History Creator / Lorimar

Lorimar merged with television syndicator Telepictures Corporation in 1986 (and along with it, Creator/RankinBass, albeit without most of its' famous specials, which have bounced around and currently rest with Creator/DreamworksAnimation). By then, the studio was looking forward to competing with the majors. The combined Lorimar-Telepictures then acquired from UsefulNotes/TedTurner the MetroGoldwynMayer lot, for which many of its shows were shot. After making a deal with sitcom producers Miller/Boyett, Lorimar ventured into that genre after the merger, with shows like ''Series/FullHouse'' becoming the bulk of their output. They also pushed hard into feature films, which unlike TV, was not their forte (aside from hits such as ''Film/{{Being There}}'', ''Film/{{SOB}}'' and ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman''); this led to a falling out between Adelson and Rich, with the latter leaving Lorimar in 1986 to become chairman/CEO of MGM. Lorimar ended up bleeding money, not helped by a disastrous move into self-distribution (1987-88). Finally, in January 1989[[note]]the merger had been discussed for nearly a year, and Lorimar had already given control of their home video division to WB by then[[/note]], Creator/WarnerBros bought L-T; this gave Lorimar the funding to keep its (more important) network and syndication divisions alive, while giving Warners a route into the lucrative first-run syndication market, something they'd ignored until then. WB essentially renamed Lorimar Syndication (previously just Telepictures) "Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution" (merging the old WBTV distribution firm into that), and its first new release under that banner was a little something they'd been working on with Steven Spielberg--''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''. (It was a big enough deal to get a two-page spread in the trades, even though the show's premiere was a year and a half away.)

Lorimar merged with television syndicator Telepictures Corporation in 1986 (and along with it, Creator/RankinBass, albeit without most of its' famous specials, which have bounced around and currently rest with Creator/DreamworksAnimation). By then, the studio was looking forward to competing with the majors. The combined Lorimar-Telepictures then acquired from Ted Turner the MetroGoldwynMayer lot, for which many of its shows were shot. After making a deal with sitcom producers Miller/Boyett, Lorimar ventured into that genre after the merger, with shows like ''Series/FullHouse'' becoming the bulk of their output. They also pushed hard into feature films, which unlike TV, was not their forte (aside from hits such as ''Film/{{Being There}}'', ''Film/{{SOB}}'' and ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman''); this led to a falling out between Adelson and Rich, with the latter leaving Lorimar in 1986 to become chairman/CEO of MGM. Lorimar ended up bleeding money, not helped by a disastrous move into self-distribution (1987-88). Finally, in January 1989[[note]]the merger had been discussed for nearly a year, and Lorimar had already given control of their home video division to WB by then[[/note]], Creator/WarnerBros bought L-T; this gave Lorimar the funding to keep its (more important) network and syndication divisions alive, while giving Warners a route into the lucrative first-run syndication market, something they'd ignored until then. WB essentially renamed Lorimar Syndication (previously just Telepictures) "Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution" (merging the old WBTV distribution firm into that), and its first new release under that banner was a little something they'd been working on with Steven Spielberg--''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''. (It was a big enough deal to get a two-page spread in the trades, even though the show's premiere was a year and a half away.)

* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOXwMjm01DE Trump Card]]'' (game show based out of what's now the Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City; 1990-91, based off the UK game show ''Bob's Full House'')

Lorimar was a TV production house, founded in 1969 by producer Lee Rich and Vegas entrepreneur (and [[http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2013/03/tv-producer-merv-adelson-las-vegas-mob Mafia front man]]) Merv Adelson (the name comes from a combination of Adelson's ex-wife Lori and Palomar Airport). Its first big hit was ''Series/TheWaltons'' in 1972, but it's probably better remembered now for producing ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' and its spin-off ''KnotsLanding''. Lorimar also produced the occasional MadeForTVMovie and owned a record label, and after buying Creator/AlliedArtists in 1980 they also dabbled in theatrical releases.

* ''Film/BeingThere''
* ''Film/{{SOB}}''
* ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman''
* ''Film/TheLastStarfighter''
* ''Film/TheBoyWhoCouldFly''
* ''Film/DangerousLiaisons''
* ''Film/TheWitches'' (their final big-screen production)

The end came for Lorimar itself in 1993, when its network division was combined with Warner Bros. Television. Telepictures, which Lorimar had been trying to de-emphasize since the merger in 1986 (and which was discontinued entirely after the WB merger) was brought back as a TalkShow and daytime-TV production division circa 1990, and is still in business to this day.[[note]]The Telepictures name was also briefly used for what remained of Turner Program Services after the 1996 Turner Broadcasting System merger, and distributed reruns of ''Mama's Family'' that were inherited, plus some off-net WBTV series like ''Series/TheJamieFoxxShow''; that lasted until 2003.[[/note]] As for the MGM lot, Warners sold that to Creator/{{Sony}}, since Creator/ColumbiaPictures had been without a studio lot since 1972 and had been renting half of the Warner lot for all those years.

* ''Series/DreamHouse'' (1983-84 revival on Creator/{{NBC}} w/ Bob Eubanks; only solo Lorimar game show)

* ''Trump Card'' (game show based out of what's now the Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City; 1990-91, based off the UK game show ''Bob's Full House'')

Lorimar merged with television syndicator Telepictures in 1986 (and along with it, Creator/RankinBass, albeit without most of its' famous specials, which have bounced around and currently rest with Creator/DreamworksAnimation). By then, the studio was looking forward to competing with the majors. The combined Lorimar-Telepictures then acquired from Ted Turner the MetroGoldwynMayer lot, for which many of its shows were shot. After making a deal with sitcom producers Miller/Boyett, Lorimar ventured into that genre after the merger, with shows like ''Series/FullHouse'' becoming the bulk of their output. They also pushed hard into feature films, which unlike TV, was not their forte (aside from hits such as ''Film/{{Being There}}'', ''Film/{{SOB}}'' and ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman''); this led to a falling out between Adelson and Rich, with the latter leaving Lorimar in 1986 to become chairman/CEO of MGM. Lorimar ended up bleeding money, not helped by a disastrous move into self-distribution (1987-88). Finally, in January 1989[[note]]the merger had been discussed for nearly a year, and Lorimar had already given control of their home video division to WB by then[[/note]], Creator/WarnerBros bought L-T; this gave Lorimar the funding to keep its (more important) network and syndication divisions alive, while giving Warners a route into the lucrative first-run syndication market, something they'd ignored until then. WB essentially renamed Lorimar Syndication (previously just Telepictures) "Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution" (merging the old WBTV distribution firm into that), and its first new release under that banner was a little something they'd been working on with Steven Spielberg--''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''. (It was a big enough deal to get a two-page spread in the trades, even though the show's premiere was a year and a half away.)

Lorimar merged with television syndicator Telepictures in 1986 (and along with it, Creator/RankinBass, albeit without most of its' famous specials, which have bounced around and currently rest with Creator/DreamworksAnimation). By then, the studio was looking forward to competing with the majors. The combined Lorimar-Telepictures then acquired from Ted Turner the MetroGoldwynMayer lot, for which many of its shows were shot. After making a deal with sitcom producers Miller/Boyett, Lorimar ventured into that genre after the merger, with shows like ''Series/FullHouse'' becoming the bulk of their output. They also pushed hard into feature films, which unlike TV, was not their forte (aside from hits such as ''Film/{{Being There}}'', ''Film/{{SOB}}'' and ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman''); this led to a falling out between Adelson and Rich, with the latter leaving Lorimar in 1986 to become chairman/CEO of MGM. Lorimar ended up bleeding money, not helped by a disastrous move into self-distribution (1987-88). Finally, in January 1989[[note]]the merger had been discussed for nearly a year, and Lorimar had already given control of their home video division to WB by then[[/note]], Creator/WarnerBros bought L-T; this gave Lorimar the funding to keep its (more important) network and syndication divisions alive, while giving Warners a route into the lucrative first-run syndication market, something they'd ignored until then. WB essentially renamed Lorimar Syndication (which was previously the old Telepictures Corporation) "Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution" (merging the old WBTV distribution firm into that), and its first new release under that banner was a little something they'd been working on with Steven Spielberg--''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''. (It was a big enough deal to get a two-page spread in the trades, even though the show's premiere was a year and a half away.)

* ''Trump Card' (game show based out of what's now the Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City; 1990-91)

The end came for Lorimar itself in 1993, when its network division was combined with Warner Bros. Television. Telepictures, which Lorimar had been trying to de-emphasize since the merger in 1986 (and which was discontinued entirely after the WB merger) was brought back as a TalkShow and daytime-TV production division circa 1990, and is still in business to this day.[[note]]The Telepictures name was also briefly used for what remained of Turner Program Services after the 1996 Turner Broadcasting System merger; that lasted until 2003.[[/note]] As for the MGM lot, Warners sold that to Creator/{{Sony}}, since Creator/ColumbiaPictures had been without a studio lot since 1972 and had been renting half of the Warner lot for all those years.

* ''Series/LoveConnection'' (1984-91, also had brief revival in 1998)

Lorimar merged with television syndicator Telepictures in 1986. By then, the studio was looking forward to competing with the majors. The combined Lorimar-Telepictures then acquired from Ted Turner the MetroGoldwynMayer lot, for which many of its shows were shot. After making a deal with sitcom producers Miller/Boyett, Lorimar ventured into that genre after the merger, with shows like ''Series/FullHouse'' becoming the bulk of their output. They also pushed hard into feature films, which unlike TV, was not their forte (aside from hits such as ''Film/{{Being There}}'', ''Film/{{SOB}}'' and ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman''); this led to a falling out between Adelson and Rich, with the latter leaving Lorimar in 1986 to become chairman/CEO of MGM. Lorimar ended up bleeding money, not helped by a disastrous move into self-distribution (1987-88). Finally, in January 1989[[note]]the merger had been discussed for nearly a year, and Lorimar had already given control of their home video division to WB by then[[/note]], Creator/WarnerBros bought L-T; this gave Lorimar the funding to keep its (more important) network and syndication divisions alive, while giving Warners a route into the lucrative first-run syndication market, something they'd ignored until then. WB essentially renamed Lorimar Syndication "Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution", and its first new release under that banner was a little something they'd been working on with Steven Spielberg--''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''. (It was a big enough deal to get a two-page spread in the trades, even though the show's premiere was a year and a half away.)

The end came for Lorimar itself in 1993, when its network division was combined with Warner Bros. Television. Telepictures, which Lorimar had been trying to de-emphasize since a failed rebranding attempt in 1987 (and which was discontinued entirely after the WB merger) was brought back as a TalkShow and daytime-TV production division circa 1990, and is still in business to this day.[[note]]The Telepictures name was also briefly used for what remained of Turner Program Services after the 1996 Turner Broadcasting System merger; that lasted until 2003.[[/note]] As for the MGM lot, Warners sold that to Creator/{{Sony}}, since Creator/ColumbiaPictures had been without a studio lot since 1972 and had been renting half of the Warner lot for all those years.

* ''Series/TimeTrax'' (the final series to debut under the Lorimar name)

* ''Series/TheOneMillionChanceOfALifetime''

* ''[[Series/LetsMakeADeal The All-New Let's Make a Deal]]'' (1984–86 revival)
* ''Series/LoveConnection''
* ''Series/FunHouse'' (later passed on to Telepictures solo after WB buyout)

Lorimar merged with television syndicator Telepictures in 1986. By then, the studio was looking forward to competing with the majors. The combined Lorimar-Telepictures then acquired from Ted Turner the MetroGoldwynMayer lot, for which many of its shows were shot. After making a deal with sitcom producers Miller/Boyett, Lorimar ventured into that genre after the merger, with shows like ''Series/FullHouse'' becoming the bulk of their output. They also pushed hard into feature films, which unlike TV, was not their forte (aside from hits such as ''Film/{{Being There}}'', ''Film/{{SOB}}'' and ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman''); this led to a falling out between Adelson and Rich, with the latter leaving Lorimar in 1986 to become chairman/CEO of MGM. Lorimar ended up bleeding money, not helped by a disastrous move into self-distribution (1987-88). Finally, in January 1989[[note]]the merger had been discussed for nearly a year, and Lorimar had already given control of their home video division to WB by then[[/note]], Creator/WarnerBros bought L-T; this gave Lorimar the funding to keep its (more important) network and syndication divisions alive, while giving Warners a route into the lucrative first-run syndication market, something they'd ignored until then. WB essentially renamed Lorimar Syndication "Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution", and its first new release under that banner was a little something they'd been working on with Steven Spielberg--WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures. (It was a big enough deal to get a two-page spread in the trades, even though the show's premiere was a year and a half away.)

The end came for Lorimar itself in 1993, when its network division was combined with Warner Bros. Television. Telepictures, which Lorimar had been trying to de-emphasize since a failed rebranding attempt in 1987 (and which was discontinued entirely after the WB merger) was brought back as a TalkShow and daytime-TV production division circa 1990, and is still in business to this day. As for the MGM lot, Warners sold that to Creator/{{Sony}}, since Creator/ColumbiaPictures had been without a studio lot since 1972 and had been renting half of the Warner lot for all those years.

Lorimar merged with television syndicator Telepictures in 1986. By then, the studio was looking forward to competing with the majors. The combined Lorimar-Telepictures then acquired from Ted Turner the MetroGoldwynMayer lot, for which many of its shows were shot. After making a deal with sitcom producers Miller/Boyett, Lorimar ventured into that genre after the merger, with shows like ''Series/FullHouse'' becoming the bulk of their output. They also pushed hard into feature films, which unlike TV, was not their forte (aside from hits such as ''Film/{{Being There}}'', ''Film/{{SOB}}'' and ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman''); this led to a falling out between Adelson and Rich, with the latter leaving Lorimar in 1986 to become chairman/CEO of MGM. Lorimar ended up bleeding money, not helped by a disastrous move into self-distribution (1987-88). Finally, in January 1989[[note]]the merger had been discussed for nearly a year, and Lorimar had already given control of their home video division to WB by then[[/note]], Creator/WarnerBros bought L-T; this gave Lorimar the funding to keep its (more important) network and syndication divisions alive, which giving Warners a route into the lucrative first-run syndication market, something they'd ignored until then. WB essentially renamed Lorimar Syndication "Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution", and its first new release under that banner was a little something they'd been working on with Steven Spielberg--WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures. (It was a big enough deal to get a two-page spread in the trades, even though the show's premiere was a year and a half away.)

Lorimar merged with television syndicator Telepictures in 1986. By then, the studio was looking forward to competing with the majors. The combined Lorimar-Telepictures then acquired from Ted Turner the MetroGoldwynMayer lot, for which many of its shows were shot. After making a deal with sitcom producers Miller/Boyett, Lorimar ventured into that genre after the merger, with shows like ''Series/FullHouse'' becoming the bulk of their output. They also pushed hard into feature films, which unlike TV, was not their forte (aside from hits such as ''Film/{{Being There}}'', ''Film/{{SOB}}'' and ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman''); this led to a falling out between Adelson and Rich, with the latter leaving Lorimar in 1986 to become chairman/CEO of MGM. Lorimar ended up bleeding money, not helped by a disastrous move into self-distribution (1987-88). Finally, in 1988, Creator/WarnerBros bought L-T, eventually combining Lorimar itself with Warner Bros. Television in 1993 and keeping Telepictures on as a TalkShow production division. As for the MGM lot, Warners sold that to Creator/{{Sony}}, since Creator/ColumbiaPictures had been without a studio lot since 1972 and had been renting half of the Warner lot for all those years.

Lorimar was a TV production house, founded in 1969 by producer Lee Rich and Vegas entrepreneur (and [[http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2013/03/tv-producer-merv-adelson-las-vegas-mob Mafia front man]]) Merv Adelson. Its first big hit was ''Series/TheWaltons'' in 1972, but it's probably better remembered now for producing ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' and its spin-off ''KnotsLanding''. Lorimar also produced the occasional MadeForTVMovie and owned a record label, and after buying Creator/AlliedArtists in 1980 they also dabbled in theatrical releases.

Lorimar merged with television syndicator Telepictures in 1986. By then, the studio was looking forward to competing with the majors. The combined Lorimar-Telepictures then acquired from Ted Turner the MetroGoldwynMayer lot, for which many of its shows were shot. After making a deal with sitcom producers Miller/Boyett, Lorimar ventured into that genre after the merger, with shows like ''Series/FullHouse'' becoming the bulk of their output. They also pushed hard into feature films, which unlike TV, was not their forte (aside from hits such as ''Film/{{Being There}}'', ''Film/{{SOB}}'' and ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman''); this led to a falling out between Adelson and Rich, with the latter leaving Lorimar in 1986 to become chairman/CEO of MGM. Lorimar ended up bleeding money. Finally, in 1988, Creator/WarnerBros bought L-T, eventually combining Lorimar itself with Warner Bros. Television and keeping Telepictures on as a TalkShow production division. As for the MGM lot, Warners sold that to Creator/{{Sony}}, since Creator/ColumbiaPictures had been without a studio lot since 1972 and had been renting half of the Warner lot for all those years.

