Pearson Television

Credits

Descriptions by
WizardDuck

Captures by
Shadeed A. Kelly, Eric S., V of Doom and Gilblitz112

Editions by
Shadeed A. Kelly, WizardDuck, V of Doom, Fun Time and Michael Kenchington

Video captures courtesy of
Brian Fagan and Eric S.

Background

Pearson Television was created in 1996 after Pearson plc. (a British-based media/educational conglomerate) renamed the former All American Television under the behest of its founder/CEO Ian Pearson. When Pearson plc. sold Pearson Television to Luxembourg's CLT-UFA in July 2000, the companies merged to form the RTL Group and by renaming Pearson Television to its new media conglomerate name; "FremantleMedia" (now Fremantle).

(1996-May 2002)

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Logo: We see a white screen, which condenses into a lens flare which curves along a green planet (Earth) on a light blue background. The word "PEARSON" zooms out, the background turns navy blue, and the planet shrinks into a small arc. "PEARSON" settles itself above the arc, and a streak below the arc brings forth either "TELEVISION" or "TELEVISION INTERNATIONAL" in a purple bar. As the lens flare moves, it shines brightly, then towards the left, it shines again and turns into a star.

Variants:

• "Distributed By" may appear on either the normal or international variants if Pearson was distributing the programme.
• There is also a still-shot version of this logo.
• Another variation has the byline "What the World is Watching" fading in on all television international versions.
• A still version also exists with (Distributed By) on Neighbours, Jack the Ripper (1988, pre-2002 print DVD) and Mr. Bean (live action series, DVD released before 2002; later uses the still version of the 2001 FremantleMedia logo with the "Distributed By" text).
• On several TV movies, the texts "A PEARSON TELEVISION PRODUCTION", "PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY", "PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH" and "IN ASSOCIATION WITH AND DISTRIBUTED BY" may appear on the top and down depending on the variant.
• On some shows, the logo is fast motioned.
• On Dale's Supermarket Sweep, the logo reads "PEARSON TELEVISION and CARLTON CO-PRODUCTION" with "CARLTON" in its corporate font.
• On El Precio Justo (TPIR in Spain), the logo animates in a box, next to the animated TVE logo, also in a box, on a black background. There is a copyright stamp below.
• Earlier episodes of 100 Mexicanos Dijeron had an in-credit version of the logo, sometimes over the Televisa logo.
• On Komunikata, the logo is on left (APTP variant) with TPI on right superimposing the Komunikata logo.
• On the Wheel of Fortune/Family Feud Philippine adaptation crossover, the logo appears on the right and the logos of Columbia TriStar Television and King World Productions appear on the left, then the logos zoom out to reveal the 2001-2004 ABC 5 logo.
• A prototype version exists, which has a slower lens flare, and the text appears when the logo is bigger.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A synth-orchestra fanfare riddled with bells and shining sounds. The music for this logo was provided by John Lewis Parker.

Audio Variants:

• A low tone variant also exists.
• On some shows, it uses the ending theme.
• Towards the end of its run, CBS used a generic saxophone/synth theme (which was also used for CBS's 1997-1998 "The Address is CBS: Welcome Home" branding; it later used a simple three-note theme from 2001-2004) on broadcasts of The Price is Right.
• On Komunikata, Nusrin Nuerdin says in Indonesian, "Komunikata is a production of Pearson Television in association with TPI. Nusrin Nuerdin speaking."

Availability:

• This was not too common in the US, but can be seen on reruns of The Bill, among other shows in the UK and reruns of Neighbours in Australia.
• It appeared on The Price is Right, Family Feud, and Baywatch (it also surprisingly appeared on one episode on its UK DVD release of the latter), among others, though current Buzzr/Amazon prints of the 1999 Family Feud plaster it with the 2001 FremantleMedia North America logo.
• The logo was also seen on the 2000-2002 edition of To Tell The Truth when re-aired on GSN, and it was also preserved when Buzzr aired an episode of this incarnation on March 6, 2023.
• The current American Public Television rerun package of Mr. Bean also has the Pearson Television International logo edited over the Thames Television triangle logos (versions 1 and 2) over all the episodes except "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean".
• Oddly, the regular (non-international variant) logo can be seen at the end of Mitä Maksaa (TPIR in Finland) and Que Dice la Gente? (FF in Venezuela) as well, PAL-tweaked (though Venezuela still uses the NTSC format).
• It was also recently seen on an episode of the 1998-1999 version of Match Game on GSN during a Match Game marathon on December 25, 2012.
• A handful of episodes of Strike It Rich when aired on Challenge in the UK has this logo preserved (look for episodes with a 1999 copyright that is followed by a Grundy/LWT endcap), while all other episodes use the 2001 FremantleMedia logo.
• The Pearson/Carlton combo survives on at least one episode of the 1998 season of Dale's Supermarket Sweep on Challenge, whilst other episodes plaster it and the 1998 Carlton-era "CENTRAL Production" endcap with either the 2001 FremantleMedia logo or the 2018 Fremantle logo.
• This logo also surprisingly appears on the Wheel of Fortune/Family Feud crossover on ABC5 (now TV5), and Komunikata in TPI (now MNCTV).
• Also seen on later syndicated prints of Live/Artisan Entertainment titles, among others.
• The "Distributed by" variant of the international version of this logo also appeared at the end of a June 15, 2023 airing of S01E02 of Rumpole of the Bailey on Talking Pictures TV after the 1997 Thames logo and before the 2018 Fremantle logo.
• A still version of the "Distributed by" variant of this logo was also seen at the end of a June 25, 2019 airing of The Sweeney episode "Messenger of the Gods" on ITV4, following the 1997 Thames logo.
• This logo also appeared at the end of a March 6, 2023 airing of a May 18, 2001 episode of the 2000 version of To Tell The Truth on Buzzr, which is then followed by the 2018 Fremantle logo.

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