Background[]
MTE (abbreviation for "MCA Television Entertainment", or in some cases "MCA Television Enterprises") was a television production division of both MCA TV and Universal Television. Established in 1989, it mainly produced made-for-TV movies, but also produced cable TV movies and television shows for HBO and USA, which were more than likely financed independently by outside producers and production companies. Even in its initial existence, finding (or, for that matter, paying attention to) an MTE logo was rather rare even while Dream On was on the air.
In December 1996, MCA was reincorporated as Universal Studios, and as a result, MTE was renamed to "Universal Television Entertainment" (a.k.a. "UTE"), and was later renamed to "Studios USA Pictures" (not to be confused to "USA Pictures") in 1998.
1st Logo (1989-1991)[]
Nicknames: "The Nightmare Globe", "CGI Globe", "CGI Zooming Globe"
Logo: From a dark outer space background with stars moving forward in medium speed, a colorful, more physically-correct earth than its Universal predecessor at the time (now with greener land, a bluer-looking body of water and an icy white Arctic Ocean surrounded by clouds) zooms toward the screen with lightning speed and then immediately pans down to reveal a large gold shining group of letters, "MTE" in the MCA font (though slightly resembling the GTE logo), rotating and then zooming back against the globe which now appears again from the bottom, facing a bit down, and has stationed itself behind the letters, rotating also at an abnormal speed. After the letters and globe lock into place, the byline "AN MCA COMPANY" "glitters" in starting from a little left of the center, revealing some of the MCA logo in its stylized font, and then the rest of the byline and the words "AN" and "COMPANY" in a bold Helvetica type font. All the byline is on a stone-like texture. The text shines afterwards.
Variants:
- The logo exists in filmed and videotaped versions. The filmed version is noticeably darker with more bronze-like lettering.
- A short variant exists.
FX/SFX: The extremely fast zooming out of the globe, the rotating of the gold shining text. A unique, magnificent early CGI MCA/Universal globe rendition of Universal that appeared to define the future of MCA logos a few years ahead of its 75th Anniversary.
Music/Sounds: A custom extended rendition of the 1975 Universal Television theme consisting of a deep tympani drum roll, accompanied mainly by a Roland D-50 internal factory patch "Fantasia", followed/preceded by a swift whooshing sound (for the globe), and concluded by a slow eight-note horn fanfare (three extra notes precede the general five notes from the Universal Television counterpart), of which the last note is the loudest. In other cases, it is silent or uses the end theme of the show/movie.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- On some TV movies from 1989 such as Nightlife, the fanfare was recomposed and there was a high wind blowing sound throughout the entire logo until the last note. The whooshing sound for the globe was removed in this particular case.
- On High Desert Kill, the fanfare is reverberated.
- In rare cases for the short variant, the fanfare would begin at around the 5th note.
- On the She-Wolf of London episode "Beyond the Beyond", the late 1986 Universal Television logo theme is used on the short variant.
Availability: Rare.
- It was found on a few movies aired on HBO and USA such as Silhouette, The Hollywood Detective, Running Against Time, Curiosity Kills and on few series in syndication. Notable shows where it would have been most available include early season 1 episodes of Swamp Thing and She-Wolf of London, early episodes of They Came From Outer Space, and season 1 episodes of Dream On.
- It is seen at times on Sleuth (now "Cloo") and Chiller, and still preserved on the DVDs of the first two seasons of Dream On, Swamp Thing, and She-Wolf of London, as well as the Kino Lorber Blu-ray release of the TV movie I'm Dangerous Tonight.
- The videotaped version was found on the 1989 TV movie Trapped.
- On Hulu's prints of Dream On, it was plastered by the 1990 MCA TV logo.
- Starting in 1990, it would be used in tandem with the next logo until 1991.
Editor's Note: While a great-looking logo for the time, its loud and dramatic rendition of the Universal Television fanfare alongside the fast visual pace has been known to put off several viewers.
