MGM Television

Credits

Descriptions by
James Fabiano, Shadeed A. Kelly, meesterfonnyboy, and AlekaJ1003

Captures by
AsdfTheRevival, Eric S, Shadeed A. Kelly, mr3urious, V of Doom, Bob Fish, Dean Stewart Rumsey, DaBigLogoCollector, Gilblitz112, Supermarty-o, TimYeiLogoCollector, Kenneth Kinsey, NakedTarzan01, Mr. Logo Lord, Pygmalion X, ClosingLogosHD, TheEriccorpinc, and Mr. Gann

Editions by
Shadeed A. Kelly, Bob Fish, betamaxtheflyer, Mario9000seven, and KramdenII

Video captures courtesy of
mstidham and SeanElGatoTelevision

Background

MGM Television was established on June 30, 1956 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer under Loews, Inc. It was initiated to have MGM to distribute 770 of its films, 900 shorts, produce network series, and acquire TV stations after its first program, the short-lived series The M-G-M Parade was canceled by ABC in the spring. The M-G-M Parade first used the 1953 version of Jackie at the beginning rather than the end of the program. The company did not use an end logo until 1957. Most of the pre-1986 library is owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment through Turner Entertainment Co., while MGM Holdings Inc. owns the rest of the library.

1st Logo (September 20, 1957-October 2, 1960)

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Nicknames: "Leo the Lion IV", "Gold Ribboning II"

Logo: Same as the 1973 logo, but this time, the ribboning is gold and Leo is in a golden color.

Variants:

• 1984-1985: Company identified as MGM/UA Entertainment Co. Television. "DIAMOND JUBILEE (in an arc above the ribbon) SIXTY YEARS OF GREAT ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION" (all in silver) is used in the 1984-85 season.
• 1986-1987: Another variation existed having the 1979 MGM Television logo all in gold. Used during the MGM Entertainment Co. era.
• 1987-1993: The company is identified as "MGM/UA Television Productions, An MGM/UA Communications Company". The ribboning is now gold from this point on. At least one episode of Thirtysomething has a freeze of the logo.
• April 27, 1987-1993: The syndication division is now ID'ed as "MGM/UA Telecommunications". The words "Distributed by" appear above the logo and the MGM/UA byline appears below.
• 1991-2009: A short version of the movie design without anything below. Appears in either black & white or color in 1996.
• 1989-1992: A version reads "{{Font color|gold|MGM/UA" without a byline. Seen on the final season of The Young Riders, the short-lived show Against the Law and several network made-for-TV movies.
• 1993-1996: The company is reverted back to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, along with the byline "{{Font color|gold|{{Font|Times New Roman|MGM Worldwide Television Group" or "MGM/UA Telecommunications Group" underneath the logo. For In the Heat of the Night, there is a byline that says "In The Heat Of The Night" Property Of United Artists".
• 1996-2005: The syndication division is referred to as "MGM Domestic Television Distribution", along with the 1995 lion roar track. The global arm is referred to as "MGM Worldwide Television Group". In 2002, the widescreen version of MGM DTD begins.
• 1996-2009: The logo was shifted up some for television distribution without anything underneath the logo. Appears in either black & white or color.
• 1997-2004: Network arm referred to as "MGM Television Entertainment".
• 1999-2009: Referred to as "MGM International Television Distribution" for global distribution.
• 2001-2009: A short version of then-current movie logo with the URL, "www.mgm.com" below the logo using only part one of the lion roar.
• 2005-2009, January 10, 2011-2012: Referred to as "MGM Worldwide Television Distribution" for US.

FX/SFX: Leo roaring, as usual.

Music/Sounds: There are different sound bites of the lion's roar:

• 1984-1996: The last lion roar from the 1957-1982 lion roar.
• 1991-1992, 1996-2009: The first lion roar sound from the 1982 or 1995 lion roar.
• 1991-1999: The last lion roar sound from the 1985 lion roar or the 1957 lion roar.
• A long version exists on cable broadcasts of Holiday Heart, Rocky V, The Terminator, At Close Range and Delirious. MGM Domestic Television Distribution only.
• There is also a silent version on Soul Plane. MGM Domestic Television Distribution only.
• Half of Leo's first roar is used for the warped version.
• On the freeze variant found on thirtysomething, a shortened version of the 1957 roar is used.
• On Microcops, aired as part of CBS Summer Playhouse in 1989, the lion makes a "Whoop, whoop, whoop!" sound.
• On a April 2003 UPN airing of Under Fire (1983), the Domestic Television Distribution logo plays in warp speed.

Availability: Very common.

