The Guber-Peters Entertainment Company

Background : The Guber-Peters Entertainment Company was founded in 1983 by Peter Guber and Jon Peters, who were founders of PolyGram Pictures (later revived in 1986 as "PolyGram Filmed Entertainment"), as a film production company known as "The Guber-Peters Company." They entered television production in 1984. In January 1988, the Guber-Peters Company merged with Barris Industries, Inc. and became Barris/Guber-Peters, which was later renamed to "The Guber-Peters Entertainment Company" on September 7, 1989. On September 29, 1989, Sony Corporation approached Guber and Peters to become the heads of Columbia Pictures Entertainment. However, Warner Bros.' boss, Steve Ross threatened to sue Sony for for $1 billion for breach of contract, because Guber and Peters were under contract with Warner Bros. GPEC was acquired on November 9, 1989 by Sony for $200 million, a day after Sony acquired Columbia Pictures Entertainment for $3.4 billion. The suit was dismissed when Sony sold half of its interest in Columbia House as well as distribution rights to films by Weintraub Entertainment Group to WB and Sony acquiring the historic MGM lot from Time Warner in 1990. On November 5, 1990, Guber-Peters Television was folded into Columbia Pictures Television Distribution (now "Sony Pictures Television"). Guber-Peters Television acted as a in-name partner for the TV movie Switched At Birth. Their final work was Christmas on Division Street, a 1991 CBS TV movie. The Guber-Peters Entertainment Company, however, remained as a production unit of Sony Pictures Entertainment. On September 21, 1993, the Guber-Peters Entertainment Company became "GPEC Inc.," an in-name-only unit of Columbia Pictures.

(November 7, 1984-December 28, 1990, December 15, 1991)

Logo : On a black background, we have the 3-D outlined names "GUBER" flying from the left and "PETERS" flying in from the right all at the same time in sky blue with a bright, shiny backface. As soon as both names meet in the center, the rays start to pull back and two names become solid in sky blue as we see a hyphen (-) appear in between "GUBER" and "PETERS". "THE" and "ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY", both in white, fade in above and below respectively.

Variants :
 * In 1986, there is a filmed variant where the name "GUBER-PETERS" flashes in.
 * On the TV movie Bay Coven, "in association with" fades in below.
 * On Christmas on Division Street, it is superimposed with "AND" below.


 * In-credit variant : On movie releases, it's referred to as "A Guber-Peters (Company) Production."

FX/SFX : The names flying. The rays panning back. Simple 80s effects. None for the still version.

Music/Sounds : The end-title theme from any show, TV movie, or none.

Availability : Extremely rare, as these movies aren't aired that often. The animated version is retained on TV movies The Toughest Man in the World, Bay Coven and Brotherhood of Justice on DVD. The still version is seen on Christmas on Division Street. It may have been seen on the short-lived series Ocean Quest. The in-credit variant is uncommon and seen on films like The Color Purple, Tango & Cash, and Clue, among others.