Sony Pictures Television

Contents

1st Logo (October 22, 2002-)	2nd Logo (October 11, 2019)	(January 7, 2020-)

Background

On September 16, 2002, Sony Corporation decided to retire the Columbia TriStar Television name and logo from its television division, renaming it "Sony Pictures Television". For the first time since 1974, the Torch Lady, Pegasus or anything resembling Columbia's or TriStar's symbols are nowhere to be seen; instead, the corporate logo for Sony Pictures was introduced to television viewers for the first time. On July 25, 2017, SPT launched a new in-production name called "Sony Pictures Television Studios", in order to further make use of production in the SPT library and rolls out for current and future titles starting on January 7, 2020. The SPT name and logo will continue to be used in media sites and international broadcasts.

Sony Pictures Television

1st Logo (October 22, 2002-)

Main Variants

With the Bars' reflection.
With the Bars' reflection.
With the Bars' reflection; 4:3
Filmed version.
2017 enhanced version.

Other Variants

Nicknames: "The Shining Bars", "The Bars of Boredom", "The SPE Parallelogram", "The Flash", "The Bars of Plastering"

Logo: Against a lined background, the words "SONY PICTURES TELEVISION" (all in the Sony typeface and stacked word-by-word with "SONY" being the largest) emerge and zoom away downwards from the screen. The three words aren't directly stacked at first, but as the animation progresses, they slide into place. A horizontal line is drawn between the "PICTURES" and "TELEVISION". While this happens, a flash of light appears on the left side of the screen, and the lines in the background themselves back away as well, eventually moving back to the upper part of the screen and into a diagonal pattern to form the logo. The flash dissipates and we see an oblong orange-white glare surrounding the logo and words, which shrinks into the bars to give it a shine. The finished logo, which is a striped parallelogram, appears against a shaded navy blue background.

Trivia:

This logo first appeared as a print logo in Fall 1991 on broadcasting ads in magazines such as Variety, around the time when SPE was founded.
This logo was animated by Rick Scott at Tigar Hare Studios, also known for their work on the 2010 Technicolor logo.

Variants:

A rare filmed variant of the logo exists on the 2003 TV movies Red Water and Lucy.
There is a longer version of this logo featuring an extreme close-up of the "stacked" names at the beginning of the animation. It starts off with a bright white light and later reveals the names as the light dies down. While the logo finishes, it shows a longer shot of the logo.
There is an even shorter version of this logo that starts from where the 3rd-to-last note of the theme plays. This version began appearing in July 2003.
In 2004, the phrase "DISTRIBUTED BY" appeared above the logo, it was still until it faded in above the logo on the 2006 version of Chain Reaction and season 4 of The Newlywed Game both on GSN, but the font is in Times New Roman on those said game shows. Early shorts on Crackle's C-Spot has the phrase above the name rather than the logo. For the rest, the phrase was placed on a black screen, which later fades to the SPT logo.
In 2005, an updated widescreen version was introduced. It consists of just a solid blue lighting effect in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, where the reflection of the Bars would usually be. Sometimes this version was squashed to fit a 4:3 TV, and has been featured on several movies, first-run production, and classic series on television and DVD.
There is also a black & white variant for classic shows by Screen Gems.
In 2008, there is a black screen that reads "DISTRIBUTED BY" before the SPT logo. This only appears on web shows on websites like Crackle, MySpace, YouTube, and Hulu, among others such as C-Spot or Penn Says.
Another variant has "DISTRIBUTED BY" in a small font above the SPT name rather than above the SPT logo. This appeared on early shows on Crackle.
On pre-2011 episodes of Watch What Happens: Live, the logo is a still shot on a gray-like background.
In 2010 on The Three Stooges short "The Sitter Downers", the 2005 logo is in black & white.
Starting on the 4th season of The Newlywed Game, the text reads as "DISTRIBUTED THROUGH" above the logo.
Sometimes, the logo can appear a little up-close.
There is also a version with extra brightness on both the 2002 and 2005 versions in color.
On seasons 6-10 of Robot Chicken, Houdini and Doyle and the TV movie Grave Halloween (albeit with a fade-in/fade-out), there is a still version of the logo. On the 2021 Lifetime TV movie The Long Island Serial Killer: A Mother's Hunt for Justice, a still shot of the Sony Corporation logo is seen first, then cuts to this.
A superimposed in-credit variant exists. This can be found on international shows like Niñas Mal.
Starting with the second season of Masters of Sex and newer episodes of Wheel of Fortune, The Dr. Oz Show, and Jeopardy!, the Sony Corporation logo is seen first. Then, the light flashes to reveal the short SPT logo. Some shows, such as The Young and the Restless, syndicated reruns of Seinfeld, and shows co-produced by SPT subsidiary Embassy Row still do not use this variant.
On a PAL release of The Real Ghostbusters, the long version is used but the normal music is heard.
On an April 16, 2017 HBO Signature Caribbean airing of Pixels, the logo was silent, but the music played 5-6 seconds after the logo cut to black.
A scoped version exists. This can be similar to 21:9, or letterboxed 4:3 being stretched in widescreen 16:9.
Sometimes on shows such as the 2018 reboot of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, this logo shares the screen with other logos.
In 2017, the logo was enhanced for 4K-produced shows. The glare is slightly bigger and has a more yellowish tone, and the background is darker. The logo is also sharper, and the bars' reflections were permanently removed.
On a Starz print of the movie Matilda, the 2014 version appears, but before the logo appears, the Sony logo fades out, and then the 2002 version plays.
On a format sales sizzle reel to Jeopardy!, the 2014 version of the logo is shown without the Sony Corporation logo. However, for a second you can see a part of said logo.
On Live in Front of a Studio Audience, it's like the same as the above variant, but the 2017 version is used.
On the first season of Satisfaction, the logo is seen on the top with the Universal Cable Productions logo on the bottom.
On a Peacock print of Resident Evil: Extinction, the 2017 version of the logo is slower than usual.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A majestic 5-note orchestral theme composed by David Kurtz, which sounds vaguely similar to the Habanera section of Bizet's opera Carmen and the 1993 TriStar Television theme (most notably the long version).