• Common for MGM Domestic, Worldwide, International Television Distribution and with and without the MGM URL and they can be found on then-current shows like the 2008 revival of American Gladiators on NBC, the short-lived Spaceballs: The Animated Series on the now defunct G4 network, and syndicated shows like Stargate: SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, The Outer Limits, Reno 911!, and Chappelle's Show, among others.
• Extremely rare for MGM/UA Telecommunications and it's seen on the 1985 version of The Twilight Zone on MeTV (right before the CBS Television Distribution logo). Rare for MGM Worldwide Television Group and it's found on the final season of In the Heat of the Night on WGN America (before they updated the prints to 16:9 HD masters with the 2010 MGM Worldwide Television Distribution logo).
• It's also global wise on all MGM and NBC series.
• The MGM/UA Television Productions variation is extremely rare and was recently seen on Moving Target on DVD and Amazon Prime, season 6 of In the Heat of the Night on WGN America (but not on getTV or MeTV) before they updated the prints, and appears on the '90s revival of Dark Shadows on VHS from MPI Home Video.
• The 1986 logo is extinct and was seen on Kids Incorporated.
• The version with just the "MGM/UA" text can be found on Fatal Memories on Amazon Prime Video and Epix.com.
• The warped version of the 2001 logo is very rare and only seen so far on the pilot of the '90s revival of Dark Shadows only on Chiller.
• The long version of MGM Domestic Television Distribution is on the beginning of cable broadcasts of Rocky V and a VHS print of Holiday Heart, among others.
• Most of these logos can also be seen on ThisTV.
• The logo is also seen on First Business and off-net reruns of Cash Cab.
• The Diamond Jubilee Television variant is rare and can be seen on the 1984-1985 season of Fame on Ovation TV.
• On Fame on Hulu, the older logos are replaced by the 1996 logo.
• The Domestic version was seen as an opening logo on the TV movie Body & Soul on DVD.
• It's also last seen at the end of the closing credits on pre-national Me-TV reruns of Cagney & Lacey, plastering both the Filmways logo (Season 1) and the Orion Television logo (Season 2-onward), although a few episodes retain the latter logo, followed by this logo.
• The logo also appeared at the end of It's About Time on Light TV.

Editor's Note: None.

7th Logo (2009-2012)

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Nicknames: "Leo the Lion V", "Metallic Ribboning"

Logo: It's only the short version of the 2008 closing theatrical logo with either of these texts below: "MGM Worldwide Television Distribution" for the United States, "MGM International Television Distribution" for global distribution, the MGM URL, or none, just like the last logo except the company name below the logo is in a different font. Again, Leo roars once.

Later Variant: In 2010, it's the November 2008 MGM logo with the name "MGM WORLDWIDE TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION" or "DISTRIBUTED BY MGM DISTRIBUTION CO." in all capital letters.

FX/SFX: Leo roaring.

Music/Sounds:

• 2009-2010: The same first half of the 2008 lion roar.
• 2010-2012: The same first half of the 1995 lion roar.
• None for Pink Panther and Pals.

Availability: Uncommon.

• It was first seen on First Business, before they apparently reverted back to the previous logo soon after.
• This can also be seen at the end of several classic new prints of MGM movies on local networks and cable broadcasts, especially seen on classic 007 movies (mainly the Roger Moore era) that were aired on Sleuth, WGN America, USA, and G4, among other networks, several Rocky films on the Encore networks, as well on international prints of non-MGM shows and movies (such as those copyrighted by NBC Studios for Universal Television).
• Don't expect to see this logo at the end of Stargate Universe on Syfy. It does, however, appear on local TV and Netflix airings.
• This also seen on Pink Panther and Pals on Boomerang (alongside KidsClick and Amazon Prime) and Teen Wolf on MTV.
• It's also seen on reruns of In the Heat of the Night on WGN America, while the credits are compressed on the right.

Editor's Note: None.

8th Logo (November 19, 2012- )

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Nicknames: "Leo the Lion VI", "Zooming Ribboning", "Metallic Ribboning II", "MGM 2012", "Animated Ribbon"

Logo: We start with the MGM logo fully revealed and zooming out, but with the words "MGM TELEVISION" in Trajan Pro, zooming out below along with the logo. The whole animation zooms out fast. Sometimes the words below are exempt.

FX/SFX: The logo and words zooming out, and Leo roaring.

Music/Sounds: The same first half of the 1995 lion roar. A Light airing of The Pink Panther 2 has the 2008 roar track.

Availability: Common.

• This was first seen on Spike's print of Red Dawn (1984).
• This also seen on broadcast TV airings on some episodes of Cash Cab and films part of the Showcase Theater package.
• This can also be found on Vikings and Fargo.
• The version without the words below was seen (from June 2013 to 2016) on Right This Minute.
• It is currently seen on former productions from United Artists Media Group, such as Shark Tank, The Voice, 500 Questions, and Survivor.
• This logo can also be spotted on Beat Shazam.
• New prints of the original American Gladiators have this too, as seen on Charge! and Pluto TV.

Editor's Note: None.