CBS Studios/Summary

Background[]

On August 10, 2004, Viacom, Inc. formed "CBS Paramount International Television" as a merger of two successful international television companies: Paramount International Television and CBS Broadcast International. That same date, Viacom formed the CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group as a result of two successful television production companies: Paramount Network Television and CBS Productions. Their respective names and logos, however, were kept. After the CBS and Viacom split was made official on December 31, 2005, beginning on January 17, 2006, the CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group and Paramount Domestic Television became part of the new semi-independent CBS Corporation. Because of this new ownership, it was decided that CBS would add their moniker to the studio's television unit, thus creating CBS Paramount Television, consists of CBS Paramount Network Television, CBS Paramount Domestic Television, and CBS Paramount International Television (spun-off as "CBS Studios International"). The transition was quick but gradually done, with copyrights to "CBS Studios Inc." appearing on shows such as Entertainment Tonight as early as February (although post-2006 episodes of shows like CSI still kept the "CBS Broadcasting, Inc." copyright). The logos would make their debut by early summer '06, with CBS Paramount Television's "Eye In The Sky" syndication logo debuting on May 29th, 2006 (Memorial Day) on that day's run of syndicated daytime programming from the company, only to be retired in September 2007 when the CBS Television Distribution logo debuted, since its formation on September 26, 2006 by King World, CBS Paramount Domestic Television, CBS Paramount International Television, and CBS Home Entertainment. The network television logo, "Wallpaper," wouldn't appear on TV screens until June 10, 2006 on the new season of The 4400 on USA. However, on May 15, 2009, two years and eight months after CBS Paramount Domestic Television, CBS Paramount International Television and King World Productions became "CBS Television Distribution" on September 26, 2006, the post-2006 CBS Corporation (formerly the "old" Viacom) ended its three-year licensing rights to the Paramount name and logo from the post-2006 Viacom, which owns Paramount Pictures, the MTV Networks, and the BET Networks. As a result, the CBS Paramount Television Group and its network television arm were rebranded as "CBS Television Studios". In addition, the then-revived CBS Paramount International Television was renamed "CBS Studios International", and the revived CBS Productions was reincorporated as its in-name-only unit. For the first time on network television since 1966, the "Paramountain" or anything resembling Paramount's symbol is nowhere to be seen. New and returning television shows have a copyright for CBS Studios, Inc. except for post-2006 seasons of the CSI franchise, which have a copyright for CBS Broadcasting, Inc.

CBS Paramount Television[]

1st Logo (May 29, 2006-2008)[]

Nicknames: "Eye In The Sky", "CBS Eyemark-Paramount Mountain Combo"

Logo: We see a large bluish CBS Eye in a cloudscape reminiscent of the 2002 Paramount Ultra Majestic Mountain. In the foreground, the words "CBS Paramount" (each companies' name is in its respective typeface) appear above a line which has "TELEVISION" written underneath. The company name has an Eyemark to the left of it, and a Paramount print logo at the right. "CBS Paramount TELEVISION" and the print logos slowly zoom out together, all of which are white letters outlined in gold. A lens flare shines over the entire background.

Variants:

On the remastered version of Star Trek: The Original Series, there is a silent widescreen version of the logo in several variations: one with "(C) [YEAR] Paramount Pictures Corporation" below, the second one with the Paramount and Norway copyright and the pre-1968 Paramount logo, the third one without a copyright, and the final one with the late-1960s copyright information and the Gulf+Western byline at the bottom of the screen. The Gulf+Western variant of this logo was last seen on TV Land's reruns of Star Trek: The Original Series. When the series aired on H&I and Me-TV, season 1 had the 1978 Paramount copyright, reading "© 1978 PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION", while season 2 had the 1968 Paramount-Norway copyright with sometimes having the Gulf+Western byline, reading, "(A Gulf+Western Company) COPYRIGHT ©MCMLXVIII PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND NORWAY CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Paramount Pictures Corporation (in curved)". Season 3 featured the Gulf+Western byline and a revised copyright, reading: " A Gulf+Western Company. COPYRIGHT ©MCMLXIX PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND NORWAY CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Paramount Pictures Corporation (in curved)". When aired, the logo will have the 1978 copyright (for season 1) or the 1968 copyright (for season 2, may include the Gulf+Western byline) if the Desilu logo does not have it. On the other hand, if the Desilu logo has either copyright, then the logo is bylineless. For season 3, the logo will either have no copyright or have the 1969 copyright with the Gulf+Western byline.
A print version existed on a few Star Trek games. One of them was Tactical Assault for the PSP.
On 2006 episodes of Montel, the logo is longer.

