Paramount Television (CBS) (2024)

NOTE: Has no relation to its earlier divisions of the time period.

Background

Its origins go back to 1950 when then-husband-and-wife comedy duo, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball (hence the name of the company), producing very successful TV shows and films between the 1950s and 1960s as "Desilu Productions". In 1960, Desi Arnaz sold the pre-1960 shows to CBS since Ball and Arnaz couldn't work with each other anymore. They later divorced the same year. Until 1962, Arnaz sold his holdings of Desilu to Ball. In 1967, she sold Desilu to Gulf+Western Industries, which merged Desilu with Paramount Pictures, the company became the television arm of Paramount in July renaming it to "Paramount Television (CBS)" months later, while she formed her then-new company "Lucille Ball Productions, Inc." and Desi Arnaz formed his own company named "Desi Arnaz Productions". Its sales division was merged with "Paramount Television Enterprises" to became "Paramount Television Sales". In 2004, Viacom merged Paramount Network Television and CBS Productions to form the "CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group" at the same time it merged Paramount International Television and CBS Broadcast International to form "CBS Paramount International Television" (currently known as "CBS Studios International"). On December 31, 2005, the Viacom/CBS split took effect and Viacom changed its name to the CBS Corporation at the same time it created a spin-off company that bears the Viacom name. On January 17, 2006, CBS Corporation merged the CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group, CBS Paramount International Television, and Paramount Domestic Television into the CBS Paramount Television Group, but the on-air logo for PDT remained the same until Memorial Day 2006, when the first CBS Paramount Television logo debuted. As for the network version, the PNT and CBS Productions logos were used before the CBS Paramount Network Television logo debuted on June 10. However, it was renamed as "CBS Television Studios" in May 2009 after CBS lost to license to the Paramount name it had for three years.

Desilu Productions

1st Logo
(1951-1963)

Logo: Desilu did not use a logo until 1952. As superimposed or scrolling on the end credits, we see the text:

A

DESILU PRODUCTION

From 1951-1952, the copyright stamp fades-in below. From 1952-1963, this would fade to the "script" logo.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The closing theme from any television program.

Availability: Seen intact on all I Love Lucy episodes on Hallmark Channel, MeTV and DVD. This was also seen on The Untouchables (1959) and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour and sometimes on older TV Land airings.

2nd Logo
(1952-March 11, 1968)

Nickname: "Desilu Script"

Logo: Over a specialty backdrop, we see the words "FILMED IN HOLLYWOOD BY" ("Filmed in HOLLYWOOD and MEXICO by" on The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour). The word "Desilu" is written in a cursive font, either in black, white, or in a 3D-ish appearance. Then, a round ball dots the "i". The copyright information appears at the bottom. This phrase was shortened to "FILMED BY DESILU" in 1957.

Variants:

• There is a still in-credit variant appeared on filmed location TV shows.
• Another in-credit logo has the Desilu script name between "A" and "PRODUCTION"
• At the beginning of some programs, the word "Presents" is seen below.
• For Desilu Sales, Desilu's distribution arm starting in 1962, the text "Distributed by Desilu Sales, Inc." is seen in a script font on a gray background.

FX/SFX/Chesy Factor: The "drawing effect", made with primitive animation.

Music/Sounds/Voice-over: Music played during the end of the show. Some I Love Lucy episodes have an announcer saying, "I Love Lucy is a Desilu Production". Sometimes, it's even followed up with "Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz will be back next week at this same time".

Availability: Found superimposed on shows like I Love Lucy, the unaired Star Trek pilot episodes, The Lucy Show, and The Untouchables (1959). The in-credit variant was seen on some filmed-on-location shows, such as The Andy Griffith Show, I Spy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Joey Bishop Show, The Real McCoys, Make Room for Daddy, The Tycoon, and That Girl, among others.

Editor's Note:The animation in this logo is primitive, but it's well-remembered by fans ofI Love LucyandStar Trek.

Final Notes: This logo was used on the final two seasons of The Lucy Show, which used the 1966 Desilu logo and the 1968 Paramount Television logo at the end.

3rd Logo
(1966-December 1967)

Nicknames: "Merging Circles", "Multi-Colored Circles", "Color Desilu Logo"

Logo: On a black background six multicolored (red, pink, and orange) circles surround a white one and then merge together with it to form a blue circle, which backs away upward as the word "Desilu" is written in a yellow cursive font. As the circle takes its place over the "i," it turns white.

Variants:

• When Desilu merged with Paramount Pictures in 1966, the Paramount copyright stamp and print logos would appear under it.
• On Star Trek reruns from 1978 onward and on Blu-ray releases of Season 2, the Paramount copyright is chyroned in. Then they would cut to the then-current Paramount Television logo, 2006 CBS Paramount Domestic Television "Eye in the Sky" logo, or the 2007 CBS Television Distribution logo afterward. Some older prints will have the logo with the chyroned Paramount copyright, but will not be followed by any Paramount logo. This has been seen on the 1980 Paramount Home Video releases of Star Trek: Television Classics, Volumes 1-5. A version with a pink tint, due to film quality, can be found on the 1984 Laserdisc release of The Menagerie: Parts I & II under the Television Classics collection. Original airings and Blu-ray releases of Season 1 will either have just the logo or with the 1967 Paramount-Norway copyright. When the series aired on Me-TV and H&I, the Desilu logo will either have the 1967 Paramount-Norway copyright (for season 2) or the 1978 Paramount copyright (for season 1) if the succeding logo (CBS Paramount or CBS Television Distribution) does not have a copyright. On the other hand, if the Desilu logo does not have either copyright, the logo will be bylineless and the copyright will be placed on the succeding logo.
• There was a red Desilu logo seen on Mission: Impossible.
• There's another variant where the year appears as "1967" instead of its Roman numeral equivalent.
• On recent prints of a few 1967 episodes of Mannix, a 1996 copyright stamp for CBS Studios is used (the 1967 stamp is retained on most other episodes from the year).

