TriStar
Television
Written and Compiled by Nicholas Aczel
and Michael Bode
1st Logo
(1982-1987)
Logo: A violet triangle, with a golden
border and the text
TRI
STAR
stacked on each other, zooms out and plasters itself on a black
background, above which the pegasus is seen posed as in the movie
logo. The text "TELEVISION" appears below.
FX: The triangle zooming out, the "TELEVISION" appearing.
Cheesy Factor:
"TELEVISION" looks very tacked/chyroned on, and the end
product of the logo looks very poorly filmed.
Music: The last six notes of the '80s TriStar movie
fanfare.
Availability: Near Extinction. Recently appeared on 2-4
episodes of "My Two Dads" on USA, and was also spotted
on "Werewolf," but other than that it has been replaced
with the Sony Pictures Television logo or the Columbia-Tristar
Boxes of Boredom.
Scare Factor: Median, can catch you off guard thanks to the zoom out and sudden fanfare.
2nd Logo
(1991-1993)
TriStar Television was dissolved into Columbia Pictures Television in late 1987, but was re-established in the fall of 1991.
Logo: On a dark gray background, the company name (same font as the '80s logo, only in CGI and a light silver color) zooms in the center of the screen:
TRI
STAR
TELEVISION
Then the Pegasus (also '80s style) appears sparkling next to "Tri."
FX: The text zooming out and the
sparkling of the Pegasus.
Music: None, usually had the show's closing theme ending
over it.
Availability: Appeared on "The Edge," "Get
a Life," and "The Fifth Corner." Can still be seen
on Rhino Home Video's "Get a Life" VHS and DVD.
Scare Factor: None
3rd Logo
(1993-1999)
Logo: We see the white, winged
pegasus posed on the dreamy, sun-lit, cloud-filled sky as in the
movie logo. "TRISTAR" appears on the top of the screen
in bold, white text, and on the bottom of the screen in smaller
text (same font as the '90s CPT logo), "TRISTAR
TELEVISION" with the byline "A SONY PICTURES
ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY."
FX: None, this is a still logo.
Music: A 5-note majestic orchestral fanfare with bells.
Availability: It appeared on "Mad About You,"
"Early Edition," "Malcolm & Eddie,"
"The Nanny," and "Ned and Stacey" among other
shows, but recent broadcasts replace it with the SPT logo.
Scare Factor: Low