CBS Productions
Encyclopedia
CBS Productions is the production arm of the CBS
television network now a part of CBS Corporation, formed in 1952 to produce shows in-house, instead of relying solely on outside productions. Its first production was CBS Television Workshop
, a drama
anthology series. It featured an early appearance of Audrey Hepburn
.
Later productions of note included the Original Perry Mason
, The Twilight Zone
, Gunsmoke
, The Wild Wild West
, Hawaii Five-O
, Touched by an Angel
, Walker, Texas Ranger
and 1998-2006 episodes of The King of Queens
, the CSI franchise and season 1 of 90210
.
Prior to 1978, CBS Productions was credited in its entertainment programs merely as "The CBS Television Network". From 1978-1995, the company was known as CBS Entertainment Productions.
Distribution rights to most CBS-produced entertainment programming, especially those that debuted prior to 1971, was acquired that year by Viacom Enterprises
, the syndication unit of Viacom
, which was created to spin out
CBS's domestic syndication
and cable television operations. CBS retained ownership of these programs (including the rights to release them for other media, such as VHS
and later DVD
) with at least one exception—the Terrytoons
library, which was acquired by Viacom with the split, as CBS saw no value in the cartoons. Viacom and CBS rejoined in 1999 with Viacom's acquisition of CBS.
On January 17, 2006, following the resplitting of CBS and Viacom, CBS Entertainment was merged with Paramount Television
to form CBS Paramount Television, whose main production division, CBS Paramount Network Television
, continued to produce the former CBS Productions shows that are still running. Later on September 26, 2006, CBS Paramount Domestic Television
, CBS Paramount International Television
, CBS Home Entertainment, and King World were combined to form CBS Television Distribution
.
On September 2, 2008, after becoming defunct in 2006, the CBS Productions name was re-activated to continue producing new episodes of 90210 on The CW. 90210 was the first series produced by the resurrected CBS Productions name.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television network now a part of CBS Corporation, formed in 1952 to produce shows in-house, instead of relying solely on outside productions. Its first production was CBS Television Workshop
CBS Television Workshop
CBS Television Workshop was a 1952 television series famous for an early appearance of Audrey Hepburn and James Dean.On 13 January 1952, in the very first episode, a dramatized 30 minute version of Don Quixote starring Boris Karloff and directed by Sidney Lumet, Grace Kelly made an appearance as...
, a drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
anthology series. It featured an early appearance of Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
.
Later productions of note included the Original Perry Mason
Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
, The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
, Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, The Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
, Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
, Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
, Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
and 1998-2006 episodes of The King of Queens
The King of Queens
The King of Queens is an American sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007.This show was produced by Hanley Productions and CBS Productions , CBS Paramount Television ,and CBS Television Studios in association with Columbia TriStar Television , and Sony Pictures...
, the CSI franchise and season 1 of 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
.
Prior to 1978, CBS Productions was credited in its entertainment programs merely as "The CBS Television Network". From 1978-1995, the company was known as CBS Entertainment Productions.
Distribution rights to most CBS-produced entertainment programming, especially those that debuted prior to 1971, was acquired that year by Viacom Enterprises
Viacom Enterprises
Viacom Enterprises was a television distribution company formed in 1971 as the successor to CBS Enterprises, and spun off in 1973 due to now-repealed FCC bylaws prohibiting networks from syndicating their own shows....
, the syndication unit of Viacom
Viacom (1971–2005)
Viacom , stylized as VIACOM in its current logo, was an American media conglomerate. It was the owner of CBS, Nickelodeon & MTV, among others. Effective December 31, 2005, this corporate entity changed its name to CBS Corporation...
, which was created to spin out
Spin out
A spin-out, also known as a spin-off or a starburst, refers to a type of corporate action where a company "splits off" sections of itself as a separate business....
CBS's domestic syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
and cable television operations. CBS retained ownership of these programs (including the rights to release them for other media, such as VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and later DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
) with at least one exception—the Terrytoons
Terrytoons
Terrytoons was an animation studio founded by Paul Terry. The studio, located in suburban New Rochelle, New York, operated from 1929 to 1968. Its most popular characters included Mighty Mouse, Gandy Goose, Sourpuss, Dinky Duck, Deputy Dawg, Luno and Heckle and Jeckle; these cartoons and all of its...
library, which was acquired by Viacom with the split, as CBS saw no value in the cartoons. Viacom and CBS rejoined in 1999 with Viacom's acquisition of CBS.
On January 17, 2006, following the resplitting of CBS and Viacom, CBS Entertainment was merged with Paramount Television
Paramount Television
Paramount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
to form CBS Paramount Television, whose main production division, CBS Paramount Network Television
CBS Paramount Network Television
CBS Paramount Network Television was the main production arm of CBS Paramount Television, a division of CBS Corporation. It was known as Paramount Network Television and CBS Productions until 2006.It is now CBS Television Studios, starting in fall 2009....
, continued to produce the former CBS Productions shows that are still running. Later on September 26, 2006, CBS Paramount Domestic Television
CBS Paramount Domestic Television
CBS Paramount Domestic Television was an American television distribution company/production that was formed on January 17, 2006 and owned by CBS Corporation...
, CBS Paramount International Television
CBS Paramount International Television
CBS Studios International is a leading supplier of programming to the international television marketplace, licensing to over 200 markets and more than 30 languages across multiple media platforms...
, CBS Home Entertainment, and King World were combined to form CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
.
On September 2, 2008, after becoming defunct in 2006, the CBS Productions name was re-activated to continue producing new episodes of 90210 on The CW. 90210 was the first series produced by the resurrected CBS Productions name.