Showtime Networks

Background
Showtime is an American premium television network owned by ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks, and is the flagship property of its parent subsidiary, Showtime Networks. The network launched on May 9, 1976.

1st Logo (1988-August 2010)
Logo: On a black background or superimposed on the credits, we see the white text:

A presentation of

SHOWTIME NETWORKS INC.

Starting in 1995, a white line is seen underneath the text and below is the Viacom byline in a ITC Avant Garde font.

Later Variants:
 * Around 1997, it was changed to:

A Presentation Of SHOWTIME NETWORKS INC.

with the name "SHOWTIME NETWORKS INC." in Franklin Gothic Italic font and the Viacom byline in its "Wigga-Wigga" logo font below the white line. This was used until 2001.
 * In late 1998, it was changed to:

A Presentation Of Showtime Networks Inc.

Bylines:


 * 1988-1995?, 2006: Bylineless.
 * 1995?-1997?: "A VIACOM COMPANY"
 * August 15, 1997: "A Viacom Company"
 * 1997?-2006: "/\ VI/\CO/\/\ CO/\/\P/\NY" (in the Viacom "Wigga-Wigga" font)
 * 2006-2010: "A CBS COMPANY".

Variants:
 * On some shows and made-for-TV movies in association with another television studio, like Soul Food: The Series (in association with Paramount Television), "In Association With" appears below the logo or appears on another separate screen after the Showtime logo. Then that television studio's logo would follow.
 * The typeface used for the "A Presentation Of Showtime Networks Inc." text is different on some shows starting in 2006.

FX/SFX: The fade in or scrolling of the credits.

Music/Sounds: Mostly none or the end theme of the show.

Availability: No longer common. It used to be seen on all original series and made-for-TV movies that aired on Showtime, until 2010. Soul Food: The Series reruns on Aspire kept this and the Paramount Television logos that followed this logo.

Editor's Note: TBA.

2nd Logo (1999-2001)
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Logo: On a red-black gradient background, we see the "SHO" circle in the Showtime logo flashing. Then, a flash of light occurs, revealing the rest of the Showtime logo. It emits rays of light for one second and zooms out while the "SHO" circle continues flashing.

Variant: The TV movie Laughter on the 23rd Floor uses a B&W version.

FX/SFX: The "SHO" circle flashing and the flash of light revealing the rest of the Showtime logo.

Music/Sounds: It begins with some synth drums, which would segues into a short choir fanfare.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * On the TV movie Laughter on the 23rd Floor, there is a low pitched version of the theme.
 * On the TV movie The Wilde Girls, the music from the next logo is heard.

Availability: Seen at the start of Showtime series and movies from the time-frame.

3rd Logo (2000-2005)
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Logo: We see a pack of blurred red and white lines stretched with the Showtime circular part flashing in the center. The Showtime logo appears with the mirror effect and lens reflections rotating around.

Variants:
 * There is also a filmed version.
 * The trademark symbol (™) was changed to the registered trademark symbol (®) around 2004.

FX/SFX: The mirror effects.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic string fanfare ending in a 4-note tune, which later became Showtime's signature fanfare. It may also use the opening theme of the show/movie, or none.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * On Wild Iris, the music has a weird reverb effect, most likely due to an editing mistake.
 * On By Dawn's Early Light (2000), there is a low pitched version.

Availability: Was seen before the start of original series and movies aired on Showtime at the time, such as The L Word.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (2005-2010)
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Logo: On a black BG, we see many white light lines which rapidly weave the circular part of the Showtime logo. Suddenly, the actions zooms in to the white background, while red lines continue to swirl and weave the whole Showtime logo. A single line still runs around when the logo cuts off or fades out.

Variant: On home video releases, a black line weaves the word "entertainment" below the Showtime logo.

FX/SFX: The lines moving.

Music/Sounds: Sharp cutting sounds alongside an electronic beat near the end.

Availability: Rather common. It's seen at the beginning of all original series aired on Showtime from 2005 to 2010.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (2009-June 2013)
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Logo:
 * Opening: On a black background with many blue particles, a small explosion occurs and we spin and zoom around it as we see several yellow sparks rapidly forming "SHO", not unlike the last logo. The sparks dissolve into the logo while the background bursts into white. Several red sparks appear and go into "SHO", alongside "WTIME" next to it, giving the logo its signature red color.
 * Closing: It's the last few seconds of the opening logo, only near the end, this text fades in below:

A Presentation of Showtime Networks Inc. A CBS COMPANY

Variant: A long version of the opening variant exists and can be seen on yU+co's website.

