Dick Clark Productions

Background

Dick Clark Productions was an entertainment production company established in 1957 by entertainer Dick Clark, producing television shows, television specials, and television movies. In 2007, it was sold to Daniel Snyder, owner of American football team Washington Redskins and former chairman of amusement park company Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, for $175 million. Around September 2016, Chinese family-owned conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group (which owns a controlling interest in AMC Theatres and fully owns Legendary Entertainment) was in talks of acquiring the company for $1 billion. The transaction was confirmed on November 4th, however the Wanda Group called off the deal in March 2017. In February 1, 2018, the company merged with Media Rights Capital and Billboard-Hollywood Media Reporter Group to form Valence Media. In September 2021, MRC officially discontinued the Dick Clark brand, with its productions now falling under their Live & Alternative banner. However, less than a year later in August 2022, Todd Boehly, through his holding company Eldridge, re-acquired the division and several other properties from MRC, and restored the Dick Clark Productions branding.

Contents

1st Logo (September 5, 1964-1980)	2nd Logo (December 31, 1972-1980)	3rd Logo (1980-1983)	4th Logo (September 10, 1983-1989)


5th Logo (1989-April 7, 2019)	6th Logo (June 25-September 10, 2015)	7th Logo (April 7, 2019-September 12, 2021)	8th Logo (November 20, 2022-)

1st Logo (September 5, 1964-1980)

Visuals: This logo features a line drawing downward. Then a circle is placed along the left of the line, forming the letter "d". Then, a "c" is drawn inside the "d" counter-clockwise. The stacked words "a dick clark TV PRODUCTION" appear vertically along the "d".

Variants:

From 1964-1969, this logo was only a still superimposed image, scrolling along with the production credits.
Sometimes, the text would simply read "A DICK CLARK PRODUCTION".
The variants before 1969 had different interpretations of the text on the logo, ranging from "Dick Clark Television Productions, Inc." to "dick clark productions".
The currently found variants after 1969 usually have different colors for the text. Such examples include the text rendered in an orange-esque color to a wine-like purple. The text would read "a dick clark TELEVISION PRODUCTION".

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: The closing theme of the show.

Audio Variant: From 1964 to 1968, Charlie O'Donnell announced American Bandstand and said, "American Bandstand is a Dick Clark Production".

Availability: It appeared on American Bandstand and Happening. It may have appeared on Soul Unlimited.

2nd Logo (December 31, 1972-1980)

Visuals: A giant blue "dc" is seen on a black background. "a teleshow" and "dick clark" fly into their respective positions.

Technique: Simple cel/camera animation.

Audio: A descending glockenspiel scale.

Availability: It was seen on shows produced by the Dick Clark Teleshows subsidiary. "Dick Clark's New Year's Rocking Eve", "American Music Awards", and "Rock n' Roll Years" were the programs to have this logo.

Legacy: The first appearance of the "dc" logo.

3rd Logo (1980-1983)

Visuals: On a black background, a golden bar zooms in, and starts to spin clockwise. The bar forms a circular image which splits in two and turns into an "o" and "c". All three images stick together to form the "dc" logo. The text "A Dick Clark Production" appears below.

Technique: Scanimate.

Audio: A descending chime scale.

Availability: It appeared on American Bandstand. This was also spotted in the 1982 ABC Saturday Morning Pac Preview Party special.

4th Logo (September 10, 1983-1989)

Visuals: There is an outlined bar rising from the center of the screen. A circle emerges to the left to form the "d" and revolves around to the right to form a "c", forming the "dc" logo. It then shines to gold. As this happens, "dick clark productions" or "a dick clark motion picture" appears below.