FX/SFX: Nothing but CGI. The light effects and the words zooming out.

Music/Sounds: A new five-note fanfare that sounds a little like the ending of the then-current CBS Evening News theme. Sometimes, the music starts off with a bass horn intro a la the classic Warner Bros fanfare. Either way, it's quite a refreshing change from the fanfare Paramount had been using for the past 19 years. The logo may also have the end theme playing over it, or no music at all. Some season 1 episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series will have the CBS Television Distribution theme with this logo with the 1978 copyright.

Music/Sounds Variants:

A longer version with starts the low brass note then sergues all the way of this music.
Even some shows, Dr. Phil, Judge Joe Brown, use the different arrangement theme.
On a Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, use the three note fanfare, which as sound like a ABC network jingle.
Sometimes, a 1987 Paramount Television jingle was used, with terrible plastering

Availability: Uncommon. It used to appear mostly on first-run syndicated programming from CBS Paramount Television, such as Judge Judy, Dr. Phil, Montel, and Entertainment Tonight.

It was widely expected that this logo would plaster the 1995 and 2002 Paramount Television mountains on repeats of shows belonging to their extensive catalog, but this was not the case.
Also seen several times on Star Trek: The Original Series on Me-TV. The logo with the Gulf+Western byline and the copyright can only be found on the airings. The DVD version only features the 1968, 1969 and 1978 copyright.
The version with no audio is seen on reruns of Twin Peaks and S1 of Beauty and the Beast on Chiller and the S1 DVD releases of Girlfriends (intact on Pluto TV airings), Family Ties, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, and the S2 DVD release of Dynasty.
This is also seen on S1 of Hawaii Five-O on DVD and in newer reruns, Star Trek: The Original Series, and S1 episodes of Bosom Buddies on MeTV and DVD.
Curiously enough, episodes of the 2000 series of the UK version of Wheel of Fortune aired on Challenge has this succeeding the Scottish Television logo. CBS Paramount Television owned the international distribution rights to WOF.

2nd Logo (June 11, 2006-July 11, 2009)[]

Note: This logo was also used for CBS Paramount Domestic Television from November 2006-August 19, 2007.

Nicknames: "CGI Wallpaper", "CBS Eyemark-Paramount Mountain Combo II", "CBS Paramount Wallpaper"

Logo: On a black screen, we the CBS Eyemark logo zooming-out to the middle. We later see two streaks of light pass through the words "CBS Paramount", a line, and "TELEVISION" below that, all of which is in the same design as the Domestic TV logo with the exception of the print logos in the foreground. The company name quickly zooms out to the center of the screen; "CBS" first, then "Paramount TELEVISION" second. The background quickly fades to reveal a navy blue environment made up of a curved wallpaper of CBS Eyes and Paramount print logos in a pattern shining light rays filling the screen. The name would later zoom-in slowly.

Trivia The "Eyemark/Mountain" logo is a throwback of the 1959-1962 "CBS Eyemark Wallpaper" logo.

Variant: There is a black & white variant of this logo used on B&W shows.

FX/SFX: The zooming and light effects.

Music/Sounds: An airy, six-note jingle followed by a harp. Often at times, the end theme plays over it.

Music/Sounds Variants:

For shows by CBS Paramount Domestic Television, it was more orchestrated than the previous theme. This happened in November 2006.
There is a shorter three-note variant that just features the first two and final notes from CBS Paramount Domestic Television's 2nd theme. A high tone also exists. There is also a warp-speed variant. These are called abridged versions. This can be seen on such shows like The Game, Swingtown, Medium, Worst Week, the last few episodes of season 4 of Criminal Minds, etc.
There are two short versions with the last three notes of CPNT's theme.
On the Wings episodes "Joe Blows, Part 1" and "Joe Blows, Part 2" on the season 5 DVD, on Spanish prints of a few S2 episodes of Diagnosis: Murder such as "Many Happy Returns", and on one episode on Girlfriends: The Complete Second Season on DVD, the 1987 Paramount Television theme is heard, probably due to sloppy plastering.
On the Russian airings of Sabrina the Teenage Witch from season 2 and 3 had the 1990 Viacom "Wigga-Wigga" music (without voice over) play over it instead, probably due to sloppy plastering once again.
One episode of CSI: Miami on Fox Crime and Paramount+ prints of at least one NCIS episode both have this with the shortened 2007 CBS Television Studios music. This is probably a reverse plaster.
On season 3 of The 4400, some Me-TV reruns and the DVD releases of The Untouchables (1959), and a few other DVDs such as the first season of the TV version of Gunsmoke, the logo is silent.
Most CBS-produced shows on CBS will have a generic theme over this logo.
On some S2 episodes of The Game, the 2007 CBS Television Distribution music is used, probably due to a reverse plaster. The theme is also cut off along with the logo.
On Comanche Moon, this logo has the Sony Pictures Television theme over this logo, and vice versa. This was only seen on the U.S. DVD, as international prints feature the correct fanfares and later prints fixed the logos' order.

