| Viacom Productions | |
| Former Name: | Viacom Enterprises (1971–1994) |
| Type: | Subsidiary |
| Fate: | Folded into Paramount Network Television |
| Successor: | Paramount Television |
| Hq Location City: | Los Angeles, California |
| Hq Location Country: | United States |
| Products: | Television Production |
| Parent: | Viacom (1971–1995) Paramount Network Television (1995–2004) |
Viacom Productions (formerly Viacom Enterprises) was a television production arm of Viacom International. Viacom Enterprises was also a movie production, and a sports production. The division was active from 1971 until 2004, when the company was folded into Paramount Television 10 years following Viacom's acquisition of Paramount Pictures, and led Perry Simon to move itself to Paramount for a production deal.[1]
Viacom Enterprises was formed in 1971 as the successor of the pre-1968 CBS Films, later reincorporated as CBS Enterprises, Inc. in 1968. The company began handling the production and distribution of films around the same time, under the name "Viacom Productions" to produce first-run television series airing on the major networks.[2] In 1973, it was spun-off because it was against the FCC regulations for a television network to distribute its programs under its own name.
In 1977, after failed attempts to launch prime-time shows, Viacom decided to set up its own unit for prime-time programming, which was headed by Richard Reisberg, who had also saw program acquisition activities.[3]
The first primetime television show, movie, or sports to be produced by Viacom Productions for the ABC network was The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove.[4] The studio had development contracts with independent writers and producers. The studio made significant deals in 1977, when Roland Kibbee and Dean Hargrove left Universal for Viacom.[5]
In 1984, Thomas D. Tannenbaum became president of the studio.[6]
On March 11, 1994, Viacom acquired Paramount Communications, Inc. and Viacom Enterprises was folded into Paramount Domestic Television, by transferring the domestic rights of the Viacom library. Viacom International was later reorganized as the parent company of MTV Networks and Showtime Networks. Viacom transferred the international rights of the said library into Paramount International Television, while Viacom Productions was reincorporated as a production sub-division of Paramount Television.[7] The first hit came after the acquisition was Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, a show ABC aired from 1996 to 2000, followed by a run on The WB from 2000 to 2003.
Viacom Productions was folded into Paramount Network Television in 2004, amid financial troubles brought on to Viacom. The final two series to end under the Viacom Productions name are Ed and The Division.
| Viacom Pictures | |
| Industry: | Film production |
| Successor: | Paramount Pictures |
| Hq Location City: | Los Angeles, California |
| Hq Location Country: | United States |
| Parent: | Viacom Productions |
| Owner: | Viacom |
From 1991 to 1999, Viacom Productions produced some theatrical films and television films (primarily Showtime) under the brand Viacom Pictures. Viacom Pictures stopped producing theatrical films around 1995, after its parent acquired Paramount Communications, the parent of Paramount Pictures, though it continued to produce television films until 1999.
The division was originally formed in 1989 to produce television movies for Showtime and theatrical films, it was headed by Neil S. Braun, in an effort to compete with HBO, who had its own HBO Pictures division.[8]
Among select titles
| Title | Years | Network | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-1976 | co-production with Funhouse Productions | |||
| The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine | 1974-1975 | CBS | co-production with Funhouse Productions and Yongestreet Productions | |
| The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle | 1979–1981 | co-production with Filmation | ||
| Dear Detective | 1979 | CBS | co-production with Kibee-Hargrove Productions | |
| The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove | 1979 | ABC | co-production with Blinn/Thorpe Productions | |
| The Lazarus Syndrome | 1979 | ABC | co-production with Blinn/Thorpe Productions | |
| American Dream | 1981 | ABC | co-production with Mace Neufield Productions | |
| Nurse | 1981-1982 | CBS | co-production with Robert Halmi, Inc. | |
| The Devlin Connection | 1982 | co-production with Jerry Thorpe Productions and Mammoth Films, Inc. | ||
| Amanda's | 1983 | co-production with E&L Productions | ||
| Ace Crawford, Private Eye | 1983 | CBS | co-production with Conway Enterprises | |
| The Master | 1984 | co-production with Michael Sloan Productions | ||
| Me and Mom | 1985 | ABC | co-production with Hal Sitowitz Productions | |
| Easy Street | 1986–1987 | |||
| Matlock | 1986–1995 | co-produced by The Fred Silverman Company (Intermedia Entertainment Company in season 1) and Dean Hargrove Productions (Strathmore Productions in seasons 1–2), (season 9 only) | ||
| Frank's Place | 1987–1988 | |||
| 1987–1988 | co-production with Bakshi-Hyde Ventures | |||
| Jake and the Fatman | 1987–1992 | co-produced by The Fred Siverman Company and Dean Hargrove Productions (Strathmore Productions in season 1) | ||
| Father Dowling Mysteries | 1987–1991 | co-produced by The Fred Silverman Company and Dean Hargrove Productions | ||
| Snoops | 1989-1990 | CBS | co-production with Tima Love Productions and Solt/Egan Company | |
| 1990 | CBS | co-production with Dean Hargrove Productions | ||
| The Marshall Chronicles | 1990 | ABC | co-production with Sweetum Productions | |
| Flying Blind | 1992–1993 | co-production with Sweetum Productions and Paramount Network Television | ||
| Key West | 1993 | |||
| 1993–2001 | co-produced by The Fred Silverman Company and Dean Hargrove Productions | |||
| Deadly Games | 1995–1997 | |||
| Townies | 1996 | |||
| The Adventures of Corduroy | 1996–1997 | home video only | co-produced by Graz Entertainment | |
| Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | 1996–2003 | co-produced by Archie Comics, Hartbreak Films, and Finishing the Hat Productions (for season 1 only) | ||
| Oz | 1997-2003 | HBO | seasons 4-5 only; co-production with The Levinson/Fontana Company and Rysher Entertainment | |
| The Hoop Life | 1999–2000 | |||
| The Beat | 2000 | |||
| Ed | 2000–2004 | co-produced with NBC Productions and Worldwide Pants | ||
| The Division | 2001–2004 | co-produced by Kedzie Productions | ||
| Baby Bob | 2002–2003 | |||
| Jake 2.0 | 2003–2004 | |||
| The Handler | 2003-2004 | CBS | co-production with Haddock Entertainment | |
| The 4400 | 2004–2007 | season 2 by Paramount Network Television, last 2 seasons by CBS Paramount Network Television |
The 4400 continued as a Paramount Network Television production for season 2. The show became a CBS Paramount Network Television production for its last two seasons after the Viacom/CBS split at the end of 2005.
All shows from Viacom Productions are now owned by CBS Studios Productions, LLC., a holding company, and distributed by CBS Television Distribution (now CBS Media Vertures).