Music/Sounds Variants:

The long version has a descending piano tune before the main fanfare (which is a bit re-orchestrated), and the last note is held much longer.
Another music variation has only the last three notes of the theme re-arranged. This version began in July 2003.
In later years, the music has become a bit more orchestrated.
In 2005, there is another short version with the last half of the animation of the standard animation of the logo. Used on the series Sit Down, Shut Up and several final season episodes of Jackie Chan Adventures.
Sometimes, when used along a co-production or co-distributor ID, the first few notes of the music for this logo will play over the last few seconds of said ID before going into this visual logo. This has happened on such syndicated shows as Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, back when King World Productions (now "CBS Television Distribution") was still in operation. But now until October 2007, the CTD music plays on the CTD logo, and the SPT theme plays on the SPT logo.
Sometimes, the logo used the Columbia TriStar Television theme until 2014. The theme can still be heard on some syndicated airings of Good Times via TV One.
Two more versions exist by having a high and low tone starting in 2003.
Another version exists having a bell-type twinkle mixed into the standard theme.
A very high tone version of the music was used on some S4 episodes of Married... With Children on its DVD release. It could sometimes be used on certain TV airings of theatrical films, possibly due to the NTSC versions being in high tone.
On some shows like The King of Queens (2002-2007 episodes) and other shows, the end theme plays over this logo.
Middle season local reruns of Good Times and Sanford and Son would have the first four notes of the standard theme playing first, followed by the finishing of the final notes from the SPT long version theme.
Up until 2012, the Sony Pictures Television International sounder was sometimes used, particularly on the Mill Creek DVD release of the Nickelodeon original movie The Last Day of Summer (the original DVD release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment doesn't have it), DVD releases of shows like Married... With Children, on Antenna TV's print of the Sanford and Son episode "Sanford and Gong", and on DVDs of The Berenstain Bears (1985) that SPHE released.
On a Nine Network airing of season 2 episode 11 of The Guardian, the final 5 notes of the long version's theme is heard on the standard logo, with the last note being abridged.
On an episode of People: The TV Show!, the last 3 notes of the long version's theme is used on the 2017 logo, with the last note being shorter.
ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC airings have a generic theme and occasionally a voiceover.
There is also a silent version (sometimes on movie networks like Starz and Encore).
Another variation would have the 1993 CPT theme. This happened on several reruns of Just Shoot Me! on TV Land. R2 DVDs of T.J. Hooker and the 2nd season of Party of Five also have this variation if you select the French audio track.
A variant exists that has the 1993 CPT theme overlapping the SPT theme. This was spotted on an Antenna TV airing of the Good Times S4 episode "Michael's Great Romance".
A few episodes of The Jeffersons from the 1980-1981 season last aired on TV One have the SPT and the short CTTD themes playing at the same time.
On The Three Stooges short "Cash and Carry", there is a 2005 low tone version.
On Antenna TV's print of the All in the Family episode "The Jeffersons Move Up," the short Columbia TriStar Television theme is heard.
One S1 episode of That's My Mama! on DVD ("Clifton's Con") has the 1982 CPT music over this logo.
On the CTHE DVD print of the S3 Married... with Children episode "The Gypsy Cried", it has the first note of the 1988 CPT theme before going into the SPTI theme.
On several international prints of May-June 2013 episodes of Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless, the 1994 TriStar Television theme is heard.
On the Mill Creek S4 DVD of Married... with Children, the episode "Hot Off the Grill" has the 1988 CPT theme playing over this logo.
One 4:3 airing of the TV movie Breakaway has the Columbia TriStar Domestic Television music play over the logo.
On the Me-TV print of The Facts of Life S5 episode "Brave New World Part 2", a sloppy plaster job results in the theme playing before the logo itself appears.
On the NTSC DVD print of the mini-series Comanche Moon, the second CBS Paramount Television logo's music plays (and vice-versa), due to an editing error.
On current prints of the 1931 film Arizona, the movie's score finishes over the logo after the end title fades out, as the music originally ended over a black screen.
One S2 episode of The Guardian on Russian airings has the CBS Television Distribution theme played on the logo.
On The Substitute, the music is sped-up and played in a different tone.
On the end credits of the episode "It's a Wrap" in Mad About You, Paul Buchman (played by Paul Reiser) is arguing to Lou (played by Larry Miller) on the phone about the closing credits of the episode. As it gets to the end of the credits, Paul says "Show the guy on the phone. All right? Then you have the sound of the racetrack, the thing with the hand..." on the In Front Productions, and Nuance Productions logos. The audience later laughs and as the logo is formed, Paul says "That'll work.". The "...and then the stupid horse with the wings." line was cut to the audience laughing, in which the end of the 1994 TriStar Television music plays out, plastering the logo in the process.
On an international print of Into the Dark, the 2016 Hulu Originals logo's music plays, due to an editing error.
On Street Art Showdown, the music is carrying it from the Embassy Row and Ugly Pretty Productions logos.

