneath the fanfare. The first notes are on horns with orchestration on the final note, maintained on all other themes. 1976-1978: A second version of the fanfare, using a bass drum roll on the final note. 1977-1981: A third version of the fanfare. 1980-1982: A much slower version that has an elevator-like sound on the first note, possibly produced by a vibraphone. Simon & Simon used this until 1982. 1981-1982, October 6, 1985, 1987-1990: Another slower version. Charles In Charge used it from 1987-1990, albeit abridged. 1982-July 27, 1989: Another version, using an ascending/descending electronic tune played on a keyboard (almost sounds like a flute) mixed under the theme played by a brass. Though most shows dropped it by 1986, it was used sometimes on Magnum P.I. in 1988, Simon & Simon, and Coming of Age until 1989. Late 1986-1991: Final versions of the theme, with a different keyboard sound. Miami Vice first used it in late 1986, other shows didn't use it until 1987.

Music/Sounds Variants:

Sometimes, there's also a variant of the 1975 theme where the drum roll finishes abruptly. Low-tone variants of the 1980, 1982, and 1986 themes were used. Starting on season 2 of Charles in Charge in 1987, an abridged 1981 theme was used. On parts 2-4 of the 4-part miniseries Masada, it uses one final Universal variant based on the end-title theme. Composed and conducted by Mort Stevens. An abridged, low tone version of 1982 theme was used starting on season 1, episode 3 of Charles in Charge. On the series Still the Beaver, a quicker version of the theme was used, composed on what sounds like an organ. Some shows used abridged and warp-speed versions of the 1986 theme. In exceptional cases, mainly on TV movies, it used only the closing theme of the show. Although this also happened on at a final season episode of Marcus Welby, M.D. called "The Covenant." On HD releases of season 4 episodes of Airwolf, this oddly plasters the MCA Television logo, while retaining the latter's theme. On the DVD print of the Murder, She Wrote TV movie South by Southwest, it uses the 1991 logo music from the 9th logo. It's probably because of an editing mistake. Overseas airings uses the logo was well. On the opening variant and on the TV movie It Happened One Christmas, it's silent.

Availability: Common.

It's currently seen on The A-Team, Miami Vice, season 1 to early season 8 of Murder, She Wrote, season 5-early season 10 of Columbo, seasons 2-6 of The Rockford Files, seasons 3-5 of Kojak, and the 1st season of Quantum Leap, and on the 7th and final season of Marcus Welby, M.D. on Cozi TV. It's also seen on Miami Vice, The A-Team, Knight Rider, and Airwolf on El Rey Network. It's also seen on season 1 to early season 4 of Coach on Antenna TV, as well as Hulu, NBCUniversal's half-owned online service. It's also seen on DVD releases such as Charles in Charge (starting with season 3), The A-Team, Knight Rider, seasons 3-5 of Kojak, Miami Vice (Mill Creek print), and the first three seasons of Coach, among others. It's not seen on local reruns of season 1 episodes of Law & Order because it's been replaced by the NBCUniversal Television Distribution logo. Same with the Netflix and On Demand prints of L&O, except on the episode "Out of the Half-Light", where the logo is retained in widescreen. However, it is still preserved on the DVD release of the 1st season of said show. It's also not seen on the complete series of Baa Baa Black Sheep (a.k.a. Black Sheep Squadron) because it's been plastered by the 1998 Universal Worldwide Television logo. One of its last appearances was on the Murder, She Wrote S8 episode "Thicker Than Water". Season 1 episodes of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (The Hardy Boys in its 3rd and final season) on Netflix have this logo inexplicably cut off while seasons 2-3 retain this logo.

Editor's Note: Same as the 5th logo, but there are some bits that made it notorious among some viewers with the more dramatic logo themes and the less friendly-looking typeface on the logo contributing to it.

8th Logo (1987-1991) Universal Television (1987)

Nicknames: "MCA Globe VII", "Almost Still Zooming Globe"

Logo: Just the end of the 1973 Universal Pictures logo used in place of the TV logo.

FX/SFX: The rotating globe.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extinct. Was seen on the '80s syndicated series The Woody Woodpecker Show, which was co-produced and distributed by The Program Exchange.

