USA Cable Entertainment

Credits

Descriptions by
Jason Jones and Shadeed A. Kelly

Captures by
Eric S., V of Doom, EnormousRat, Shadeed A. Kelly, ClosingLogosHD, Mr. Gann, and Pygmalion X

Editions by
Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom, and mr3urious

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Background

When Universal Television and the USA Networks were sold to Barry Diller's HSN Inc. from Jos. Seagram and Sons in 1997 (though they kept a 45% interest in Diller's operations), the company was renamed to "Studios USA Television LLC". However in 1998, Universal Studios acquired PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and then folded PolyGram into Universal, reforming Universal Television when the acquisition was completed in 1999. In 2001, USA Networks was purchased by Vivendi Universal, reuniting Studios USA with Universal Studios, and renaming Studios USA to "Universal Network Television" and Studios USA Television Distribution to "Universal Domestic Television". In June 2002, the "Universal Glittering Globe" replaced the Studios USA logo. After Vivendi Universal bought back the USA Networks and Studios USA to fully reform Universal Television, the company kept the USA Cable Entertainment name for cable television shows from USA Network and Sci-Fi. Following the introduction of the NBC Universal logo on July 12, 2004, USA Cable Entertainment, along with other NBC Universal subsidiaries, used the NBCU logo instead of this ID or the Universal Television logo. This logo was in use as the ID of USA Cable Entertainment, the production unit of USA Network and Sci-Fi Channel.

1st Logo (1998)

Logo: On a gray background, we see the words "STUDIOS USA" in silver lettering with the word "STUDIOS" above in a small font and "USA" in a large font below with a shadow effect behind the letters. There is a blue line in between the words.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The end-title theme.

Availability: Ultra rare. This was only a placeholder that was only seen on the unsold/unaired pilot of Hollyweird.

2nd Logo (1998-2004)

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  Filmed version
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  Filmed version

Nickname: "Abstract USA Flag"

Logo: Many red and blue lines spin through a white background. The words "STUDIOS USA" slide in near the left of the screen with "STUDIOS" above "USA". The lines make a stop to reveal a U.S. flag motif.

Variants:

• For co-produced shows, "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" appears above the logo.
• There is a variant of this logo where it is up-close.
• A filmed version of this logo exists.
• On HD prints of some season 2 episodes of Law & Order: SVU, this logo is cropped to 16:9.
• Starting in 2000, the logo was enhanced. The flag animation in the beginning is slightly different, the text is now 3D, the "USA" text now has a shadow, and the flag "waves" once the logo is finished forming.
• For co-produced shows, "In association with" in a spaced-out Gill Sans font is seen above "STUDIOS".
• On Crossing Over with John Edward, "distributed by" is seen above "STUDIOS".
• A widescreen version of this logo exists, starting in 2000.
• Starting in 2000, this logo became the ID for "USA CABLE ENTERTAINMENT" with "CABLE ENTERTAINMENT" under the logo. This version exists with or without "Distributed by" appearing above the logo.
  • This exists in both filmed and videotaped versions.
• There was a still shot version without "Distributed by" above the logo, which can be seen on Tremors: The Series.
• There was another still shot of the 1998 version seen on the short-lived series, Payne and Brother's Keeper.
• On USA Network TV movies from 1998-1999, a still/filmed version of this logo appears.
• On some shows, the logo is stretched.

FX/SFX: The lines streaking and forming the U.S. flag.

Music/Sounds: Whoosh sounds are heard when the flag animates.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On Xena: Warrior Princess starting with season 4, only one whoosh sound is heard.
• On later episodes of Young Hercules, the finishing of the Renaissance Pictures logo's music is played over it.
• Some shows, like Maury, Jerry Springer and some season 2 episodes of New York Undercover on Centric, have wind sound effects following the whoosh sound.
• Starting in 2000, the above sound variant is used, but more whoosh sounds are added for when the flag animates.
• Season 1 episodes 2-14 of Cleopatra: 2525 have a 3-note piano theme (which is actually the last 3 notes of the 1998 Sally Jessy Raphael theme music).
• Depending on how long the 2000 enhanced variant of this logo is shown on-screen, descending wind sounds may be heard when the flag starts waving.
• Sometimes, it is silent, or the end title theme of any show or TV movie may play over.
• NBC, CBS and ABC airings used a generic theme.

Availability: Common.

• The Studios USA variant appeared on network and syndicated shows of the time such as Law & Order episodes from the era, The Agency, season 1 of The District, Jerry Springer and Maury, among others. Reruns of the latter two shows will however have the NBCUniversal Television Distribution logo. It was previously seen on Crossing Over with John Edward on Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy). The cable variant appeared on shows and made-for-TV movies usually produced for USA Network and Sci-Fi Channel, such as Peacemakers (in which the NBC.com prints retains it), seasons 1-2 (and the first 5 episodes of season 3) of Monk on MeTV and on at least two season 1 episodes of Sitting Ducks last aired on the now-defunct Qubo network. Made-for-TV movies with this logo include Helen of Troy, Prancer Returns, Terminal Invasion, Spartacus (2004), and the 2003 Battlestar Galactica miniseries, among others.
• The Cable Entertainment version without "Distributed by" was seen on the 2000 TV movie Cabin by the Lake, and the 2003 TV series Tremors.
• The Studios USA version can be seen on 4:3 prints of 1998-2002 seasons of Law & Order (not on the Sundance airings, which use the 2004 NBC Universal Television Distribution logo, nor widescreen DVDs, which use the NBC Universal Television Studio logo instead, or on local reruns, which use the 2011 NBCUniversal Television Distribution logo), the first three seasons of Law & Order: SVU on MyNetworkTV and intact on its DVD box sets, the final two seasons of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys on TeleXitos, H&I, and when last aired on the Hub Network (before the rebrand to Discovery Family). It was also seen on Arrest & Trial, which last aired on the now-defunct Fox Reality Channel.
• It also appears on Xena: Warrior Princess on DVD starting on season 4, some season 2 episodes of New York Undercover last seen on Centric (now BET Her) plastering the 1991 Universal Television logo, and was also seen on The Mummy: The Animated Series, in which Peacock's prints and DVD releases retain this.
• The still/filmed variant of the Studios USA logo is extremely rare, as it can be only found on original airings of TV movies produced for USA Network from 1998 to 1999, like Every Mother's Worst Fear or The Color of Courage. Home media releases and reruns of these films remove this in favor of the 1997 Universal Pictures logo at the start of the films.
• The Studios USA logo was also seen when ABC briefly aired season 1 episodes of USA Network's Monk in 2003.
• Strangely, the Cable Entertainment logo was spotted at the start of a Roku Channel print of Joe Gould's Secret (2000), following the 1997 Universal Pictures logo, and as a result, plastering the USA Films logo that was originally used on that film.

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