Studio Logo Musings (Continued)

[ClassicTVMan81]

https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/tos-theme-music-and-studio-logo-musings.193696/

I would like to follow up on Jeffrey Gray's (TServo2049) thread, but as that thread is past 90 days old, I'm starting a fresh new thread on it.

http://startrekfactcheck.blogspot.com/2016/05/on-credits-and-creators-star-treks.html

Michael at the Star Trek Fact Check blog had just dug up some more UCLA paperwork at my request, which relates to exactly which copyright holder was on which season 2 episodes, as well as what logos/variations should be on them.

The term of the day is: "First trial air date," which refers to the first screening of these episodes by Paramount executives, before being seen on NBC for the first time.

According to the paperwork, he says episode 2x06, "The Doomsday Machine" (prod. no. 5149-35), was the first episode to have the Paramount/Norway Corporation copyright below the Desilu name in the end logo. Its first screening was on September 27, 1967. Any of the six episodes which do not have this copyright (which should have said in the closing logo: "Copyright © MCMLXVII by Desilu Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved"), which in 1984 had a 1978 Paramount copyright (see screenshot at right), were screened before or on September 13, 1967.

Those six episodes were:
1. "Catspaw"
Production no.: 5149-30
First trial air date: July 21, 1967
NBC episode no. 2x07
NBC air date: October 27, 1967

2. "Metamorphosis"
Production no.: 5149-31
First trial air date: August 11, 1967
NBC episode no.: 2x09
NBC air date: November 10, 1967

3. "Friday's Child"
Production no.: 5149-32
First trial air date: August 14, 1967
NBC episode no.: 2x13
NBC air date: December 1, 1967

4. "Who Mourns for Adonais?"
Production no.: 5149-33
First trial air date: September 6, 1967
NBC episode no.: 2x02
NBC air date: September 22, 1967
Peculiar sighting: This episode, when reran on G4TV, had an interesting version of the Paramount/Norway Corporation copyright which said "1967" in Arabic numerals as you see here, instead of the Roman "MCMLXVII."

5. "Amok Time"
Production no.: 5149-34
First trial air date: August 10, 1967
NBC episode no.: 2x01
NBC air date: September 15, 1967

6. "The Changeling"
Production no.: 5149-37
First trial air date: September 13, 1967
NBC episode no.: 2x03
NBC air date: September 29, 1967

Any episodes first screened on or after September 14, 1967 would have had the "Copyright © MCMLXVII by Paramount Pictures Corporation and Norway Corporation. All Rights Reserved" info below the Desilu logo (see below), which would continue up to December 14, 1967.

However, the next to last episode of season 2, "Bread and Circuses," had its first trial screening on November 24, 1967 and thus obviously initially had "A Desilu Production in association with Norway Corporation" in the closing credits on the Balok scene, as well as the Desilu closing logo seen above (with the 1967 Paramount/Norway Corporation copyright stamp) thereafter, but since it was delayed by NBC until March 15, 1968, then something went on which replaced all mentions of Desilu with Paramount before NBC aired it, since it's obviously not covered in the UCLA paperwork.

"The Immunity Syndrome" was, according to Jeffrey Gray's info, the first official episode of Star Trek in order of production (60348, episode 2x18) to say "A Paramount Production in association with Norway Corporation" in the Balok scene in the closing credits. The first trial screening for this episode was January 2, 1968. "A Piece of the Action" (60349, episode 2x17) also did so, though its first screening was six days earlier than "The Immunity Syndrome."

And while the UCLA paperwork does not cover such minor details like the variations of the copyright text on the Paramount Television "Rising Circle" logo used on all episodes whose trial runs began since December 27, 1967, I'd say that "The Ultimate Computer" (60353, episode 2x24) would be the first episode to use the logo with the large copyright text, in order of production, as its first screening was on February 9, 1968.

When these episodes were remastered in 1984, the logo timeline seems to get real messy here, and since 1998 and especially in 2006 have gotten messier since. On all the pre-1998 reruns of the episodes of this series that say "A Paramount Production..." on the Balok scene in the closing credits, the "Rising Circle" logo that was first seen on "A Piece of the Action" in broadcast order was actually replaced by its successor logo (as seen on season 3)!

~Ben

 

[J.T.B.]

Great information, thanks a lot. I knew the logos got messed up in the VHS days, but now I have to stop the disc before it ends because it really bugs me to hear the CBS Video music tag at the end instead of Paramount's.

 

[Ssosmcin]

If you have the Columbia House VHS tape of The Omega Glory, you'll find the Rising Circle logo at the end of the episode. It is the only home video print to have that still attached. Even the single episode VHS and 2 episode Laserdiscs have the 3rd season Paramount logo. When I discovered that original logo, I almost lost my sh*t.

 

[ClassicTVMan81]

If you have the Columbia House VHS tape of The Omega Glory, you'll find the Rising Circle logo at the end of the episode. It is the only home video print to have that still attached. Even the single episode VHS and 2 episode Laserdiscs have the 3rd season Paramount logo. When I discovered that original logo, I almost lost my sh*t.

That there means the first version of the Rising Circle logo with the Norway Corporation co-credit, in very small type, is even rarer... meaning the one we first saw on "A Piece of the Action" up to "By Any Other Name."

