GTG Entertainment

Background

GTG Entertainment was the short-lived joint venture between television executive Grant Tinker (co-founder of MTM Enterprises and former head of NBC) and the Gannett Company, founded in December 1986. It operated two divisions: GTG East, which produced reality programming in the East Coast, and GTG West, which made the venture's scripted entertainment series in Los Angeles. While the venture was not successful (its shows either did not make it past the pilot phase, weren't sold to any networks or were "one-and-done" shows that ran for only one season before being cancelled, the lone known exception being USA Today: The Television Show, which was produced by GTG East) and ultimately closed in 1990, it was notable for producing the first season of Baywatch, which was taken over by star David Hasselhoff and some investors for first-run syndication after GTG's demise.

Logo (July 19, 1988-April 6, 1990, March 2, 1996)

Visuals: There is a still shot of The Culver Studios (the same building seen in the Selznick International logo). The letters "GTG" in a script font appear via a "wiping" effect. Then "E N T E R T A I N M E N T" with a line above it fades in under "GTG". The end result is this:

GTG
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E N T E R T A I N M E N T

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: The end theme.

Audio Variants:

On The Van Dyke Show, a 5-note guitar theme is heard.
On The Johnsons are Home, a loud four-note synth theme is heard.
NBC's airing of The Nerd used a voice over.

Availability: This logo debuted on The Johnsons are Home, which aired as part of CBS Summer Playhouse on July 19, 1988. This was seen on the first season of Baywatch and on the short-lived series The Van Dyke Show. It also appeared on The Nerd, an unsold pilot that was produced in 1989, but did not air until 1996 on NBC.