!Shows produced by Lorimar and Lorimar-Telepictures include:

* ''KnotsLanding''

* ''FreddysNightmares''

* ''Series/MamasFamily'' (distribution of first-run syndie episodes, 1986-90)

* ''Series/CatchPhrase'' (the original, short-lived US version; Telepictures-distributed, pre-Lorimar)
* ''[[Series/LetsMakeADeal The All-New Let's Make a Deal]]'' (1984-1986 revival)

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gumby}}''

* ''Series/CatchPhrase'' (the original, short-lived US version; Telepictures -distributed, pre-Lorimar)

* ''[[Literature/It Stephen King's It]]''

* ''FalconCrest''
* ''FlamingoRoad''

* ''Series/MamasFamily'' (distribution of first-run syndie episodes, 1986-90, plus previous NBC run)

Lorimar was a TV production house, founded in 1969 by producer Lee Rich and Vegas entrepreneur (and [[http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2013/03/tv-producer-merv-adelson-las-vegas-mob Mafia front man]]) Merv Adelson. Its first big hit was ''Series/TheWaltons'' in 1972, but it's probably better remembered now for producing ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' and its spin-off ''KnotsLanding''. Lorimar also produced the occasional MadeForTVMovie and owned a record label, and after buying Allied Artists Pictures (a BMovie company who had produced, among other things, ''Film/{{Mitchell}}'') in 1980 they also dabbled in theatrical releases.

* RankinBassProductions (1980s)
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Silverhawks}}''
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Thundercats}}''

Lorimar was a TV production house, founded in 1969 by producer Lee Rich. Its first big hit was ''Series/TheWaltons'' in 1972, but it's probably better remembered now for producing ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' and its sister show ''KnotsLanding''. Lorimar also produced the occasional MadeForTVMovie and owned a record label, and after buying Allied Artists Pictures (a BMovie company who had produced, among other things, ''Film/{{Mitchell}}'') in 1980 they also dabbled in theatrical releases.

Lorimar merged with television syndicator Telepictures in 1986. By then, the studio was looking forward to competing with the majors. The combined Lorimar-Telepictures then acquired from Ted Turner the MetroGoldwynMayer lot, for which many of its shows were shot. After making a deal with sitcom producers Miller/Boyett, Lorimar ventured into that genre after the merger, with shows like ''Series/FullHouse'' becoming the bulk of their output. They also pushed hard into feature films, which unlike TV, was not their forte (aside from hits such as ''Film/{{SOB}}'' and ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman''), that Lorimar ended up bleeding money. Finally, in 1988, Creator/WarnerBros bought L-T, eventually combining Lorimar itself with Warner Bros. Television and keeping Telepictures on as a TalkShow production division. As for the MGM lot, Warners sold that to Creator/{{Sony}}, since Creator/ColumbiaPictures had been without a studio lot since 1972 and had been renting half of the Warner lot for all those years.

!S!hows produced by Lorimar and Lorimar-Telepictures include:

Lorimar merged with television syndicator Telepictures in 1986. By then, the studio was looking forward to competing with the majors. The combined Lorimar-Telepictures then acquired from Ted Turner the MetroGoldwynMayer lot, for which many of its shows were shot. After making a deal with sitcom producers Miller/Boyett, Lorimar ventured into that genre after the merger, with shows like ''Series/FullHouse'' becoming the bulk of their output. They also pushed hard into feature films, which unlike TV, was not their forte (aside from hits such as ''[[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/SOB S.O.B.]]'' and ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman''), that Lorimar ended up bleeding money. Finally, in 1988, Creator/WarnerBros bought L-T, eventually combining Lorimar itself with Warner Bros. Television and keeping Telepictures on as a TalkShow production division. As for the MGM lot, Warners sold that to Creator/{{Sony}}, since Creator/ColumbiaPictures had been without a studio lot since 1972 and had been renting half of the Warner lot for all those years.