Line #5 Creator/Lorimar


1	[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Lorimar_logo_6839.jpg]]
2
3	Lorimar was a TV production house, founded in 1969 by producer Lee Rich, real estate developer Irwin Molasky, 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 Argentina-based Palomar Airport). Its first big hit was ''Series/TheWaltons'' in 1972, but it is probably better remembered now for producing ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' and its spin-off ''Series/KnotsLanding''. Lorimar also produced the occasional MadeForTVMovie, owned a record label, published magazines, and after buying Creator/AlliedArtists in 1980 they also dabbled in theatrical releases. These films were released through Creator/{{Paramount}} and Creator/{{Universal}} in theatres, while on home video their releases (as well as Allied Artists' backlog material) were released through multiple UsefulNotes/HomeVideoDistributors (primarily CBS/Fox Video and its sublabels). In 1984, the company acquired Karl Home Video, a small independent video company which had seen huge success with workout tapes featuring Creator/JaneFonda. The company was renamed Karl-Lorimar Home Video in 1986, though by that point the relationship between Stuart Karl and Lorimar had become sour, leading to his departure in 1987 and the company being renamed to simply Lorimar Home Video.[[note]](though CBS/Fox continued to release pre-1984 Lorimar titles until 1989)[[/note]]
4	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[[note]]General Electric retained the pre-1975 Tomorrow Entertainment and R/B libraries after spinning both companies off; they finally sold them off to Broadway Video in 1988, who then sold them onto Golden Books in TheNineties. Golden Books went bankrupt and was eventually acquired by Classic Media and Random House, with Classic Media controlling the rights to the characters.[[/note]] 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 Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer lot, in 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 (earlier in the decade, Lorimar had remade [[Film/ThePostmanAlwaysRingsTwice1946 an MGM film from 1946]], ''[[Film/ThePostmanAlwaysRingsTwice1981 The Postman Always Rings Twice]]''; the 1946 version and the 1981 version are now under common ownership). Lorimar ended up bleeding money, not helped by a disastrous move into self-distribution of their movies. 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, which also ended the CBS/Fox distribution deal[[/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 had 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 had been working on with Creator/StevenSpielberg--''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.)
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6	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; hence, it was renamed as Columbia Studios and eventually, Creator/SonyPicturesStudios.
7
8	!!Productions from Lorimar and Lorimar-Telepictures include:
9	[[index]]
10	[[AC:Dramas]]
11	* ''Film/BadRonald''
12	* ''Series/TheWaltons''
13	* ''Series/EightIsEnough''
14	* ''Series/{{Dallas}}''
15	* ''Series/KnotsLanding''
16	* ''Falcon Crest''
17	* ''Flamingo Road''
18	* ''Series/{{Lace}}''
19	* ''Series/MaxHeadroom''
20	* ''Series/MidnightCaller''
21	* ''Series/FreddysNightmares''
22	* ''Film/It1990''
23	* ''Series/DarkJustice''
24	* ''Series/{{Sisters}}'' (seasons 1-3)
25	* ''Series/TimeTrax'' (the final series to debut under the Lorimar name; part of the Creator/{{PTEN}} package)
26
27	[[AC:Sitcoms]]
28	* ''Series/{{ALF}}'' (syndication rights only)
29	* ''Series/MamasFamily'' (distribution of first-run syndie episodes, 1986–90)
30	* ''Series/TheHoganFamily''
31	* ''Series/PerfectStrangers''
32	* ''Series/FullHouse''
33	* ''Series/FamilyMatters''
34	* ''Series/GettingBy''
35	* ''Series/HanginWithMrCooper'' (first season)
36	* ''Series/StepByStep''
37
38	[[AC:Game Shows]]
39	* ''Series/TheOneMillionChanceOfALifetime'' (1986-87; first game show produced under L-T name)
40	* ''Series/CatchPhrase'' (the original, short-lived U.S. version; distributed by Telepictures, pre-Lorimar)
41	* ''Series/DreamHouse'' (1983-84 revival on Creator/{{NBC}} w/ Bob Eubanks; only solo Lorimar game show, taking over Group W's role midway through)
42	* ''[[Series/LetsMakeADeal The All-New Let's Make a Deal]]'' (1984–86 revival, also Telepictures pre-Lorimar)
43	* ''Series/LoveConnection'' (1983-94, also had brief revival in 1998)
44	* ''Series/{{Fun House\|1988}}'' (1988-91; later passed on to Telepictures solo after WB buyout)
45	** ''College Mad House'' (short-lived spinoff featuring college students in 1989-90)
46	* ''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 ''Series/BobsFullHouse'')
47
48	[[AC:Animated]]
49	* Creator/RankinBassProductions (1980s)
50	** ''WesternAnimation/SilverHawks''
51	** ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats''
52	** ''WesternAnimation/TheComicStrip''
53	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gumby}}'' (1988)
54	* ''WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks'' (syndicated reruns only)
55
56	[[AC:Feature Films]]
57	* ''Film/TwilightsLastGleaming'' (1977)
58	* ''Film/BeingThere'' (1979)
59	* ''Film/{{SOB}}'' (1981)
60	* ''Film/{{Night School\|1981}}'' (1981)
61	* ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman'' (1982)
62	* ''Film/BloodsuckersFromOuterSpace'' (1984; distribution only)
63	* ''Film/TheLastStarfighter'' (1984) (Co-production with Creator/{{Universal}}) Warner Bros. owns the television rights.
64	* ''Film/{{Tank\|1984}}'' (1984) (Co-production with Universal.)
65	* ''Film/ScreamForHelp'' (1984)
66	* ''Film/TheBoyWhoCouldFly'' (1986)
67	* ''Film/TheFourthProtocol'' (1987) (U.S. distribution only)
68	* ''Theatre/{{Orphans}}'' (1987)
69	* ''Film/InTheMood'' (1987) (Co-production with Kings Road Entertainment)
70	* ''Film/ActionJackson'' (1988) (their last self-distributed title)
71	* ''Film/{{Moonwalker}}'' (1988) (non-U.S. theatrical distribution; US home video release)
72	* ''Film/TwoMoonJunction'' (1988)
73	* ''Film/RunningOnEmpty'' (1988)
74	* ''Film/DangerousLiaisons'' (1988)
75	* ''Film/PennAndTellerGetKilled'' (1989)
76	* ''Film/{{The Witches\|1990}}'' (1990; their final big-screen production)
77	[[/index]]

Context Creator / Lorimar