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Warner Bros. Television Distribution

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File:Warner Bros Television.jpg
Warner Bros. Television shield.

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (WBDTD) is an American television distribution arm of Warner Bros. Television, itself a part of Time Warner formed c. 1960. In 1989, the studio formed Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (WBDTD) after acquiring Lorimar-Telepictures when both distribution arms folded into WBTD.

The company currently distributes the library from its television library, including television programming material acquired from Turner Broadcasting System (includes Turner Entertainment (the pre-May 1986 MGM TV library, the holdings of Associated Artists Productions, Gilligan's Island and its two animated spin-offs The New Adventures of Gilligan and Gilligan's Planet) Turner Program Services (Captain Planet and the Planeteers and The New Adventures of Captain Planet (both produced by DiC Entertainment and Hanna-Barbera), and most of the Hanna-Barbera and pre-1991 Ruby-Spears cartoons), Lorimar Television, Telepictures, post-1974 Rankin-Bass, HBO (except for non-US rights to certain shows), and Wolper Productions. WBTD also handles its own motion picture library including those acquired from studios by Turner Entertainment Co. (including most of the pre-May 9, 1986 MGM library), Castle Rock Entertainment (excepting those currently owned by MGM and Sony Pictures Entertainment), most films by Lorimar Motion Pictures, most of the HBO Films (includes HBO NYC, HBO Films, and HBO Pictures), New Line Cinema, and Warner Independent Pictures, among others.

In 1994, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution formed Warner Bros. Domestic Pay TV Cable & Network Features. In 2000, however, Warner Bros. Domestic Pay TV Cable & Network Features was folded back into WBDTD.

Titles produced and/or distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution

Not all television series were produced by Warner Bros. Television in this unit

Current Syndicated Productions

  • Extra (1994–Present) (1994-2003 as Time-Telepictures Television) (co-production with Nuvell Riley Productions 1994-1996 and Tinsletown Entertainment 1996-1998)
  • The People's Court (1997–present) (co-produced by Ralph Edwards-Stu Billett Productions)
  • Judge Mathis (1999–Present) (co-produced with Syndicated Productions) (1999-2003 Time Telepictures Television)
  • The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003–Present) (Co-produced by Very Good Productions)
  • TMZ on TV (2007–Present) (Co-produced by Harvey Levin Productions and Jim Paratore's paraMedia)
  • The Real (2014–present) (Co-produced by 495 Productions)
  • Let's Ask America (2012–present) (Co-produced by Canter/Karask Industries Jim Paratore's paraMedia Apploff Entertainment and E. W. Scripps Company)

Rankin/Bass (1974-1989)

WGBH Productions

Hanna-Barbera Cartoons

Note: Not all titles by Hanna-Barbera are owned by Warner Bros.

Note: These are the shows that were originally owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer along with MGM/UA Television pre-1985.

MGM/UA Television
  • Gilligan's Island (1964–1967)
  • The holdings of Associated Artists Productions (a.a.p.), which was sold to UA in 1958. Included are WB's pre-1950 library and the Popeye theatrical cartoons. a.a.p.'s library was technically part of UA's TV division, which continues to be the case under WB/Turner.

Independent companies

  • The New Dick Van Dyke Show (Cave Creek Enterprises, 1971–1974) The series is distributed by WBTD.
  • Shazam! (Filmation, 1974–1977) The series is distributed by WBTD (via corporate sibling DC Comics).
  • Man from Atlantis (Solow Production Company, 1977-1978) current distribution rights (home video and TV) are owned by WBTD
  • It's A Living (1980–82, 1985–89) (produced by Witt-Thomas-Harris Productions; acquired by Lorimar-Telepictures after it bought Golden West television in 1986)
  • ALF (Alien Productions, 1986–1990) (WB never owned video rights, as Alien Productions licensed them to Lions Gate Home Entertainment; WB's syndication rights recently transferred to Lionsgate's syndication arm Debmar-Mercury)
  • The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (You And Me Kid Productions, 1987–1991)
  • Here's Lucy (Lucille Ball Productions, 1968–1974) (co-produced by Paramount Television 1968-1969. Television distribution rights inherited from Telepictures. WB does not own video rights—such rights are held by MPI Home Video under license from Ball Productions and Desilu, Too LLC.)
  • Tales (White-Green Productions/Whitt-Thomas Productions, 1988-1991) (MGM did had The Wizard of Oz by Turner Entertainment Co.)
  • MADtv (Quincy Jones/David Salzman Entertainment, 1995–2009)
  • My Favorite Martian (Jack Chertok Television, 1963–1966) (WB owns only the Broadcast syndication rights, inherited from Telepictures--all other rights now held by Chertok and, until recently, Rhino Entertainment, once a sister company to WB until spun off along with affiliate Warner Music Group--home video rights to this show, like Here's Lucy, were transferred to MPI Home Video)
  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (NBC Productions, 1990–1996)1
  • The Gumby Show (Clokey Productions/Premavision, 1955-2002 in various incarnations) (Lorimar/Telepictures, later WBTV, inherited the distribution rights when the 1983 version premiered, then in 2000 lost the rights to Classic Media and Premavision. However, Warner Bros. Entertainment, in conjunction with Prema Toy Co., licensing agent for the Gumby series, has ancillary rights.)
  • In the House (1995–1999) (NBC Productions, 1995–1996 and NBC Studios, 1996–1999)
  • Art News (JME Productions/CNN Productions, 1993)
  • Will & Grace (NBC Studios 1998-2004, NBC Universal Television Studio 2004-2006)1
1. NBC Universal owns ancillary and trademark rights of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, US Broadcast syndication handled by WBDTD and DVD rights by Warner Home Video, and in the case of Will & Grace, WBDTD has US Broadcast syndication rights and international syndication rights handled by MGM International Television Distribution and DVD rights by Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

See also