Spelling Television

Spelling Television Inc.

Formerly	Aaron Spelling Productions (1965–1989) Spelling Entertainment Inc. (1988–1992)
Company type	In-name-only unit ofCBS Studios
Traded as	NYSE:SP
Industry	Television
Founded	October 25, 1965(1965-10-25)(asAaron Spelling Productions)
Founder	Aaron Spelling
Defunct	May 13, 2007(2007-05-13)
Fate	Folded by CBS
Successor	CBS Studios
Headquarters	Los Angeles,California , United States
Services	Television production
Parent	Spelling Entertainment Group (1991–1999) Paramount Television(1999–2006) CBS Paramount Television(2006–2007)
Subsidiaries	Worldvision Enterprises(1989–1999, folded intoParamount Domestic Television) Laurel Entertainment Torand Productions Big Ticket Television Virgin Interactive(1994–1998)

Spelling Television Inc.was an American televisionproduction companythat went through several name changes. It was originally calledAaron Spelling Productions,thenSpelling Entertainment Inc.and eventually part ofSpelling Entertainment Group.The company produced popular shows such asThe Love Boat,Dynasty,Beverly Hills, 90210,7th Heaven,Melrose PlaceandCharmed.The company was founded by television producerAaron Spellingon October 25, 1965. The company is currently an in-name-only unit ofCBS Studios.A related company,Spelling-Goldberg Productions,co-existed during a portion of the same time period and produced other well-known shows such asFamily,Charlie's Angels,Starsky & Hutch,andFantasy Islandbut these series are not part of the modern day library now owned by Paramount Global. Another related company, The Douglas S. Cramer Company co-existed during a portion of the same time period (held byDouglas S. Cramer,who held the position as Executive VP),produced shows likeWonder Woman,Joe and Sons,andBridget Loves Bernieand television films likeDawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway.

Background

On October 25, 1965, after his exit fromFour Star Televisionas a staff writer prior to becoming a producer, Aaron Spelling formed his own company Aaron Spelling Productions, with a two-year exclusive agreement atUnited Artists Television.

Thomas-Spelling Productions was atelevisionproduction companyformed by comedianDanny Thomasand producerAaron Spellingon April 15, 1966, as a partnership with 24 properties. The company adopted its name by July 18, 1966, when it announced the financial involvement of ABC with its first show,Range(laterRango), a half-hour comedy western starringTim Conway.ABCalso picked up another show for a pilot, just in an outline treatment, inThe Guns of Will Sonnett.Thomas-Spelling Productions' active operations ended with the last season ofThe Mod Squadin 1972, with Spelling forming a new partnership withLeonard Goldberg,called Spelling-Goldberg Productions.

History

Spelling, who was still involved with Thomas-Spelling Productions, signed an exclusive deal with ABC via Aaron Spelling Productions for TV series and feature films.

In the late 1970s/early 1980s, Spelling was called king in television. In 1982, Aaron Spelling Productions struck a deal withWarner Bros. Television Distributionfor worldwide syndication rights to future Spelling productions.In 1984, Spelling had seven shows for the ABC television network, accounting for one-third their prime time schedule. This outweighed other production companies by a large margin, leading many industry insiders to dub ABC as "Aaron's Broadcasting Company".Spelling himself was never amused with this name.

Aaron Spelling Productions went public in 1986 after raising $80 million.In May 1987, Spelling decided to expand into feature production, with five projects already in the works for different studios, and four projects ASP is heading up for the development slate.On August 17, 1987, Spelling extended its contract with ABC for three more years.On September 28, 1987, Spelling's arrangement with ABC became non-exclusive as it was signed a deal to other networks.In 1988, Aaron Spelling Productions acquiredLaurel Entertainmentand most of theTaft Entertainment Company,includingWorldvision Enterprises, Inc.All three companies became part of Spelling Entertainment Inc. – though Worldvision was the only Taft division to continue operating. The sale was completed on March 1, 1989.In 1990, the company started Spelling Films International as a distributor for feature films such as feature film financing.

In the early 1990sBeverly Hills, 90210andMelrose Placehelped propel Fox even higher and reach a new generation of young teen viewers.Sunset Beachwas Spelling's first and only foray into the daytime soap opera genre and whilst short lived, was incredibly popular abroad. Also in the 1990s the WB was launched and their longest running, highest rated and most successful show during their time in operation was7th Heavenfor ten seasons. By 2006, another new network, The CW, used7th Heavenin their first season in operation as the newest network;7th Heaven,in fact, turned out to be the last network broadcast series produced by Spelling Television. Spelling's ABC, Fox, and WB shows were enormously successful for the company and they wasted no time entering into the world of merchandise in the 1980s and 1990s. The company also was one of the first production companies to actively run a website for a show they produced, when the internet was just taking off in the 1990s. The website was forMelrose Place.

Spelling Entertainment Inc. was acquired byCharter Companyon April 6, 1991.On March 31, 1992, Spelling and Charter announced a merger agreement.On October 5, 1992, Charter changed its name to Spelling Entertainment Group Inc. and updated its NYSE ticker symbol to SP.On October 5, 1993, Blockbuster, Inc. acquired a controlling stake in Spelling Entertainment Group.On April 28, 1994, Spelling Entertainment acquiredRepublic Picturesfor $100 million.

Viacom acquisition

On September 29, 1994, Blockbuster merged with Viacom. Blockbuster by then owned 67% of Spelling Entertainment.After the merger, Spelling Entertainment integrated Worldvision into theirRepublic Picturesunit, thus dismantling Worldvision as a production company. Worldvision distribution functions continued until 1999, when it was folded intoParamount Domestic Televisionthat year and assumed distribution functions (Viacom had bought Paramount Communications – formerlyGulf+Western– the parent ofParamount Picturesand itstelevision division,in 1994).

In 1995, Viacom attempted to sell its then-78% share of Spelling. One reason was that they wanted to recoup the debt incurred from buying Paramount Communications. Also, they felt that the operations of Spelling Television was too similar to its Paramount Television division. Potential bids came fromPolyGram,New World Entertainment,andNews Corporation.These plans were called off in 1996 as Viacom could not find the perfect bidder.The remainder of Spelling Entertainment was then acquired by Viacom on June 23, 1999.

Before the merger with Viacom, most of Spelling's shows were distributed by Worldvision, with older Spelling shows distributed by several others includingWarner Bros. Televisionand20th Television.

The company's first home was a suite of offices on the old Warners lot in Hollywood. A newer base followed when the company was an original anchor tenant of the Wilshire Courtyard buildings in LA's revitalized Miracle Mile district. Aaron Spelling was said to have loved his old office's 1970s shag carpet so much that he had it removed piece by piece and installed in the new office. The company grew so large with so many different entities that at one point it leased all three top floors of the 5700 building and held additional office space across the street. Aaron Spelling had one of the largest offices in Hollywood for a single executive. Upon the company's exit, media companies from all over Los Angeles vied for the desirable office suites; the newly formedThe CWbriefly looked at the offices when considering a location for the new start-up network. Spelling Television briefly moved to smaller offices in Santa Monica in 2006.

By 2000,Aaron Spellingremained active and involved as CEO until his death in 2006. Company president Jonathan Levin handled day-to-day operations and longtime Spelling producing partner,E. Duke Vincenthelped guide the successful production company. In late 2005, Spelling Television had downsized its staff and signed into a pod development and production deal with Paramount Television, and moved its employees there to Paramount.

CBS/ViacomCBS/Paramount Global era

Spelling Television was eventually downsized even further and became a small "production shingle" under CBS Paramount Television (nowCBS Studios), a division ofCBS Corporation(nowParamount Global), with a small staff. After Aaron Spelling's June 2006 death, the following May saw Spelling Television shut down and becoming an in-name-only unit of CBS Studios.

Spelling's library today

The CBS/Viacom split essentially resulted in the de-merger of Spelling and Republic. CBS retained the rights to the television side of the Spelling/Republic library, while Viacom (Paramount) retained the theatrical and direct-to-video sides of the library.

Currently, all television programs that were produced or acquired by Spelling Television are distributed byCBS Media Ventures.

The Spelling Television company logo and series were seen on broadcast television for the last time during the rerun of the7th Heavenseries finale on September 16, 2007. The Spelling logo continues to appear on the covers of DVD releases of the Spelling library except for those shows owned outright bySony Pictures Television,and shows that were not originally produced by Spelling although eventually later acquired, such asBonanza.

