WitzEnd Productions

Background

WitzEnd Productions Ltd. was a production company that was formed in 1975 by Allan McKeown, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Initially started off making commercials, then Porridge, it branched out to television production in 1980. It acquired SelecTV in 1986, and the company has grown enough to launch Alomo Productions with comedy writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, and Clement/La Frenais Productions. SelecTV itself was sold to Pearson Television in 1996. Most of WitzEnd's library today is now owned by Fremantle.

1st Logo (August 12, 1979-December 26, 1992)

Logo: Just an in-credit text reading "A WITZEND PRODUCTION" or "WITZEND PRODUCTIONS".

Variants:

On shows co-produced by ATV or Central, the text reads "Developed for Television by" above the logo.
On the telemovie Sunset Limousine, the word "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" is shown below the logo.
On Lovejoy, the text reads "A BBC TV Production in association with WitzEnd/Tamariska Productions"

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show.

Availability: Seen at the end of the 1979 movie Porridge, along with TV shows like The Other 'Arf, Astronauts, Shine on Harvey Moon, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Girls on Top and Lovejoy.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1992-May 14, 1993)

Logo: On a black background, we see a red stop sign. The word "End" is shown in the center. The letter moves, so "Witz" slides to the left of "End.", and then a period appears to the center of the screen. The word "PRODUCTIONS" is shown below the logo. The word "in association with" appears below the logo.

FX/SFX: The text sliding.

Music/Sounds: A sound of a car driving.

Availability: Seen on the unsold pilot In Security and the short-lived Dudley.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (January 10, 1993-December 13, 1999)

Logo: On a black background, we see the multi-colored word "End.". The word "Witz", also in multi-colors, slides to the left of the word "End.", proceeding the letters to jump. The word "PRODUCTIONS" in spaced-out letters is shown below the word "WitzEnd."

Bylines:

1993-1996: "SelecTV". This version has the same special animation as it was on the Alomo Productions logo, as the text turns blue.
1999: "A Pearson Television Company"

Variants:

On Lovejoy, the blue word is part of the text that reads "WitzEnd/McShane Productions".
A still version of the logo exists.
On Hearts and Minds and series 3 of Pie in the Sky, the text reads "PRODUCTIONS LTD", and it was also in still form.
On later series of Pie in the Sky, the text reads "A WitzEnd/nicework PRODUCTION".

FX/SFX: The text sliding and jumping.

Music/Sounds: A car driving sound and a crash sound. The SelecTV version has a whoosh sound.

Availability: Seen on WitzEnd's later shows, like Pie in the Sky, later episodes of Lovejoy, the 1995 version of Shine on Harvey Moon, the first season of Tracey Takes On, Hearts and Minds and Dr. Willoughby.

Editor's Note: None.