Carlton International

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum




Background

Carlton International Media Limited was the worldwide television distribution and licensing unit of Carlton Television, which came under that name in March 1998 after Carlton Communications renamed CTE Carlton.

In February 2004, Carlton Communications and Granada Media Limited merged to form ITV plc, and Granada's international distribution unit was merged under Carlton's, renaming the business as Granada International Media Limited in July.

1st Logo (1998-1999)

Visuals: The Carlton logo in white is shown on a pink gradient background. Below that is the word "INTERNATIONAL", with the text "Carlton International Media Limited" below in a tiny font.

Technique: A digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: This logo was rather short-lived, only used for a year until being replaced (and sometimes plastered) with the next logo.

  • It was seen on season 4 of Cadfael, a Sony Movies Action (now GREAT! Movies Action) airing of The Silent Enemy (1958), a TCM airing of An Ideal Husband (1947), and on later prints of several made for TV Movies by World International Network and Hamdon Entertainment.
  • It is also seen on a later print of the first episode of Spitting Image, following the 1983 Central logo.
  • It can also be found at the end of later prints of the 1993 TV movie Complex of Fear, the 1994 TV movie This Can't Be Love, and the 1997 TV movie The Canterville Ghost, respectively.
  • It was also seen for a split second on a Norwegian dubbing print of an unknown episode of Wolves, Witches and Giants.

2nd Logo (September 6, 1999-2004)


Visuals: Same as the 1999 Carlton Productions logo from the time, except the words "Distributed by" in a small font are added above the name, "INTERNATIONAL" in a larger font below the name, and the company name "Carlton International Media Ltd" in a tiny font on the bottom of the screen.

Variants:

  • A 16:9 widescreen variant exists.
  • A squished variant also exists, which is seen at the end of a late-90s print of The Ordeal of Mr. Mudd (1980), following the 1987 ITC Entertainment "Gold Diamonds" logo.
  • A 4:3 squished to 16:9 variant also exists, which is seen at the end of TalkingPicturesTV UK airings of Doctor in Clover (1966).
  • The logo was also used as a video game notice, consisting of the Carlton text in black and the star in orange on a white background. Underneath is copyright information.

Technique: A still CGI render done by Lambie-Nairn.

Audio: The ending theme of the programme or none.

Audio Variants:

  • For some variants, the logo is mostly silent, but the end tail of the programme's theme finishes over the first half.
  • On a Russian dub of The Brave Little Toaster (1987), the high tone variant of the 1987 ITC Entertainment "Gold Diamonds" fanfare with a Russian voiceover plays over the logo, due to a plastering error.
  • On Challenge airings of S10E02 of Bullseye, the high frequency test tone is faintly heard over both the 1990 A Central Production for ITV endcap and this logo.

Availability: Seen on international prints of programmes owned by Carlton Communications from the time-period until 2004, commonly used as a plastering method over older logos. Nowadays, it's replaced by the ITV Studios logos, but it is still easy to find prints that contain the logo.

  • It plastered over the ITC logo on some of the company's shows and feature films throughout the late 1990s up to Carlton's merger with ITV plc, after which the original ITC logos were reinstated (on most TV episodes) or replaced with Granada International, Granada America, or ITV Studios logos (on feature films) on newer prints.
  • It may also sometimes plaster the Central logo on most drama shows and some episodes of game shows that they produced.
    • It is also seen on some episodes of The Upper Hand following the 1990, 1994 and 1995 Central endcaps.
    • On some Challenge rebroadcasts of Bullseye and Family Fortunes, it plasters over the Central Television Enterprises logo.
  • It also used to plaster over the Rank "Gongman" quite a lot such as Death Line (1972) until ITV remastered most Rank movies and left the logos intact. It still appears on current prints of some films that have yet to be digitally restored under ITV Studios' ownership, such as We Dive at Dawn (1942), The Naked Truth (1957) and The Plank (1967).
    • A few examples where the Carlton International logo does not plaster the Rank logo are on Carlton International-era prints of some films produced by Rank, such as Upstairs and Downstairs (1959), All Night Long (1962), The Purple Plain (1954), Carry On Again Doctor (1969), Carry On Loving (1970), Carry On Matron (1972), Carry On Abroad (1972, Carlton prints only, Britbox prints use the restored version instead) and The 39 Steps (1978), where it precedes the Rank Organisation logo.
    • However, this combo does not appear on Carlton-era prints of some Rank films that retain the Rank Gongman, such as A Matter of Life and Death (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948) as they open with the Rank Gongman on its own.
    • It is also seen at the start of a Screenpix airing of All Night Long (1962), after the 2012 MGM logo and before the Rank "Gongman" logo.
  • It is also seen at the start of current prints of The Evil That Men Do (1984), at the beginning of international PAL DVD releases of The Brave Little Toaster (1987), and also seen on a Thanksgiving Day rebroadcast of the 2002 adaptation of Pollyanna on PBS on November 24, 2016, as well as episodes 9 through 12 of the third season of The Dreamstone, following the 1990 A Central Programme for ITV endcap on the latter.
  • It was also seen at the end of a 2004-era Challenge airing of The Golden Shot.
  • It is also seen on many TV movies by Hamdon Entertainment, such as Desperate Justice (1993, including the Spanish dub of the aforementioned movie) and the Dutch DVD release of the 1995 TV movie In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice, and French prints of the 1998 TV movie When He Didn't Come Home (aka The Disappearing Act), among many other instances.
  • It also makes several other appearances:
    • It was seen at the end of a Virgin Media Three Ireland airing of the TV Movie Breakaway, aka Christmas Rush, following the 1995 Columbia TriStar Domestic Television logo, as ITV owns some international rights to that movie.
    • It is also seen before the Century 21 Productions logo at the start of the first episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons on Britbox titled "The Mysterons", due to it using the Carlton International-era print.
    • It is also seen before the Century 21 Productions logo at the start of select episodes of The Secret Service (including the first-three episodes) on Britbox, also due to using the Carlton International-era prints being used.
    • It also makes an appearance at the start of some episodes of Stingray on Britbox, also due to them using the Carlton International-era prints.
    • It is also seen at the end of the TalkingPicturesTV UK airings of Doctor in Clover (1966) and at the start and end of The Firechasers (1971).
    • It was also seen on a Family Channel Canada airing of The Snow Queen, following the HTV logo.
    • It is also seen on a DVD print of the 2002 TV movie Sightings: Heartland Ghost, following the 1995 Paramount Television logo.
    • It is also seen at the end of a Virgin Media Three airing of the 1997 TV movie The Woman in White.
    • It is also seen on a PAL DVD release of Shattered Promises (aka Deadly Matrimony) (1992), following the 1989 Steve Krantz Productions logo at the end.
    • It is also seen at the start of a Shout! Factory TV print of the 1990 TV movie People Like Us before the 1987 ITC Entertainment "Gold Diamonds" logo.
    • It is also seen at the end of an Amazon Freevee print of the 1988 TV movie David, following the 1987 ITC Entertainment "Gold Diamonds" logo.
    • It is also seen at the end of a later print of The Last Warrior (1989), following the 1987 ITC Entertainment "Gold Diamonds" logo.
    • It is also seen at the end of Syfy UK airings of the last ever episode of Thunderbirds (1965 TV series) titled "Give or Take a Million", following the 1987 ITC Entertainment "Gold Diamonds" logo.
    • It was also seen at the end of a Film4 UK 2020 airing of Death Drums Along the River (1963).
    • It is also seen at the end of a later print of The Saint episode "A Double in Diamonds", which is then followed by the 2013 ITV Studios Global Entertainment logo.
    • It was also seen at the end of a March 10, 2023 airing of the 1996 TV movie Element of Doubt on Virgin Media Three.
    • It is also seen on a late 1990s print of the 1990 TV movie The Lost Capone.
    • It is also seen at the start of a late 1990s print of the 1988 TV movie Blood Money (aka Clinton and Nadine).
    • It is also seen at the end of A Profile of 'In Which We Serve' on all disc-based releases of In Which We Serve (1942) since the UK Special Edition DVD release, including the Criterion Blu-ray boxset of David Lean Directs Noel Coward, and at the end of Challenge airings of some 2000 episodes of Family Fortunes, and was also seen on a June 15, 2023 airing of the 2001 TV movie Lloyd & Hill on Virgin Media Four, all after the 1999 Carlton Productions logo.
    • It was also seen at the end of a True Movies UK airing of the 2001 TV movie Anybody's Nightmare.
    • It is also seen at the end of Challenge airings of the 1981 series of Bullseye, following the 1969 ATV Colour Production logo.
    • It is also seen at the end of an RTP Play streaming print of the 1979 TV movie Sanctuary of Fear, following the 1979 Marble Arch Productions logo.
    • It is also seen at the start of a late-2010s Tubi streaming print of the 1984 TV movie Invitation to Hell, following the 2018 FilmRise logo.
    • It is also seen at the end of Polish-dubbed prints of Dream Street (at least the episode "Rumour Rumour").
    • It is also seen at the start of the Amazon Prime Video streaming print of Borderline (1980).
    • It is also seen at the end of the ITV3 airings of the Ruth Rendell Mysteries episode "Harm Done".
  • The video game variant can be found on Thunderbirds: International Rescue for Game Boy Advance.
Central Television Enterprises
Carlton International
Granada International
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