Grundy Television

Background: Grundy Television was formed in 1959 by Reg Grundy as "Grundy Organisation" (a.k.a. "Reg Grundy Organisation", later "Grundy Organization" in late 1979 spelling the name in the U.S. English dictionary). In 1983, he formed the U.S. television production division "Reg Grundy Productions, Inc." and established more companies in other countries. The Grundy companies were sold in 1995 to Pearson, plc. In 2000, Pearson Television was sold to CLT-UFA and merged to become the RTL Group and renamed Pearson Television to FremantleMedia. In 2006, Grundy Television was merged with Australian TV production company Crackerjack Productions to form "FremantleMedia Australia". Until 2013, the name Grundy still existed in Germany as "Grundy Light Entertainment" and in Italy as "Grundy Productions Italy".

1st Logo
(1960-1980)

Nickname: "RG"

Logo: We see the words at the screen:

RG                             
REG GRUNDY
production       

superimposed over a show’s closing scene after the credits. A stylized, cursive “RG” insignia (the initials of the company’s founder Reg Grundy) sits on the top (or top left) of the text, which is in a sans-serif font.

Variants:

• Around 1977, the logo's wording was changed to:

RG                    
GRUNDY            
ORGANISATION
production

But a minor modification from about late 1979, the logo is slightly smaller and the spelling of “ORGANISATION” is modified with a "Z" in place of the "S", giving it an American spelling.

• Text only: At least three episodes of 1977 Australian school drama series Glenview High had a text-only variant with the Seven Network logo below the text as follows:

A
GRUNDY ORGANISATION
PRODUCTION
7
NETWORK

Other episodes had the RG / GRUNDY ORGANIZATION production logo only.

• Opening: A rare opening variant was also used at the beginning of Glenview High. The opening logo reads:

RG              
GRUNDY            
ORGANIZATION
presents             

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds/Voice-over: The end of the show's theme. On their game shows, the announcer would say "This has been a Reg Grundy/Grundy Organisation production produced by [TV Channel]. (announcer's name) speaking".

Availability: Seen after the credits of Grundy shows of the era, such as the Australian version of Gambit, The Young Doctors, Blankety Blanks (the Australian version of Match Game), and on earlier episodes of the Australian version of Family Feud and Prisoner.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo
(1980)

Nicknames: "The Icosahedron", "The Still Icosahedron", "The Original Icosahedron" "RG II"

Logo: Superimposed onto the credits, we see a 2D image of a geometric figure consisting of 20 triangular faces in a hexagonal shape with lines criss-crossing its width and height, forming an icosahedron. Overlapping it in the icosahedron's center is the words "GRUNDY ORGANIZATION" in a serif font, with the words "RG" in outlines, which represents the initials of Reg Grundy. The word "Production" appear on the bottom right of "ORGANIZATION".

Variants:

• Sometimes "Production" does not appear on the bottom right of "ORGANIZATION". Instead, we see the words "production" below the whole logo itself.

• On Secret Valley, the text instead reads "The Grundy Organization" on the 2D icosahedron. Above it is "Produced by" and below it is "In Association With" and the Telecip S.A. logo.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Rare. Remains intact on earlier 1980 episodes of Prisoner and The Young Doctors on DVD. It was also found on The Restless Years, Celebrity Tattletales, Family Feud, and earlier episodes of Sale of the Century, so check your old tapes to carry the logo.

Editor's Note: This is the last logo to use any kind of Reg Grundy's initials.

3rd Logo
(1980-1983)

Nicknames: "The Icosahedron II", "The Still Icosahedron II", "The Original Icosahedron II"

Logo: Superimposed onto the credits, we see the same icosahedron from the previous logo, only the text does not overlap on the icosahedron. Instead, we see the text below the icosahedron, "GRUNDY ORGANIZATION" in stacked formation, and below the whole thing is the words "production" in lowercase letters. This time, the "R" and "G" in "ORGANIZATION" are now in solid.

Variant: On Match Mates (an Australian children's version of Concentration which aired from 1981 to 1982), the logo slid from the bottom of the screen and stopped at the centre, at the same speed as the closing credits. This is the only known occasion where the associated network's credit (the Nine Network) appeared before the Grundy logo.

FX/SX: None.

Music/Sounds/Voice-over: Same as the last two logo.

