George Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney and Warner Bros. Television Studios: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox_Company |
{{for|the American congressman|George B. Rodney}}
company_name = Warner Bros. Television |
[[Image:Mosnier, George Rodney.jpg|thumb|200px|''Admiral George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney'', by [[Jean-Laurent Mosnier]], painted 1791]]
company_logo = [[Image:Warner Bros Television.jpg|300px|Warner Bros. Television shield.]] |
company_type = [[Subsidiary]] of [[Time Warner]] |
foundation = [[1955]]|
founder = [[William T. Orr]]|
location_city = [[Burbank, California]]|
location_country = {{USA}} |
key_people = [[Barry Meyer]], Chairman and CEO<br />[[Alan F. Horn]], President and COO<br />[[Edward A. Romano]] EVP and CFO<br>|
num_employees = |
industry = [[Television production]]|
products = [[Television program]]s |
revenue = {{profit}}$11.7 billion [[United States dollar|USD]] (2007)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.aspx?Feed=BW&Date=20080206&ID=8146081&Symbol=TWX |title=Time Warner Inc. Reports Results for 2007 Full Year and Fourth Quarter}}</ref> | |
operating_income = {{profit}}$845 million [[United States dollar|USD]] (2007) |
homepage = http://www.warnerbros.com/
}}


'''Warner Bros. Television''' is the television [[production company|production]] and distribution arm of [[Warner Bros.|Warner Bros. Entertainment]], itself part of [[Time Warner]]. Alongside [[CBS Paramount Television]], it serves as a television [[production company|production]] arm of [[The CW Television Network]] (in which Time Warner has a 50% ownership stake), though it also produces shows for the other networks, such as [[Chuck (TV series)|Chuck]] on NBC, [[Pushing Daisies]] on ABC, and [[Fringe (TV series)|Fringe]] on FOX.
[[Admiral]] '''George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney''', [[Order of the Bath|KB]] ([[13 February]], [[1719]]<ref>day and year of birth [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=ancestorsearchresults.asp familysearch.org]Accessed May 23, 2007</ref> &ndash; [[May 24]] [[1792]]) was a [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] naval officer.


==History and production==
== Early career ==
The division was started in 1955 with its first and most successful head being [[Jack Warner]]'s son-in-law [[William T. Orr]]. [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] had major success against its competition with [[Walt Disney]]'s [[Disneyland (TV series)]] and approached [[Warner Bros.]] initially with the idea of purchasing the studio's film library (WB eventually sold the rights to the negatives of 750 films and over 1500 shorts to [[Associated Artists Productions]] in 1956<ref>Sperling, Cass Warner, Warner Jr, Jack, Millner Cork ''Hollywood Be They Name''</ref>). WB formally entered television production with the premiere of its self-titled anthology series ''Warner Bros. Presents'' on ABC. The one hour weekly show featured rotating episodes of television series based on the WB films, ''[[Casablanca]]'' and ''[[King's Row]]'', as well as an original series titled ''[[Cheyenne]]''. The last with [[Clint Walker]] was the first one hour television western and became a bit hit for the network and the studio.
He was born in [[Walton-on-Thames]], though the family seat was [[Rodney Stoke]], [[Somerset]]. His father had served in [[Spain]] under the [[Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough|Earl of Peterborough]], and on quitting the army served as captain in a marine corps which was disbanded in 1713. George was sent to [[Harrow School|Harrow]], being appointed, on leaving, by warrant dated [[June 21]] [[1732]], a volunteer on board [[HMS Sunderland (1724)|Sunderland]]. While serving on the [[Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom)|Mediterranean station]] he was made lieutenant in ''[[HMS Dolphin|Dolphin]]'', his promotion dating [[February 15]], [[1739]]. In 1742, he attained the rank of post-captain, having been appointed to the ''[[HMS Plymouth (1708)|Plymouth]]'' on [[November 9]]. After serving in home waters, he obtained command of the battleship ''[[HMS Eagle (1745)|Eagle]]'' 60, and in this ship took part in [[Edward Hawke|Hawke]]'s victory off [[Ushant]] ([[14 October]] [[1747]]) over the French fleet. On that day Rodney gained his first laurels for gallantry, under a chief to whom he was in a measure indebted for subsequent success.


The success of ''Cheyenne'' led WBTV to produce many series for ABC such as Westerns ''([[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'', ''[[Lawman (TV series)|Lawman]]'', ''[[Colt .45 (TV series)|Colt .45]]'', ''[[Bronco (TV series)|Bronco]]'' that was a [[spin off]] of ''Cheyenne'', ''[[Sugarfoot]]'', and ''[[The Alaskans]]''), [[private detective]] shows (''[[77 Sunset Strip]]'', ''[[Hawaiian Eye]]'', ''[[Bourbon Street Beat]]'', and ''[[Surfside Six]]''), and other shows such as ''[[The Gallant Men]]'' and ''[[The Roaring 20's]]'' using stock footage from WB [[war film]]s and gangster films respectively. The company also produced [[Jack Webb]]'s ''[[Red Nightmare]]'' for the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]] that was later shown on American television on [[Jack Webb]]'s ''General Electric True''. All shows were made in the manner of WB's [[B pictures]] in the 30s and 40s;<ref> p.88 Baughman, James L ''The Republic of Mass Culture" Journalism, Filmaking, and Broadcasting in Amereica since 1941'' JHU Press 2006</ref>fast paced, lots of [[stock footage]] from other films, stock music from the Warners music library and contracted stars working long hours for comparatively small salaries with restrictions on their career.
== Commander ==
On [[May 9]] [[1749]] he was appointed governor and [[Commander-in-Chief (Royal Navy)|commander-in-chief]] of [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], with the rank of [[Commodore (RN)|Commodore]], it being usual at that time to appoint a naval officer, chiefly on account of the fishery interests. He was elected M.P. for [[Saltash]] in 1751, and married his first wife, Jane Compton (1730&ndash;1757), sister of [[Charles Compton, 7th Earl of Northampton]], in 1753. During the [[Seven Years' War]] Rodney rendered important services. In 1757, he had a share in the expedition against [[Rochefort]], commanding the battleship ''[[HMS Dublin (1757)|Dublin 74]]''. Next year, in the same ship, he served under [[Edward Boscawen|Boscawen]] at the [[Siege of Louisbourg (1758)|taking of Louisburg]] ([[Cape Breton Island]]).


Two of the most popular stars, [[James Garner]] and [[Clint Walker]] quit over their conditions, though Garner never returned to the Warner's fold. Successful Warners television stars found themselves in leading roles of many of the studio's films with no increase in salary. [[Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.]] was simultaneously the lead of ''77 Sunset Strip'', in a recurring role on ''Maverick'', and also headlined several films until exhaustion forced the studio to give him a rest.
On [[19 May]] [[1759]] he became a rear-admiral, and was shortly after given command of a small squadron intended to destroy a large number of flat-bottomed boats and stores which were being collected at [[Le Havre|Havre]] for an invasion of the English coasts. He bombarded the town for two days and nights, and inflicted great loss of war-material on the enemy. In July 1760, with another small squadron, he succeeded in taking many more of the enemy's flat-bottomed boats and in blockading the coast as far as [[Dieppe, France|Dieppe]]. Elected M.P. for [[Penryn (UK Parliament constituency)|Penryn]] in 1761, he was in October of that year appointed commander-in-chief of the [[Leeward Islands]] station, and within the first three months of 1762 [[British expedition against Martinique|had reduced the important island of Martinique]], while both [[St Lucia]] and [[Grenada]] had surrendered to his squadron. During the siege of [[Fort-de-France|Fort Royal (later Fort de France)]] his seamen and marines rendered splendid service on shore. At the peace of 1763, Admiral Rodney returned, home, having been during his absence made Vice-Admiral of the Blue and having received the thanks of both houses of parliament.


WBTV exclusively produced shows for the ABC network until 1963, when ''[[Temple Houston (TV series)|Temple Houston]]'' premiered on [[NBC]].
In 1764, Rodney was created a [[baronet]], and the same year he married Henrietta, daughter of John Clies of [[Lisbon]]. From 1765 to 1770, he was governor of [[Greenwich Hospital (London)|Greenwich Hospital]], and on the dissolution of parliament in 1768 he successfully contested [[Northampton]] at a ruinous cost. When appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica station in 1771, he lost his Greenwich post, but a few months later received the office of [[Rear-Admiral of Great Britain]]. Until 1774, he held the Jamaica command, and during a period of quiet, was active in improving the naval yards on his station. Sir George struck his flag with a feeling of disappointment at not obtaining the governorship of Jamaica, and was shortly after forced to settle in Paris. Election expenses and losses at play in fashionable circles had shattered his fortune, and he could not secure payment of the salary as Rear-Admiral of Great Britain. In February 1778, having just been promoted Admiral of the White, he used every possible exertion to obtain a command, to free himself from his money difficulties. By May, he had, through the splendid generosity of his Parisian friend [[Louis Antoine de Gontaut|Marshal Biron]], effected the latter task, and accordingly he returned to London with his children. The debt was repaid out of the arrears due to him on his return. The story that he was offered a French command is fiction.


The streak of identifiable series subsided in 1963 with a halt of using [[stock company (acting)]] contract players and [[Jack Webb]] taking over WBTV and not being particularly successful. However, many series were still filmed at Warner Brothers such as ''[[F-Troop]]'' and ''[[The F.B.I. (TV series)]]''.<ref>Woolley, Lynn, Malsbar, Robert, Strange Jr, Robert G ''Warner Brothers Television: Every Show of the Fifties and Sixties Episode-By-Episode'' McFarland Company (1985)</ref>
== American Revolutionary years ==
[[Image:George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney - Project Gutenberg eText 18314.jpg|thumb|George Brydges Rodney, from an engraving by Edward Finden, after the painting by W. Grimaldi]]


In 1989, it acquired [[Lorimar-Telepictures]]. [[Telepictures]] was later absorbed into [[Warner Bros. Television Distribution|WBTV's distribution unit]], and in the late 1990s, came back as a secondary syndication arm. In 1993, [[Lorimar]] Television was absorbed into WBTV.
Sir George was appointed once more commander-in-chief of the Leeward Islands late in 1779. His orders were to relieve Gibraltar on his way to the West Indies. He captured a Spanish convoy off [[Cape Finisterre]] on [[8 January]] [[1780]], and eight days later at the [[Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1780)|Battle of Cape St. Vincent]] defeated the Spanish Admiral [[Juan de Lángara|Don Juan de Lángara]] off [[Cape St. Vincent]], taking or destroying seven ships. On [[17 April]] an action, which, owing to the carelessness of some of Rodney's captains, was indecisive, was fought off Martinique with the French Admiral [[Luc Urbain de Bouexic, comte de Guichen|Guichen]]. Rodney, acting under orders, captured the valuable Dutch island of [[St Eustatius]] on [[3 February]] [[1781]]. It had been a great ''entrepôt'' of neutral trade, and was full of booty, which Rodney confiscated. As large quantities belonged to English merchants, he was entangled in a series of costly lawsuits.


In 2006, WBTV made its vast library of programs available for free viewing on the Internet (through sister company [[America Online|AOL]]'s [[IN2TV]] service), with ''[[Welcome Back Kotter]]'' as its marquee offering. Some of these programs have not been seen publicly since their last syndicated release in the 1980s.
After a few months in England, restoring his health and defending himself in Parliament, Sir George returned to his command in February 1782, and a running engagement with the French fleet on [[April 9]] led up to his crowning victory at the [[Battle of the Saintes]] off Dominica, when on [[12 April]] with thirty-five sail of the line he defeated the [[François Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasetilly, comte de Grasse|Comte de Grasse]], who had thirty-three sail. The French inferiority in numbers was more than counterbalanced by the greater size and superior sailing qualities of their ships, yet five were taken and one sunk, after eleven hours' fighting. This important battle saved [[Jamaica]] and ruined French naval prestige, while it enabled Rodney to write: "Within two little years I have taken two Spanish, one French and one Dutch admirals." A long and wearisome controversy exists as to the originator of the manoeuvre of "breaking the line" in this battle, but the merits of the victory have never seriously been affected by any difference of opinion on the question. A shift of wind broke the French line of battle, and advantage was taken of this by the English ships in two places.


WBTV has had a number of affiliated production houses that have co-produced many of their shows with WBTV. These include but are not limited to: [[Bruce Helford]]'s Mohawk Productions (''[[The Drew Carey Show]]'', ''[[The Norm Show]]'', ''[[The Oblongs]]'', ''[[George Lopez (TV series)|George Lopez]]''), [[John Wells (TV producer)|John Wells Productions]] (''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'', ''[[The West Wing]]'', ''[[Third Watch]]''), [[Jerry Bruckheimer|Jerry Bruckheimer Television]] (''[[Without a Trace]]'', ''[[Cold Case]]''), [[Miller-Boyett Productions]] - which was inherited from Lorimar (''[[Full House]]'', ''[[Family Matters]]'') and others.
== Legacy ==
Rodney arrived home in August to receive unbounded honour from his country. He had already been created Baron Rodney of Rodney Stoke, Somerset, by patent of [[June 19]] [[1782]], and the House of Commons had voted him a pension of £2000 a year. From this time he led a quiet country life till his death in London. He was succeeded as 2nd Baron by his son, George (1753&ndash;1802), from whom the present baron is descended.


==Partial list of programs produced by WBTV==
Rodney was unquestionably a most able officer, but he was also vain, selfish and unscrupulous, both in seeking prize money, and in using his position to push the fortunes of his family, although such nepotism was common (not to say normal) at the time. He made his son a post-captain at fifteen. He was accused by his second-in-command, [[Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood|Samuel Hood]], of sacrificing the interest of the service to his own profit, and of showing want of energy in pursuit of the French on [[April 12]] [[1782]]. It must be remembered that he was then prematurely old and wracked by disease.
<div style="-moz-column-count:3; column-count:3;">
'''Live action'''
*''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'' (1957-1962)
*''[[77 Sunset Strip]]'' (1958-1964)
*''[[F Troop]]'' (1965-1967)
*''[[The F.B.I. (TV series)|The F.B.I.]]'' (1965-1974)
*''[[Kung Fu (TV series)|Kung Fu]]'' (1972-1975)
*''[[Wonder Woman (TV series)|Wonder Woman]]'' (1975-1979)
*''[[Alice (TV series)|Alice]]'' (1976-1985)
*''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'' (1979-1985)
*''[[Love, Sidney]]'' (1981-1983)
*''[[Scarecrow and Mrs. King]]'' (1983-1987)
*''[[V (TV series)|V]]'' (1984-1985)
*''[[Night Court]]'' (1984-1992)
*''[[Growing Pains]]'' (1985-1992)
*''[[Spenser For Hire]]'' (1985-1988)
*''[[Head of the Class]]'' (1986-1991)
*''[[Full House]]'' (1993-1995), (1987-1988) episodes on Lorimar-Telepictures, (1988-1993) episodes on Lorimar Television.
*''[[Freddy's Nightmares]]'' (1988-1990)
*''[[Murphy Brown]]'' (1988-1998)
*''[[Just the Ten of Us]]'' (1988-1990)
*''[[Tales from the Crypt (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]'' (1989-1996)
*''[[Family Matters (TV series)|Family Matters]]'' (1993-1998) (1989-1993) episodes on Lorimar Television.
*''[[Life Goes On (TV series)|Life Goes On]]'' (1989-1993)
*''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'' (1990-1996) (distr.)
*''[[The Flash (TV series)|The Flash]]'' (1990-1991)
*''[[Sisters]]'' (1993-1996) (1991-1993) episodes on Lorimar Television.
*''[[Step by Step (TV series)|Step By Step]]'' (1993-1998) (1991-1993) episodes on Lorimar Television.
*''[[Hangin' with Mr. Cooper]]'' (1993-1997) (1992-1993) episodes on Lorimar Television.
*''[[Living Single]]'' (1993-1998)
*''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'' (1994-2009)
*''[[Friends]]'' (1994-2004)
*''[[Babylon 5]]'' (1993-1999)
*''[[MADtv]]'' (1995-2009)
*''[[The Drew Carey Show]]'' (1995-2004)
*''[[The Wayans Bros.]]'' (1995-2000)
*''[[The Parent 'Hood]]'' (1995-2000)
*''[[Two of a Kind (TV series)|Two of a Kind]]'' (1998-2000)
*''[[Sex and the City]]'' (1998-2004) (distr.)
*''[[Jesse (TV series)|Jesse]] (1998-2000)
*''[[The West Wing (TV series)|The West Wing]]'' (1999-2006)
*''[[Gilmore Girls]]'' (2000-2007)
*''[[Without a Trace]]'' (2002-present)
*''[[What I Like About You (TV series)|What I Like About You]]'' (2002-2006)
*''[[Everwood]]'' (2002-2006)
*''[[Two and a Half Men]]'' (2003-present)
*''[[The O.C.]]'' (2003-2007)
*''[[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]'' (2003-present)
*''[[Cold Case]]'' (2003-present)
*''[[Joey (TV series)|Joey]]'' (2004-2006)
*''[[Twins (TV series)|Twins]]'' (2005-2006)
*''[[The War at Home (TV series)|The War at Home]]'' (2005-2007)
*''[[The Class]]'' (2006-2007)
*''[[Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip]]'' (2006-2007)
*''[[Gossip Girl (TV series)|Gossip Girl]]'' (Co-produced with [[CBS Paramount Television]]) (2007-present)
*''[[Aliens in America]]'' (Co-produced with [[CBS Paramount Television]]) (2007-2008)
*''[[Life Is Wild]]'' (Co-produced with [[CBS Paramount Television]]) (2007-2008)
*''[[Pushing Daisies]]'' (2007-present)
*''[[Chuck (TV series)|Chuck]]'' (2007-present)
*''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'' (Co-produced with C2-Pictures) (2007-present)


</div>
See General Mundy, ''Life and Correspondence of Admiral Lord Rodney'' (2 vols, 1830); David Hannay, ''Life of Rodney''; Rodney letters in ''9th Report of Hist. manuscripts Coin.'', pt. iiL; "Memoirs," in ''Naval Chronicle'', i. 353-93; and Charnock, ''Biographia Navalis'', v. 204-28. Lord Rodney published in his lifetime (probably 1789) ''Letters to His Majesty's Ministers'', etc., relative to St Eustatius, etc., of which there is a copy in the [[British Museum]]. Most of these letters are printed in Mundy's ''Life'', vol. ii., though with many variant readings.


==See also==
At least four serving warships of the Royal Navy have been named [[HMS Rodney|HMS ''Rodney'']] in his honour.
*[[Peter Roth (executive)]]

*[[Warner Bros. Animation]]
One of the five [[House System|houses]] of [[United Kingdom|British]] [[public school (England)|public school]] [[Churcher's College]] is named for him.
*[[Warner Bros. International Television]]

*[[Warner Bros. Television Distribution]]
[[Image:Rodney monument.jpg|thumb|left|Monument of George Brydges Rodney in Memorial in [[Spanish Town]]]]
In February 1783, the government of [[Jamaica]] commissioned [[John Bacon]], a renowned British sculptor, to create a statue of Admiral Lord Rodney, as an expression of their appreciation. The Assembly spent $5,200 on the statue alone and a reputed $31,000 on the entire project. Bacon sourced the finest marble from [[Italy]] to create the sculpture of the Admiral, dressed in a Roman robe. On its completion, the statue was fronted with a cannon taken from the French flagship in the battle.

{{start box}}{{s-off}}
{{succession box|title=[[List of Newfoundland and Labrador lieutenant-governors#Commodore-Governors (1729-1825)|Governor of Newfoundland]] |
before=[[Charles Watson (governor)|Charles Watson]] |
after=[[Francis William Drake]] |
years=1749 &ndash; 1749}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box | title=[[Vice-Admiral of Great Britain]] | before=[[Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke|The Lord Hawke]] | years=1781&ndash;1792 | after=[[Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe|The Earl Howe]]}}

{{s-reg|uk}}
{{succession box|title=[[Baron Rodney]] |
before=New Creation |
after=[[George Rodney, 2nd Baron Rodney|George Rodney]] |
years=1782 &mdash; 1792 |}}
{{end box}}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
Woolley, Lynn, Malsbar, Robert, Strange Jr, Robert G ''Warner Brothers Television: Every Show of the Fifties and Sixties Episode-By-Episode'' McFarland Company (1985)
*{{1911}}

==External links==
*[http://www.heritage.nf.ca/govhouse/governors/g15.html Government House ''The Governorship of Newfoundland and Labrador'']
*[http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/RHY_RON/RODNEY_GEORGE_BRYDGES_RODNEY_BA.html ''Online 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Article'']
*[http://www.jewishmag.com/107mag/jewsofeustatius/jewsofeustatius.htm "Retribution:Admiral Rodney and the Jews of St. Eustatius"], by Louis Arthur Norton
*Chapter III, ''Rodney: The Form'' in {{gutenberg|no=18314|name=Types of Naval Officers}}, by [[Alfred Thayer Mahan|A. T. Mahan]]

{{NLLG}}


{{WB}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodney, George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron}}
{{Time Warner}}
[[Category:1718 births]]
{{Superfriends series}}
[[Category:1792 deaths]]
[[Category:Barons in the Peerage of Great Britain]]
[[Category:Time Warner subsidiaries]]
[[Category:Time Warner]]
[[Category:Royal Navy personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession]]
[[Category:British naval personnel of the American Revolutionary War]]
[[Category:Television production companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Royal Navy admirals]]
[[Category:The WB television network]]
[[Category:Newfoundland colonial leaders]]
[[Category:Television series by studio]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies|Rodney, George Brydges]]
[[Category:Knights Companion of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Royal Navy personnel of the Seven Years' War]]


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[[fr:George Brydges Rodney]]
[[ca:Warner Bros. Television]]
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[[fr:Warner Bros. Television]]
[[no:George Rodney]]
[[nl:Warner Bros. Television]]
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Revision as of 09:25, 11 October 2008

Warner Bros. Television
Company typeSubsidiary of Time Warner
IndustryTelevision production
Founded1955
FounderWilliam T. Orr
Headquarters
Burbank, California
,
 United States
Key people
Barry Meyer, Chairman and CEO
Alan F. Horn, President and COO
Edward A. Romano EVP and CFO
ProductsTelevision programs
RevenueIncrease$11.7 billion USD (2007)[1]
Increase$845 million USD (2007)
Websitehttp://www.warnerbros.com/

Warner Bros. Television is the television production and distribution arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Paramount Television, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network (in which Time Warner has a 50% ownership stake), though it also produces shows for the other networks, such as Chuck on NBC, Pushing Daisies on ABC, and Fringe on FOX.

History and production

The division was started in 1955 with its first and most successful head being Jack Warner's son-in-law William T. Orr. ABC had major success against its competition with Walt Disney's Disneyland (TV series) and approached Warner Bros. initially with the idea of purchasing the studio's film library (WB eventually sold the rights to the negatives of 750 films and over 1500 shorts to Associated Artists Productions in 1956[2]). WB formally entered television production with the premiere of its self-titled anthology series Warner Bros. Presents on ABC. The one hour weekly show featured rotating episodes of television series based on the WB films, Casablanca and King's Row, as well as an original series titled Cheyenne. The last with Clint Walker was the first one hour television western and became a bit hit for the network and the studio.

The success of Cheyenne led WBTV to produce many series for ABC such as Westerns (Maverick, Lawman, Colt .45, Bronco that was a spin off of Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, and The Alaskans), private detective shows (77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, Bourbon Street Beat, and Surfside Six), and other shows such as The Gallant Men and The Roaring 20's using stock footage from WB war films and gangster films respectively. The company also produced Jack Webb's Red Nightmare for the U.S. Department of Defense that was later shown on American television on Jack Webb's General Electric True. All shows were made in the manner of WB's B pictures in the 30s and 40s;[3]fast paced, lots of stock footage from other films, stock music from the Warners music library and contracted stars working long hours for comparatively small salaries with restrictions on their career.

Two of the most popular stars, James Garner and Clint Walker quit over their conditions, though Garner never returned to the Warner's fold. Successful Warners television stars found themselves in leading roles of many of the studio's films with no increase in salary. Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. was simultaneously the lead of 77 Sunset Strip, in a recurring role on Maverick, and also headlined several films until exhaustion forced the studio to give him a rest.

WBTV exclusively produced shows for the ABC network until 1963, when Temple Houston premiered on NBC.

The streak of identifiable series subsided in 1963 with a halt of using stock company (acting) contract players and Jack Webb taking over WBTV and not being particularly successful. However, many series were still filmed at Warner Brothers such as F-Troop and The F.B.I. (TV series).[4]

In 1989, it acquired Lorimar-Telepictures. Telepictures was later absorbed into WBTV's distribution unit, and in the late 1990s, came back as a secondary syndication arm. In 1993, Lorimar Television was absorbed into WBTV.

In 2006, WBTV made its vast library of programs available for free viewing on the Internet (through sister company AOL's IN2TV service), with Welcome Back Kotter as its marquee offering. Some of these programs have not been seen publicly since their last syndicated release in the 1980s.

WBTV has had a number of affiliated production houses that have co-produced many of their shows with WBTV. These include but are not limited to: Bruce Helford's Mohawk Productions (The Drew Carey Show, The Norm Show, The Oblongs, George Lopez), John Wells Productions (ER, The West Wing, Third Watch), Jerry Bruckheimer Television (Without a Trace, Cold Case), Miller-Boyett Productions - which was inherited from Lorimar (Full House, Family Matters) and others.

Partial list of programs produced by WBTV

Live action

See also

References

  1. ^ "Time Warner Inc. Reports Results for 2007 Full Year and Fourth Quarter".
  2. ^ Sperling, Cass Warner, Warner Jr, Jack, Millner Cork Hollywood Be They Name
  3. ^ p.88 Baughman, James L The Republic of Mass Culture" Journalism, Filmaking, and Broadcasting in Amereica since 1941 JHU Press 2006
  4. ^ Woolley, Lynn, Malsbar, Robert, Strange Jr, Robert G Warner Brothers Television: Every Show of the Fifties and Sixties Episode-By-Episode McFarland Company (1985)

Woolley, Lynn, Malsbar, Robert, Strange Jr, Robert G Warner Brothers Television: Every Show of the Fifties and Sixties Episode-By-Episode McFarland Company (1985)

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