Availability: Extremely common; it might be the most common logo in history.

Seen on its then-new shows and a staggeringly tremendous amount of new prints of classic shows, off-net syndication series, TV movies and theatrical films on television. It's quite infamous and disliked for removing and replacing old logos on many pre-2002 Sony TV programs and movies. The only four pre-2002 shows that do not have this logo are Walker, Texas Ranger on USA Network and the defunct Cloo, All in the Family on GetTV and Sony Crackle, the original One Day at a Time on Antenna TV and The Jeffersons on Me-TV. However, this may or may not appear at the end of of movies, notably the recent ones.
It also appeared on shows produced by Adelaide Productions, Sony's now-dormant television animation studio, as they did not use their own logo.
The long version is not as common as the standard version, but it was seen on every episode of Jeopardy! from 2002-2007, The Nate Berkus Show, the DVD release of All in the Family: The Complete 3rd Season, and the DVD release and Crackle prints of Odyssey 5 (except for "Astronaut Dreams", which uses the normal version instead), but it may appear on some classic and off-network shows. It also appears at the end of every episode of The Three Stooges DVD Collection volume sets, beginning in the second volume, and can also be found on many other TV on DVD releases from 2002-04 (from 2005 onward it went to the standard version).
The low tone theme is uncommon and was last seen on early episodes of Stuart Little: The Animated Series on HBO Family and the 1976 TV movie Banjo Hackett on DVD, while the high tone (both 2002 and 2005 versions) appears on The Boondocks on Adult Swim and Netflix, many Three Stooges shorts on IFC, among other shows and certain films on television.
The scoped version can be seen on CBS airings of S.W.A.T. and some theatrical films on TV.
The short version is fairly common and it appeared on The Shield on local syndication and Spike (now Paramount Network), Sit Down, Shut Up on Fox, and reruns of Joan of Arcadia and Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital.
The version with the SPTI theme was spotted on the 1971 film The Anderson Tapes on TCM.
It can also be seen on Sony Movie Channel in widescreen.
For series outside the US, it's seen on the series incarnation of the 2007 movie Niñas Mal (translated as Bad Girls) on MTV Latin America and nuvoTV, and Bienvenida Realidad (translated as Welcome Reality).
This was seen at the end of an episode of The Jeffersons on Antenna TV before the show's credits, with the CTT logo after the credits.
This also appears at the end of most TV airings, a Roku Channel print (and Sony Movie Channel and ThisTV airings) of Lake Placid.
This logo also appeared at the end of shows that's its units produced such as Bromans, among others.
It also appeared before or after the Left Bank Pictures on some shows that they co-produced such as The Crown and Outlander, among others.
As of 2020, this is used in tandem with the SPTS logo, as it still appears on The Dr. Oz Show, The Young and the Restless (until the October 11, 2022 episode), Days of Our Lives, The $100,000 Pyramid, Alex Rider, Crossing Swords, The Good Dish, The Crown and also on international prints of Sony films and shows they didn't produce. It also made an appearance in the 2021 Globo co-production Passport to Freedom, and the first four episodes of season 6 of Better Call Saul.
It was spotted at the end of a HBO Asia airing of Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder with the ending theme playing over it.
This may or may not appear at the end of TV airings of Revolution Studios titles.
It can be seen after the end of Screen Gems cartoons when they air on Toon In With Me.

