TriStar Television

TriStar Television, Inc.
Division of Sony Pictures. Active in-name-only division of Sony Pictures Television.
Industry Television production
Successor Columbia TriStar Television (1999-2002)
Sony Pictures Television (2002-present)
Founded 1986 (original launch)
1991 (re-launch)
Headquarters Culver City, California, USA
Key people
 Steve McQuinn
Owner Sony Corporation
Parent Sony Pictures Entertainment

TriStar Television (first spelled Tri-Star) was an American television production studio that was launched in 1986 by TriStar Pictures (the studio which is currently owned by Columbia Pictures; CBS was a partner but dropped out in 1985 and HBO in 1986).

History

It was formed when Tri-Star Pictures joined forces with Stephen J. Cannell Productions and Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions and created a television distribution company called TeleVentures. By December 1987, Coca-Cola owned 80% Columbia Pictures Entertainment until January 1988, when it was reduced down to 49% and Tri-Star Television was combined with Columbia/Embassy Television into the reorganized Columbia Pictures Television (CPT) in January 1988. Columbia Pictures and Tri-Star Pictures (and their respective television units) were sold in 1989 to Sony of Japan. On July 11, 1990, Tri-Star dissolved and sold its venture in TeleVentures to Stephen J. Cannell Productions and TeleVentures became Cannell Distribution Co. Most of the series and the Tri-Star film packages that were distributed by TeleVentures were taken over by Columbia Pictures Television Distribution.[1]

Revival and merger with Columbia Pictures Television

CPT would continue on under Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), but TriStar Television was reestablished in October 1991 (after having acquired some of the library of New World Television). On February 21, 1994, TriStar Television merged with Columbia Pictures Television and formed Columbia TriStar Television (CTT).[2][3] However, shows such as Early Edition (a joint production with CBS) and Malcolm & Eddie retained the TriStar logo and copyright until 1999, when TriStar Television's productions were folded into Columbia TriStar Television and TriStar Television operated in-name-only. On October 25, 2001, Columbia TriStar Network Television and Columbia TriStar Television Distribution merged to become Columbia TriStar Domestic Television. On September 16, 2002, SPE retired the Columbia and TriStar names from television, rechristening CTDT as Sony Pictures Television.[4] Today, TriStar Television operates as in-name only.

List of shows by TriStar Television

Title Years Network Notes
Downtown 1986-1987 CBS
Take Five 1987 CBS
Nothing in Common 1987 NBC
Werewolf 1987-1988 FOX then produced by Columbia Pictures Television in January 1988
My Two Dads 1987-1990 NBC then produced by Columbia Pictures Television in January 1988
Buck James 1987-1988 ABC then produced by Columbia Pictures Television in January 1988
Get a Life 1990-1992 FOX produced by New World Television from 1990-1991
Charlie Hoover 1991 FOX
The Fifth Corner 1992 NBC
Forever Knight 1992-1996 CBS
The Edge 1992-1993[5] FOX
Mad About You 1992-1999 NBC
Tribeca 1993 FOX
Good Advice 1993-1994 CBS
The Nanny 1993-1999 CBS finished under CTT
Simon 1995-1996 The WB
Ned & Stacey 1995-1997 FOX
Can't Hurry Love 1995-1996 CBS produced in association with CBS Productions
Hudson Street 1995-1996 ABC
Dead By Sunset 1995 NBC mini-series
Matt Waters 1996 CBS
The Dana Carvey Show 1996 ABC
Malcolm & Eddie 1996-1999 UPN Columbia TriStar Television from 1999-2000
Moloney 1996-1997 CBS
Love and Marriage 1996 FOX
Early Edition 1996-1999 CBS Columbia TriStar Television from 1999-2000, series co-produced by CBS, who handles domestic distribution rights while SPTI handles international rights.
Life... and Stuff 1997 CBS
The Simple Life 1998 CBS not the Paris Hilton/Nicole Richie series

See also

References

  1. ↑ "IN BRIEF". Broadcasting: p. 110. 1990-07-16.
  2. ↑ "EBSCO Host Connection" Feltheimer heads new Columbia TriStar TV connection.ebscohost.com, Retrieved on December 18, 2012
  3. ↑ "Feltheimer heads new Columbia TriStar TV". Broadcasting: p. 20. 1994-02-21.
  4. ↑ Sony Pictures Entertainment Renames Television Operations; Domestic and International Divisions Take Sony Name, prnewswire.com
  5. ↑ Lippman, John (1992-10-19). "Television: The Fox network is in the position of having offended its top program supplier.". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-07-11.

External links