| TriStar Television, Inc. | |
| Former Name: | Tri-Star Television (1986–88) |
| Type: | Division |
| Fate: | Folded into Columbia Pictures Television (original) Merged with Columbia Pictures Television to form Columbia TriStar Television (first relaunch) Folded into Sony Pictures Television (second relaunch) |
| Parent: | TriStar Pictures (original) Sony Pictures Entertainment (first relaunch, 1991–94) Columbia TriStar Television (first relaunch, 1994–99) Sony Pictures Television (second relaunch) |
| Foundation: | (original) (first relaunch) (second relaunch) |
| Defunct: | (original) (first relaunch) (second relaunch) |
| Location: | 10202 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City, California, United States |
| Area Served: | Worldwide |
| Industry: | Television production |
TriStar Television, Inc. (first spelled Tri-Star, and abbreviated as TT) was an American television production studio that was a division of Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. TriStar Television was launched in March 1986 by TriStar Pictures, and remained a joint-venture between Columbia Pictures, CBS, and HBO until it was acquired by Sony, the parent of both Columbia and TriStar. After a purchase by Sony Pictures Entertainment, both companies Columbia Pictures Television and TriStar Television merged and formed Columbia TriStar Television on February 21, 1994. The television studio was relaunched twice, most recently as a specialty label for Sony Pictures Television. The entity was originally a sister company of Columbia Pictures Television, which was shut down in 2001. Sony shut down the division again in May 2024.
It was formed when Tri-Star Pictures joined forces with Stephen J. Cannell Productions and Witt/Thomas Productions and created a television distribution company called TeleVentures. Scott Siegler was immediately hired as president of the studio. As the Tri-Star Television studio rolled around, the company inked overall deals with various personnel, like Ron Samuels, Richard Leder, Michael Jacobs, Larry Tucker, Donald P. Bellisario, Jim Green and Larry Epstein to help develop projects for the studio and decided that they would be involved in various television movies.[1]
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 then merged with Columbia/Embassy Television into the reorganized Columbia Pictures Television (CPT), although TeleVentures was retained to handle sales of the existing Tri-Star programs that were inherited under contract to CPT, which would continue as a separate sales and distribution company from the CPT unit.[2] Scott remained president of the studio until he left in 1993.[3] Columbia Pictures Entertainment was sold in November 1989 to Sony of Japan.
In the late of 1988, Witt/Thomas Productions withdrew from the TeleVentures venture, ceding it to Walt Disney Television, and sold its shares to Cannell.[4] 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.[5]
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.[6] Jon Feltheimer, who was president of New World Television became the new president of TriStar Television.[6] On March 15, 1993, star Larry Hagman had signed a deal with the studio to develop projects for the 1993-94 TV season.[7] On February 21, 1994, TriStar Television merged with Columbia Pictures Television and formed Columbia TriStar Television (CTT).[8] [9] In 1997, most new shows, and some existing TriStar shows like Early Edition, shifted from TriStar Television to CTT, and also in January 1997, changed monikers from Sony Television Entertainment to Columbia TriStar Television Group.[10]
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 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, renaming CTDT as Sony Pictures Television.[11]
On May 28, 2015, TriStar Television was re-launched as a boutique production label for Sony Pictures Television. Until her death in March 2018, the revived studio was run by Suzanne Patmore-Gibbs after being in-name-only for 15 years.[12] The first new series was Good Girls Revolt and was piloted for Amazon Prime Video on November 5, 2015.[12]
On May 31, 2024, Sony announced it was shutting down its TriStar Television boutique label and was folded into its drama department. The move was announced after the departures of Nicole Norwood and Jennifer Turner. Newer projects in development were taken over by Sony Pictures Television.[13]
| Title | Years | Network | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown | 1986–1987 | Co-production with Ron Samuels Productions | ||
| Take Five | 1987 | Co-production with Imagine Television and Empire City Presentations | ||
| Nothing in Common | Co-production with Rastar Television Based on the 1986 film of the same name by Tri-Star Pictures | |||
| Werewolf | 1987–1988 | Produced by Columbia Pictures Television in 1988 | ||
| My Two Dads | 1987–1990 | Co-production with Michael Jacobs Productions Produced by Columbia Pictures Television from 1988 to 1990 | ||
| Buck James | 1987–1988 | Co-production with Robert E. Fuisz-William F. Storke Productions Produced by Columbia Pictures Television in 1988 | ||
| Get a Life | 1991–1992 | Co-production with Elliottland Productions and Mirkinvision Produced by New World Television from 1990 to 1991 | ||
| The Adventures of Mark & Brian | Co-production with Don Mischer Productions, Frontier Pictures and New World Television | |||
| Charlie Hoover | 1991 | Co-production with Ian Gurvitz Productions and Brillstein-Grey Entertainment | ||
| The Fifth Corner | 1992 | Co-production with Jon Herzfield Productions and Adelson-Baumgarten Productions | ||
| The Boys of Twilight | Co-production with Echo Cove Productions | |||
| Forever Knight | 1992–1996 | Co-production with Glen Warren Entertainment, Paragon Media Corporation and Tele München | ||
| The Edge | 1992–1993 | Co-production with Mirkinvision[14] | ||
| Mad About You | 1992–1999 | Co-production with In Front Productions and Nuance Productions Produced by Sony Pictures Television in 2019 | ||
| Tribeca | 1993 | Co-production with Montana Beach Productions and TriBeCa Productions | ||
| Good Advice | 1993–1994 | Co-production with In Front Productions and Itzbinso Long Productions | ||
| The Nanny | 1993–1999 | Co-production with Sternin & Fraser Ink Inc. and Highschool Sweethearts (1995–1999) | ||
| The Mighty Jungle | 1994 | Co-production with Le Sabre, Goodman/Rosen Productions and Alliance Communications | ||
| TV Nation | 1994–1995 | Co-production with Dog Eat Dog Films and BBC | ||
| Women of the House | 1995 | CBS (episodes 1–8) Lifetime (episodes 9–13) | Co-production with Bloodworth-Thomason Mozark Productions and Perseverance Inc. | |
| Simon | 1995–1996 | Co-production with In Front Productions | ||
| Ned and Stacey | 1995–1997 | Co-production with Hanley Productions | ||
| Can't Hurry Love | 1995–1996 | Co-production with The Producers Entertainment Group Ltd., Axelrod-Widdoes Productions and CBS Productions | ||
| Hudson Street | Co-production with Katie Face Productions | |||
| Dead By Sunset | 1995 | Co-production with Craig Anderson Productions Miniseries | ||
| Matt Waters | 1996 | Co-production with Christmas Tree Entertainment and James D. Pariott Productions | ||
| Malcolm & Eddie | 1996–1999 | Co-production with Jeff Franklin Productions Produced by Columbia TriStar Television from 1999 to 2000 | ||
| Moloney | 1996–1997 | Co-production with Predawn Productions and CBS Productions | ||
| Love and Marriage | 1996 | Co-production with Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions | ||
| Early Edition | 1996–1997 | Co-production with Three Characters Productions (seasons 1 and 2), Angelica Films (seasons 1 and 2) and CBS Productions Produced by Columbia TriStar Television from 1997 to 2000 | ||
| Life... and Stuff | 1997 | Co-production with Sommers-Teitelbaum-David and Perrgood Productions | ||
| Good Girls Revolt | 2015–2016 | Co-production with Lynda Obst Productions, Annabelita Films, Farm Kid and Amazon Studios | ||
| Shut Eye | 2016–2017 | Co-production with Peg + Les and Gran Via Productions | ||
| The Last Tycoon | Co-production with Kippster Entertainment, City Entertainment, Brady American Productions, Home Run Productions, Inc. and Amazon Studios | |||
| On Becoming a God in Central Florida | 2019 | Co-production with Smoke House Pictures, Pali Eyes Pictures and Showtime Networks | ||
| The Afterparty | 2022–2023 | Co-production with Lord Miller Productions and Sony Pictures Television Studios | ||
| Lucky Hank | 2023 | Co-production with Afternoon Nap Productions, Ponyboy Productions, Gran Via Productions, Le Foole Inc. and AMC Studios |