Editor's Note: It's the 1973 movie logo on television. Not much to say.

9th Logo

(September 16, 1991-July 12, 1997, 2000)





Nicknames: "CGI Globe", "MCA Globe VIII", "CGI MCA Globe", "90s Globe", "90s MCA Globe", "CGI '90s MCA Globe"

Logo: It's nearly the same as its 1991 motion picture counterpart, but with a few differences:

The animation seems to be a tad cheaper than the movie logo. Whereas that logo featured shiny gold lettering for "UNIVERSAL" in Copperplate Gothic Bold font, a detailed globe model (which were both models filmed with motion control), and an impressive-looking starfield, the TV version features a gradient "texture" on "UNIVERSAL", and a slightly less detailed globe (which are both in CGI), and starfield. Also, there is no flash at the beginning as well and the MCA byline is white. "TELEVISION" appears in white, and spaced out to fit the width of "UNIVERSAL". Like previous logos, "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" usually appears in white centered above all other text.

Trivia: This logo is based on the print movie artwork logo designed by Glen Wexler.

Variants:

This logo was made in two versions: a filmed version, and a videotaped version. The filmed version was more prominent at first, as most of Universal's shows were still shot primarily on film, but changed to the videotaped version as time progressed. The filmed version isn't as crisp as the taped version and features that unfortunate effect known as "Film-O-Vision" and the MCA byline is shifted up a little. On some shows, one of the two alternate variations of the company's phrase fades in above the Universal name, followed by the MCA byline. Since then, during the 1996-1997 season, the logo became bylineless, in observance to the studio's acquisition by Seagram and Sons and MCA, Inc. was reincorporated into Universal Studios during that time. Also, the "®" symbol has shifted up on the top right end of "UNIVERSAL", though Spy Game kept the byline thru July on the first 9 episodes. The 1994 MCA TV logo and the 1994 Multimedia Entertainment logo were replaced with the 1990-1997 Universal Pictures logo, which was also bylineless. On some shows such as Sliders, American Gothic, and M.A.N.T.I.S. (excluding the pilot episode), there was a still version of the logo, but "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" has been replaced by a small black rectangular box with "DISTRIBUTED THROUGH" in it at the top of the globe. Plus, the starfield background is stretched more vertically. A French version with "DISTRIBUE PAR" appears on the French dubbing of American Gothic of the variant above exists. This logo was shown on the left alongside with the 1992 Warner Bros. Television logo on the right, as seen on Family Dog. On The Rockford Files TV movie "Friends and Foul Play", the logo is slowed down, but the music still plays normally. For shows by Action Pack, this logo has "PRESENTS" replacing "TELEVISION". Plus, it fades in after the logo forms instead of sliding in with "UNIVERSAL". On S8 and some S9 episodes of Murder, She Wrote, as well as the unaired TV pilot of Darkman: The Series and some S9 episodes of Coach, the text "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" isn't displayed above the logo. On some French-dubbed shows such as New York Undercover, "EN ASSOCIATION AVEC" appears on a blue bar.

FX/SFX: The CGI of the rotating globe and the name.

Music/Sounds: A majestic French horn fanfare, based on Universal's long version of its 1990 jingle. A low tone was also included starting in 1991 on Quantum Leap. All composed by James Horner.

Music/Sounds Variants:

In other cases, the ending theme of the show or generic network music (as on NBC and CBS starting in 1994) is used. On the first four season 2 episodes of Law & Order, it uses the late 1986 logo theme from the previous logo. On the un-aired TV pilot of Darkman: The Series, it's mostly silent. On The Hub airings of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, the first couple seconds of the opening theme from Action Pack is heard on the "PRESENTS" variant of the logo.

Availability: Fairly common. With most Universal logos, they are usually retained on any repeat broadcasts.

Recent local reruns of a few season 3 episodes of Law & Order have this logo plastered with the 2011 NBCUniversal Television Distribution logo. However, it was used in tandem with the 8th logo until a month later after it debuted. Was seen on seasons 2-7 of Law & Order years ago on TNT (Sundance, Netflix and On Demand airings uses the 2004 NBCUniversal logo) and currently seen seasons 8-12 of Murder, She Wrote on Cozi beginning with the episode "Lines of Excellence", mid season 4-season 9 of Coach on ReelzChannel, Antenna TV, and DVD, and was some seasons 2-3 episodes of New York Undercover when seen on Centric (sometimes plastered by the next logo below or the Studio USA logo), among others. It is preserved on shows on NBCUni's online service Hulu. The "PRESENTS" variant of the logo is intact on early seasons of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys on The Hub (now Discovery Family). The "Distributed Through" variant can be found at the end of Doctor Who: The Movie, following the early '90s BBC Worldwide logo. Also seen on 2nd half season 14-early 1st half season 15 taped episodes of Sally Jessy Raphael and 2nd half season 6-early 1st half season 7 taped episodes of Jerry Springer, replacing the 1994 Multimedia Entertainment logo on Nosey TV. Despite the logo ending in 1997, it made a surprise appearance on the 2000 TV movie Murder She Wrote: A Story to Die For.

Editor's Note: It's a decent CGI version of the then-current movie logo.

10th Logo (September 22, 1997-July 23, 2004)



Nicknames: "CGI Globe II", "CGI Glittering Planet TV", "2000s Globe"

Logo: A near-still shot of the 1997 Universal Pictures logo used in motion pictures (with the globe still rotating and the glow shining). It looks nearly the same, and you can still see a glow from behind it. Text will appear below the logo, as listed below:

1997-1998: "UNIVERSAL TELEVISION ENTERTAINMENT" (formerly MTE) 1997-1998: "IN ASSOCIATION WITH UNIVERSAL TELEVISION" (seen on co-produced programs from that era) 1997-1998: "UNIVERSAL TELEVISION ENTERPRISES, INC. EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR" (formerly MCA TV) 1998-2000: "UNIVERSAL WORLDWIDE TELEVISION" 1997-2000: Like the movie logo, a small copyright appears at the bottom-right. That variant was used for the first three text variants until 1998 while it was still used for the fourth text variant until 2000. 2000-2004: "www.universalstudios.com" 2002-2004: "(in association with) UNIVERSAL NETWORK TELEVISION, (www.universalstudios.com)" 2002-2004: "(in association with) UNIVERSAL DOMESTIC TELEVISION, www.universalstudios.com" 2002-2004: "UNIVERSAL TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION, www.universalstudios.com"

Variants:

Sometimes, the logo doesn't feature the URL underneath the globe. Plus, the logo fades in and out. On some TV movies from 1997-1998 such as The Rockford Files TV movie Murder and Misdemeanors, there is a filmed version of the Universal Television version. Plus, the name is already there and is a bit bigger. On season 4 of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and season 3 of Xena: Warrior Princess, the word "PRESENTS" in spaced-out letters, fades in under the "UNIVERSAL" text. The copyright is intact. Sometimes for Universal Television Enterprises and Universal Worldwide Television and mostly for Universal Television Entertainment, there is a longer version of the logo, starting out with the "UNIVERSAL" name making its way to the front of the globe, and the name appears below the logo after it before the logo finally zooms back to its position before the copyright appears. On some episodes of the first two seasons of Monk, as well as widescreen reruns of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, the tail end of the movie logo, which features the globe zooming back, is shown. On the 2002-2004 variants, the text's shadow is not there. For a short time in late 2001 and early 2002, Universal's TV and movie departments were celebrating the 20th Anniversary of E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, with a special logo featuring E.T. and Elliot flying across the globe. The TV version's logo is similar to the normal version, except that E.T. and Elliot are flying behind the bold "UNIVERSAL" text, and the words "E.T. 20TH ANNIVERSARY" with "E.T." in it's own movie logo font, are featured under the globe. There is also a B&W variant for classic Revue/MCA/Universal shows in B&W. On early S4 episodes of The Steve Harvey Show and Just Shoot Me!, the logo (minus the text and the URL) is seen on the right with the 1995 Brillstein-Grey Entertainment logo on the left inside a white outline box against a gray stone spotlight background. On later episodes of The Steve Harvey Show and Just Shoot Me! since season 4, the logo (minus the text and the URL) is seen on the bottom along with the Brad Grey Television logo above.