Availability: Common for the network version and uncommon for the domestic version.

This logo was rather prevalent on programs from CBS and The CW starting on the 2006-07 television season, this logo appeared on syndicated programs.
The 2020 Blu-ray of the original Mission: Impossible series featured this logo succeding the Desilu logo with the 1967 copyright.
It's also featured on most DVDs of CBS-Paramount shows released from 2007 to early April 2008.
This appeared in most CBS-produced shows which plastered the CBS Productions logo, such as The King of Queens, CSI and Without a Trace, starting 2006 until 2009. It was plastered by either the newly-revived CBS Productions logo or the newly-formed CBS Television Studios logo.
Does not appear on seasons 4-6 of Two and a Half Men.

CBS Television Studios[]

1st Logo (September 8, 2009-January 6, 2021)[]

Nicknames: "The Zooming Eye at Warp Speed", "The Racing Eye", "CBS Eyemark", "Warp Speed CBS Eyemark"

Logo: On a turquoise background, we see the CBS Eyemark logo zooming in from the right to the left at warp speed. Then "CBS" (in Akzidenz-Grotesk) with the words "TELEVISION STUDIOS" (in Myriad) below and the Eyemark next to the text zoom out to its distant position and reflections fade in below.

Variants:

A sped-up version exists.
A more commonplace short version starts with the logo zooming out.
Another shortened version exists wherein it only shows the finished product of the logo, but it is almost still because the background is still animating.
A completely still version exists.
In this logo's later years, the background was changed to blue.
On Most Dangerous Game, this logo uses the same detail from the CBS Broadcasting logo.

FX/SFX: The CBS eye zooming at warp speed.

Music/Sounds: A 6-note horn/orchestral sounder with a timpani roll and suspended cymbal roll on the second-to-last note and the ringing of a bell at the end. The theme was composed by the late James Horner (and bears a vague resemblance to the 2006 CBS Evening News theme). However, some shows, mainly newer seasons of the CSI franchise, would have the end theme tunes accompany this logo.

Music/Sounds Variants:

On the pilot episode of Melrose Place (2009) and at least that of Vegas, the 2008 CBS Productions music is used.
Seasons 6-9 of CSI: NY have the normal logo with a shortened theme.
Some shows from 2015 starting with the short-lived Battle Creek have a higher-pitched, re-orchestrated piano version of the first 5 notes (with the last one being omitted).
Short and warp-speed versions exist.
An altered version of the fanfare was heard on season 2 of Extant and shows co-produced by Warner Bros. Television, Sony Pictures Television and Universal Television.
CBS and The CW used their generic themes.

Availability: Common.

This debuted on the series premiere of the short-lived 2nd incarnation of Melrose Place (although the CBS Productions logo appears on off-network prints) and The Vampire Diaries on the CW Television Network as well as other new shows like NCIS: Los Angeles and new seasons of returning shows like the original NCIS, the CSI franchise, the revival of Hawaii Five-0 (beginning with S3) and all others on the CBS Television Network.
It also debuted on the new season premiere of Medium, once aired for four years on NBC and then on CBS.
It also appears on The Game from seasons 4-9 on BET.
The nearly still version appears on Jane the Virgin.
The completely still version appears on the Starz original series Power.
This logo might very well be retired due to the removal of "Television" from their name, although VOD prints of season 11 of Blue Bloods still feature it (original CBS airings used the CBS Studios logo).

Editor's Note: It's quite generic for a CBS logo. It doesn't look like it was made with much creativity or effort. The fonts also don't match the print logo, which uses Helvetica.