2nd Logo (1990-1996)[]
Nicknames: "Universal Globe", "The Gold Version", "MCA Globe II", "90s Globe", "90s MCA Globe"
Logo: A globe is seen rotating and zooming out to the center slowly on the starfield background from the 1990-1997 Universal Pictures logo. As the globe reaches into the center, the gold-tinted "MTE" lettering, in a bigger, bolder rendition of the Gothic-like font with the yellow gradient texture on it, fades in on-screen and zooms back against the globe. Once it has stopped, the byline, "AN MCA COMPANY" appears in spaced-out letters like in the 1990-1997 Universal Pictures logo. "MTE" then shines twice.
Variants:
- There is a prototype variant where "MTE" fades in transparently and it doesn't shine. Also, the text zooms back from a bit more closer than usual and is shifted right a little along with the MCA byline and both the globe and the starfield are a bit darker. As the logo fades out, the last thing to be seen is the transparent "MTE".
- On some TV movies like Murder 101, it is notably darker.
FX/SFX: The zooming back and shining of the gold lettering name, the globe rotating.
Music/Sounds: An eight note saxophone tune composed by Dana Kaproff. In other cases, it is silent or uses the end theme of the show/movie.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- When it ran in tandem with the previous logo, its extended fanfare would sometimes be used. The on-screen "wiping" appearance of the letters is timed perfectly with the "whoosh" sound heard in the first few seconds of the music.
- On the Dream On episode "Flight of the Pedalbee", it uses the music from the next logo.
Availability: Rare. It was used in tandem with the previous logo until 1991.
- This was seen on Swamp Thing: The Series, Dream On since season 2, She-Wolf of London (which was known as Love & Curses around that time), and They Came From Outer Space, as well as a few TV movies on HBO, and home video such as Murder 101, Dead in the Water, The Lookalike, and Psycho IV: The Beginning.
- The prototype variant can be seen on the TV movie Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture.
- Sometimes, on VHS releases of TV movies like In the Company of Darkness and A Mother's Prayer, the logo is blacked out in favor of the Universal Pictures logo at the beginning, also being the case with the DVD release of Psycho IV: The Beginning. However, like the first logo, it is preserved on DVDs of Dream On (also like the first logo, Hulu prints plaster it with the 1990 MCA TV logo there), She-Wolf of London, Swamp Thing, and a few TV movies like Murder 101 and Strays.
- This logo also appeared on Return of Ironside.
Editor's Note: The saxophone theme and more limited animation makes this much, much tamer compared to the first logo, though the latter's fanfare would sometimes remain early on.
3rd Logo (1994-1996)[]
Nicknames: "The Ghost Globe", "The Globeless Logo", "The Lonely Globe", "Snubbed Globe", "The Lonely Letters", "Mystery MTE", "The Invisible Globe", "MCA Globe III", "The Ghost of the MCA Globe", "The Reflection Globe", "90s MCA Globe II"
Logo: Against a dark, static, milky space background, the globe of the 1990-1997 Universal Pictures logo (minus the "UNIVERSAL" text and MCA byline) stands still and then pans down, obscuring itself into the bottom of a golden letter "T" which fades in before the viewer, zooming back from a forward angle into the center of the screen. It is soon joined by a corresponding letter "M" coming in from the screen's left, and an "E" coming in from the right. The letters slowly align to a soft stop in which they are just slightly spread apart; the byline "AN MCA COMPANY" fades in underneath. All letters are in a generic Helvetica font.
Variants:
- From its introduction, and for the majority of its run, the animation would begin halfway -- particularly from after the obscuring of the globe.
- Depending on the print, the letters can be seen in either a straight solid gold tint or a red-orange tint.
- A still variant was used on Fudge.
FX/SFX: The zooming back/up of the lettering. None for the still variant.
Music/Sounds: A one note synth theme with a low horn sustains the 3rd note of Universal Television's 1990 theme, with chimes and wind blowing. In other cases, it is silent or uses the end theme of the show/movie.
Availability: Very rare.
- This was seen on even fewer TV movies, mostly on HBO, than that of its predecessor. Can possibly be found in vintage or used video stores on MCA/Universal videocassettes which bear the copyright to "MTE, Inc." or "MCA Television Enterprises".
- This logo has appeared on Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again, season 6 episodes of Dream On starting with "Bess You Is Not My Woman Now" (although some episodes from that season used the previous logo), and the short-lived series Campus Cops.
- It also appears on other TV movies such as Bionic Ever After? and The Beast.