Music/Sounds/Voice-over Variant:  A variation of the gameshow announcement variation exists on a 1981 Nine Network Christmas tape during the Family Feud segment were the announcement is changed to "Family Feud is a Grundy Organization steal, recorded for the national Nine Network. I have nothing to do with this program, Philip Brady speaking."

Availability: More common than the previous logo: It was retained on old episodes of Prisoner and 1980-82 episodes The Young Doctors on DVD, as well as episodes of The Restless Years, Family Feud, Match Mates, Sale of the Century, the first season of The New Price is Right with Ian Turpie, and earlier episodes of the Australian version of Wheel of Fortune.

Editor's Note: This is the first logo without any kind of Reg Grundy's initials.

4th Logo
(1982-1992)

Nicknames: "The Icosahedron III", "The Rolling Icosahedron"

Logo:

• 1982-1983: An animated wireframe version of the icosahedron from the previous logo – rolls towards the viewer from the screen’s center, growing bigger as this occurs. As the logo animates, we see the words "GRUNDY ORGANIZATION" zooming out from the bottom.

• 1983-1988: Same as before, only the text does not appear below the icosahedron. Instead, when the icosahedron finished animating, the words “GRUNDY” in the center of the icosahedron and “TELEVISION” below the icosahedron simultaneously unfold onto the screen while the word “PRODUCTION” (in a different, thinner font) rises from the bottom of the screen.

Variants:

• At the end credits of shows from 1982-1983, as well as on later episodes of Prisoner, the whole logo is superimposed, animation and all.
• At the end credits of shows starting in 1983, a still version was used, except the whole thing is in bolder. On game shows produced by Grundy, a copyright statement appeared under the wording [i.e. © {YEAR} GRUNDY ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD].

FX/SFX:

• The icosahedron spinning towards the viewer. The entire animated sequence is superimposed over the ending scene of the show's intro, making this a unique logo. The version used in the closing credits starting in 1983 will be static.
• Play Your Cards Right Variant: On Play Your Cards Right (an Australian version of Card Sharks which aired in 1984), the entire static logo (including the "diamond", company name and copyright statement) flipped out from the centre of the screen (in a similar fashion to the "Play Your Cards Right" logo flipping at the start of the end credits).

Music/Sounds/Voice-over: The end theme of the show. See above for game show mentions.

Music/Sounds Variant: On the first episode of Neighbours, it's a soft synth theme. This may have also been used on other shows from the era too.

Availability:

• 1982-1983: Rare. First seen on Sons & Daughters. The logo later appears on The Young Doctors and episodes 275-276 of Prisoner (before reverting back to the previous logo), as well as the closing credits of 1982-83 episodes of game shows like Sale of the Century, The New Price is Right and the Australian version of Wheel of Fortune. If you see the animated logo on game shows, check your old tapes. The logo is still intact on DVDs of Sons and Daughters.

• 1983-1988: More common than the original 1982 variant as well as the previous two logos. Still seen on old episodes of Neighbours, Prisoner, and Sons & Daughters, whenever they are rerun sometime in either Australia or the UK, Can be seen on DVDs of early episodes of Neighbours, and Sons & Daughters, with the latter being reran on the Seven Network in the early hours of the morning, as well as the original series of It's A Knockout on the Ten Australia website.

Editor's Note: It's a fondly recalled logo and familiar to a generation of Australian TV fans who grew up with Neighbours, Prisoner, Sale of the Century, and countless others.

5th Logo
(1988-1997)

Nicknames: "The Icosahedron IV", "3D Rotating Icosahedron", "Crystal Icosahedron", "CGI Rotating Icosahedron", "Silver Icosahedron", "Icosahedron of Steel"

Logo: On a nighttime background with stars, we have a crystal icosahedron outlined in gold zooming out slowly to make its way to the center as it rotates. We later see a gold comet flying from left to right in the middle of the icosahedron to reveal the name "GRUNDY", fading and zooming in the middle of the icosahedron as it continues to rotate and later turns silver leaving the gold outline in place. As the comet passes by, we see yet another comet going to the opposite direction on the bottom of the icosahedron revealing the word "TELEVISION" as it fades in while the 2nd comet passes by from the opposite. We later see the name "PRODUCTION" fading in below.

