Showtime Networks

Background

Showtime is an American premium television network owned by the Showtime Networks unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network launched on May 9, 1976.

Contents

1st Logo (1988-August 2010)	2nd Logo (1999-2001)	3rd Logo (2000-2005)	4th Logo (2005-2010)


5th Logo (2009-June 2013)	6th Logo (June 2013-2018)	7th Logo (2017-2022)	8th Logo (February 27, 2022-)

1st Logo (1988-August 2010)

Close-up variant
This American Life Season 1 variant
This American Life Season 2 variant

Visuals: On a black background or superimposed on the credits, there is the white text "A presentation of SHOWTIME NETWORKS INC." in a stacked font, with "SHOWTIME NETWORKS INC." below "A presentation of". Starting in 1995, a white line is seen underneath the text and the Viacom byline in the ITC Avant Garde font is below it.

Later Variants:

Around 1997, the text was changed to "A Presentation Of SHOWTIME NETWORKS INC.", with the name "SHOWTIME NETWORKS INC." in the Franklin Gothic Italic font and the Viacom byline in the "Wigga-Wigga" logo font below the white line. This was used until 2001.
In late 1998, the text was changed to "A Presentation Of Showtime Networks Inc.".

Bylines:

1988-1995?, 2006: Bylineless.
1995?-1997?: "A VIACOM COMPANY".
August 15, 1997: "A Viacom Company".
1997?-2006: "/\ VI/\CO/\/\ CO/\/\P/\NY" (in the Viacom "Wigga-Wigga" font).
2006-2010: "A CBS COMPANY".

Variants:

The text may appear closer or further from the screen.
A widescreen version of this logo exists.
On some shows and made-for-TV movies produced in association with another television studio, like Soul Food: The Series (in association with Paramount Television), "In Association With" appears below the logo or on a separate screen after the Showtime logo, with the other television studio's logo following.
The typeface used for the "A Presentation Of Showtime Networks Inc." text is different on some shows starting in 2006.

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: Mostly none or the end theme of the show.

Availability:

It used to be seen on all original series and made-for-TV movies that aired on Showtime, until 2010.
Soul Food: The Series reruns on Aspire kept this and the Paramount Television logos that followed this logo.

2nd Logo (1999-2001)

Visuals: On a red-black gradient background, there is the "SHO" circle in the Showtime logo flashing. Then, a flash of light occurs, revealing the rest of the Showtime logo. It emits rays of light for one second and zooms out while the "SHO" circle continues flashing.

Variant: The TV movie Laughter on the 23rd Floor uses a B&W version.

Technique: CGI by Viewpoint Studios.

Audio: Some synth drums that segue into a short choir fanfare.

Audio Variants:

On the TV movie Laughter on the 23rd Floor, there is a low pitched version of the theme.
On the TV movie The Wilde Girls, the music from the next logo is heard.

Availability: Seen at the start of Showtime series and movies from the time-frame.^[Examples?]

3rd Logo (2000-2005)

Visuals: There is a pack of blurred red and white lines stretching with the "SHO" circle appearing and flipping in the center. When two copies of the circle and a big red circle briefly appear, the Showtime logo in red fades in as some lenses briefly flash in.

Variants:

There is also a filmed version.
The trademark symbol (™) was changed to the registered trademark symbol (®) around 2004.

Technique: CGI by Viewpoint Studios.

Audio: A dramatic string fanfare ending in a 4-note tune, which later became Showtime's signature fanfare since 1997. It may also use the opening theme of the show/movie, or none.

Audio Variants:

On Wild Iris, the music has a weird reverb effect, most likely due to an editing mistake.
On By Dawn's Early Light (2000), there is a low pitched version of the music.

Availability: It was seen before the start of original series, such as Leap Years, Jeremiah, and The L Word, and original movies, such as Seventeen Again, Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her, and 10,000 Black Men Named George, aired on Showtime at the time.

4th Logo (2005-2010)

The "SHO" logo

Visuals: On a black background, there are many white light lines which rapidly move around the screen to weave the "SHO" circle of the Showtime logo. Suddenly, the camera zooms in towards the lines, revealing a white background with red lines swirling and weaving the Showtime logo. A single line still runs around when the logo cuts off or fades out.

Variant: On home video releases, a black line weaves the word "entertainment" below the Showtime logo.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Sharp cutting sounds alongside an electronic beat near the end.

Availability: It's seen at the beginning of all original series aired on Showtime from 2005 to 2010.^[Examples?]

5th Logo (2009-June 2013)

Visuals:

Opening: On a black background with many blue particles, a small explosion occurs and the camera spins and zooms around it as several yellow sparks fly rapidly forming the "SHO" circle, much like the last logo. The sparks dissolve into the logo while a flash turns the background white. Several red sparks appear and move towards the circle, giving it its signature red color as the text "WTIME" appears next to it.
Closing: It's the last few seconds of the opening logo, only near the end, the following text fades in below:

A Presentation of Showtime Networks Inc.
----------------------------
A CBS COMPANY

Variant: A long version of the opening variant exists and can be seen on yU+co's website.

Technique: CGI, done by yU+co.

Audio: A short synth-based drum theme that sounds like jungle music and a synth-string rendition of the Showtime fanfare, which sounds similar to the Microsoft Windows XP shutdown sound.

