Classic Media, Inc. is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
production companyA production company is a company responsible for the development and physical production of performing arts, film, radio or a television program. The company may also be directly responsible for the raising of funding for the production or may do through an intermediary...
and distributor of family programming. Formed in 1998 after acquiring
Golden Books Family EntertainmentWestern Publishing, also known as "Western Printing and Lithographing Co." was a publishing firm based in Racine, Wisconsin, that was responsible for Little Golden Books.-History:...
, their library consists of properties which they acquired from other companies, including
Entertainment RightsEntertainment Rights Plc was a global media company. Its main role was in children and family television programming.The group was established in 1989 and was focused on the creation and exploitation of major children's characters and brands. These include Postman Pat, Rupert Bear, Basil Brush, and...
,
Harvey ComicsHarvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B. Harvey and Leon Harvey joined soon after. The company soon got into licensed characters, which by the 1950s, became the bulk of...
,
Jay Ward ProductionsJay Ward Productions is an animated cartoon studio, founded in 1949 by American animator Jay Ward.It was best-known for producing The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show and many other films and series...
, and many others.
- The catalogues and characters of Entertainment Rights
Entertainment Rights Plc was a global media company. Its main role was in children and family television programming.The group was established in 1989 and was focused on the creation and exploitation of major children's characters and brands. These include Postman Pat, Rupert Bear, Basil Brush, and...
- Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American stop-motion production company, known for its seasonal television specials. With few exceptions, their library is currently owned by Classic Media and Warner Bros...
pre-1974 library (Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a character created in a story and song by the same name. The story was created by Robert L. May in 1939 as part of his employment with Montgomery Ward....
, Frosty the Snowman"Frosty the Snowman" is a popular song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. It was written after the success of Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the previous year; Rollins and Nelson shipped the...
, etc.), with few exceptions listed below under "Notes".
- The Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
catalog (He-Man and the Masters of the UniverseHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
, GhostbustersGhostbusters was an animated television series created by Filmation and distributed by Tribune Broadcasting and launched following the success of Ivan Reitman and Columbia Pictures' 1984 film Ghostbusters. It ran from 1986-1988 in daytime syndication and produced 65 episodes...
, Fat Albert and the Cosby KidsFat Albert and the Cosby Kids is an animated series created, produced, and hosted by comedian Bill Cosby, who also lent his voice to a number of characters, including the titular one. Filmation was the production company for the series. The show premiered in 1971 and ran until 1985...
, etc.)
- The Jack Wrather
John Devereaux "Jack" Wrather, Jr. , was a petroleum millionaire who became a television producer and later diversified by investing in broadcast stations and resort properties...
catalog (The Lone RangerThe Lone Ranger is an American radio and television show created by George W. Trendle and developed by writer Fran Striker.The eponymous character is a masked Texas Ranger in the American Old West, originally played by Paul Halliwell, who gallops about righting injustices with the aid of his...
, LassieLassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female rough collie named Lassie and her companions, human and animal. One of the longest running dramatic series on television, Lassie was broadcast by a television network from September 12, 1954, to March 24, 1973...
, The Green HornetThe Green Hornet is a fictional masked crime fighter. Originally created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker for an American radio program in the 1930s, the character has appeared in other media as well, including film serials in the 1940s, a network television program in the 1960s, and multiple...
)
- The Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B. Harvey and Leon Harvey joined soon after. The company soon got into licensed characters, which by the 1950s, became the bulk of...
animated catalog (Casper the Friendly GhostCasper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable...
1, Richie Rich1, Baby HueyBaby Huey was a gigantic and naïve duckling cartoon character. He was created by Martin Taras for Paramount Pictures' Famous Studios, and became a Paramount cartoon star during the 1950s...
, etc.)
- The Jay Ward Productions
Jay Ward Productions is an animated cartoon studio, founded in 1949 by American animator Jay Ward.It was best-known for producing The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show and many other films and series...
catalog* (Rocky and Bullwinkle, George of the JungleGeorge of the Jungle was an American animated television series produced by Jay Ward and Bill Scott, who created Rocky & Bullwinkle. It ran for 17 episodes on Saturday mornings from September 9 to December 30, 1967, on the American TV network ABC...
, The Dudley Do-Right Show, etc.)