~Ben

 

[ClassicTVMan81]

I am also starting to wonder if virtually all of the second season episodes remastered in 2006, those with Elin Carlson singing instead of Loulie Jean Norman, use the version of the Desilu closing logo with the 1967 Paramount/Norway Corporation copyright (regardless of the actual variations on certain episodes)? I know the more recent Blu-Ray prints also have the CBS Television Distribution logo with the 1978 Paramount copyright chyroned on.

I know on the 1984 VHS prints, "The Doomsday Machine" has the earlier Desilu logo without the 1967 copyright... so as I said before, whoever was doing their homework back then didn't do that quite right.

~Ben

 

[Harvey]

The term of the day is: "First trial air date," which refers to the first screening of these episodes by Paramount executives, before being seen on NBC for the first time.

I should clarify this point. NBC saw rough cuts of the episodes on the Desilu lot before this stage. I can think of no reason why Paramount executives, if they wanted to be involved, wouldn't have seen rough cuts, too.

The "first trial print" - also known as an "answer print" - was a picture-locked (including opticals) and color corrected print of the episode. Sometimes the sound dubbing wasn't complete at this stage, per Inside Star Trek (page 255), but this was unusual compared to other shows. Once the answer print was approved, this is what shipped to NBC for broadcast.

 

[ClassicTVMan81]

I should clarify this point. NBC saw rough cuts of the episodes on the Desilu lot before this stage. I can think of no reason why Paramount executives, if they wanted to be involved, wouldn't have seen rough cuts, too.

The "first trial print" - also known as an "answer print" - was a picture-locked (including opticals) and color corrected print of the episode. Sometimes the sound dubbing wasn't complete at this stage, per Inside Star Trek (page 255), but this was unusual compared to other shows. Once the answer print was approved, this is what shipped to NBC for broadcast.

I'd be guessing that was why "Bread and Circuses" wasn't quite finished yet and that NBC requested more edits to it, hence also why all mentions of Desilu were replaced by those of Paramount Television when the episode finally did air on March 15, 1968.

~Ben

 

[Harvey]

I'd be guessing that was why "Bread and Circuses" wasn't quite finished yet and that NBC requested more edits to it, hence also why all mentions of Desilu were replaced by those of Paramount Television when the episode finally did air on March 15, 1968.

~Ben

Not sure what additional edits NBC might have wanted. Standards and practices approved the script with some typical cautions about violence, etc. The episode as aired more or less reflects that script. A lengthy debate between the producers and the network over the edit would probably be reflected in the paperwork, or in one of the many memoirs about the series. As far as I know, however, there’s nothing.

Also, the post-production documentation at UCLA doesn’t suggest a new answer print was struck anytime after the one that was finished on November 24, 1967. A post-production report as late as February 10, 1968 showed that same answer print date, and slotted the episode into its final air date of 3/15.

 

[ClassicTVMan81]

Not sure what additional edits NBC might have wanted. Standards and practices approved the script with some typical cautions about violence, etc. The episode as aired more or less reflects that script. A lengthy debate between the producers and the network over the edit would probably be reflected in the paperwork, or in one of the many memoirs about the series. As far as I know, however, there’s nothing.

Also, the post-production documentation at UCLA doesn’t suggest a new answer print was struck anytime after the one that was finished on November 24, 1967. A post-production report as late as February 10, 1968 showed that same answer print date, and slotted the episode into its final air date of 3/15.

Harvey,

If that is the case indeed, then I guess Jeffrey Gray (TServo2049) is wrong about his info regarding the "Bread and Circuses" VHS tape... thus that would make three episodes in season 2 that aired in 1968 with the Desilu logo!

~Ben

 

[ClassicTVMan81]

Not sure what additional edits NBC might have wanted. Standards and practices approved the script with some typical cautions about violence, etc. The episode as aired more or less reflects that script. A lengthy debate between the producers and the network over the edit would probably be reflected in the paperwork, or in one of the many memoirs about the series. As far as I know, however, there’s nothing.

Also, the post-production documentation at UCLA doesn’t suggest a new answer print was struck anytime after the one that was finished on November 24, 1967. A post-production report as late as February 10, 1968 showed that same answer print date, and slotted the episode into its final air date of 3/15.

Harvey,

I also want to say that what you say is not entirely true. There was one episode of another Desilu/Paramount series, The Lucy Show, "Lucy Gets Involved," that aired on January 15, 1968. Despite being produced well before "Lucy and Viv Reminisce," it still ended with the 1968 Paramount Television logo... thus, its answer print was probably issued sometime after December 15, 1967.

~Ben

 

[Harvey]

Harvey,

I also want to say that what you say is not entirely true. There was one episode of another Desilu/Paramount series, The Lucy Show, "Lucy Gets Involved," that aired on January 15, 1968. Despite being produced well before "Lucy and Viv Reminisce," it still ended with the 1968 Paramount Television logo... thus, its answer print was probably issued sometime after December 15, 1967.

~Ben

Nlt sure I completely follow (also, despite being a big I Love Lucy fan, I've never seen any of Ball's follow-up sitcoms, so my frame of reference regarding The Lucy Show is shakey).