Logos[]
1st logo (1985): Just a still shot of the 1984-1985 Touchstone Films logo, except "TELEVISION" replaces "FILMS".
2nd logo (1985-2004): Same as the "Snake" movie logo, only the parts with the elongated circle are deleted. The text "TOUCHSTONE TELEVISION" is aside the blue circle, and the text has the lightning going through it. When it reaches the circle, the circle flashes and the lightning appears.
Variants[]
- September 14, 1985-July 12, 1987: "TOUCHSTONE FILMS"
- September 16, 1987-May 7, 1988: "TOUCHSTONE PICTURES"
- On some shows (especially on 1990s rerun prints of Witt/Thomas shows), there would be a copyright stamp saying the year, and the text "Touchstone Films" (later "Touchstone Pictures and Television" or "Touchstone Television and Pictures"). The font for the copyright stamp may vary. However, on the five S5 Home Improvement episodes with the "Touchstone Television and Pictures" version of the stamp, including "Jill's Surprise Party" and "Room Without a View", the extreme left and right sides of the screen are missing. On the S3 Golden Girls episode "The Artist", as well as most episodes of the fourth season, and some from the fifth and seventh seasons, the stamp is in a different font.
- An enhanced version debuted in the late 1990s. This version had a much brighter flash and had a different font for "TELEVISION". This version is videotaped and was only seen on widescreen prints.
- Like the movie logo, the positioning of the logo varies. For its first year it was in the center; for its second year onward it was at the bottom of the screen.
- There's a version of the videotaped variant where the flash is even bigger and is pointed to the right. This version debuted on Less Than Perfect.
- On The Trouble with Normal, "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" faded in below the logo. This would then be followed by the Paramount Television logo.
- A longer version of the 1988 logo exists, with the animation starting from right where the elongated circle brings forth the "TOUCHSTONE TELEVISION" text. This has so far only been spotted on the Boy Meets World episode "Quiz Show".
- On the season 2 Home Improvement episode "Shooting Three to Make Tutu", the logo cuts in halfway through while the entire 1989 jingle plays as normal. A similar variant exists on a good number of episodes from seasons 2 through 6, except the entire logo is shown. However, on the S6 episode "Al's Video", the logo starts from the flash while the entire jingle is heard.
- On the season 2 Home Improvement episode "I'm Scheming of a White Christmas" and one season 6 episode, as well as at least two season 4 episodes of The Golden Girls, some season 2 episodes of the short-lived show Popular and some episodes of the first 3 seasons of Scrubs, it fades to black. This also happens at the end of the 2003 special Tim Allen Presents: The Home Improvement User's Guide and the short-lived Line of Fire, except it fades out shortly after the thunderbolt dies down.
- A "letterboxed" version exists on some S5&6 Golden Girls episodes, with the logo placed in the middle. On episodes containing this, it would be followed by the period Buena Vista Television logo.
- On the season 4 Golden Girls episode “Bang the Drum, Stanley”, the byline fades out just as the logo fades into the Buena Vista International Television logo.
3rd logo (2004-December 4, 2009): We see a light shining over a black screen. The light condenses and we see the gold stone from past Touchstone logos over a blue sphere. Later, the words:
TOUCHSTONE
TELEVISION
zoom out underneath the sphere.
4th logo (2020): Similar to the Fox 21 and Fox 21 Television Studios logos, but the word "touchstone" replaces "fox21 television studios" and is seen being typed on the paper, then the word "television" replacing the dot at the end pops in below.
Music/Sounds[]
1st logo (1985): The ending theme of the show.
2nd logo (1985-2004):
- September 16, 1987-January 13, 1988: The last half of the Touchstone Pictures theme. Was only used on the short-lived series, The Oldest Rookie.
- April 5, 1989-October 2004: A short descending piano with bells on the collision. This debuted on episode 6 of the short-lived series Hard Time on Planet Earth.
- A longer, extended version of the 1989 theme exists. It descends much longer and starts at a very high pitch (a la New Line Cinema).
- In some cases, the ending theme would play over the logo (like on The Golden Girls and the unaired live-action Clerks pilot from 1995), or it would be silent (like on the S5 Home Improvement episodes "A Taylor Runs Through It" and "Room Without a View").
Music/Sounds Variants
- Some international rerun prints of The Golden Girls would have the 1985 Buena Vista Television chimes playing over the logo.
- On some episodes of Home Improvement, the 1989 theme is off-sync (though how off-sync it is varies).
- On a few season 1 Home Improvement episodes, the jingle fades out after the last piano note.
- On most episodes of the short-lived show Popular and the 8 Simple Rules (for Dating My Teenage Daughter) season 1 episode "Wall of Shame", only the last eight notes of the theme is heard.
- On the Popular episode "Mo' Menace, Mo' Problems" and the 8 Simple Rules (for Dating My Teenage Daughter) season 1 episode "Bridget's First Job", only the last seven notes of the theme is heard.
- On the 8 Simple Rules (for Dating My Teenage Daughter) season 1 episode "Wings", only the last six notes of the theme is heard, and in slightly sped-up.
- On the first three seasons of Scrubs starting with "My Old Lady", the season 2 episode "Mom's Boyfriend" and the entire 3rd season of According to Jim, the first two seasons of 8 Simple Rules (for Dating My Teenage Daughter) starting with "Son-in-Law", the short-lived MDs and the short-lived Line of Fire, only the first six notes and part of the last one are heard, and in warp speed.
3rd logo (July 30, 2004-December 4, 2009): The 1989 jingle from the previous logo, the ending theme of the show, or none. On According to Jim, the last few notes of the piano section to the 1989 theme are cut off.
4th logo (2020): The same as the Fox 21 and Fox 21 Television Studios logos; the typing sounds accompany the typing of "touchstone", and the "ding" sound accompanies the appearance of "television".
Scare Factor[]
1st logo (1985): None.
2nd logo (1985-2004): Low. Thanks to the music change, this logo feels less ominous than its movie counterpart.
3rd logo (2004-2009): Low. The sped up animation may startle some. None for the silent and ending theme variants.
4th logo (2020): None. It's just boring and a giant disappointment.
Video[]
Touchstone Television - Logo - Outro Full HD (2020-)