Metromedia Producers Corporation

Credits

Descriptions by
MatthewLMayfield (originally Nicholas Aczel, Eric S., and Gilblitz112)

Captures by
Eric S., Bob Fish, V of Doom, JoeCool85, snelfu, Gilblitz112, TheEriccorpinc, and TheMoonProductions

Editions by
mr3urious, Shadeed A. Kelly, TVB and Blue2000

Video captures courtesy of
Eric S., Kris Starring, JohnnyL80, English1stud, TheRedBaron1985, Broken Saw and LogicSmash

Background

Metromedia Producers Corporation (or often shortened as MPC) was established from Wolper Productions in 1968 after David L. Wolper broke apart from Metromedia (Wolper Productions was later relaunched in 1970). On March 6, 1986, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation (later "21st Century Fox" and now owned by The Walt Disney Company, the current parent company of 20th Century Studios) acquired MPC and with it, the television stations owned by Metromedia for $3.5 billion. MPC was folded into 20th Century Fox Television, Metromedia Square (which was not included in the sale, instead being leased to Fox/News Corp) became "Fox Television Center", and the former Metromedia owned television stations were incorporated as the Fox Television Stations in April. These programs are now distributed worldwide by 20th Television. The only exception is The Merv Griffin Show, which MPC handled co-production and distribution from 1972 to 1983, which was later transferred to King World Productions (now "CBS Media Ventures") and Columbia Pictures Television (now "Sony Pictures Television") in 1986.

1st Logo (1969-1974)

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Visuals: On a blue background, the stacked words "METROMEDIA PRODUCERS CORPORATION", aligned to the left in a orange futuristic font, zoom in from the center, towards the right side. From the first letter of each work, the large abstract letters "M", "P", and "C" emerge from them mirrored and revolve around to the front sides in a pseudo-3D style. The "M" rests at the top, the "P" is to the right connected to the "M", and the "C" is in the bottom left. Finally, "PRESENTS" flips up from the bottom of the screen in a larger size and similar effect to the letters.

Variants:

• A more common short version has the logo fade out as soon as the letters settle.
• The colors of the background usually vary (sometimes due to film deterioration). Known colors include teal, purple, blue, green, and sky blue.
• The color of the logo may be yellow.
• On Go Ask Alice, the logo is off-center.
• On Chosen Survivors, the logo is white while the background is black.
• An in-credit variant can be found on the game show Pay Cards!.
• An early in-credit version had the letters split apart, set at an slight incline.

Technique: Analog computer/Scanimate effects.

Audio: A dramatic 8-note horn fanfare with a held note throughout.

Audio Variants:

• The short version has the last 5 notes of the fanfare, with the 3 louder notes synced up to the letters emerging out.
• In some cases, it used only the opening/closing theme of the show or it's silent.
• On Tales of the Crypt, the logo uses a fanfare composed by Elmer Bernstein, which is actually the closing fanfare from David L. Wolper's documentary Four Days in November (1964).
• Sometimes, a generic theme was used. One example is the 1979 PTV theme heard instead on early-to-mid-1970s prints of That Girl, presumably because of an editing mistake.

Availability: Seen on their movies, TV movies, and shows, thought the latter 2 that used to have this logo are not seen much on video or in syndication.

• The regular version appears on Tales from the Crypt, Chosen Survivors, Maybe I'll Come Home Spring, The People, Tobor the 8th Man, Thief (TV movie), and Here We Go Again.
• The short version appears at the end of their shows and TV movies.
• The logo appears on a few Alpha Video DVD prints of Dusty's Trail, DVD releases of Go Ask Alice, and on FX Movie Channel's prints of Honor Thy Father and It's Good to Be Alive.

2nd Logo (February 21, 1973-1980)

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Visuals: On a dark blue background, an orange outline of the MPC logo from the first logo zooms out to the left with a trail effect. Then the words "METROMEDIA", "PRODUCERS", and "CORPORATION" fade in one by one, each filling in the letters corresponding to each word.

Variants:

• The color scheme can vary from yellow and white, to orange.
• Sometimes, this logo appears on the ending credits, sometimes containing the text "In association with" or "Distributed by" above it, and in the same color scheme as the logo.
• A closing variant of this logo appears on a light blue background, with the text "Distributed by" above the logo.
• On the 1980 miniseries Wild Times, it's the words "Metromedia Producers Corporation" in a generic yellow font on a blue background. This is seen at the beginning of the first episode, and after the prologue on the second episode. In-credit text (with Rattlesnake Productions) is shown at the end.