Audio Variants:

A long version of the theme exists. In this version, 5 string notes are heard over the pounding drums before seguing into the rest of the music.
The closing variant has less delay between the synth theme and the Showtime fanfare.
The music is slightly rearranged on Homeland.
The closing music variant is heard on the opening logo on season 5 episode 2 of Dexter.
Most episodes of the aforementioned show starting with episode 3 have the music sounding like it was recorded from a computer.

Availability:

It was seen on all Showtime original series and home video releases from the era.^[Examples?]
As of 2013, it has been plastered on current prints by the opening and closing variants of the next logo.
However, some prints, like Netflix and Prime Video prints of season 5 of Dexter, retain this logo.

6th Logo (June 2013-2018)

Visuals:

Opening: On a navy blue gradient background, there are three close-up shots of an unknown plastic object waving, before it zooms out. A flash of light appears, revealing the Showtime logo, which zooms in slowly while particles move in the background.
Closing: There's only one close-up shot of the waving plastic object. Once the flash revealing the Showtime logo dies down, the disclaimer "A Presentation of Showtime Networks Inc." and the CBS byline in white fade in below the logo, with the CBS byline larger than in the previous logo.

Variants:

Episode 8 of Twin Peaks: The Return has a B&W version of the closing logo.
A still version of the closing variant exists and can be seen on programs like Trumped: Inside The Greatest Political Upset of All Time, American Dream/American Knightmare and Hitsville: The Making of Motown.
In 2014 for Showtime On Demand, the logo was re-animated. We see 2 shots of the object waving. On the second shot, the Showtime logo fades in, emitting rays of light. Then a play arrow fades in, followed by the following tet which appears sentence-by-sentence: "ANY DEVICE. ANYWHERE. ANYTIME." The rays of light then die down.

Technique: CGI. This was done by LUSTIX.

Audio: Several whooshes, ending in a more dramatic rendition of the Showtime fanfare.

Audio Variants:

The VOD variant has a whoosh, ending in a string note and 5 piano notes.
The closing version has a shorter number of whooshes.
The previous logo's music is used at the end of L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin.

Availability:

Was used as both an opening and closing logo for original series on Showtime.^[Examples?]
It also has plastered the previous logo on newer prints of Showtime series.
The reanimated variant was seen as a pre-roll bumper for VOD prints of Showtime content from 2014 to 2017.

7th Logo (2017-2022)

Opening Variant
Closing Variant (CBS Byline)
Closing Variant (2019 ViacomCBS Byline)
Closing Variant (2020 ViacomCBS Byline)
Closing Variant (2021 ViacomCBS Byline)

Visuals:

Opening: It starts with some particles on a black background. Then much like in the previous logo, a flash of light appears, revealing the Showtime logo, which zooms in slowly while the particles animate against a black-dark blue gradient background.
Closing: Same as the opening logo, but the "A Presentation of Showtime Networks Inc." disclaimer from the previous logos is revealed after the flash of light dies down.

Bylines:

2017-2019: "A CBS COMPANY"
2019-2022: "A ViacomCBS Company" (set in Helvetica from 2019 to 2020, Gotham from 2020 to 2021, and ViacomCBS Raisonné from 2021 to 2022).

Variants:

Widescreen 18:9 and scope versions of this logo exist.
A later version exists where the logo doesn't zoom in. Opening and closing variants of this exact version exist. This debuted in late 2017.
Like the previous logo, a still version of the closing variant exists.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A shortened version of the 2014 Showtime On Demand theme from the 6th logo.

Audio Variants:

The music is rearranged on the Showtime VOD preroll.
On some shows, the music is high-pitched.

Availability:

Used as both an opening and closing logo for original series on Showtime.^[Examples?]
Also seen as a home entertainment logo and a pre-roll bumper for VOD prints of Showtime content.^[Examples?]

8th Logo (February 27, 2022-)

Opening Variant
Closing Variant (ViacomCBS Byline)
Closing Variant (Paramount Byline)
Closing Variant (Paramount Wordmark)

Visuals:

Opening: On a black background, there is a light growing in brightness. As it gets brighter, it reveals that the light is coming from the "SHO" circle in the Showtime logo, which is 3D and has a shadow. However, the "WTIME" is dark. After a few seconds, a flash occurs, revealing the entire Showtime logo in red. The entire logo then turns 2D and zooms out for a few seconds.
Closing: Same as the opening, but when the flash occurs, the "A Presentation of Showtime Networks Inc." disclaimer (this time in the Antique Legacy typeface) and byline fade in.

Trivia: This logo is part of Showtime's 2022 network rebrand by Gretel. Said rebrand that the logo is part of won a Bronze Clio Entertainment Award in 2022.

Bylines:

February 27, 2022-: "A ViacomCBS Company" in the Gotham Medium typeface.
March 6, 2022-: "A PARAMOUNT COMPANY" in the Peak Sans Black typeface.
February 8, 2024-: The Paramount corporate wordmark.

Variants:

A scope version exists.
Like the last two logos, there is a still variant of the closing logo. The logo here is shown in the middle of the flash.

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: A rising synth note is heard as the light inside the "SHO" circle increases in brightness. When the flash occurs, there is a low bass note, and then a techno rendition of the 4-note signature mnemonic. Composed by Antfood. In some cases, the end theme of the show is heard.

Availability: First seen on Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber.