Harpo Studios

Credits

Captures by
snelfu, Mr.Logo, Sov and others

Editions by
Michael Bass, Mr.Logo, Logoarto, CooleyBoy10, Operaghost, STIProd and others

Video captures courtesy of
sailorclose, youngleader610 (Mr.Logo), ENunn and Broken Saw

Background

Harpo Studios (also known as Harpo Productions) is a production company founded by television personality and entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey in 1986. Its name (not to be confused with one of the Marx brothers) is "Oprah" spelled backwards.

1st Logo (November 4, 1988-2003)

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  Filmed variant (1988 copyright notice)
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  IAW variant (1988 copyright notice; videotaped) (B)
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  1988 copyright notice (C)
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  1992 copyright notice
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  "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED" byline (1994 copyright notice)
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  1997 copyright notice
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  1999 copyright notice
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  2000 copyright notice (A)
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  2000 copyright notice (B)

Visuals: On a white background, a cartoon version of Oprah Winfrey, wearing a lavender jacket over a yellow dress, is holding a string. She then pulls it while moving to the right, revealing the wagon with the company name on it. "HARPO" (in ITC Grouch) is green with the "O" slanted on it, while "PRODUCTIONS, INC." (in Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ Medium Extended) is written on its gray outer base. As Oprah stops and lets go of the handle, the wagon continues moving and bumps into her, causing the "HARPO" to shake, then appearing normal. Oprah briefly looks at the "O" in "HARPO" before looking at the viewers smiling, then curtsies. After Oprah curtsies, her right hand points to the "O" in "HARPO". The copyright notice fades in at the bottom of the screen.

Copyrights:

• November 4, 1988-September 15, 2000: "© [YEAR] HARPO PRODUCTIONS, INC."
• September 16, 2000-2003: "© [YEAR] HARPO, INC."

Variants:

• A short version exists.
• The typeface for the copyright notice may vary.
• There are two points in the logo when the copyright notice fades in:
  • The early version has the copyright notice fading in after Oprah points to the wagon, and it could either be filmed or videotaped.
  • During the logo's later years, the copyright notice fades in when the wagon bumps into Oprah.
• There is another version where after Oprah curtsies, the logo freeze-frames for up to seven seconds.
• On a December 17, 1994 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED" is underneath the copyright notice.
• On the 1989 TV miniseries The Women of Brewster Place, "In Association With" fades in at the same time as the copyright notice. The logo is also cut-short and it uses the filmed version. Early prints have the same IAW version except it uses the videotaped version.
  • On Brewster Place (a 1990 spin-off series of the aforementioned miniseries), the copyright notice is absent.

Technique: Cel animation by Saul Bass.

Audio: A dramatic 10-note synth string/horn fanfare, then 4 more quick notes, an off-key brief piano pluck, and a final string note with a faint glockenspiel glissando. The fanfare is in C major. Starting on August 29, 1991, the music is low-pitched to B major and slightly slower. Composed by Paul David Wilson at Herschel Commercial.

Audio Variants:

• Sometimes, the closing theme or none.
• On the February 28, 1989 Channel 4 airing of episode 2 of season 1 of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the last 6 notes of the music repeats when it cuts to the Midlantic Films logo. This is likely the result of an editing error.
• On a 1993 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, a different music is used.
• On a WPVI-TV airing of one 1998 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the logo is silent with a male announcer. However, a split-second of the music is heard before the announcer is being heard.

Availability:

• Seen on The Oprah Winfrey Show starting with late season 3. Reruns of the classic version of The Oprah Winfrey Show on the Oprah Winfrey Network replace this with the 3rd logo.
• Also seen on the 1989 miniseries The Women of Brewster Place and its 1990 spin-off series Brewster Place.
• This was spotted on a August 18, 2018 OWN re-airing of the September 30, 1999 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
• This logo is also retained on season 4 episode 17 (included as a special feature on the 35th Anniversary 4K/Blu Ray release of Ghostbusters I & II).
• Most recently, it has been spotted on season 4 episodes 21-23 of The Oprah Winfrey Show on Oprah's YouTube channel.

2nd Logo (November 15, 2005-2010)

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Visuals: Over a black background, the logo starts with "HARPO PRODUCTIONS, INC." in the same font as the 1st logo, with the "O" slanted, rotating towards the camera. On the base is a reflection (that disappears at the end) of the name. The name itself shines with "pings". At the bottom of the screen, a copyright stamp appears. A short version starts with the name shining.

Variants:

• On some episodes of The Rachael Ray Show, "INC." doesn't appear next to "PRODUCTIONS".
• On Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball, "PRODUCTIONS" is absent.

Technique: CGI by WunderFilm, animated with Alias Maya.

Audio: A string theme with twinkle sounds. Otherwise, the closing theme.

Availability: The earliest known appearance of this logo is on The Oprah Winfrey Show: 20th Anniversary Collection DVD in 2005 (following the Paramount DVD logo). This later appeared in September 2006 on The Rachael Ray Show and Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball.

3rd Logo (March 3, 2010-)

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Visuals: Against a white background, a ring moves up and copies into 5 multicolored rings (colored green, orange, purple, red and sky blue) like a gyroscope, revealing "HARPOSTUDIOS" (set in an Interstate font). There is a see-through shadow underneath the rings.

Variants:

• A copyright stamp may appear below.
• On some local airings of The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2010-2011, the logo appears on the right side of the screen with the text underneath the rings and the copyright info stacked.
• Sometimes, the logo reads simply "HARPO". This appeared starting in late-2017 on SuperSoul Sunday.

Technique: CGI created in-house at Harpo Design.

Audio: A dramatic orchestral fanfare that later turns into a flourish at the end (somewhat resemblant of the 1988 logo's music), concluding with a harp/pizzicato string glissando. Starting in 2011 (with the exception of The Rachel Ray Show), the first few notes of the fanfare are cut off.

Availability: Seen on all Oprah Winfrey specials from 2010 to the present time. Also seen on later episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show as well as The Rachel Ray Show, The Dr. Oz Show from seasons 2 to 8, SuperSoul Sunday, and the short-lived The Nate Berkus Show. This plasters the 1st logo on OWN reruns of classic The Oprah Winfrey Show episodes.

4th Logo (November 1, 2019-)

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Visuals: Over a white background, the logo starts with the same rings from before, but this time in gold and silver, much like the Harpo Films logo, rotating as they form. The words "HARPO" and "PRODUCTIONS" then fade in one by one.

Technique: Same as before.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on Oprah's Book Club and Oprah Talks.