TriStar Television (first spelled Tri-Star) is an American television production studio that was launched in 1986 by TriStar Pictures (the studio which is currently owned by Columbia Pictures; CBS was a partner but dropped out in 1985 and HBO in 1986).
History[]
The old logo used from until 1988
It was formed when Tri-Star Pictures joined forces with Stephen J. Cannell Productions and Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions and created a television distribution company called TeleVentures. By December 1987, Coca-Cola owned 80% Columbia Pictures Entertainment until January 1988, when it was reduced down to 49% and Tri-Star Television was combined with Columbia/Embassy Television into the reorganized Columbia Pictures Television (CPT) in January 1988. Columbia Pictures Entertainment was sold in 1989 to Sony of Japan in 1989. On July 11, 1990, both Tri-Star and Cannell dissolved the TeleVentures joint venture and Tri-Star sold its shares to Stephen J. Cannell Productions and TeleVentures became Cannell Distribution Co. Most of the series and the Tri-Star film packages that were distributed by TeleVentures were taken over by Columbia Pictures Television Distribution.
Revival and merger with Columbia Pictures Television[]
The TriStar Television logo used from 1991 to 1992.
CPT would continue on under Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), but TriStar Television was reestablished in October 1991 after CPT acquired some of the library of New World Television. Jon Feltheimer, who was president of New World Television became the new president of TriStar Television.[2] On February 21, 1994, TriStar Television merged with Columbia Pictures Television and formed Columbia TriStar Television (CTT).
The TriStar Television logo used from 1992 to 1999
When TriStar Television's productions were folded into Columbia TriStar Television in 1999, Early Edition (a joint production with CBS) retained the TriStar copyright until 2000. The final season of Malcolm & Eddie was later produced by CTT and TriStar Television operated in-name-only. On October 25, 2001, Columbia TriStar Network Television and Columbia TriStar Television Distribution merged to become Columbia TriStar Domestic Television. On September 16, 2002, SPE retired the Columbia and TriStar names from television, rechristening CTDT as Sony Pictures Television.
Second Revival[]
On May 28, 2015, TriStar Television was re-launched as a boutique production label for Sony Pictures Television. The revived studio will be run by Suzanne Patmore-Gibbs after being in-name-only for 15 years. The first new series was The Good Girls Revolt and was piloted for Amazon on November 5, 2015.
Filmography[]
| Title | Years | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown | 1986-1987 | CBS | |
| Take Five | 1987 | CBS | |
| Nothing in Common | 1987 | NBC | |
| Werewolf | 1987-1988 | FOX | then produced by Columbia Pictures Television in January 1988 |
| My Two Dads | 1987-1990 | NBC | then produced by Columbia Pictures Television in January 1988 |
| Buck James | 1987-1988 | ABC | then produced by Columbia Pictures Television in January 1988 |
| Get a Life | 1990-1992 | FOX | produced by New World Television from 1990-1991 |
| Charlie Hoover | 1991 | FOX | |
| The Fifth Corner | 1992 | NBC | |
| The Boys of Twilight | 1992 | CBS | Unsold pilot |
| Forever Knight | 1992-1996 | CBS | |
| The Edge | 1992-1993[7] | FOX | |
| Mad About You | 1992-1999 | NBC | |
| Tribeca | 1993 | FOX | |
| Good Advice | 1993-1994 | CBS | |
| The Nanny | 1993-1999 | CBS | finished under CTT |
| The Mighty Jungle | 1994 | The Family Channel | |
| TV Nation | 1994-1995 | NBC, FOX, BBC Two | |
| Women of the House | 1995 | CBS, Lifetime | |
| Simon | 1995-1996 | The WB | |
| Ned & Stacey | 1995-1997 | FOX | |
| Can't Hurry Love | 1995-1996 | CBS | produced in association with CBS Productions |
| Hudson Street | 1995-1996 | ABC | |
| Dead By Sunset | 1995 | NBC | mini-series |
| Matt Waters | 1996 | CBS | |
| The Dana Carvey Show | 1996 | ABC | |
| Malcolm & Eddie | 1996-1999 | UPN | Columbia TriStar Television from 1999-2000 |
| Moloney | 1996-1997 | CBS | |
| Love and Marriage | 1996 | FOX | |
| Early Edition | 1996-1999 | CBS | Columbia TriStar Television from 1999-2000, series co-produced by CBS, who handles domestic distribution rights while SPTI handles international rights. |
| Life... and Stuff | 1997 | CBS | |
| The Simple Life | 1998 | CBS | not the Paris Hilton/Nicole Richie series |
| Good Girls Revolt | 2015-2016 | Amazon | in association with Amazon Studios |
| Shut Eye | 2016-2017 | Hulu | in association with Gran Via Productions |
| The Last Tycoon | 2016-2017 | Amazon | in association with Amazon Studios |