FX/SFX: Incredible CGI, done by yU+co.

Music/Sounds: A short synth-based theme that sounds like jungle music and ending off with a synth-string rendition of the Showtime fanfare, which on here sounds similar to the Microsoft Windows XP shutdown sound.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * A long version of the theme exists. In this version, 5 string notes are heard over the jungle-sounding beat before segueing into the rest of the music.
 * The closing variant has less delay between the synth theme and the Showtime fanfare.
 * The music is slightly rearranged on early episodes of Homeland.
 * The closing music variant is heard on the opening logo on episode 5 of season 5 of Dexter.
 * Most episodes of the aforementioned show have the music sounding like it was recorded from a phone.

Availability: Uncommon. It was seen on all Showtime original series from the era, but as of 2013 it has been plastered on current prints by the opening and closing variants of the next logo. However, some prints, like Netflix prints of season 5 of Dexter, retain this logo.

Editor's Note: None.

6th Logo (June 2013-2018)
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Logo:
 * Opening: On a navy blue gradient background, we see three close-up shots of an unknown object waving. Then the object zooms out. A flash of light appears, revealing the Showtime logo. The logo then zooms in slowly while particles are seen moving.
 * Closing: We see only one close-up shot of the waving object. Once the flash dies down, the same "A Presentation of Showtime Networks Inc." disclaimer and CBS byline from before in white fades in below the logo. The CBS byline appears larger.

Variants:
 * Episode 8 of Twin Peaks: The Return has a B&W version of the closing logo.
 * A still version of the closing variant exists and can be seen on programs like Trumped: Inside The Greatest Political Upset of All Time, American Dream/American Knightmare and Hitsville: The Making of Motown.
 * In 2014 for Showtime On Demand, the logo was re-animated. We see 2 shots of the object waving. On the second shot, the Showtime logo fades in, emitting rays of light. Then a play arrow fades in, followed by these words, one-by-one: "ANY DEVICE. ANYWHERE. ANYTIME." The rays of light then die down.

FX/SFX: Nice CGI! This was done by LUSTIX.

Music/Sounds: Several whooshes, ending in a more dramatic rendition of the Showtime fanfare.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * The VOD variant has a whoosh, ending in a string note and 5 piano notes.
 * The closing version has a shorter number of whooshes.
 * The previous logo's music is used at the end of L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin.

Availability: No longer current. Was used as both an opening and closing logo for original series on Showtime. It also has plastered the previous logo on newer prints of Showtime series. The reanimated variant was seen as a pre-roll bumper for VOD prints of Showtime content from 2014 to 2017.

Editor's Note: None.

7th Logo (2017-)
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Logo:
 * Opening: It starts with some particles on a black background. Then it proceeds the same way the previous logo did: a flash of light appears, revealing the Showtime logo. The logo then zooms in slowly while the particles animate against a black-dark blue gradient background.
 * Closing: Same as the opening logo, but the same "A Presentation of Showtime Networks Inc." disclaimer is revealed after the flash of light dies down.

Bylines:
 * 2017-2019: A CBS COMPANY
 * 2019-2021: A ViacomCBS Company (from 2019 to 2020 it was set in Helvetica, from 2020 to 2021 it was set in Gotham, and from 2021 to present it's set in ViacomCBS Raisonné)

Variants:
 * Widescreen 18:9 and scope versions of this logo exist.
 * A version exists where the logo doesn't zoom in. Opening and closing variants of this exact version exist. This started in 2018.
 * Like the previous logo, a still version of the closing variant exists.

FX/SFX: The flash of light and the particles. Nice CGI, like the previous logo.

Music/Sounds: A shortened version of the 2014 Showtime On Demand theme from the 6th logo.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * The music is rearranged on the Showtime VOD preroll.
 * On some shows, the music is high-pitched.

Availability: Current. Used as both an opening and closing logo for original series on Showtime. Also seen as a pre-roll bumper for VOD prints of Showtime content.

Editor's Note: None.