The Media Merchants Production

Credits

Descriptions by
DisneyInternationalFan, Rhodri, Blue2000 and TrademarkMagic04

Editions by
TrademarkMagic04, Blue2000 and Michael Kenchington

Background

The Media Merchants was an independent children's television production company run by Neil Buchanan and Tim Edmunds, known for producing series such as Art Attack. It merged with Television Support Services prior to a takeover by Gullane Entertainment in 2000, which was in turn was taken over by HIT Entertainment on July 5, 2002. The company was closed in 2007 after ITV cancelled Art Attack, and HIT later sold the rights to the show. Currently, Mattel controls the rights to Media Merchants's productions, with the exception of Art Attack (currently owned by Disney).

Logo (January 8, 1993-June 29, 2007)

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Visuals: On a matte paper background, the red text "the media merchants" quickly flips up. After that, "the" then drops off and quickly swings about, resting at a 90 degree angle when it stops.

Variants:

• Starting in 1995, the logo is completely still and has the word "production" below in grey. The word "the" also looks closer.
  • On ZZZap!, the text now appears in an explosion shape and is also in a different font.
• Starting with season 10 of Art Attack, the background would have stains of different colours, like:
  • January 12, 1998-December 18, 2000: Five paint coloured stains of yellow, dark chrome green, purple, blue and orange. On seasons 12-13, the logo is shown next to the 2000 Scottish Television logo and appears in a box with the text appearing below the two logos reading "THE MEDIA MERCHANTS PRODUCTION FOR SCOTTISH TELEVISION".
  • March 26, 2001-December 13, 2004: Four and 3D-rendered coloured stains of yellow, orange, blue and red, with the text "production for" appering below the SMG TV Productions logo.
  • September 26, 2005-June 29, 2007: Five paint coloured splats of red, yellow, cyan, green and blue with the same text and the same SMG TV Productions logo appearing below.
• On seasons 5-6 of the aforementioned programme, the logo uses the text below the logo reading "production for Scottish Television Enterprises".
• On British 1997 CITV airings of various programs such as Art Attack and Goggle Watch, the logo is shrunken and shown alongside other logos against a dimly lit grey background. "An" and "Programme for" appear above and below the logos whereas the 1989 ITV logo is underneath them all.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio:

• Animated version: A slamming sound following with a like a door hinges without lubricant squeaking sound.
• Still version: A cartoony noise, like the sound of a ruler being bent from the side of a table. The sound was removed on August 30, 2004 starting with season 17 of Art Attack.

Availability: Seen on seasons 5-17 of Art Attack, ZZZap!, Quids In, Animal Crazy, WOW, and Terror Towers, among others.

• The former also has this logo intact on UK VHS releases such as Art Attack: The Top 20, Art Attack: Christmas Cracker, Art Attack: Let's Party!, and Art Attack 8: Greatest Tips and Tricks from Contender Entertainment Group.