In late 2008, some of Spelling Television's productions, includingBeverly Hills, 90210,Melrose Place,Twin Peaks,andThe Love Boatbegan streaming full episodes online through CBS's website under the Classics page.

Since 2015, CBS-ownedPop,formerly called TVGN, airs many of these shows, whileParamount+streaming service and the CBS portal onHuludistribute the shows online.

In December 2019, CBS Corporation and Viacomremergedinto a single entity under the name ViacomCBS (and eventually renamed intoParamount Global), which reunited Spelling library and Republic library full-circles back.

Spelling Entertainment Group

Spelling Entertainment Television logo.

Before the full acquisition by Viacom in 1999 (where only Spelling Television would be left standing as a separate operating unit), Spelling Entertainment Group's holdings consisted of the following:

• Spelling Television and most of the libraries of ancestor companies (excludingSpelling-Goldberg Productionsproperties which were sold off toColumbia Pictures Television,modern daySony Pictures Television,and the earliest telemovies up until 1973, which is owned byDisney–ABC Domestic Television)
  • Big Ticket Entertainmentlaunched in 1994 (now a unit ofCBS Studios)
  • Spelling Daytime Television launched as a separate division for daytime production based at NBC.
  • Torand Productions
  • Laurel Entertainment, Inc.
  • Spelling Films
  • Republic Picturesincluding:
    • much of its own library of films and in-house TV series
    • The inherited holdings ofNational Telefilm Associates(NTA), which itself includes:
      • It's a Wonderful Life
      • Most of Paramount's own classic short subject library including the pre-October 1950 Famous Studios short subject library
      • Some early pre-1952United Artistsmaterial (includingHigh Noon)
      • Pre-1973NBC Filmsshows, such asGet Smart,The High ChaparralandBonanza
  • Worldvision Enterprisesacquired in 1989:
    • TheSunn Classic Picturestelevision and Titus Productions libraries
    • The Taft International Pictures and Taft Entertainment Television libraries, including the game showBlackout
    • Majority of theQM Productionslibrary.
    • Pre-1973ABC Filmsshows, as well as U.S. television rights toNBC'sLittle House on the Prairie(premiered in 1974)
    • The television rights to most of theCarolco Pictureslibrary
    • TeleUNO, Latin American cable network launched in 1993
  • Virgin Interactive(91%, acquired in 1994)

In 1998, Spelling divested in several assets in an attempt to focus solely on television. Spelling Films was shut down, as well as their home video arm (which operated under the Republic brand).In May 1998, TeleUNO was acquired bySony Pictures.In September 1998, Spelling licensed the North American home video rights to its library toArtisan Entertainment,initially for seven years. That same month, Virgin Interactive's software development assets were sold toElectronic Arts.

After the late 2005 corporate split between Viacom and CBS Corporation, some of the above have gone to each company. Films mostly went to Viacom'sParamount Picturesunit and television with CBS Corporation'sCBS Television Distributionunit until the2019 re-merger,while the Selznick films went to the various territorialtelevision syndicationdivisions ofThe Walt Disney Company/ABC,as ABC itself holds the rights to the Selznick films.

As for DVD rights, these are also split (and later reunited again):

• Paramount Home Entertainmentowns worldwide DVD rights to the television library; as a part of the originalParamount Television,Spelling content is released under theCBS Home Entertainmentbanner (one exception being the United Kingdom rights toTwin Peaks,which, due to prior contracts, are handled byUniversal Pictures Home Entertainmentthrough its Universal Playback label). Another exception isHolocaust,a miniseries Spelling acquired in the Taft Entertainment acquisition - CBS has licensed DVD rights to various other companies outside the US, while Paramount/CBS owns the United States rights.
• In the United States, a few of the films (most notablyIt's a Wonderful Life) have DVD rights owned by Paramount, but the rest were distributed byLionsgate Home Entertainment,successor to previous Spelling/Republic video licenseeArtisan Entertainment,but was shifted to Olive Films. In the rest of the world, DVD rights to the films are owned by various other companies (for example, Universal in the UK, and Paramount themselves in France and Region 4).

Past names

• Aaron Spelling Productions (1965–1988)
• Spelling Entertainment Inc. (1988–1992)
• Spelling Entertainment Group (1992–1999)

See also

• Aaron Spelling
• Spelling-Goldberg Productions
• Worldvision Enterprises
• Republic Pictures