Variants:

• Some series won't have the full animation. Just the second half of the animation.
• This logo appeared as an in-credit on the opening credits of Neighbours from 1988 to early 1992, although a still version of the "Rolling Icosahedron" was still used in the closing credits.
• A variation exists on the soap opera Richmond Hill were the full version of the logo is animated into the opening titles. The show's title zooms in from a sign seen in the intro while the background turns into a cartoon-like background. As it zooms in, the background fades to the actual one used by this logo, the show's title also changes color to white. The show's title then transitions to start of the logo's animation (where the icosahedron zooms out) via a wipe effect starting from the center of the screen all the way to the top and bottom of the screen.
• This logo also appeared as an in-credit on some Australian game shows (including Perfect Match and Wheel of Fortune (not the American series by Merv Griffin)).
• On game shows like Sale of the Century, the logo zooms away to the top, leaving room for the copyright, then fading into the logo of the channel it aired on (e.g. the Nine Network for the show mentioned).
• Another variant had just "Television" under it.
• In mid-1996, the byline "A Pearson Television Company" was placed under "Television Production". Later on, "Television Production" was removed.
• On shows in New Zealand, especially on TVNZ's channels, the logo zooms out in a box, against either a gray or blue background, with the TVNZ logo underneath it. This can at least be found on the country's versions of Sale of the Century and Wheel of Fortune.

FX/SFX: The icosahedron zooming-out, the comets flying, the stars sparkling, and the icosahedron rotating.

Music/Sounds/Voice-over: Amajestic synth note being held out,or the end title theme from any show. However, the game shows do use a slight remix of the music from the show's theme, and the announcer signing-off (example from Sale of the Century; "This is a Grundy Television Production for Nine Network Australia. Peter Smith speaking").

Availability: Seen on reruns of Neighbours, among other shows. Some series are succeeded by the Pearson Television International logo.

Editor's Note: A neat CGI successor to previous logo.

6th Logo
(1997-2006)

Nicknames: "Gold G", "Grundy CGI", "Big Grundy G", "Global G", "Global Grundy", "The Grundyclipse/GClipse", "The G-Slicer", "The Comet Slicer"

Logo: On a black background, a large, elliptical gold ring with a bronze aura forms in the center of the screen while a white dot -- revealing itself to be a comet -- flies clockwise from the back and circumnavigates it as if circling a globe. As this happens, the top right portion of the ring disappears and a gold trail is formed below, making up a stylized “G” shape. As the aura fades out, a curved boomerang-style trail is cut through the left side. A small point of light shines briefly on the top right end of the “G” upon completion. Throughout this formation, the word “GRUNDY” (in Copperplate Gothic font in white) fades-in below, with the respective company byline a split second later.

Bylines:

• 1997-2001: "A Pearson Television Company"
• 2001-2006: "A FREMANTLEMEDIA COMPANY"

Variants:

• In 1999, while the logo animated, the logo shifted down some to reveal "40 YEARS" above the logo with an arc.
• There was also a still shot of the logo.
• At the end of Bruce's Price is Right, another still variant was used with the Grundy logo at the top and the Yorkshire Television logo below with "YORKSHIRE TELEVISION CO-PRODUCTION" below. Speaking of Bruce Forsyth and Reg Grundy, another variant exists, but with the LWT logo below, and that can be found on reruns of the 1990s version of (Bruce Forsyth's) Play Your Cards Right (Card Sharks).
• On some BBC airings of Neighbours, the BBC logo would be shown below along with the URL "www.bbc.co.uk/neighbours".
• On shows in Germany, such as later episodes of Ruck Zuck (Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak) and Familien Duell (Family Feud), "LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT" would be under "GRUNDY".

FX/SFX: All CGI.

Music/Sounds: Usually, the end theme of the show. In the case of most game shows, there were three variations:

• The show's ending music was used when the logo was first shown on television.
• From early 1998, a majestic synth fanfare played during the logo's animation.
• In 1999, the music was changed to droning synth wind music, followed by a high-pitched stinger.

Availability: Seen on 1997-2006 episodes of Neighbours and all other Grundy shows during this logo's lifespan. The version with the music appeared on most game shows including Sale of the Century, Temptation  and the 2002 revival of Perfect Match, among others. In 1999, the logo replaced the All American-Fremantle International logo on foreign shows.

Editor's Note: None.

Other

• For other related logos and images see: Grundy Television/Other