.png)
_(Colour).png)
.png)
CBS Productions
From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum
Logo descriptions by Shadeed A. Kelly
Logo captures by Eric S., V of Doom, Shadeed A. Kelly, Bob Fish, bmasters9, snelfu, EnormousRat, Mr. Logo Lord, Logophile, matt4723, StephenCezar15, Derrick Anderson, Pygmalion X, ClosingLogosHD, and TheEriccorpinc
Editions by mr3urious, Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom, Chick84, BenIsRandom, Bob Fish and GETENT
Video captures courtesy of Iseven016, bmasters9, willg550187415, TrickyMario7654, raposofan, JohnnyL80, ClosingLogosHD, Pepsi9072, Originalsboy, and Hb1290
Background
CBS Productions was the production arm of the CBS Television Network, formed in 1952 to produce shows in-house, instead of relying solely on outside productions. Its first production was CBS Television Workshop, a drama anthology series that featured an early appearance of Audrey Hepburn. From 1978-1995, the name "CBS Entertainment Productions" co-existed. On January 17, 2006, it was merged with Paramount Television to form "CBS Paramount Television", whose main production division, CBS Paramount Network Television, continued to produce the former CBS Productions shows that were still running. Currently, all of the CBS library except certain shows they merely held rights to, is owned by ViacomCBS themselves and is distributed by CBS Television Distribution. However, CBS has certain domestic or international rights on co-produced series. On September 2, 2008, CBS Productions was revived as an in-name-only unit of CBS Paramount Network Television (now known as "CBS Television Studios" and later "CBS Studios") by producing non-CBS network produced programs such as 90210 for the CW Television Network. It was brought back again in 2015 for CSI: Cyber, and it also produces the Thanksgiving Day Parade from 2016 to 2019.
Historical Note: The CBS logo was created by Kurt Weiss on October 17, 1951 and was introduced on broadcast on October 20, 1951.
1st Logo (January 13, 1952-March 6, 1968)
Note: This logo was the standard closing card for the CBS network and appeared mostly on filmed series produced for CBS.
Nicknames: "CBS Eyemark III", "(Zooming-Out) CBS Eye of Doom", "CBS Eye from Hell"
Logo: We see a black Eyemark zooming-out to the top of the screen on a gray background. "CBS" appears one by one in a dramatic fashion in white.
Color Variant: On the color variant of this logo, the background is blue.
FX/SFX: The eye zooming-out and the appearance of the letters.
Music/Sounds: A commanding trumpet with a menacing, cacophonous finish. The fanfare was rumored to be composed by Morton Stevens.
Music/Sounds Variant: On Western Hero, the logo is silent.
Availability: Extinct. It was seen on original network airings of Hogan's Heroes, Pistols 'N' Petticoats, Hazel, Lassie, My Favorite Martian, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Lucy Show, The Andy Griffith Show, Captain Kangaroo, Password, Art Linkletter's House Party, The Red Skeleton Hour, The Jackie Gleason Show, To Tell the Truth, What's My Line?, I've Got a Secret, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, and The Gary Moore Show, among other classic shows.
Editor's Note: This logo is quite infamous to some, due to the sudden, menacing music.
4th Logo (1983-1985)
Nicknames: "CBS Eyemark VII", "CGI CBS Eyemark II", "The Stage", "CGI Stage", "CBS Stage", "CBS Eyemark on Stage"
Logo: We see a flash of light, which dies down to reveal the CBS Eyemark logo (the Eyemark-shaped light is coming from the center of it) with "CBS PRODUCTIONS" around it, floating above a floor in a blue and white studio whose walls have a CBS logo pattern on them. The text is in the familiar CBS Didot font and the entire logo is brown. The logo then slowly zooms away.
Trivia: This logo was based on the CBS 1997-98 on air look, "The Address is CBS: Welcome Home". Designed by Pittard Sullivan.
Later Variant: Starting in 1999, a better known version debuted, which omits the light. The logo is redone and in a lighter shade of reddish-brown, and the font is smaller. Now & Again continued to use the original version, and Walker, Texas Ranger continued to use the original version until its end in 2001. Interestingly enough, Snowden's Christmas used the original version on the VHS release despite the CBS premiere used the 1999 logo.
FX/SFX: The flash of light, and the zooming out.
Music/Sounds: None or the outro of the end title theme from any show playing over the logo until 2008. On occasion, the music score from the 97-98 on air look plays over the logo, along with voice actor Mark Elliott reading a short promo.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- On Kids Say the Darndest Things and the short-lived series Now & Again, there's a mysterious synth sounder, on the later show, this theme would trail into the 1995 Paramount Domestic Television logo.
- On Listen Up!, it plastered over the Fox Television Studios logo, but keeps its music (the abridged version) intact.
- Since 2008, we hear a light orchestral sounder, played by low strings, low horns and a piano with a bang of a timpani and a clash of cymbals. It sounds like the old CBS jingle a bit.
- A short version of the 2008 theme exists, where we begin a split-second before the cymbals end.
- On The Beautiful Life: TBL, the shortened CBS Paramount Television jingle is heard.
- On Russian TV prints of Early Edition, this logo is short and almost still with the ending theme playing over it. On one episode, a bad plaster job resulted in this logo having the music for Columbia TriStar Television.
- CBS, NBC and The CW airings used their generic themes.
- On most episodes of Family Law, the scream from the preceding Paul Haggis Productions logo would extend onto this logo.
Availability: Common.
- It's seen on Walker, Texas Ranger seasons 5-8, The District, Still Standing, Yes, Dear until 2006, The King of Queens until 2007, the final season of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (and the two TV movies that followed it), the last few seasons of Promised Land, Kids Say the Darndest Things, and the CSI franchise, among others. This was used until summer 2006 when this logo was replaced by the CBS Paramount Network Television logo.
- The logo is not plastered over on syndicated reruns of shows except on season 5 of Walker, Texas Ranger on DVD and Early Edition reruns on GMC (now Up) and DVD releases.
- Recently, this logo was spotted on 90210 on The CW, S2 episodes of The Cleaner, and the short-lived Melrose Place revival, although the new show's pilot episode ended with the CBS Television Studios logo on the CW airing. This logo was also seen on the first 2 seasons of CBS's current revival of Hawaii Five-O and Blue Bloods. Beginning with the third season, the CBS Television Studios logo appears on both shows.
- From March 2015 to March 2016, the logo was brought back on CSI: Cyber. It's also surprisingly re-appeared on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from 2016 to 2019.
- It also appeared on original prints of season one episodes of Rescue Heroes and season three episodes of Tales from the Cryptkeeper, but current prints remove this logo. It can also be seen on later seasons of Touched By An Angel on Me-TV and Start TV airings.
Editor's Note: This is a clean logo, with simple, but effective CGI that still holds up over 22 years later. That it's been brought back numerous times is a testament to how well it's held up.