FX/SFX: The "fire" behind the globe, the globe rotating, and the name fading in until 2000.

Music/Sounds: A short version of the movie counterpart's theme. On some shows, it's silent. NBC, CBS and ABC used their generic themes. Variations of the theme applies. All composed by Jerry Goldsmith.

Music/Sounds Variants:

1997-2000: A longer version of the theme used for Universal Television Entertainment and the longer version of Universal Television Enterprises and Universal Worldwide Television. It was used for the first two until 1998 while it was used for the latter until 2000. 1997-1998: An odd short version only heard on Roar and Sliders. 2002-2004: Another odd short version with four notes. 2003-2004: Final short version using the first three notes playing fast and the last note of the theme. In rare cases, the ending theme of the show/movie plays over it or none. On season 4 of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and season 3 of Xena: Warrior Princess, the first couple seconds of the opening theme from Action Pack is heard on the "PRESENTS" variant of the logo. One 1996 season 3 episode of New York Undercover has the 1991 Universal Television logo theme playing on the Universal Domestic Television logo, due to plastering. On the R2 release of Baa Baa Black Sheep (a.k.a. Black Sheep Squadron): The Complete First Season on DVD, the 1977 logo music is heard over the 1998 Universal Worldwide Television logo due to bad plastering.

Availability: Common. Can still be found on most, if not all Universal-produced shows of this time such as the Law & Order franchise (except on Sundance), among others. Universal's merger with NBC put an end to this logo in 2004.

Especially shown on USA Network, Cloo, WGN America, local syndication, Sitting Ducks and Maisy last aired on Qubo, the earliest episodes of House, M.D., and shows on Hulu. It's also seen on season 4 and the final season of Sliders on The Hub (now Discovery Family). The Universal Television Entertainment logo has appeared on the 1997 TV movie House of Frankenstein. The longer version of the Universal Television Enterprises logo has appeared on some later episodes of Jerry Springer and Sally Jesse Raphael during the 1997-1998 season and the standard version is retained on season 4 on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys when seen on The Hub (now Discovery Family) and on DVD, season 3 of Xena: Warrior Princess on DVD, and Team Knight Rider on Hulu. The long version of Universal Worldwide Television was seen on reruns of In Search of... from the late '90s. The Brillstein-Grey/Universal (Brad Grey Television/Universal) combo variant is seen on The Steve Harvey Show reruns on BET Her and Just Shoot Me reruns on local syndication. The Universal Domestic Television logo is retained on every season 1 to early season 2 episodes of New York Undercover on Centric. The Television Distribution logo was seen at the end of Leave It to Beaver reruns on Me-TV until September 2014; Beaver then moved to Antenna TV - where it is still airing daily as of this posting - but the Universal Television Distribution logo is not seen because of the "compressed credits" practice the network instituted in June 2015. The Universal Television Distribution logo also appears on international airings and the MPI Home Video DVD releases of Family Affair (whose non-USA TV distribution rights are held by NBCUniversal) in place of the logos of American distributor CBS Television Distribution and its predecessors. On Horror's print of The Incredible Hulk season 2 episode "Wildfire", the version with the website URL plays before the start of the episode, confusingly enough.

Editor's Note: It's just the end bit of the then-current movie logo, which is still fine with good relaxing music and CGI.

11th Logo (September 14-October 2011) Universal Television (2011)

Nicknames: "CGI Globe III", "Sunburst Globe", "2010s Globe"

Logo: We zoom out from a Western Hemisphere view of a detailed globe with some clouds. As we pan out, a sunburst appears and shines in the northeastern arc of the globe. A bluish/purple starfield with a few nebular clouds appear in the background. The white text "UNIVERSALTELEVISION" (in a serif font called "Folio" with "UNIVERSAL" bold) without a space between and with an abstract arc above is vertically wiped in front of the Earth globe with a translucent line once we are at a comfortable distance.

FX/SFX: The zoom out of the globe, and the name wiping in., and the globe is spinning to the left.

Music/Sounds: The closing theme of the show or NBC's generic theme with a voice over.

Availability: Extinct.