- Underdog
- US rights to the French
France , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
-Belgian comics catalog (The Adventures of TintinThe Adventures of Tintin is a series of comic strips created by Belgian artist Hergé, the pen name of Georges Remi . The series first appeared in French in Le Petit Vingtième, a children's supplement to the Belgian newspaper on 10 January 1929...
and Blake and MortimerBlake and Mortimer is a Belgian comics series created by the Belgian writer and comics artist Edgar P. Jacobs. It was one of the first series to appear in the Belgian comics magazine |Tintin in 1946, and was subsequently published in book form by Les Editions du Lombard.The main protagonists of the...
)
- Most of the UPA
United Productions of America, better known as UPA, was an American animation studio of the 1940s through present day, beginning with industrial films and World War II training films. In the late 1940s, UPA produced theatrical shorts for Columbia Pictures, most notably the Mr. Magoo series. In...
animated catalog (Mr. MagooQuincy Magoo is a cartoon character created at the UPA animation studio in 1949. Voiced by Jim Backus , Quincy Magoo is a wealthy, short-statured retiree who gets into a series of sticky situations as a result of his nearsightedness, or myopia,...
, Gerald McBoing-BoingGerald McBoing-Boing is an animated short film produced by United Productions of America and given wide release by Columbia Pictures on January 25, 1951...
, etc.)
- Gerald McBoing Boing (the 2005 edition co-produced with Cookie Jar)
- Theodore Tugboat
Theodore Tugboat is a Canadian children's television series about a tugboat named Theodore who lives in the Big Harbour with all of his friends. The show was produced in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada by the CBC , and the now defunct Cochran Entertainment, and was filmed on a model set using radio...
- Shari Lewis
Shari Lewis was an American ventriloquist, puppeteer, and children's television show host, most popular during the 1960s and 1990s...
' two PBS series (Lamb Chop's Play Along, and Charlie Horse Music PizzaCharlie Horse Music Pizza is a children's television show that was shown on PBS in the United States from January to May 1998. It is a spin-off of the series Lamb Chop's Play Along, and features the original cast from that show, including host Shari Lewis.The show takes place around a pizzeria on...
)
- Turok
Turok is a fictional American comic book character initially in comics from Western Publishing published through licensee Dell Comics. He first appeared in Four Color Comics #596 , then graduated to his own title, Turok, Son of Stone...
, Little LuluLittle Lulu is a comic strip character, created by Marjorie Henderson Buell. Little Lulu first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post on February 23, 1935 in a single panel, appearing in her debut as a flower girl at a wedding, strewing the aisle with banana peels.Little Lulu replaced Carl...
, and other comic characters created/owned by Western PublishingWestern Publishing, also known as "Western Printing and Lithographing Co." was a publishing firm based in Racine, Wisconsin, that was responsible for Little Golden Books.-History:...
(though most of the Lulu cartoons themselves are currently owned by other entities such as CBS Television Studios and Cinar, depending upon when this material was originally made and released)
- Western Publishing's Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books is a popular series of children's books. The first 12 titles were published on October 1, 1942:#Three Little Kittens#Bedtime Stories#Mother Goose#Prayers for Children#The Little Red Hen#Nursery Songs...
catalog (The Poky Little PuppyThe Poky Little Puppy is a children's book written by Texas author Janette Sebring Lowrey and illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren. It was first published in 1942 as one of the first 12 books in the Simon and Schuster series Little Golden Books...
, etc.)
- US rights to certain Godzilla films, including the Godzilla segments of The Godzilla Power Hour
Godzilla is a 30-minute animated series co-produced between Hanna-Barbera Productions and Toho in 1978 and aired on NBC in the US and TV Tokyo in Japan....
- The Christian animated producer Big Idea Productions
Big Idea, Inc. is an American Christian computer animation production company best known for its VeggieTales series of Christian-themed family home videos and sometimes in co-production with Warner Home Video. The company is now a subsidiary of Classic Media, an American production company and...
(the makers of VeggieTalesVeggieTales is a series of English language children's computer animated films featuring anthropomorphic vegetables. Developed by Big Idea, the films convey moral themes based on Christianity, often compatible with Judaism, spliced with satirical references to pop culture and current events...
