Harpo Studios

Background: Harpo Studios is the production company founded by the television personality and entrepreneur, Oprah Winfrey. Its name is not to be confused with one of the Marx brothers, but it is Oprah spelled backwards.

===1st Logo (1988-2003)=== Nicknames: "Cartoon Oprah", "Harpo Wagon", "Al Bundy's Least Favorite Company"

Logo: On a white background, we see a cartoon version of Oprah Winfrey, wearing a lavender jacket and a yellow shirt, pulling a wagon that reads "HARP O " (in the ITC Grouch font), with the "O " slanted, on a wagon, while under "HARPO", on the cart's outer base, reads "PRODUCTIONS, INC." (set in Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ Medium Extended font)

HARP O PRODUCTIONS, INC.

The wagon then bumps into her, causing the "HARP O " to shake, then appears normal. The copyright notice appears, and Oprah takes a bow.

Variants: There is a short version of this logo.
 * The copyright notice, in later years, fades in midway throughout the logo's duration.
 * The copyright notice may have the text "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED" underneath the copyright.
 * In the logo's later years, the copyright notice read "HARPO, INC."
 * Strangely, there is a version contains a video freeze at the end for about 7 seconds.
 * On BET prints of the 1988 TV miniseries The Women of Brewster Place, "In Association With" fades in at the same time as the copyright notice. Plus, the logo is cut-short.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: Oprah pulling the wagon, the letters shaking. It's all cel animation. It is unknown who did this logo.

Music/Sounds: A somewhat dramatic 10-note violin fanfare, then 5 more quick notes, a brief piano "pluck", and a final string note. The logo had a higher pitch when it was first used in 1988. In around 1992, the music is in a normal pitch. On some occasions, the Oprah theme plays over it, or it's silent.

Music/Sounds Variant: On one international airing of a S1 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1989 on Channel 4, the last 3 notes of the music repeated when the Midatlantic Films logo appeared, most likely due to a an editing error. See the first video on the way left for this.

Availability: A very tough find. This logo was retired as of 2003. Seen on The Oprah Winfrey Show episodes from the era. Don't expect this on reruns on classic Oprah Winfrey Show episodes on OWN, as the network edited out this logo, and replaced it with the 3rd logo. It is also preserved on the 1988 miniseries, The Women of Brewster Place on DVD, and on BET. The other variants are nearly extinct.

Scare Factor: Low. Many people find this cute, but the fanfare may get to some. None for the silent version.

===2nd Logo (2006-2010)===

Nickname: "Gold Harpo"

Logo: On a black background, we see "HARB O  PRODUCTIONS, INC. " in gold, with "HARB O " in the same font as the 1st logo, with the "O " slanted. There is a reflection of the name on the base, and the name shines with "pings". The reflection disappears at the end.

FX/SFX: The shining, and the reflection disappearing.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the show (on Rachael Ray). TBA (on Legends Ball).

Availability: The earliest known appearance of this logo is on Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball in 2006. This logo was also seen on The Rachael Ray Show.

Scare Factor: None.

===3rd Logo (2010- )=== Nicknames: "Harpo Rings"

Logo: Up against a white background, a ring moves up and copies into 5 rings, like a gyroscope, revealing "HARPOSTUDIOS " set in Interstate font (with "HARPO" being set in a black weight and "STUDIOS" being set in a regular weight) in green. During all of this, there is a white shadow underneath the rings.

FX/SFX: The rings spinning and spelling the Harpo name.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic fanfare.

Availability: Common. It's seen on all Oprah Winfrey specials from 2010 to the present time. It is also seen on The Oprah Winfrey Show as well as The Rachel Ray Show, Dr. Oz, and the short-lived The Nate Berkus Show. This plasters the 1st logo on The Oprah Winfrey Show on OWN.

Scare Factor: None to low. Not much to worry here.