DreamWorks Television

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DreamWorks Television
TypeDivision
IndustryTelevision production
Television syndication
PredecessorGeffen Television
Amblimation
FoundedOctober 12, 1994
FoundersSteven Spielberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg
David Geffen
DefunctSeptember 6, 2013
FateFolded into Amblin Television
Successors
Headquarters,
United States
OwnerDreamWorks Pictures

DreamWorks Television was an American television distribution and production company based in Universal City, California, that was a division of DreamWorks. It folded into Amblin Television in 2013.[1]

History[]

DreamWorks Television was formed in December 1994 as DreamWorks Pictures agreed to a $200 million seven-year television production joint venture with the Capital Cities/ABC.[2] The company was set up to produce series for broadcast networks, cable channels and first run syndication with no first look for the ABC Network, but financial incentives favored ABC.[3] The first show, Champs, was scheduled as a mid-season replacement for the ABC network. Dan McDermott was named division chief executive in June 1995.[4] DreamWorks Television's first success was Spin City on ABC.[3] The Walt Disney Company bought Capital Cities/ABC in February 1996.[5]

In 1997, DreamWorks Television had a falling-out with NBC over the development of various TV shows.[6] The dispute was eventually settled, and went to being a development slater for NBC in 1998.[7] In 1998, DreamWorks has struck a deal with Paramount Domestic Television to syndicate Spin City for off-net syndication.[8]

In 2002, the company's joint venture agreement with ABC ended. This agreement was replaced by a development agreement with NBC with a first look clause, financing for series pickups by the network while taking a financial stake in the show. DreamWorks Television could finance shows sold to other outlets, and NBC paid an annual fee to it.[3]

TV shows[]

The entire pre-2008 DreamWorks Television catalogue is currently owned and distributed worldwide by CBS Media Ventures with the exception of the programs Line of Fire, Carpoolers and Oliver Beene (distributed by Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution), Las Vegas (distributed in North America by NBCUniversal Television Distribution and internationally by MGM Worldwide Television Distribution), Father of the Pride (distributed by NBCUniversal Television Distribution), Off Centre (distributed by Warner Bros. Television), Band of Brothers (distributed by HBO Enterprises), Miracle Workers (distributed by Entertainment One), and Rescue Me (distributed by Sony Pictures Television); Paramount also co-distributes the following DWTV programs including The Job (with Disney-ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution), Boomtown (with NBCUniversal Television Distribution in North America and MGM Worldwide Television Distribution outside North America) and Alienators: Evolution Continues (North American joint distribution with WildBrain; international joint distribution to the series has been held by Sony Pictures Television and WildBrain). In 2011, Netflix made a streaming deal with DreamWorks gaining the rights for streaming its movies, TV shows and TV shows specials.[9]

TV series produced by DreamWorks Television[]

1990s[]

Title Years Network Notes
Champs 1996 ABC
High Incident 1996–1998 ABC
Majority Rules[10] 1996–1997 NBC
Spin City 1996–2002 ABC co-production with Ubu Productions and Lottery Hill Entertainment
Ink 1996–1997 CBS
Arsenio 1997 ABC
Toonsylvania 1998 FOX produced by DreamWorks Television Animation
Invasion America 1998 The WB produced by DreamWorks Television Animation
Anna Says 1999
It's Like, You Know... 1999–2000 ABC
Freaks and Geeks 1999–2000 NBC co-production with Apatow Productions

2000s[]