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The circles merging in a kaleidoscope fashion, moving, and changing colors, the "drawing" effect. Again, primitive animation.

Music/Sounds: A five-note horn fanfare; starts on a light note as the circle forms. Would later be used on Paramount Television's 1st logo. Sometimes this music would play faster. All were composed by Wilbur Hatch.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• Season one episodes of Mission: Impossible would sometimes have "bump" music (the basis for the "M:I" theme) as the fanfare. This was also reportedly seen on non-remastered versions of the Star Trek episode, "Charlie X".
• Some season two episodes of Mission: Impossible episodes had a battling loud rendition of the fanfare. This would later be used on Paramount Television's first logo in early 1968.
• In other cases, it's silent.
• On TV Land and remastered prints of the Star Trek episode "The Paradise Syndrome", the 1968-69 Paramount Television fanfare plays underneath the Desilu logo, which appears at the end of this episode as the result of botched logo plastering.
• On the original effects version of the Star Trek episode "Return to Tomorrow" as seen on the "Roddenberry Vault" compilation, the final note of the early 1968 Paramount Television logo's music can be heard for a split second after the Desilu logo finishes and just before the CBSTD logo begins. This is most likely an editing mistake made while inserting the Desilu logo over the original Paramount logo.

Availability: Uncommon. It was last seen on Star Trek reruns on TV Land and in local syndication and some Mission: Impossible episodes on the former ALN (now "Youtoo America"). Also intact on episodes 1-16 of Mannix, as well as The Lucy Show. When Star Trek is shown on Canada's Space: The Imagination Station, this logo is presumably kept with the Paramount copyright while Paramount's logo is cut. Season one of Mission: Impossible on DVD retains this logo with the Paramount copyright byline. The first two seasons of Star Trek (1966) on Blu-ray have retained this logo (followed by the CBS Television Distribution logo), with it strangely replacing the January-September 1968 Paramount Television logo on the second half of season 2.

Editor's Note: The animation is still primitive here (and the battling loud version of the fanfare may startle some viewers), but again, this is a well-loved and memorable logo by many.

Paramount Television

1st Logo (January 1-September 1968)

Nicknames: "Rising Circle","Iris-in Circle", "Dark Mountain", "Changing Paramount Text"

Logo: On a blue background, we see a black mountain and the words "A Gulf+Western Company" in white. Suddenly, a white filled-in circle border makes an iris-in effectbehind the mountain. The "Paramount" name, which is written in its majestic script font and appears in black, pops in while 22 white stars appear around the border, starting in the middle and going downward. The word "Paramount" immediately moves upward to make room for "Television" below it, in the same typeface. Below the logo are two subtitles, both in white: "COPYRIGHT © MCMLXVIII BY PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED" in a more standard type, and "Paramount Pictures Corporation" in the Paramount logo font.

Variants: One of 6 visual variants were used:

• For 2/3 of its existence, a small pre-1968 Paramount's print logo appeared alongside the copyright information, while the rest of the 1968 mid season had just the text.
• Variants 3 and 4 had the standard format as the first two, with the addition of the Norway Corporation, as credited onStar Trek.
• For variants 5 and 6, the logo appears with the copyright, but without the Gulf+Western byline. This was featured onMission: ImpossibleandMannix, respectively.

FX/SFXr: The "sunrise" effect, the stars, and "Paramount" changing into "Paramount Television".

Music/Sounds: The two main themes from Desilu Productions.

Music/Sound Variant: A high-tone variation exists from both themes. which as generally on PAL prints of shows.

Availability: Very rare as this was extremely short-lived. It was seen on early 1968 episodes ofMission: Impossibleon ALN (now Youtoo) and can be seen on videocassettes ofStar Trekepisodes aired during that time period. The last 13 episodes ofThe Lucy Showalso had this logo, but both this and the Viacom "V of Doom", which appeared after the logo in syndication, have been edited over with the current Paramount logo by now. On the DVD prints of the Mannix season one episodes "Deadfall (Part 1)" through "The Girl in the Frame," the logo is plastered by a screen with the show's logo and a 1996 copyright stamp. This logo is strangely replaced by the Desilu logoand theCBS Television Distribution logo on theStar TrekSeason 2 Blu-ray set.

Editor's Note: This is the first animated Paramount Television logo. This also might be a prototype of the Paramount print logo that made its debut in the same year.

2nd Logo (1968–1969)

Nicknames: "Still/Static Rising Circle" "Split Rectangle", "Yellow Split Rectangle", "Benevolent Rectangle", "Pre-Closet Killer", "The Closet Killer", "The Bumper Sticker", "Split Box", "The Early Closet Killer"

Logo: Against a yellow background is a blue rectangle which is split into two sections; the left and the larger contains the words:

PARAMOUNT
TELEVISION
A DIVISION OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION

Besides the last line, all are set in Eurostile font (the company byline appears to be set in Trade Gothic font). "PARAMOUNT" has the largest typeface, and the other two lines are progressively smaller. On the smaller right side of the rectangle is a Paramount logo with a blue border and white mountain. The picture zooms-up to the logo, which kind of looks like a blue and white version of the "Rising Circle" ("A Gulf+Western Company" and copyright message appears at the bottom of the white mountain) except the word "Television" is not present. Also, the copyright stamp appears when the picture zooms in.

