Starry Night Productions

Background

This is the vanity logo of Night Court creator/producer Reinhold Weege.

Logo (January 4, 1984-May 3, 1989)

Visuals: We see the skyline of Chicago at night, with no stars in the sky. A shooting star flies into the sky and explodes, then disappears. After that, a starfield appears in the sky as the text "STARRY NIGHT PRODUCTIONS" appears at the bottom of the screen in a white serif font. The text "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" appears below it in a smaller, plainer font.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: A clap-like sound, followed by an electric piano chord. Starting in March 1984 with "Harry and the Rock Star", the 11th episode of Night Court, a man breaking into laughter is heard after the piano chord first started up that goes over to the Warner Bros. Television logo of the time period (either the "\\'" logo on earlier episodes or the '84 "Shield" logo; on recent prints, it's the 2003 logo).

Audio Trivia: The laugh was rumored to have been either the voice of Mel Blanc or Harry Anderson. However, in a comment on an article about Reinhold Weege's death, show writer Tom Reeder states the laugh was Weege's father Chuck, who attended the tapings of the first several seasons of Night Court, where his distinct laugh was often heard.

Availability: Seen on the first six seasons of Night Court (original series only; the reboot doesn't use this logo) and the 1984 TV pilot Earthlings.

Legacy: A number of viewers found this logo to be scary, while others found it amusing.