)
- The animated video producer Britt Allcroft
Britt Allcroft is the multi award-winning creator of a trio of children's entertainment produced in the 1980s and 1990s. "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends", , "Shining Time Station" and "Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie".She wrote and directed the movie "Thomas and the Magic...
's pre-2002 library (Thomas the Tank Engine and FriendsThomas and Friends is a British children's television series, first broadcast on the ITV network in September 1984. Until Season 7, which premiered in 2003, it was named Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. This series was shot on 35mm film...
).
- The claymation animator Art Clokey
Arthur C. Clokey Arthur C. (Art) Clokey Arthur C. (Art) Clokey ((pronounced "Cl-OH-key", born Arthur Farrington, October 12, 1921, Detroit, Michigan) is a pioneer in the popularization of stop motion clay animation, beginning in 1955 with a film experiment called Gumbasia, influenced by his...
's GumbyGumby is a green clay humanoid figure who was the subject of a 233-episode series of American television which spanned over a 35-year period. He was animated using stop motion clay animation.-Characters:...
shorts
- Felix the Cat from the 1950s
On December 14, 2006, it was announced that Classic Media (CM) would be acquired by UK-based rival
Entertainment RightsEntertainment Rights Plc was a global media company. Its main role was in children and family television programming.The group was established in 1989 and was focused on the creation and exploitation of major children's characters and brands. These include Postman Pat, Rupert Bear, Basil Brush, and...
(ER) for $210.0 million, and the deal was completed on January 11, 2007.
Classic Media, Inc. is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
production companyA production company is a company responsible for the development and physical production of performing arts, film, radio or a television program. The company may also be directly responsible for the raising of funding for the production or may do through an intermediary...
and distributor of family programming. Formed in 1998 after acquiring
Golden Books Family EntertainmentWestern Publishing, also known as "Western Printing and Lithographing Co." was a publishing firm based in Racine, Wisconsin, that was responsible for Little Golden Books.-History:...
, their library consists of properties which they acquired from other companies, including
Entertainment RightsEntertainment Rights Plc was a global media company. Its main role was in children and family television programming.The group was established in 1989 and was focused on the creation and exploitation of major children's characters and brands. These include Postman Pat, Rupert Bear, Basil Brush, and...
,
Harvey ComicsHarvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B. Harvey and Leon Harvey joined soon after. The company soon got into licensed characters, which by the 1950s, became the bulk of...
,
Jay Ward ProductionsJay Ward Productions is an animated cartoon studio, founded in 1949 by American animator Jay Ward.It was best-known for producing The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show and many other films and series...
, and many others.
Holdings
- The catalogues and characters of Entertainment Rights
Entertainment Rights Plc was a global media company. Its main role was in children and family television programming.The group was established in 1989 and was focused on the creation and exploitation of major children's characters and brands. These include Postman Pat, Rupert Bear, Basil Brush, and...
- Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American stop-motion production company, known for its seasonal television specials. With few exceptions, their library is currently owned by Classic Media and Warner Bros...
pre-1974 library (Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a character created in a story and song by the same name. The story was created by Robert L. May in 1939 as part of his employment with Montgomery Ward....
, Frosty the Snowman"Frosty the Snowman" is a popular song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. It was written after the success of Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the previous year; Rollins and Nelson shipped the...
, etc.), with few exceptions listed below under "Notes".
- The Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
catalog (He-Man and the Masters of the UniverseHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
, GhostbustersGhostbusters was an animated television series created by Filmation and distributed by Tribune Broadcasting and launched following the success of Ivan Reitman and Columbia Pictures' 1984 film Ghostbusters. It ran from 1986-1988 in daytime syndication and produced 65 episodes...
, Fat Albert and the Cosby KidsFat Albert and the Cosby Kids is an animated series created, produced, and hosted by comedian Bill Cosby, who also lent his voice to a number of characters, including the titular one. Filmation was the production company for the series. The show premiered in 1971 and ran until 1985...
, etc.)
- The Jack Wrather
John Devereaux "Jack" Wrather, Jr. , was a petroleum millionaire who became a television producer and later diversified by investing in broadcast stations and resort properties...
catalog (The Lone RangerThe Lone Ranger is an American radio and television show created by George W. Trendle and developed by writer Fran Striker.The eponymous character is a masked Texas Ranger in the American Old West, originally played by Paul Halliwell, who gallops about righting injustices with the aid of his...
, LassieLassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female rough collie named Lassie and her companions, human and animal. One of the longest running dramatic series on television, Lassie was broadcast by a television network from September 12, 1954, to March 24, 1973...
, The Green HornetThe Green Hornet is a fictional masked crime fighter. Originally created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker for an American radio program in the 1930s, the character has appeared in other media as well, including film serials in the 1940s, a network television program in the 1960s, and multiple...
)
- The Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B. Harvey and Leon Harvey joined soon after. The company soon got into licensed characters, which by the 1950s, became the bulk of...
animated catalog (Casper the Friendly GhostCasper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable...
1, Richie Rich1, Baby HueyBaby Huey was a gigantic and naïve duckling cartoon character. He was created by Martin Taras for Paramount Pictures' Famous Studios, and became a Paramount cartoon star during the 1950s...
, etc.)
- The Jay Ward Productions
Jay Ward Productions is an animated cartoon studio, founded in 1949 by American animator Jay Ward.It was best-known for producing The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show and many other films and series...
catalog* (Rocky and Bullwinkle, George of the JungleGeorge of the Jungle was an American animated television series produced by Jay Ward and Bill Scott, who created Rocky & Bullwinkle. It ran for 17 episodes on Saturday mornings from September 9 to December 30, 1967, on the American TV network ABC...
, The Dudley Do-Right Show, etc.)
- Underdog
- US rights to the French
France , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
-Belgian comics catalog (The Adventures of TintinThe Adventures of Tintin is a series of comic strips created by Belgian artist Hergé, the pen name of Georges Remi . The series first appeared in French in Le Petit Vingtième, a children's supplement to the Belgian newspaper on 10 January 1929...
and Blake and MortimerBlake and Mortimer is a Belgian comics series created by the Belgian writer and comics artist Edgar P. Jacobs. It was one of the first series to appear in the Belgian comics magazine |Tintin in 1946, and was subsequently published in book form by Les Editions du Lombard.The main protagonists of the...
)
- Most of the UPA
United Productions of America, better known as UPA, was an American animation studio of the 1940s through present day, beginning with industrial films and World War II training films. In the late 1940s, UPA produced theatrical shorts for Columbia Pictures, most notably the Mr. Magoo series. In...
animated catalog (Mr. MagooQuincy Magoo is a cartoon character created at the UPA animation studio in 1949. Voiced by Jim Backus , Quincy Magoo is a wealthy, short-statured retiree who gets into a series of sticky situations as a result of his nearsightedness, or myopia,...
, Gerald McBoing-BoingGerald McBoing-Boing is an animated short film produced by United Productions of America and given wide release by Columbia Pictures on January 25, 1951...
, etc.)
- Gerald McBoing Boing (the 2005 edition co-produced with Cookie Jar)
- Theodore Tugboat
Theodore Tugboat is a Canadian children's television series about a tugboat named Theodore who lives in the Big Harbour with all of his friends. The show was produced in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada by the CBC , and the now defunct Cochran Entertainment, and was filmed on a model set using radio...
- Shari Lewis
Shari Lewis was an American ventriloquist, puppeteer, and children's television show host, most popular during the 1960s and 1990s...
' two PBS series (Lamb Chop's Play Along, and Charlie Horse Music PizzaCharlie Horse Music Pizza is a children's television show that was shown on PBS in the United States from January to May 1998. It is a spin-off of the series Lamb Chop's Play Along, and features the original cast from that show, including host Shari Lewis.The show takes place around a pizzeria on...
)
- Turok
Turok is a fictional American comic book character initially in comics from Western Publishing published through licensee Dell Comics. He first appeared in Four Color Comics #596 , then graduated to his own title, Turok, Son of Stone...
, Little LuluLittle Lulu is a comic strip character, created by Marjorie Henderson Buell. Little Lulu first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post on February 23, 1935 in a single panel, appearing in her debut as a flower girl at a wedding, strewing the aisle with banana peels.Little Lulu replaced Carl...
