TOY Productions

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

After Bud Yorkin ended his partnership with Norman Lear, he formed his own production company joining forces with writers and producers Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein under the name of "Bud Yorkin Productions, Inc." in 1975. However, the series like What's Happening!! would have Yorkin's copyright stamp on the show. After Grady was canceled a year later, Turtletaub, Orenstein, and Yorkin established "TOY Productions". Yorkin however, was still involved with Tandem Productions as executive vice president. On February 19, 1979, TOY Productions was acquired by Columbia Pictures Television (now "Sony Pictures Television") and was folded in 1982 after the cancellation of One of the Boys.

Logo (September 22, 1977-April 24, 1982)


Visuals: An white ball is shown with the word "TOY" as a cote-out in a rounded font, filled with white. Below the ball is "TOY PROUCTIONS" or "A TOY PRODUCTION", as well as a IAW notice. Everything is shown in-credit.

Variants:

  • Sometimes the IAW notice is not shown.
  • On the S2 episode "Rerun Gets Married", the design looks noticeably different: The logo is larger, the "T" and "Y" are slightly unevenly thinner, and the "O" is smaller, not even touching the other letters.
  • From the episode "It's All in Your Head" to "If I'm Elected", the letters in the ball are colored orange or brown and lack an cote-out outline.
  • On One of the Boys, the company was renamed to "TOY II Productions". The logo is now outlined and colored brown, and there's animation; the "T" and "Y" letters, as well as the halves of the "O" on each side, slide from the left and right side of the ball respectively. The text "A TOY II PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH" zooms in from the bottom of the ball.

Technique: A superimposed graphic.

Audio: The closing theme of the show.

Availability:

  • It appears throughout seasons 2-3 of What's Happening!!, starting with "Rerun Gets Married" (S1 episodes just had an in-credit notice). It also appears on the three short-lived series Carter Country, 13 Queens Boulevard, and One in a Million.
  • The animated version only appears on the 1982 NBC sitcom One of the Boys with Mickey Rooney.
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