Amblin Television

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum

(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)


Background

Originally formed on July 31, 1984, Amblin Entertainment did not enter TV production until 1985, when the sci-fi show Amazing Stories premiered on NBC.



1st Logo (September 29, 1985-January 23, 2008)

Visuals: Essentially just a static image of the 1985 movie logo.

Variants:

  • On The Land Before Time (the 2007 series), the text "ENTERTAINMENT" fades-in below the logo.
  • On Great Adventurers & Their Quests: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the logo is superimposed.
  • On the Tiny Toon Adventures episode "Two-Tone Town", the logo is in black-and-white.
  • On The Making of Jurassic Park, the phrase "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" (in an ITC Kabel Bold font) is shown above the logo.

Technique: A still image.

Audio: The closing theme of the show.

Availability:

  • Seen on Animaniacs (including Wakko's Wish) and Tiny Toon Adventures.
  • It is also seen on The Land Before Time (the 2007 short-lived series), Pinky and the Brain (later retooled as Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain), Freakazoid! and other shows.
  • It is also seen on season 1 of Harry and the Hendersons (the TV series) and The Big Cartoonie Show (despite Spielberg having no involvement with this Kids' WB! compilation series).

2nd Logo (September 14, 1991-August 31, 2015)

Visuals: It starts out with the beginning of the standard Amblin Entertainment logo, but it's faster, the stripes don't slide in and it doesn't have the shadow wipe effect. After the moon and the boy on the bicycle are in place, the rest of the logo (the "AMBLIN" text with the red/blue lines above and below it respectively) fades in. Then the word "T E L E V I S I O N" appears under it instead of "E N T E R T A I N M E N T" and the moon is surrounded by a TV screen with blue static. The TV screen then switches/turns off, and the rest of the logo fades away, leaving only a blank rounded rectangle.

Variants:

  • A short variant starts with the logo already in place; the switch off is intact.
  • A still variant appears on Fudge, Terra Nova and seasons 2 and 3 of The Borgias.
  • Sometimes, the logo shares the screen with the other logos.
  • On Back to the Future - The Animated Series and Family Dog, the logo ended early before the switch-off part.
  • On Opus n' Bill - A Wish for Wings that Work, a print version exists, with the moon in a plain white circle.
  • On seasons 2-3 of Harry and the Hendersons (the TV series), it starts off with the boy in a bicycle and the moon already in place before the rest of the logo forms and the switch-off part is not shown.
  • On HD prints of the fifth season (1998-99) and the 7th-13th seasons of ER, the 1991 version of this logo is cropped to 16:9 widescreen.
  • On shows starting with the 14th season of ER, the blue static in the logo looks more defined (and realistic) than before.

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: The closing theme of the show, generic network themes, or none.

Audio Variant: On 1994-2006 episodes of ER, the "Previously on ER" theme used on the preceding Constant C Productions logo continues into this logo.

Availability:

  • This logo replaced the DreamWorks Television logo on The Americans (DW produced the pilot) and the 4th and 5th seasons of Falling Skies.
  • It is also seen on all episodes of ER on Pop and HBO Max (now known and shortened as Max) and can also be found on Back to the Future: The Animated Series (with the UCS, Zaloom/Mayfield and BIG Pictures logos), Fievel's American Tails (with the UCS and Nelvana logos), Family Dog (with the Nelvana logo), Harry and the Hendersons (Seasons 2 and 3),SeaQuest DSV (later known as SeaQuest 2032 in its final season), The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper (excluding the first five episodes, although it appeared on new prints of said episodes excluding the first one), Earth 2, On the Lot, the first two seasons of Under the Dome and the first season of Extant.
  • It is also seen on TV movies such as The Water Engine.
  • It made its last appearance on the series finale of The Whispers.

3rd Logo (June 25, 2015-)

Visuals: The finishing product of the current Amblin Entertainment logo is used, except with "T E L E V I S I O N" instead of "E N T E R T A I N M E N T". The TV tube is also absent.

Variants:

  • A shorter version of this logo exists, with a shining effect.
  • A longer version also exists, where the full Amblin Entertainment logo is used, but with "T E L E V I S I O N" replacing "E N T E R T A I N M E N T". This was first seen on Masters of the Air.
  • Sometimes, the logo is placed on a black background and is in 2D, making it similar in appearance to the 1st logo. It also sometimes has a white outlined box.
  • On Reverie, the logo is next to the 2018 Energy Entertainment logo.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Either a shortened version of John Williams' Amblin fanfare from the 1980s, the closing theme of the show, or none.

Availability: This logo made its debut on the season 3 premiere of Under the Dome, and is also seen on the 2020 revival of Animaniacs, The Haunting, and Roswell, New Mexico, among others.

Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.