, and other comic characters created/owned by Western PublishingWestern Publishing, also known as "Western Printing and Lithographing Co." was a publishing firm based in Racine, Wisconsin, that was responsible for Little Golden Books.-History:...
(though most of the Lulu cartoons themselves are currently owned by other entities such as CBS Television Studios and Cinar, depending upon when this material was originally made and released)
- Western Publishing's Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books is a popular series of children's books. The first 12 titles were published on October 1, 1942:#Three Little Kittens#Bedtime Stories#Mother Goose#Prayers for Children#The Little Red Hen#Nursery Songs...
catalog (The Poky Little PuppyThe Poky Little Puppy is a children's book written by Texas author Janette Sebring Lowrey and illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren. It was first published in 1942 as one of the first 12 books in the Simon and Schuster series Little Golden Books...
, etc.)
- US rights to certain Godzilla films, including the Godzilla segments of The Godzilla Power Hour
Godzilla is a 30-minute animated series co-produced between Hanna-Barbera Productions and Toho in 1978 and aired on NBC in the US and TV Tokyo in Japan....
- The Christian animated producer Big Idea Productions
Big Idea, Inc. is an American Christian computer animation production company best known for its VeggieTales series of Christian-themed family home videos and sometimes in co-production with Warner Home Video. The company is now a subsidiary of Classic Media, an American production company and...
(the makers of VeggieTalesVeggieTales is a series of English language children's computer animated films featuring anthropomorphic vegetables. Developed by Big Idea, the films convey moral themes based on Christianity, often compatible with Judaism, spliced with satirical references to pop culture and current events...
)
- The animated video producer Britt Allcroft
Britt Allcroft is the multi award-winning creator of a trio of children's entertainment produced in the 1980s and 1990s. "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends", , "Shining Time Station" and "Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie".She wrote and directed the movie "Thomas and the Magic...
's pre-2002 library (Thomas the Tank Engine and FriendsThomas and Friends is a British children's television series, first broadcast on the ITV network in September 1984. Until Season 7, which premiered in 2003, it was named Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. This series was shot on 35mm film...
).
- The claymation animator Art Clokey
Arthur C. Clokey Arthur C. (Art) Clokey Arthur C. (Art) Clokey ((pronounced "Cl-OH-key", born Arthur Farrington, October 12, 1921, Detroit, Michigan) is a pioneer in the popularization of stop motion clay animation, beginning in 1955 with a film experiment called Gumbasia, influenced by his...
's GumbyGumby is a green clay humanoid figure who was the subject of a 233-episode series of American television which spanned over a 35-year period. He was animated using stop motion clay animation.-Characters:...
shorts
- Felix the Cat from the 1950s
Entertainment Rights
On December 14, 2006, it was announced that Classic Media (CM) would be acquired by UK-based rival
Entertainment RightsEntertainment Rights Plc was a global media company. Its main role was in children and family television programming.The group was established in 1989 and was focused on the creation and exploitation of major children's characters and brands. These include Postman Pat, Rupert Bear, Basil Brush, and...
(ER) for $210.0 million, and the deal was completed on January 11, 2007. Before the acquisition of CM by ER was completed, both companies announced distribution and production agreements with
Genius ProductsGenius Products is a home video company based in Santa Monica, California.On December 5, 2005, Genius Products, Inc., announced a distribution joint venture with The Weinstein Company called Genius Products, LLC, with Weinstein holding a 70% stake. The transaction was approved by stockholders and...
, LLC, replacing the deal with Sony Wonder.
http://www.geniusproducts.com/PressRelease.aspx?releaseid=207
On April 1, 2009, it was announced that
Boomerang MediaBoomerang Media, L.L.C. is an American media company founded by John Engleman, Eric Ellenbogen, and the private equity firm GTCR in 2008. Boomerang Media specializes in global media and video distribution.-Acquisition of Entertainment Rights:...
, LLC would acquire Entertainment Rights' principal U.K. and U.S. subsidiaries, including Classic Media, Inc. and Big Idea, Inc. Boomerang Media, LLC was formed by the founders of subsidiary CM. On May 11, 2009, CM announced that the former U.K. and U.S. subsidiaries of ER would operate as a unified business under the new parent company's name, Classic Media. Big Idea, Inc. would operate under its own name.