Variants:

On TV movies, the logo is filmed.
On NBC TV Censored Bloopers, a cartoon janitor (who resembles Sergio Aragonés) comes in while sweeping the ground, right before he notices the logo. He pauses for a moment before whistling to have a whole group of janitors to come in; the janitors then clap for the logo.
On Wolf Rock TV, the logo is on a cerulean blue-dark magenta vertical gradient background and is next to the 3rd DIC Entertainment logo on the bottom-right of the screen. The 1st Saban Entertainment logo is on the top-left, above the DIC logo.

Technique: Early CGI.

Audio: Mystical synthesizer music that ends with what sounds like a low bass sound. Sometimes, the end theme plays over the logo.

Audio Variant: There's another music theme that begins with a high pitched synth chord that holds out for 2 seconds, and then is abruptly interrupted by a lower synthesizer drone, as it descends and then crescendos throughout the rest of the logo.

Availability: It was seen on TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes, American Bandstand, and Puttin' on the Hits.

5th Logo (1989-April 7, 2019)

Visuals: On a black background, a gold line shoots up the screen, curving around an object that is revealed to be the "dc" logo, which seems to be thicker than before. A purple light appears in the background, as the camera rotates around so the "dc" is seen from the right. A light forms "dick clark productions", and the "dc" logo later shines.

Variants:

A shorter version exists, starting with the light forming the company's text.
In July 2000, the company's website "www.dickclark.com" appeared on some network shows.
In 2007, the logo was graphically enhanced to feature a background with various red and blue lights, a brighter "dc", and a brighter company name. This is normally seen with the short version, but a long version of it also exists, which appears on Dick Clark Interviews.
On American Dreams, the logo is next to the Once a Frog logo.

Technique: CGI. The 2007 variant was animated by Design on the Fly.

Audio: The second music theme from the last logo, complete with whooshes and lasers.

Audio Variants:

The shorter version only uses the "crescending" synthesizer note.
The 2007 long version features more powerful-sounding whooshes.
On The Challengers, Don Morrow says "In association with Dick Clark Productions" over the logo.
On the short-lived FOX game show The Chamber, a generic rock tune plays.
On American Dreams, the aforementioned logo's theme is heard.
Original airings used a generic theme and a voiceover.

Availability:

This logo still appears on various TV specials, including New Year's Rockin' Eve, The American Music Awards, and Bloopers.
It also appears on The Weird Al Show and 19 Entertainment's So You Think You Can Dance.

Legacy: This logo is a huge favorite for fans of Dick Clark's later works.

6th Logo (June 25-September 10, 2015)

Visuals: Same as the Keshet fifth logo.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Same as the Keshet fifth logo.

Availability: Only seen on the short-lived American adaptation of Boom! on Fox.

7th Logo (April 7, 2019-September 12, 2021)

Visuals: On a black background accompanied by a light, there is a close up of the letters "dcp" in a more straightforward font rotating downwards from the left. As the logo fades in and fades out again, the "dcp" pans from the bottom right, now accompanied by the text "dick clark productions", to zoom into the center of the logo, while at same the the light and its lens flare move to the top left and bottom right respectfully. The finished logo zooms out slowly.

Variants:

Sometimes, the byline "a division of MRC" is below.
A shorter version exists, which cuts the close-up.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A new synthesized choir-like theme, with whooshes heard throughout. Original airings used a generic theme and a voiceover.

Availability: First appeared on the 54th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, and was seen on the company's other shows and TV specials.

Legacy: This logo marked Dick Clark Productions' first overall logo change in 42 years, and is considered vastly inferior to the 5th logo.

8th Logo (November 20, 2022-)

Visuals: On a black background with a spotlight on it, a golden light forms a connected "dcp" out of position from each other; the result looks similar to the Don Cornelius Productions logo. The company name appears underneath.

Trivia: This logo was designed by Pentagram.

Variant: There is a still version of the logo.

Technique: 2D computer animation in the regular version. A still, digital graphic in the early version.

Audio: A three-note piano theme or none.

Availability: First appeared on the 50th Annual American Music Awards, and later appeared on the 2023 and 2024 editions of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest.