Embassy Communications/Summary

Background: Embassy Television was formed in January 1982, reincorporating the former T.A.T. Communications Company (formed in 1974) founded by Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio after the duo acquired Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation and merged it with T.A.T. by becoming "Embassy Communications, Inc.". Embassy also introduced Embassy Telecommunications (reincorporating the distribution division of T.A.T. Communications Co. and also folding the former PITS Films) as the television distribution arm. In 1985, Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy Communications, Inc. (which included Tandem Productions and Embassy Television) to the Coca-Cola Company (former parent of Columbia Pictures Industries). When Diff'rent Strokes was canceled in 1986, Coca-Cola merged Embassy Television, Embassy Telecommunications, and Tandem Productions into the holding company and Embassy Communications ceased to exist as a holding company to become a full serviced television studio, who later merged with Columbia Pictures Television on November 24, 1986 and became "Columbia/Embassy Television", however Tandem remained as an in-named-only division of Embassy Communications. On December 21, 1987, Coke spun-off its entertainment business and sold it to Tri-Star Pictures. Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. was renamed to "Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc." and merging the Columbia and Tri-Star Pictures theatrical banners. By January 2, 1988, the Embassy Communications logo was phased out and was replaced by the Columbia Pictures Television logo, but the series by Embassy Communications retained the copyright for its series until March 19, 1988 (the last production to use an Embassy copyright was the final season Facts of Life episode "Big Apple Blues" while others began using the ELP copyright by February 1988), when Embassy Communications was renamed as "ELP Communications", but was under the production banner of Columbia Pictures Television from 1988-1994, and Columbia TriStar Television from 1994-1997 (both studios however, still produced their series individually). ELP Communications is a joint venture between LEP Holdings and PEP Communications that was formed on December 21, 1987. In 1998, after Beakman's World was canceled, Sony Pictures Entertainment retired Embassy Television. However, Embassy currently remains as an in-name-only unit of Sony Pictures Television.

1st Logo (September 25, 1982-1983, November 16, 1985)
Logo: When Embassy started in 1982, they did not yet have a logo. Instead, this text was used:

An

EMBASSY TELEVISION

PRODUCTION

On September 25, 1982, their corporate logo was unveiled, a boldface "E" in Futura Medium Bold BT extended to feature a star cut cote-out. The same text as above was used, but "EMBASSY" was changed to boldface and "TELEVISION" (all in the same font) was moved below that line of text. These words were positioned to the right of the "E" logo, and "AN" and "PRODUCTION" is featured above and below the logo. Except for the remaining early 1982 episodes of Silver Spoons, which doesn't feature "AN" and "PRODUCTION". That said version comes after the Lightkeeper in-credit text. The latter version is also used on early S8 episodes of One Day at a Time from 1982-83 after the Allwhit, Inc. in-credit text.

Trivia:


 * The in-credit text co-existed with the in-credit logo, the same day Silver Spoons debut along with the premiere of season 4 of The Facts of Life.


 * This logo was designed by Chermayeff & Geismar Associates of New York.

Date Trivia: The following have used the in-credit text, then later the in-credit logo.

• Date of series to use the in-credit text:

1. Silver Spoons: September 25, 1982

2. Square Pegs: September 27, 1982

3. 227: November 16, 1985 (only)

• Dates that a particular series started using the in-credit logo:

1. The Facts of Life: September 25, 1982

2. One Day At a Time: September 26, 1982

3. Silver Spoons: October 2, 1982

4. Square Pegs: October 4, 1982

5. The Jeffersons: October 10, 1982

FX/SFX: None, although a few season 8 episodes of One Day at a Time actually had this logo scrolling with the closing credits on some episodes.

Music/Sounds: The closing theme of the show.

Availability: It's on the end credits of almost all 1982 episodes of The Facts of Life, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, and Silver Spoons. Square Pegs used this until 1983. As an in-credit logo, it is usually left alone. however, TV One prints of The Jeffersons omit the logo, cutting straight to the SPT logo after the Embassy copyright notice. The all-text version can be seen on the pilot episodes of Square Pegs and Silver Spoons. The in-credit text was used again in 1985 on the 227 episodes "Pity the Poor Working Girl" and "Football Widow", before the 1984 Embassy Television logo appears. The in-credit logo was first used on The Facts of Life Goes to Paris.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (November 13, 1982-January 2, 1988)
Note: In 1982, Embassy had an actual logo separated from the credits. This actually started out as an alternate logo.

Nicknames: "Spinning Star", "Rolling Star", "Spinning ☆E", "Rolling ☆E"

Logo: Over a blue background, we see 2 white parts of the Embassy logo (an "E" with a star cut cote-out on the right). The 2 parts zoom out and spin clockwise until they match up in the center of the screen. Under it would read one of the following (as they appeared on screen):


 * EMBASSY TELEVISION (network shows, 1982-1986)


 * EMBASSY TELECOMMUNICATIONS (syndicated programs, 1983-1985)


 * EMBASSY TELECOMMUNICATIONS

A unit of The Coca-Cola Company (syndication, December 1985/January-September 1986 with "Coca-Cola" in it's corporate font and the words "The" and "Company" in Loki Cola font.)


 * EMBASSY COMMUNICATIONS

A unit of The Coca-Cola Company (network and syndication, 1986-1987 with "Coca-Cola" in it's corporate font and the words "The" and "Company" in Loki Cola font.)


 * EMBASSY COMMUNICATIONS

A unit of The Coca-Cola Company (network and syndication, 1987-January 1988 with "Coca-Cola" in it's corporate font and the words "The" and "Company" in Loki Cola font.)

Trivia: Their slogan was "We Keep America Laughing!".

Variants:
 * Beginning in the 1984-85 season, there is a Registered trademark symbol that appears next to the name. This would last until 1986. Embassy was registered on June 26, 1984.
 * The background of the Embassy Television and Embassy Communications logos would appear in either royal blue, light blue, or teal blue.
 * The Jeffersons Variants: On the final three seasons, the logo was added onto the show but in an interesting way. Instead of doing a straight fade/cut to the logo, the end credits fade to a shot of skyscrapers (actually a part of the end credits). Over this image, the "E" star logo appeared (and the music started), rolling in over this background. The background soon fades to blue, and "EMBASSY TELEVISION" appeared like normal over this image. This logo variation has been praised by those who've seen it as very professional and very cool; however, the sudden appearance of the logo and music are sure to scare a few people. Surprisingly, this version is/was in pretty good circulation out of 6 late season episodes aired on Nick @ Nite, 4 of them have this logo. On the season 10 episodes "Mission Incredible: Part 1", "I Do, I Don't", and "And the Winner is", there is a straight cut to the logo without the skyscraper background in the way while the logo is animating. 227, It's Your Move, and Silver Spoons also used this, but with the last frames of their end credits. On the season 10 episode "A New Girl in Town", the Embassy logo appears blue when animating at first. The skyscraper background from the end-title credits later changes to the blue background and the Embassy logo later turns white.
 * On the 1987 TV movie Guilty of Innocence: The Lenell Geter Story, the "☆E" appears darker gray on a dark teal background with the text "Embassy Communications" and the byline "A unit of The Coca-Cola Company" in shadow mode in white.
 * The TV movie Firefighter has the logo lettering shaded.

FX/SFX: The rolling "☆E", text fading-in.

Cheesy Factor: The "Rolling ☆E" is 2D, and doesn't really have any inspiring animation, and the synthesizer music is cheap.

Music/Sounds: A high-pitched, 6-note, synthesized tune with the 6th note holding followed by a pound holding the note while the 6th note is held with an additional four notes sped-up a little under the held 6th note and and a fifth note rolling noticeably with a final pound note at the end. This was composed by Ray Colcord.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * From 1983-1988, the first note was cut off by another re-arrangement. This was sometimes used on many seasons of TV series such as season one of both of 227 and Who's the Boss? and season five of The Facts of Life.
 * There is a low toned variant.
 * On the E/R (1984) episode "Enter Romance," the 1st few notes are missing from the logo.
 * The logo is silent on the 1983 TV movie Grace Kelly.
 * On The Jeffersons episode "Mr. Wonderful", the end-title theme plays over the logo.
 * On The Jeffersons episode "Hail to the Chief", the Embassy Television theme's timing is off while the logo animates.
 * On The Facts of Life episode "Bus Stop", the 1988 Columbia Pictures Television theme plays over the logo. This was a result of a double plaster.

Availability: Uncommon for Embassy Television. It first appeared on the season 1 Silver Spoons episode "I'm Just Wild About Harry". It has been surprisingly preserved on season 8 (1985-86) episodes of Diff'rent Strokes on Encore Black. (The Embassy logo was only used on that final season.) It's also on the DVD releases (and in 227s case, Encore Black and possibly Antenna TV airings) of season one of 227 and Who's the Boss?, albeit separated from the actual episodes (though this may have been fixed on the 2017 Mill Creek Entertainment reissue of the former). It was last seen on The Jeffersons on TV Land but doesn't appear on TV One's prints, with the exception of the season 11 episode "Last Dance" (followed by the SPT logo). However, it appears on all episodes from seasons 9-11 on FOX Retro in Italy (translated as "I Jefferson"). It was also retained on Hub Network (now Discovery Family) airings of the 1984 Facts of Life episodes "Love At First Byte", "Talk, Talk, Talk", and "Bus Stop". However, all episodes from season 5 have the Embassy Television logo retained when released by Shout! Factory. It also appeared on CBS' short-lived 1984 sitcom E/R (not to be confused with the more familiar 1994 NBC drama ER; coincidentally, George Clooney and Mary McDonnell appeared on both shows) as well as the short-lived Double Trouble when they were respectively reran on Lifetime and USA Network in the 1990s. As for Embassy Telecommunications, it's ultra rare/near extinction and has been seen on a 1984 episode of Diff'rent Strokes on BET (it may appear on Starz Encore Black). Rare for the 1986 version of Embassy Communications, having only been seen on the TV movie Firefighter. The gray "☆E" dark variant is extremely rare and can be seen on Guilty of Innocence on Sony Movie Channel. The 1987 version of Embassy Communications is ultra rare and is retained on The Facts of Life S9 episode "Adventures in Baileysitting" and the series premiere of The Jeffersons, "A Friend in Need", on TV One.