It debuted (as a placeholder) on new season premieres of Parenthood, Community, and The Office, among others before the split-screen credits on network TV. This logo also appears on original prints of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Last Call with Carson Daly. Like the returning series mentioned above, it was also seen on new shows such as Whitney, Up All Night, and Prime Suspect, among others, all on NBC before the split-screen credits. On-demand prints of new season episodes (i.e. Hulu, NBC.com) of these shows retained the Universal Media Studios logo.

Editor's Note: An excellent effort to bring the classic Universal Television name back, except one problem: the globe is rotating to the left instead of to the right. Strange, isn't it? But this was short-lived as it was replaced a month later.

12th Logo (October 13, 2011- )



Nicknames: "CGI Globe IV", "Sunburst Globe II", "2010s Globe II"

Note: This is the enhanced, standard version of the previous logo, complete with a corporate byline.

Logo: Against the bluish starfield background that's almost similar to the one from the previous logo with some nebular clouds, we see the much more detailed Earth globe zooming from the front right to the center which is now rotating forwards this time like the other Universal logos. As the globe reaches to the center, the sunburst appears flashing on the top-right part of the globe. As this happens, the text "UNIVERSALTELEVISION", in the same font as before with the abstract arc above it, appears rotating in from the left and making a stop in front of the globe as the sunburst dims down a bit and a couple light rays are seen behind the globe and some of the nebular clouds are seen moving in front of the logo. The byline "A Division of NBCUniversal" appears under the logo.

Trivia: This logo was created and animated by Imaginary Forces. The logo has some elements from the 1991 Universal Television logo.

Variants:

There is one version of the logo where the "UNIVERSALTELEVISION" text, along with the abstract arc above, appears wiping in vertically like the previous logo instead of rotating in as the globe goes into the center. Plus, a couple of light rays are gone. In 2013, the logo was enhanced, with darker tones and a dimmer sun. This version is bylineless, presumably to reflect the new 100% Comcast ownership. Note: This variant was used for an extremely short period of time.

FX/SFX: The globe zooming out, the sunburst flashing, and the words rotating or wiping in.

Music/Sounds: A three-note orchestrated theme, consisting on the first two notes of the three-note NBC chimes jingle and a final note that sounds similar to that of the 1997 Universal Pictures fanfare, composed by Jerry Goldsmith. This jingle sounds quite similar to the NBCUniversal Television logo music.

Music/Sounds Variants:

On three S3 episodes of Community, the Universal Media Studios logo music is heard. There is also a long version of the logo theme.

Availability: Very common.

It debuted on the October 13, 2011 episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and was used in tandem with the previous logo. It is currently seen on new episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Parenthood, Up All Night, and The Office, among others on NBC. Also seen on the final season of House on Fox. On cable television, it can be seen on The Jack & Triumph Show airing on Adult Swim, also seen on The 90th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Editor's Note: Another brilliant television logo from Universal, improving over the previous one.

Copyright Stamps: Here is some information about the copyright stamps on the Universal Television series and TV movies:

1964-1966: Copyright © [YEAR] by Universal Television. All Rights Reserved. 1966-1967: Copyright © [YEAR] by Universal Television - A division of Universal City Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1967-1998: Copyright © [YEAR] by Universal City Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1997-1998: Copyright © [YEAR] Universal Television Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1997-1998: Copyright © [YEAR] Universal Television Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1997-1998: Copyright © [YEAR] UTE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1998: Copyright © [YEAR] New-U Television LLC. All Rights Reserved. 1998: Copyright © [YEAR] New-U Distribution LLC. All Rights Reserved. 1998: Copyright © [YEAR] Studios USA Television LLC. All Rights Reserved. 1998: Copyright © [YEAR] Studios USA Television Distribution LLC. All Rights Reserved. 1999-2003: Copyright © [YEAR] Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. (Used on The Steve Harvey Show and Just Shoot Me!) 2002-: Copyright © [YEAR] Universal Network Television LLC. All Rights Reserved. Copyright © [YEAR] Universal Television Enterprises LLC. All Rights Reserved. 2002-: Copyright © [YEAR] Universal Talk Television (Productions) LLC. All Rights Reserved 2011-: Copyright © [YEAR] NBC Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved. 2014-: Copyright © [YEAR] Universal Television LLC. All Rights Reserved.