Title Years Network Notes
The Others 2000 NBC co-production with NBC Studios and
Battery Park 2000 NBC co-production with Ubu Productions
The Job 2001–2002 ABC co-production with The Cloudland Company, Apostle and Touchstone Television
Band of Brothers 2001 HBO miniseries; co-production with Playtone
Alienators: Evolution Continues 2001–2002 Fox Kids produced by DreamWorks Television Animation in North America and Columbia TriStar Television outside North America with DIC Entertainment and The Montecito Picture Company
Undeclared 2001–2002 FOX co-production with Apatow Productions
Off Centre 2001–2002 The WB co-production with Weitz, Weitz & Zuker and Warner Bros. Television
Boomtown 2002–2003 NBC co-production with Nemo Films and NBC Studios
Taken 2002 Syfy miniseries
Oliver Beene 2003–2004 FOX co-production with Steven Levitan Productions, ge.wirtz Films and Twentieth Century Fox Television
Las Vegas 2003–2008 NBC co-production with Gary Scott Thompson Productions and NBC Studios, later NBC Universal Television Studio and later Universal Media Studios
Line of Fire 2003–2004 ABC co-production with Battle Plan Productions, Steven Bochco Productions and Touchstone Television
Rescue Me 2004–2011 FX co-production with The Cloudland Company, Apostle and Sony Pictures Television
Father of the Pride 2004–2005 NBC produced by DreamWorks Television Animation
The Contender 2005–2008 NBC/ESPN/Versus co-production with Mark Burnett Productions and ESPN Original Entertainment (seasons 2–3; 2006–07)
Into the West 2005 TNT miniseries
Miracle Workers 2006 ABC
Dog Bites Man 2006 Comedy Central
On the Lot 2007 FOX in association with Amblin Entertainment and Mark Burnett Productions
Carpoolers 2007–2008 ABC co-production with T.R.O.R.T., 3 Arts Entertainment and ABC Studios
United States of Tara 2009–2011 Showtime co-production with Showtime Networks
Wedding Day[11] 2009 TNT

2010s[]

Title Years Network Notes
The Pacific 2010 HBO miniseries; co-production with Playtone
Falling Skies 2011–2015 TNT Season 1–3 produced by DreamWorks Television; Seasons 4–5 produced by Amblin Television
Smash 2012–2013 NBC co-production with Universal Television and
The Americans[12] 2013 FX pilot; co-production with Fox Television Studios and FX Productions

TV specials produced by DreamWorks Television[]

TV specials produced by DreamWorks Television:

  • The Secret World of "Antz" (1998)
  • When You Believe: Music From "The Prince of Egypt" (1998)
  • Galaxy Quest: 20th Anniversary: The Journey Continues (1999)
  • The Hatching of "Chicken Run" (2000)
  • Gladiator Games: The Roman Bloodsport (2000)
  • We Stand Alone Together (2001)
  • What Lies Beneath: Constructing the Perfect Thriller (2001)
  • Woody Allen: A Life in Film (2002)

TV series produced by DreamWorks Animation[]

These are TV series produced by DreamWorks Animation (DWA) that were distributed by DWTV around the world. In 2004, the animation division of DreamWorks was spun off as a separate company (and now bought by NBCUniversal in 2016) and thus animated shows after 2004 do not apply here.

References[]

  1. ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine (1997-01-20). "Despite a Sluggish Beginning, Dreamworks Is Viewed as a Potential Hollywood Power". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
  2. ^ McClellan, Steve. (December 5, 1994). "ABC makes high-profile production leap." Broadcasting & Cable. 1994. HighBeam Research. Accessed on December 27, 2013.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Kunz, William M. (2007). "2". Culture Conglomerates: Consolidation in the Motion Picture and Television Industries. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 49, 50. ISBN 9780742540668. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  4. ^ Hofmeister, Sallie (June 20, 1995). "Company Town : Fox Executive Dan McDermott Named to Head DreamWorks SKG Television". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  5. ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine. THE MEDIA BUSINESS;Disney and ABC Shareholders Solidly Approve Merger Deal January 05, 1996. The New York Times. Accessed July 8, 2013.
  6. ^ Variety Staff; Staff, Variety (1997-03-31). "NBC PILOTS PULLED". Variety. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  7. ^ Hontz, Jenny (1998-10-07). "Is Peacock target of studio boycott?". Variety. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  8. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (1998-05-05). "DreamWorks' 'Spin' goes off-net for Par". Variety. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  9. ^ Barnes, Brooks; Stelter, Brian (September 25, 2011). "Netflix Secures Streaming Deal With DreamWorks". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  10. ^ McBride, Joseph (January 4, 2011). Steven Spielberg, A Biography (2nd ed.). p. 605. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  11. ^ Lowry, Brian (June 15, 2009). "Wedding Day". Variety. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  12. ^ Molloy, Tim (December 16, 2011). "FX Orders Cold War Pilot 'The Americans'". The Wrap. Retrieved May 26, 2014. DreamWorks Television is also credited as an executive producer on the pilot, which is being produced by Fox Television Studios and FX Productions.

External links[]

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