Variants:

• There was a variation seen onHere's Lucyin which the mountain has no bylines or copyrights.
• Around September-November 1968, the word "Corporation" is missing on the rectangle on some shows.
• Star Trekhas a special variant with Norway Corporation credited.
• OnMission: ImpossibleandMannixand TV movies,the logo appears with the copyright only. This will linger on through the first 2 months ofM:I's4th season and Mannix's 3rd season, as the first 4 episodes didn't feature the copyright on the ending theme just yet.
• On some late Nineties PAXTV airings of season 1 episodes ofHere's Lucy, this logo (along with theLucille Ball Productionsandlogos, the latter replacing theTelepictures"Rollercoaster") was played at warp-speed before the compressed credits. On other airings on the same network,the logos would cross-fade into the next one before fading to black.
• An in-credit version with "in association with" above the print logo with the byline can be seen on 1968-69 episodes of the game showYou Don't Say!.

FX/SFX: The suddenzoom-in.

Music/Sounds:

• September 1968-1969: A majestic 7-note horn fanfare.
• September 1969:An 8-note horn-driven jingle written by Dominic Frontierea.k.a. "The Closet Killer".

Availability: Uncommon. Was seen onMission: Impossibleon ALN (now Youtoo). It can also be seen on season 3 ofMannix on DVD, and on severalStar Trekepisodes last aired on TV Land. Otherwise you'll see a newer logo. This is also on some season 3 episodes ofStar Trekon YouTube uploaded by CBS.

Editor's Note: This logo resembles a bumper sticker, which could be a tongue-in-cheek reference to Paramount's then owner at the time. This logo was also known for it's jarring theme (in its twilight years), which would become more noteworthy in the next logo.

3rd Logo (1969–1975, 1988-1990, 2012-2013)

Nicknames: "Split Rectangle II","Red Split Rectangle", "Malevolent Rectangle","The Closet Killer II", "Bumper Sticker II", "Split Box II"

Logo: Same concept as the 4th logo except the background is red, the larger rectangle is blue, the Paramount mountain and the stars around it mountain are blue, and the smaller rectangle is white (the mountain is cut off at the bottom in this version). The zoom on the square is still intact.

Variants:

• A version exists with the Paramount copyright. This was seenbetween1970-1971.
• OnMission: Impossible, Mannixand TV movies, this logo is bylineless.
• A still variant with the text "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" above exists on reruns ofThe Brady Kids.Later episodes had"IN ASSOCIATION WITH AND DISTRIBUTED BY" above it instead.
• A color-faded version can be spotted on the Visual Entertainment, Inc. DVD print of the season 1 Petrocelli episode "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...'', where the background is reduced to gray.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: Same as the previous "Split Box".

Music/Sounds:

• September-November 1969: The same Dominic Frontiere jingle used on the previous logo. Notes 4-7 are louder. This applied to most of the 1969 fall season.
• 1969-1971: An alternate "Closet Killer" theme. This one is noticeably slower with the first three notes and faster for the rest.
• September 19, 1970-1974:An 8-note sped-up, tinkly horn fanfare, composed by Lalo Schifrin. Known only as the "Color ID."
• 1972-1975: A thick pounding drum rendition of the Schifrin fanfare.
• 1974-1975: A more dramatic rendition, sometimesreferred to as the "Pound & Drop" version. This signature would eventually be redone for the next logo.

Music/SoundsVariants:

• An extreme high tone version was used.
• When TBS airedThe Brady Bunch around the late 1980s/early 1990s, A season one episode had the first version of the "Closet Killer" in a low-tone.
• On the DVD print of theWar of the WorldsTV series episode "Eye For An Eye", it uses the 1987 fanfare! This could very well indeed be due to a strange plastering error.
• In some extremely rare cases, it used the closing theme of the show, as in the case of the 1973-74 animatedStar Trekseries, The Brady Kidsandthe 1975 TV movieThe Legend of Lizzie Borden.
• An off-sync variant was spotted on an episode ofThe Brady Bunch. The "Closet Killer" music would begin during the black screen between the credits and the logo, before the logo appears. As a result, part of the logo was silent.

Availability: Uncommon.Was seen onMission Impossibleon ALN (now Youtoo) and currently seen on several earlier episodes ofHappy Dayson Me-TV, but the rest have been replaced with either the next or the current logo. However, it's still saved on theHappy Daysseason 1 andThe Brady BunchDVD box sets and as well on Me-TV airings of the latter show. This is also intact on the DVD and Blu-ray releases of Star Trek: The Animated Series, as well as streaming prints. The 1970 version makes a strange appearance on all season 1 episodes of the 1989War of the WorldsTV series on its DVD release. This is still also retained on some local reruns ofLove, American Style.The 1972 version is extremely rare and was last seen on theHappy Days S2 episode "Richie's Flip Side" on Hub Network (now Discovery Family). The 1974 version was last seen onThe Odd Couple, but is currently plastered with the 1995 logo, and it is unknown if this will also be the case for the Australian The Odd Couple Collection Blu-ray set from Imprint, which contains ten episodes spanning all five seasons. In the UK, it is retained on the first two seasons ofHappy Dayson UK Gold. Surprisingly, the logo was "revived" on What Was Carol Brady Thinking?, part of theNickMomblockon Nick Jr.