2nd Logo (June 25, 2020-)[]

Nicknames: "The Zooming Eye at Warp Speed II", "The Racing Eye II", "CBS Eyemark II", "Warp Speed CBS Eyemark II", "CGI CBS Eyemark", "The Rotating CBS Eyemark"

Logo: Same as the last logo, but animated differently. On an animating background with different shades of blue, we see the CBS Eyemark, but this time, slightly tilted, zooming in in the same formation as the previous logo. Then it segues into a bright flash, as it dissipates, revealing the text "CBS TELEVISION STUDIOS" (with "TELEVISION STUDIOS" now in black) rotating into their positions. A white line draws in the center below the logo and the byline "A VIACOMCBS COMPANY" slides in from the line, animating like the Microsoft PowerPoint "Peek In" effect.

FX/SFX: Same as the previous logo, but with the additional rotating and flash effects.

Music/Sounds: The shortened version of the music from the previous logo, or often used a long version.

Availability: Current but might not last. First seen on the second season of the CBS All Access incarnation of The Twilight Zone, but due the rebranding to CBS Studios, this logo's days are numbered. It also seen on season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Lower Decks and The Comey Rule.

Editor's Note: While the 2009 logo looked professional and had nice CGI for the time, this one looks like it was cheaply recreated in Blender. In addition, with the rebrand to simply "CBS Studios" occurring less than 4 months after this logo's first appearance, it is unknown why this logo exists in the first place, but it is possibly the placeholder of its successor, which is seen below.

CBS Studios[]

(October 8, 2020-)[]

Nicknames: "Modern CBS Eyemark", "CBS Eyemark III"

Logo: On a dark blue background, we see 2 blue circles overlap each other with an outlined circle, also in blue, zooming in the center. The 3 circles zoom out as the CBS Eyemark logo, also in blue, zooms in. The eye moves to the left as the text "CBS STUDIOS" wipes to the right, and the ViacomCBS byline fades in below. This itself is a variation of CBS' 2020 ID.

Variants:

A three-second short version exists, which starts with the Eyemark zooming out.
An alternative two-second short version also exists, which starts when the Eyemark moves to the left and the name forms.
A widescreen 18:9 version exists.
A still version also exists.
A scope version also exists, wherein the logo is cropped to 21:9/2.35:1 and the byline is also shifted up.
An opening version also exists. On a black background, there is the white text "A CBS STUDIOS PRODUCTION" fading in and out.
- On the final season of Dead to Me, the font is different.
On shows co-produced with another studio, the opening text is different:
- On Why Women Kill, the opening text reads "A CBS STUDIOS AND IMAGINE TELEVISION STUDIOS PRODUCTION". Also, it cuts in and out rather than fading in and out.
- On The Republic of Sarah and season 3 of In the Dark, the opening text reads "A CBS STUDIOS AND WARNER BROS. TELEVISION PRODUCTION".
- On Magnum P.I. starting with season 4, the opening text reads "A CBS STUDIOS AND UNIVERSAL TELEVISION PRODUCTION".
- On Ghosts, the opening text reads "A CBS STUDIOS AND LIONSGATE TELEVISION / BBC STUDIOS PRODUCTION".
- On Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, the opening text reads "A CBS STUDIOS, IMAGINE TELEVISION STUDIOS, AND UNIVERSAL TELEVISION PRODUCTION".
- For season 3 of Star Trek Picard, the text is rendered in the style of the opening titles of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
In Antfood's CBS jingle case study video on Vimeo, the logo is bylineless. Furthermore, a 30fps version also exists on Antfood's CBS jingle montage video on Vimeo.
On season 2 of Most Dangerous Game, the logo is seen next to the Blackjack Films, Mayhem Pictures and Silver Reel logos.
On season 2 of Your Honor, the entire logo plays in warp-speed, but the audio is normal (with the exception of the last two episodes - in these, the end theme plays).
On NCIS: Sydney, a copyright stamp appears below the logo.

FX/SFX: The zooming of the circles, the CBS Eyemark, and the text wiping.

Music/Sounds: A new, modern arrangement of the "This is CBS" jingle, with reverse reverb applied to the beginning. Also, the camera shuttering sounds were added at the very beginning. This is the same music used in CBS' 2020 ID.

Music/Sounds Variant: On the first two season 3 episodes of Magnum P.I. (2018), the Universal TV and CBS Television Studios jingles are played over this logo due to an editing error.

Availability: Current. First seen on the CBS Studios social pages, and later seen on later episodes of Tooning Out the News, season 7 of NCIS: New Orleans, and season 12 of NCIS: Los Angeles. Currently used in tandem with the previous 2 logos.

Editor's Note: It's simpler, when compared to the previous 2 logos, but it's really effective and well done.

Other[]

For other related logos and images see: CBS Studios/Summary/Other