Logos[]
1st logo (1986-1988?)[]
A violet triangle that contains the background sky of the Tri-Star Pictures logo intro, with a golden border and the text:
TRI
STAR
stacked on each other, zooms-out and plasters itself on a black background, above which the Pegasus is seen posed as in the movie logo. The text "TELEVISION" appears below. Months later, the word "TELEVISION" is already chyroned in underneath the logo.
2nd logo (1991-1993)[]
On a dark gray or dark blue marbled background, the studio name in the same Didot font used on the CBS logo and on the '80s TriStar logo, only in CGI and a light silver color zooms out from the bottom to the center of the screen saying:
TRI
STAR
TELEVISION
By having the word "TELEVISION" in a light silver cote-out rectangular box. Then the "Pegasus Over Pyramid" logo is formed out of light streaks next to "TRI".
Variant[]
On Forever Knight, the phrase "produced in association with" in white is seen above the logo on a dark blue background.
3rd logo (1992-1999)[]
We see the white, winged Pegasus with its wings spread out, posed on the dreamy, sun-lit, cloud-filled sky (which is a similar background from the Columbia Pictures logo, but the middle part is a bit shorter) as in the 1993 movie logo. "TRISTAR" appears on the top of the screen in giant bold, white chiseled text like the "COLUMBIA" text from the 1992 CPT logo and on the bottom of the screen in smaller text (all in the same Bank Gothic MD BT font as the 1992 CPT logo), "TRISTAR TELEVISION" with the byline "a SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT company" below it.
Variants[]
- On the 1992 TV movie A Child Lost Forever, the 1995 TV movie Annie: A Royal Adventure, and the short-lived series Hudson Street, the logo appears enhanced.
- Sometimes, on some shows and TV movies like the 1995 TV movie Sahara, the logo fades out like the 1992 CPT logo.
- On a Jeopardy! episode aired on December 23, 1993, the logo was seen on a "Video Daily Double" question. The logo appears to be close-up, there is no text below the Pegasus and the "TRISTAR TELEVISION" text is not there.
4th logo (2015-)[]
It starts with the Sony Pictures Entertainment logo, just like Sony Pictures Television. It very quickly irises into the end of the current TriStar logo with the horse just beginning to spread his wings. "TELEVISION" then fades in underneath in the same font as the TriStar logo and spaced out. The byline "A SONY COMPANY" fades in a moment later, in block caps and in a different font than in the regular logo. All of the text appears to be made of solid gold.
Music/Sounds[]
1st logo[]
An edited version of the last notes of the 1984 TriStar Pictures theme composed by Dave Grusin that's listed below:
- 1986: The last 8 notes of the 1984 TriStar Pictures theme that's slightly edited.
- 1987-1988: Another edited version only using the last 7 notes of the theme.
2nd logo[]
The end-title theme from any show, TV movie, or none.
Music/Sounds Variant[]
On Get a Life, sound clips from the end of the episodes are heard.
3rd logo[]
Depending on the logo years:
- 1992-1993, 1994-1995: The last seven notes of the 1984 movie logo theme. Used again for the first 3 season 2 episodes of Mad About You. In 1994-95, this was used on the Michael Moore TV series TV Nation aired on NBC and Fox.
- 1993-1999: A 5-note majestic orchestral fanfare with bells composed by Jay Asher.
- 1994-1995: A 6-note majestic theme.
- 1996-1999: A short version of this has 4 notes based on the 1994 logo theme and is sped up and revamped.
- NBC and CBS used their generic themes on the logo.
- In other cases, it used the closing theme of the show.
- There is a silent version of the logo as well.
Music/Sounds Variants[]
- There is a high tone variant of the last 7 notes of the theatrical theme on the first-season Mad About You episode "Neighbors From Hell".
- On Mad About You season 2 episode "Natural History", the 1993 theme echos at the end.
- On the ultra short-lived series TriBeCa, it's the last 5 notes of the theatrical theme.
- At least one episode of the short-lived Designing Women spin-off Women of the House has the logo starting off silently, then playing the last three notes of the 1993 theme.
- On one episode of the short-lived sitcom A League of their Own (based on the 1992 Columbia Pictures movie), the 1992 theme is low-pitched.
4th logo[]
The 1993 Jay Asher theme from the last logo.
Scare Factor[]
1st logo[]
Low. It can catch you off guard thanks to the zoom-out and sudden fanfare.
2nd logo[]
None.
3rd logo[]
- 1992-1993: Minimal.
- 1993-1999: None.
- 1994-1995: None.
- 1996-1999: Low. The theme can catch you off guard if you haven't heard it before.
4th logo[]
None. This is a very good logo and it is nice to hear the old TriStar theme again.