Editor's Note: Same as above. Of the two Split Box logos, it's the more recognizable version that's also infamous by some viewers for its animation and early Frontiere themes. Also, the 1970 theme would become Paramount's de-facto television theme for the following 17 years.

4th Logo (1969-1976)

Logo: Same as the theatrical 1968 logo, although it could be either matted or cropped to fit TV screens.

FX/SFX: Same as the 1968 theatrical counterpart.

Music/Sounds:

• 1969-1970: An extended version of Frontiere's "Closet Killer" jingle; at least two arrangements are known to exist.
• Circa 1971: A fast-paced piece composed by Lalo Schifrin.
• Circa 1972: An extended horn-driven variation of the Schifrin arrangement introduced in the previous logo.
• Other than that, generally the closing theme of the show, or none at all.

Availability: Rare. Was seen as the intro to several made-for-TV movies produced by Paramount, includingSeven in Darkness, Quarantine,Dr. Cook's Garden,Night of Terror, andWomen in Chains; all of which have been rarely rerun and a few are only available in the form of bootlegs. Also seen on some episodes ofThe Lost Islands(the rest of the run, including the pilot, uses the next logo).

5th Logo
(September 9, 1975–1988)

Nicknames: "Late '70s/Early '80s Mountain", "Blue Mountain", "Killer Mountain", "Blue Mountain of Doom/from Hell"

Logo:We see only the finished product of the 1975 movie logo, but more defined this time. The mountain has been modified to give more room for the word "Television" by compressing the mountain about one viewer's inch and downgrading the amount of indentations (or impressions) to 4 from its standard of 5. On a sky blue background, we see a near-circle made by 22 white stars. The near-circle contains a navy blue backdrop and a flat mountain in another shade of blue with the word "Paramount" in white above it. Below the mountain are the words:

A
Gulf+Western
Company

The word "Television" comes from the right and slides in below "Paramount". Same alignment as the first logo.

Variants:

• By around 1982, a new version of the Paramount Television logo was introduced, utilizing the standard template of the main logo with all 5 indentations intact. As a result, the word "Television" overlaps the tip. This was mainly used on Webster, though the premiere episode, "Another Ballgame", used the regular variant with the 1981 theme.
• Toward the end of the run ofThe Brady Brideson Fox Family in 1999, a still shot of this logo was shown before the compressed credits (a la the "CGI Mountain" logo).
• From 1985-87, Paramount used videotape trickery. Instead of letting the film clip roll as usual, what they do is show a still of the logo with just "Paramount". Then they allow "Television" to slide in, and then it reverts back to a still image. This can be seen on the first two seasons ofMacGyverand a few early episodes ofFriday the 13th: The Series.
• Filmed and videotaped versions exist.
• On some TV specials, a still variant of the movie logo(without the sliding word "Television")was used.
• At the start of a 1982 outtake reel ofThe New Odd Couple, after "Television" slides in, the entire mountain's backdrop is replaced with a man barking like a dog. At the end of the outtake reel, immediately after the word "Television"slides in, the entire logo explodes as laughter is heard in the background. (You can view the outtake reelhere).
• On a MeTV airing ofHappy Daysseason 6 episode "Kid Stuff", the white areas (the stars, company name, G+W byline, andregistered trademarksymbol) has sort of a reddishtint to it. This is most likely due to filmdeterioration.
• Film-deteriorated variants exist on a Me-TV airing of the season 6 Happy Days episode "Kid Stuff" and the DVD print of the season 2 Petrocelli episode "Face of Evil."

FX/SFX: The word "Television" sliding in like a piece of construction paper (in a South Park style).

Music/Sounds: A slower version of the Lalo Schifrin jingle first heard with "Split 2". There were many variations throughout the '70s and '80s. There is also one completely different theme composed by Jerry Goldsmith used in 1977. And here are themusic variations on this logo. This is going to get complicated, so let's explain this simply:

• 1975-1976: Marching band rendition of the Lalo Schifrin jingle.
• 1976-1977: An 8-note horn fanfare composed by Jerry Goldsmith. A high tone theme also exists.
• 1977-1978: Redone version of Jerry Goldsmith's jingle, sounding a little slower and more majestic.
• 1978-1979: Slowed down version of the Schifrin jingle.
• 1979-1985: The infamous medium tempo version with a xylophone in the background.
• 1980-1983: Slower, xylophone driven version.
• 1981: A rare version of the 1979 variation in which the xylophone has been made more apparent. Has only been spotted on theHappy Daysepisode "Baby, It's Cold Inside."
• 1981-March 28, 1985, October 9, 1986, December 16, 1987: Another medium tempo version (most common onFamily Ties) which ends in a harp flourish. There have been other variations of this theme.
• 1982-1987: Two bombastic horn-driven versions used. Xylophone accompanied on the first horn-driven version and what might sound like a harp on the second horn-driven version. The 2nd most infamous.
• 1986-1987: A reverberated version as heard only on season 2 ofMacGyver. There is also a less reverberated version.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• This logo was used with the 1972 "Split Rectangle #2" music on nearly all season 1 and season 2 episodes ofHappy Days when they aired on The Hub (now Discovery Family).
• On reruns ofMannixfrom 1983, this logo used the previous three logo's themes:

1. The 1967 Desilu jingle (on episodes aired after January 1, 1968)
2. The 1968 Split Rectangle music (season 2)
3. The 1969 Split Rectangle music (both music versions; season 3 and part of season 4)
4. The 1970 Split Rectangle music (seasons 4-5)
5. The 1972 Split Rectangle music (seasons 6-7 and most of the final season)
6. The 1974 Split Rectangle music (early final season episodes - specifically the fall 1974 period)

• The tall-peaked variant with the 1979 jingle can be spotted on theHappy DaysS5 episode "The Apartment" and the season 5 Taxi episode "Arnie and the Kids."
• A high-tone variant exists on PAL prints of shows.
• In exceptional cases, the closing theme of the show or TV movie was used, or none.
• The first few notes of the 1982 variant played on the last few seconds of The Georgian Bay Ltd. logo on the DVD print of the season 2 Webster episode "That Uh-Oh Feeling", and a couple others.
• On an episode of Working Stiffs, the jingle is played quietly.
• On the first episode of Police Squad!, "A Substantial Gift (The Broken Promise)," the theme is out of sync.

Availability: Uncommon. It was retained onFamily Tiesand most episodes ofHappy Days when last seen on Hub Network (now Discovery Family), insp tv, and MeTV, some episodes ofFriday the 13th: The Series on Chiller, and the first two seasons ofMacGyveron Cloo, Netflix, and DVD. It also appears on DVD releases of the first through fourth seasons of Websterfrom Shout! Factory (the Paramount logo on S1 would be the standard version with 1979 music [standard version meaning the one with the space between the mountain and "Paramount"] and the Paramount logo on some S2 episodes would use the 1982 tall-peaked variant, though on some international reruns and a few DVD eps., it would use the standard version).These days, even local repeats of seasons 1-5 of Cheers (once seen as the best source of this logo) have this plastered with newer logos, although local prints of theseason 5 episode "Norm's First Hurrah", and Australian airings of most of that season, retain the original Blue Mountain logo. Was also seen on 1981-1987 episodes ofSolid Goldas well. This logo also made a surprise appearance at the end of Australian airings of both parts of theMork & Mindyepisode "Mork vs. the Necrotons" and one episode ofLaverne & Shirley.On VHS, this is retained onMork & Mindy Vol. 1 (and possibly other volumes), Cheers: Vol 1 - Give Me a Ring Sometime, and a Greek-subbed VHS of Friday the 13th: The Series, and the silent version can be found on the VHS release ofA Woman Called Golda. It was also seen on the 1978 miniseries Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (and its sequel Smiley's People) and the short-lived Police Squad!.

Editor's Note: One of the more fondly remembered television logos, mainly due to its charm and cheesiness.

6th Logo (September 13, 1987-August 27, 2006)

Nicknames: "CGI Mountain", "Mountain of Monotony", "Majestic Mountain", "'90s Mountain", "Star Wars Mountain", "Mountain of Annoyance", "Boring CGI Mountain"

Logo: We see only the finished product of the 1986 movie logo. It is sometimes still, while other times it has the animated clouds moving westward in the background.

Bylines: On the bottom, the following bylines were used:

• September 13, 1987-October 1989: "A Gulf+Western Company" (aligned similarly to the last logo)
• September 25, 1989-May 23, 1995: "A Paramount Communications Company" with a line above the byline. From September 25, 1989-May 21, 1992 and September 12, 1994-January 27, 1995, the byline was ingold. From September 1990-May 21, 1995, the byline was in white.
• February 6, 1995-2006: "A VIACOM COMPANY" (styled after Viacom's logo of the era), with a line above the byline.

Variants:

• An early variant of this logo with a "75thAnniversary" text appeared on early 1987 episodes ofEntertainment Tonight.
• On some shows such asTaxion TNN (now Spike TV), the logo (with a Paramount Communications byline) was plastered over the Blue Mountain's music and older Bosom Buddiesreruns on TBS, the logo [with a Gulf+Western byline] was plastered over the Blue Mountain's music, too. This also happened when Fox Family (now Freeform) showed episodes ofMork & MindyandThe Brady Brides, but used the Viacom mountain. This version can also be found on repeats of severalMork & Mindyepisodes when they last aired on the Hub Network (now Discovery Family). If you haven't seen already, this run ofThe Brady Bridesalso had another unique occurrence.
• Strangely, when Nicktoons were syndicated to some local stations around 1994, this logo was seen, but likeTaxi, had the 1975 logo's music.
• There is a special bylineless version which appears on aStar Trek: Voyagerspecial and in the opening of some episodes fromCinar's (now DHX Media)The Busy World of Richard Scarry.
• Starting in 1995, when the logo is shown closer, it's from Paramount Network Television. However, if it's further away, it's from Paramount Domestic Television.
• There is a grayscale variation seen on reruns of black & white shows such as seasons 1-5 ofThe Andy Griffith Show.
• This logo can be in 4:3 or 16:9 (only the 1995 network variant has a 16:9 variation, which debuted in 1999).
• During the Paramount Communications era, airings of TV movies would close the movie with the full logo's animation and then fade out before the byline faded in, technically creating a bylineless TV variant.
• The 1995 network variant often appeared with a noticeably chyroned Viacom byline, and was a still variant.
• Starting in 1990onEntertainment Tonight, this logo is seen in-credit,inside thearea where superimposed footageplaysduring the credits.
• One variant featured a green and purple sky with the sky changing back to normal after the logo faded in. This was seen on an August 2017 rerun ofHave Gun, Will Travelon H&I. It was most likely an error.
• During the credits on a 1994 airing of Wings, the Paramount Communications era logo appears with a very large mountain, small stars, and a small Paramount wordmark, possibly because of the small space in the right side of the screen. The Paramount Communications byline even takes up 2 lines instead of 1 line like the original logo.