Technique: Motion-controlled animation. In most cases, none.

Audio: A string melody ending with a pizzicato note, closing theme of the show or TV movie, or silent. On some episodes of The Merv Griffin Show, its music playing from any jazz musician.

Audio Variant: On The Merv Griffin Show, an announcer (Arthur Teacher/Chet Gould) says "The Merv (Griffin) Show is a Merv Griffin Production, in association with Metromedia Producers Corporation. This program was recorded."

Availability:

• The logo initially appeared in The Norliss Tapes as an in-credit notice.
• Outside of the aforementioned TV film, in-credit logos would remain intact on certain television films like Terror on the 40th Floor, the nightly syndicated The Merv Griffin Show, and game shows like The Cross-Wits.
• The in-credit version has been sighted on Where Have All the People Gone? and Terror on the 40th Floor on FX Movie Channel.
• It may also show up on other Metromedia TV movies from this era when FXMC airs them.
• The distribution variant popped up on a 1980 episode of Charlie's Angels on Cozi TV and on most fourth-season episodes of the same show on MeTV, followed by the Sony Pictures Television logo.
• The Wild Times variant is seen on Encore Westerns airings of the miniseries.

3rd Logo (March 4, 1981-June 15, 1984)

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Visuals: On a blue background, four yellow lines wipe in; the one of the top and the second of the middle wipes from right to left, and the second and fourth line wipes from left to right, all in order. Then, the letters "DISTRIBUTED BY" appears on the top, under the first line, "METROMEDIA" (in a larger font with connected "ME"s) appears, between the second and the third line, "PRODUCERS" appears, and between the third and fourth line, "CORPORATION" appears.

Variants:

• There is a variant that has ""PRODUCED BY"" above the text.
• An in-credit variant can be seen on the game show Super Pay Cards! and the talk show Thicke of the Night.

Technique: Cel animation.

Audio:

• In most cases, none or the end theme.
• The music variant has a synth crescendo when the lines wipe, and a loud boom sound effect when the words appear as the synth fades out.

Availability:

• The logo only appeared on a few TV movies from the era, and syndication prints of most Spelling (including the S-G ones) shows and TV movies during the time frame. One example was the pilot episode of Dynasty, which hasn't been seen in years.
• The variant with music was spotted on the TV special Santa's Magic Toy Bag, which was intact on a December 1990 Nickelodeon airing.

4th Logo (1982-1987)

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Visuals: On a black background, a rainbow-colored ribbon wipes in onscreen and folds into a cursive "M". The ribbon flashes to reveal the texts "'Produced By" or "Distributed By" superimposed above the logo and "METROMEDIA PRODUCERS" below with a line separating in between the names, with it in the same font as before (complete with the connected "ME"s). It should be noted that the logo is facing the southwest while the M is forming, but after the flash, it changes to face the northeast.

Variants:

• There is a variant that has "VIDEO PRODUCTIONS, INC." below the word "METROMEDIA" with a line on top, in between, and below.
• On third season episodes of Small Wonder including "Whodunit?", the text below the logo says "MPC VIDEO PRODUCTIONS, INC.", with a trademark symbol over it; the remaining seasons use "MVP VIDEO PRODUCTIONS, INC." instead.

Technique: Motion-controlled camera animation effects.

Audio: A majestic string fanfare, which is actually the piece "Raiders of Fortune" by the Network Music Ensemble. Sometimes, it's silent or has the end theme from the show.

Availability: The programs on which this logo appeared haven't been seen in years.

• The Metromedia Video Productions version appeared on the first and second seasons of Small Wonder (but was plastered with the 1981 TCFTV logo on repeats from 1986 on), but it's currently on Shout! Factory's DVD on the remainder episodes and on Antenna TV's airings in early 2015.
• Some episodes of the DVD releases contains the 1992 20th Television logo while Antenna TV's prints had the current 20th Television logo follow this logo.
• The Metromedia Producers version is intact on FX Movie Channel's print of Hitler's S.S.: Portrait in Evil whenever aired, but blacked out on DVD prints of the said movie; and some syndie episodes of Movin' On on Retro TV.
• The MPC Video Productions and later, MVP Video Productions variants are preserved on airings of third and fourth (and final) seasons of the aforementioned show on Antenna TV.