Legacy: Known for its large-scale plastering and omnipresence, this logo is among the most-hated production logos of all-time, alongside the 1992 20th Television logo, the 2007 CBS Television Distribution logo, the 1992 Warner Bros. Pictures logo, the 2001 MGM logo, among others. However, this logo is praised for its music and animation.

2nd Logo (October 11, 2019)

Nicknames: "The Bars of Boredom II", "The SPE Parallelogram II", "The Flash II"

Logo: On a blue gradient background, a purple flash appears onscreen, covering the whole screen. When the flash dies down, the print version of the Sony Pictures Television logo appears. The logo zooms back for a few seconds before stopping completely.

Variant: A 16:9 open-matte version exists on TV airings of the film.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: This made its only appearance on El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie on Netflix, as a one-off logo produced for the film.

Legacy: While the logo can be seen as bland, it is often seen to be a breath of fresh air from the last logo, despite only being used once.

Sony Pictures Television Studios

(January 7, 2020-)

Nicknames: "The Flash III", "The Flashing Text", "The Grand Daddy of Simple Logos"

Logo: On a black background, we see the corporate Sony logo. It then either fades, blurs out, or uses the 2014/2021 Sony transition, as the text "SONY PICTURES TELEVISION STUDIOS" appears.

Opening Variants:

August 28, 2020: The logo zooms in, with text that says "A SONY PICTURES TELEVISION STUDIOS PRODUCTION" (in the font called Clarendon from the Sony logo) while it flashes. The Sony logo does not appear in the beginning.
January 1, 2021-: The logo is updated to be similar to the regular logo, but without the flash.

Other Variants:

A 3-second version exists starting on December 28, 2020. Here, we see the Sony logo zooming out forming from the transition, then it fades out as the company name appears with the light behind it. This is used on Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune! and streaming-only shows.
On Murder House Flip, the logo is still and shares the screen with the Osprey Productions logo.
An in-credit variation exists, in which the logo is cropped in a rectangle and inverted.
On the YouTube Originals show Copy That!, the logo is seen within the credits of the episode. When the logo starts, the credits show a copyright notice for Sony Pictures Television.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: The same "ding" sound in G major used in the Sony logo.

Music/Sounds Variants:

Sometimes, the ending theme plays over it or none.
The 3-second variant has a swish followed by a dreamy synth fanfare after the ding sound. There is also a longer version.
On DVS prints of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, a male voiceover says "Sony. Sony Pictures Television Studios."
On the pilot episode of The Afterparty, the ding sound plays over the fanfare.

Availability: Current, and is used in tandem with the 2002 SPT logo.

Debuted on One Day at a Time: Promo Special. It started appearing on existing and returning shows (except Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless) from 2020 onwards, such as the 37th season of Jeopardy!, the 38th season of Wheel of Fortune, the 12th season of Shark Tank, and the 4th seasons of The Good Doctor and S.W.A.T. (the 2017 TV series).
The opening variant debuted on the Netflix prints of Cobra Kai, then later in the updated version for the show's third season.
This also appears on new and future shows such as The Wheel of Time and The Afterparty.
It appeared on the Lifetime TV movies Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer and Salt-N-Pepa.
It also appears on the remainder of Season 6 of Better Call Saul, starting with the episode "Black and Blue".
This appeared at the end of FX's print of Holmes & Watson (a 2018 Columbia Pictures film), and may also appear on future airings of old and recent Sony theatrical films on television. Strangely on OWN reruns of Underground, this is seen after the Tribune Studios logo, but the 2002 SPT logo follows afterwards as a failed reverse-plaster attempt.
- It played before the 2002 Sony Pictures Television logo (whether retained or added) on some shows. Comedy Central and Nick at Nite reruns of Seinfeld also feature this logo.
Don't expect this to appear on the 11th season of Robot Chicken as Sony pulled out of co-producing the series (after its TV special titled The Bleepin' Robot Chicken Archie Comics Special).
The version with the 2021 Sony logo debuted on the Better Call Saul episode "Nippy" (albeit using a variant) while the normal version later debuted on the series finale of said show. It also started to appear on returning shows in the 2022-23 season such as season 10 of The Goldbergs, season 6 of The Good Doctor and season 14 of Shark Tank, among others. It also appears on The Young and the Restless starting with its October 18, 2022 episode.

Legacy: Unlike the "Bars of Boredom", this logo is said to represent everything wrong with the 21st-century trend of simplistic logos; it was once thought to be a placeholder when the logo first debuted.

Copyright stamps

External Links