FX/SFX: None or theclouds moving westward in the background.

Music/Sounds: A re-orchestrated version of the last six notes to Paramount Pictures' 1987 theatrical fanfare, which sounds suspiciously similar to theStar Warstheme (but it's actually a re-arrangement of Elsie Janis/Jack King'sParamount on Paradeby Jerry Goldsmith, first heard on trailers for Paramount Pictures since 1976).There are two arrangements of the theme.Many of these logos are plastered onto old shows with no music.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• As already mentioned, this logo used the themes from the previous logo:
  • 1987 logo with 1980 theme.
  • 1989 logo with gold byline with the 1970 and 1978 themes.
  • 1990 logo with 1978 and 1979 themes. The version with the 1978 theme was spotted on Me-TV's print of theTaxiepisode "Jim and the Kid",while the version with the 1979 theme was spotted on an Australian airing ofTaxi.
  • 1995 domestic logo with 1966, 1968, 1979, 1970, 1972, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981 and 1982 themes. The 1978 theme variant appears on most episodes of Mork & Mindy on Syfy, while a few have the 1981-B theme variant. An early 2000's airing of The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang episode "Westward Whoa!" on TV Land used the 1980 theme variant, and the 1968 and 1969 theme variants appeared on two French airings of Mannix. Several reverse plaster spottings involving Blue Mountain jingles include Fox Family (now Freeform) airings of The Brady Brides, as well as repeats of several Mork & Mindy episodes when they last aired on older Hub Network and Fox Family airings, and a few later Season 2 episodes of Star Trek on the 2004 DVD set (region 2 only), plastering the 1st logo.
• OnThe Busy World of Richard Scarry, the logo appeared at the beginning with the show's theme playing and the mountain faded into a mountain in the show.
• Starting in 1989, the two arrangements ofthe logo's music sounds somewhat like a re-orchestration of the first few seconds of theStar Wars-like theme, but sped up.
• On some episodes ofGomer Pyle, USMCand most episodes ofThe Lucy Showon Me-TV, the "V of Doom" music in warp-speed is heard with the 1995 domestic logo. This may be due to an extremely poor plaster job.
• On a few episodes ofGunsmokelast aired on Encore Westerns, the Viacom "V of Steel" music in normal speed would be heard with the 1991 logo. The music would jarringly cut after the logo fades out.
• On an episode ofEntertainment Tonight, aired May 16, 1990, the logo is silent, out of a show of respect to Sammy Davis, Jr. and Jim Henson, who both passed away that day, which the episode was about.
• At the end of a 1987 outtake reel of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the last note from the 1966 Star Trek: The Original Series theme music (aka "Theme from Star Trek"), is heard, followed by the 1967 Desilu logo's music, the 1979 Paramount Television theme, and some suspenseful music sounding like the theme music from the 1975 film Jaws before finally concluding with an explosion sound.
• A low-toned version was spotted on some episodes ofFamily Affairon Me-TV and Decades, which plastered over the older Viacom logos.
• On a 2013 Encore Westerns airing of one episode of Have Gun - Will Travel, the music comes in about a second late.
• On the 2001 remaster and HD remasters of Cheers (except for the visual effects comparisons), 2000s prints of The Love Boat, an episode of season 3 of 7th Heaven on Hulu, and seasons 2 through 6 of Charmed on DVD, the 1989 version of the theme is slightly re-orchestrated and also has a different echo at the end.

Availability: Common.

• The Gulf+Western variation was once found on later Family Ties episodes (seen intact on recent airings such as those on Antenna TV), and 1987-1989 Cheers episodes in syndication, but the 1995-2001 Domestic logo usually plasters over them now, though it was found on Friday the 13th: The Series on Chiller and certain episodes on Syfy. On Netflix, the Gulf+Western version has also turned up on the final two seasons of Family Ties (plastered on DVD) and seasons 3-4 and the first 4 season 5 episodes of MacGyver. On current series (syndie and network), the 10th logo shows up. The short-lived 1988-89 game show Wipeout (with Peter Tomarken) had this as well, and it was retained when the USA Network reran from 1989 to 1991.
• The 1995 logo was also used to plaster Viacom logos (hence the appearance on TV Land airings of The Andy Griffith Show, the 1970 Harlem Globetrotters cartoon, Cannon, color Gunsmoke episodes (and some black and white episodes), Petticoat Junction, Family Affair, Gomer Pyle USMC, Hawaii Five-O, I Love Lucy, My Three Sons, The Honeymooners, and the official YouTube print of Don't Give Up the Ship. Officially 2000's French prints "A Dream for Christmas" uses the fanfare at the end, As of 2000's French prints "Terror in the Wax Museum" It is unknown if this applied to TV Land airings of The Dick Van Dyke Show, seasons 1-8 of Matlock, The Devlin Connection, The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle, and Perry Mason).
• The 1995 logo also appeared at the end of various episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies around 2000 on Nick at Nite. These same prints also aired on TV Land in the early 2000's.

The silent variant appears at the end of Nickelodeon shows on VHS, such as Rugrats and Blue's Clues.

• It also appears on Frasier on Lifetime and Hallmark Channel and DVD box sets, Cheers on Hallmark Channel and Netflix, Me-TV, Reelz Channel, and WGN America and on DVD up to season 8, the final season of Matlock (S8 DVDs use the CTD logo instead), the second season of Diagnosis Murder on Me-TV and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (S2 DVDs use the CBS/Paramount "Wallpaper" logo instead), Star Trek: The Next Generation when it was on WGN America, the first two seasons of Soul Food: The Series on TV One, The Lucy Show, Mork & Mindy and Sabrina: The Teenage Witch (except for seasons 1 and 7) on Antenna TV and Hub Network (now Discovery Family), The Dead Zone on Cloo, early 2000's TV Land airings of The Fonz & the Happy Days Gang, which was followed by the 1981 Hanna-Barbera "Swirling Star" logo, the 1970 Harlem Globetrotters cartoon, Cannon, Me-TV airings of Taxi, The Odd Couple, a 2013 airing of Return to Mayberry (after the Viacom "V of Happiness"), and 1998-99 VH1 airings of Solid Gold.
• The 1990 and 1995 variants appear on Wings on USA Network, DVDs use CBS Paramount Domestic Television starting with season 4, and later seasons use CTD.
• The 1989 logo with the gold Paramount Communications byline officially ended on January 27, 1995 and was used on The New Price Is Right, hosted by The Young and the Restless' Doug Davidson, but can still be found on DVD and Netflix's prints of seasons 5-7 of MacGyver and the first season DVD of Wings. Get TV airings of The Boy Who Loved Christmas retains this logo though it's followed by the CBS Television Distribution logo. It also made a surprise appearance on the 1993 un-aired pilot Gloria Vane. Just like above, any local syndication prints and all recent CBS DVDs from 2007 onward would have this logo replaced by the CBS Paramount Domestic/Network Television or CBS Television Distribution logos.

The 1990 logo with the white Paramount Communications byline made its final regular appearance on The Marshal season 1 episode "The Great Train Robbery", aired on February 11, 1995, while its final overall appearance was on The Laverne & Shirley Reunion.The 1995 logo with the Viacom "V of Doom" music was seen on episodes of Gomer Pyle, USMC on Me-TV.

• Star Trek: Enterprise season 1 reruns on Netflix and DVD retain this logo, while they are replaced by the CBS Television Distribution logo on the 2013 Blu-Ray set.
• Was also seen on the final 2 seasons (1st-run syndication-era) episodes of Webster. On the initial U.S. syndication reruns of the 1st 4 seasons of Webster, the 1987 logo plastered the "Blue Mountain" on all but a select few episodes, as did the 1995 Domestic logo on much later U.S. syndication reruns after 1995.
• It has also been spotted on Have Gun – Will Travel and Petticoat Junction on Me-TV and H&I, plastering any Viacom logos that may have been there previously, as well as The Wild Wild West on H&I, and more recently, Me-TV (black-and-white episodes of Petticoat Junction use CTD while current color prints of The Wild Wild West use the CBS/Paramount "Wallpaper" logo though french airings overseas retain this logo). CBS Justice airings Gunsmoke one episode during the 1987 Paramount fanfare. This was also used on USA Network's airings of the 1st 4 seasons of Nash Bridges (after the Rysher Entertainment logo), though H&I airings plaster this logo with the CBS Television Distribution logo on seasons 1-4 and retain it on the last 2 seasons. It has also recently been spotted on one episode of Rawhide on H&I and at least one episode of The Phil Silvers Show on Decades that was broadcast on December 1, 2018. H&I airings of JAG also leave this logo intact. It was also intact on an episode of The Twilight Zone that aired on the Portuguese version of the USA Network and one episode of Hogan's Heroes on Forces TV in the United Kingdom and First Blood on syndication with fanfare at the end followed by Trifecta Entertainment & Media logo.

Editor's Note:It's mostly a still shot of the 1986 movie logo, which isfine enough. It also began Paramount's full time practice of using their movie logo as their de-facto television logo. However, the 75th Anniversary was largely wasted, as it only appeared on late 1987 episodes ofEntertainment Tonight, while other shows during the period would instead use the standard Gulf+Western variation, before its use on films in 1988. In addition, this logo (mostly the1995 variants)wasnotorious at thetimeforitsprevalenceofplastering older logos,mainly ones from ParamountTV and Viacom.Despite the stigma,this would end uppaling in comparisontoCBS Television Distribution when it debutedin 2007 and plastered logoson a bigger scale.Originally, this logo was changed to the final logo in 2002;however,onThe Dead Zone, the 1995 network variant was kept until 2006.

7th Logo (In-credit variant)
(1987-1989)

Logo: Just an in-credit text that says:

Distributed by
————————
Paramount Television
Domestic Distribution, Inc.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The closing theme to the show.

Availability: Extinct. Appeared on the first two seasons of Geraldo, which, like other talk shows, is never reran after their original broadcast run finishes.

8th Logo (7th official logo) (February 2002-August 27, 2006)

Nicknames: "CGI Mountain II", "Ultra Majestic Mountain", "2000s Mountain"

Logo: We see only the finished product of the 2002 movie logo, with the movement of the clouds being the only animation.

Variants:

• The 90th Anniversary version was used from February through December 2002.
• Just like the 6th logo, this logo exists in both 4:3 and 16:9.
• Just like the 7th logo; when the logo is shown closer, it's from Paramount Network Television. However, if it's further away, it's from Paramount Domestic Television.
• There was a still shot of the domestic version, Seen a Lifetime and Cozi TV airing Frasier and syndie airings Montel and a PlutoTV print Sabrina The Teenage Witch.
• There is also a silent version of this logo.
• On the short-lived dramaBlind Justice, it shows a portion of the end of the animated movie logo.
• On Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, when the ending credits cross fade to the logo, the logo is still for a split second, then when the fanfare plays, the clouds start moving
• A filmed version of the 2003 Domestic logo exists.
• A rare superimposed version of the 90th Anniversary variant was used on 2002 episodes of Entertainment Tonight.

FX/SFX: Only the clouds moving westward in the background, except onBlind Justicewhich shows the end animation from the movie logo.

Music/Sounds: The same 1987 theme from the 6th logo or silence.

Music/SoundsVariants:

• Like the 6th logo, the 1989 version of the theme is used on most shows from Paramount Domestic Television. However, on some shows from PDT, like Dr. Phil, Montel, Entertainment Tonight, The Insider and Hot Ticket, the original 1987 version is used.
• Also like the 6th logo, on network shows with 5.1 surround sound, like Frasier and Becker, the fanfare is slightly re-orchestrated.
• Some shows from Paramount Network Television, like NUMB3RS, Threshold and season 2 of The 4400, use the 1989 version of the theme on the Network logo.
• The most common short version of the theme has all 6 notes of the 1987 theme playing, with the last note being shorter.
• Some shows like the first two episodes of season 2 of NUMB3RS and original UPN airings of seasons 2-5 of One on One use the last 4 notes of the 1987 theme.
• Strangely, the One on One season two episode "I Believe I Can Fly (2)" on Netflix and Bounce TV used the aforementioned variant, while all other episodes used the short 6-note theme.
• The fanfare is played in mono on Second Time Around, Everybody Hates Chris, South Beach, the TV movie Comfort & Joy, and season 1 episodes of Girlfriends on TV One and Cleo TV.
• S1 DVD episodes of Taxi use the 1978 Paramount Television theme.
• A generic variant of this logo with the 2006-2009 CBS Paramount Television theme was spotted on one episode ofEverybody Hates Chris on Nick @ Nite.
• The DVD prints of season one ofLaverne & Shirleyuse the 1975 Paramount Television theme.
• On a Me-TV airing of one episode of Laverne & Shirley, the 1981 Blue Mountain theme before the 1987 fanfare cuts it off.
• Some shows have the ending theme play over instead.
• Andy Richter Controls the Universe used the Fox generic theme in 2002 when it aired on Fox.
• On Blind Justice, the Steven Bochco Productions theme continued into the logo.

Availability: Although this logo is falling victim to plastering (by way of the CBS Paramount Domestic/Network Television or CBS Television Distribution logos), it's still common.

• It still appears on reruns of several shows, such as pre-2006 episodes of Girlfriends on WE tv and BET (plastered on DVD), the first 3 seasons of NCIS on USA Network before falling to compressed credits which use the CBS Television Studios logo, Frasier on Lifetime and Hallmark Channel and on the DVDs of seasons 10 and 11, One on One on BET, Sabrina the Teenage Witch on Antenna TV and on Hub Network (except season 6), Everybody Hates Chris on Nick @ Nite, TeenNick, BET, and local syndication, The Parkers on BET, Soul Food: The Series on TV One (plastered on DVD), Blind Justice on Sleuth, 2004 syndicated late-night airings of Perry Mason Returns, which followed the 1990 Viacom "Wigga Wigga" logo, and syndicated reruns of the first two seasons of Numb3rs, followed by the CBS Television Distribution logo. Also appeared at the end of a 2016 Showtime 2 broadcast of Universal Soldier. The final show to use this logo was Deadwood.
• The 90th Anniversary variation is uncommon and can be seen on 2002 episodes of One on One on TeenNick, Star Trek: Enterprise on Syfy, and 2002 episodes of Frasier on Hallmark Channel and Netflix, but not on DVD, it was also seen on an episode of Clueless and seen on local reruns of Nash Bridges. It also appeared on several first-run syndicated shows which were Entertainment Tonight, Dr. Phil, Judge Judy (mid-seasons 6-10), and Montel. This was also seen on Becker when it was last shown on WGN America and on H&I's of 2002 episodes of JAG and 2002 episodes Sabrina the Teenage Witch (used the 90th logo) and Star Trek: Voyager on syndication As seen Channel 4+1 airing Frasier (because the 2002 90th Anniversary logo is shown) and also 2002 syndie airings Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
• As for the Paramount Domestic Television variant, it survives on Deadwood on Audience Network on DirecTV and on reruns of Judge Joe Brown on Bounce TV. This logo has been used to either follow or plaster older logos on some reruns of some shows such as The Andy Griffith Show (following the 1951 CBS logo), Laverne & Shirley (plastering the 1975 and 1995 logos), and Hogan's Heroes on Me-TV. Seasons 2-4 of Star Trek: Enterprise on DVD and streaming retain this logo, while they are replaced by the CBS Television Distribution logo on the 2013-14 Blu-ray sets.

Editor's Note: This is the final Paramount logo seen on television until six years later.

Copyright Stamps: Here is some information about the copyright stamps on the Paramount TV series:

• 1968-1990:Copyright © [YEAR] by Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
• 1985-1988: © [YEAR] by Paramount Domestic Television and Video Programming. All Rights Reserved.
• 1990-2006: Copyright © [YEAR] by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
• 2006: Copyright©[YEAR] by CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

See Also

• Paramount Television
• Paramount Domestic Television
• CBS Paramount Television