Paramount Domestic Television

Paramount Domestic Television (PDT) was the television distribution arm of American television production company Paramount Television, once the TV arm of Paramount Pictures. It was formed in 1982 originally as Paramount Domestic Television and Video Programming, the successor to Paramount Television Domestic Distribution, Paramount Television Sales, and Desilu Sales.

Paramount Domestic Television

Final PDT logo, taken from that of the film studio
Industry	Television distribution Broadcast syndication
Predecessor	Paramount Television Domestic Syndication
Founded	1982; 41 years ago (1982)
Defunct	May 28, 2006; 17 years ago (2006-05-28)
Fate	Rebranded as CBS Paramount Domestic Television, then combined with King World to form CBS Television Distribution, which later rebranded as CBS Media Ventures
Successor	CBS Media Ventures Paramount Global Content Distribution Paramount Worldwide Television Licensing & Distribution
Parent	Gulf+Western (1982–1989) Paramount Communications (1989–1994) Viacom (1994–2005) CBS Corporation (2006)

History

Initially, it distributed the back library of Paramount Television and the post-1960 shows by Desilu, and several first-run syndicated shows. Originally, the company (like other sister companies sharing the Paramount name) was owned by Gulf+Western, which was reincorporated as Paramount Communications in 1989.

In 1987, it entered into an agreement with Tribune Entertainment Company whereby Paramount would distribute Geraldo, with Tribune producing. In 1989, both Tribune and Paramount worked again on The Joan Rivers Show, Paramount distributing the program and Tribune producing the series.^[1] Also that year, Paramount Domestic Television made its first foray into late-night television with the debut of The Arsenio Hall Show, hosted by Arsenio Hall himself.^[2] In 1990, Tribune and Paramount parted ways, with Tribune handling sales of the show in-house.^[3] In 1990, Maury Povich signed them to an exclusive pact with the studio.^[4] He then developed the talk show, which was aired from 1991 to 1998.

After that company was sold to Viacom in 1994, it absorbed the distribution functions of Viacom Enterprises the next year. Viacom had distributed the classic CBS library which included the pre-1960 Desilu library, alongside series from Viacom Productions and Carsey-Werner Productions library (Paramount lost the rights to the latter library in late 1994 when Carsey-Werner formed its own in-house distribution unit).^[5]

PDT also gained syndication rights to series from MTV Networks with the Viacom merger, though these have rarely been seen in syndication. Shortly after The Arsenio Hall Show was cancelled following the acquisition of Viacom, Paramount began distributing and producing MTV's The Jon Stewart Show for the syndication market.^[6] In 1987, Coca-Cola Telecommunications teamed up with Paramount Domestic Television (PDT), and Orbis Communications to form International Advertising Sales, which handled advertising of such programs produced by PDT, Orbis and Coca-Cola Telecommunications, including future programming for Merv Griffin Enterprises.^[7]

MCA Television and Paramount Domestic Television (PDT) had formed Premier Advertiser Sales, a joint venture created for the sale of advertising for their existing syndicated programs in September 1989. As a possible outgrowth of this sales joint venture, MCA and Paramount began plans for a new network, Premier Program Service.^[8]

In 1999, Viacom acquired several other television production firms such as Spelling Entertainment Group (which owned Spelling Television, Worldvision Enterprises, Republic Pictures Television, and Big Ticket Entertainment) and Rysher Entertainment (or at least its library). As a result, the size of Paramount's television library more than tripled, giving PDT a slew of new series to distribute, and included was the distribution rights to Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown.^[9] In 2002, it struck a deal with HDNet to distribute content that was meant to be short for HDTV.^[10][11]

After Viacom split into two companies – one called Viacom and the other CBS Corporation – Paramount's television operations became part of the latter company. As a result, Paramount Domestic Television became CBS Paramount Domestic Television. That was in turn merged with King World Productions in 2007 to become CBS Television Distribution (CTD). However, because National Amusements retained majority control of both CBS and the new Viacom, CBS programs (including those under the original Paramount Television name) are still distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment; starting in 2005, they have been released through CBS DVD/Blu-ray. However, some former Paramount programs, such as Entertainment Tonight, then moved from being produced at the Paramount lot to CBS facilities.

Currently, syndication rights to Paramount's theatrical film library lie with Trifecta Entertainment & Media.

List of first-run syndicated series from Paramount Domestic Television

Original

Off-network shows

• America (1985–1986) (co-production with Post-Newsweek Television)
• The Party Machine (1991) (co-produced by Peeples Productions and Arsenio Hall Communications)
• The Montel Williams Show (1991–2008, PDT succeeded Viacom as distributor in 1994)
• The Maury Povich Show (1991–2022, distributed by PDT from 1991 to 1998, now known as Maury, now owned by NBCUniversal Syndication Studios)
• Leeza (1994–2000, aired on NBC from 1994 to 1999 under Paramount Network Television)
• The Jon Stewart Show (1994–1995, a previous version aired on MTV)
• The Howie Mandel Show (1998–1999)
• Rendez-View (2001–2002)

Talk shows

• Geraldo (1987-1991, distribution only, produced by Tribune Entertainment Company and Investigate News Group)
• The Arsenio Hall Show (1989–1994, produced by Arsenio Hall Communications. 2013–2014 revival co-produced by Tribune Broadcasting and distributed by successor CBS Television Distribution)
• The Joan Rivers Show (1989-1991, distribution only, produced by Tribune Entertainment Company and PMGH Productions)
• Dr. Phil (2002–present, produced by PDT from 2002 to 2006 and Harpo Productions and distributed by King World Productions from 2002 to 2007)

Infotainment

• Entertainment Tonight (1981–present, distributed by PDT from 1981 to 2006)
• Hard Copy (1989–1999)
• The Insider (2004–2017) (distributed by PDT from 2004 to 2006)

Courtroom shows

• Judge Judy (1996–2021, distributed by PDT from 1999 to 2006, co-produced by Big Ticket Entertainment, formerly distributed by Worldvision Enterprises)
• Judge Mills Lane (1998–2001, distributed by PDT from 1999 to 2001, formerly distributed by Rysher Entertainment)
• Judge Joe Brown (1998–2013, distributed by PDT from 1999 to 2006, co-produced by Big Ticket Entertainment, formerly distributed by Worldvision Enterprises)

Scripted comedy/drama shows

• Madame's Place (1982–1983)
• Webster (1983–1989, aired on ABC from 1983 to 1987)
• Marblehead Manor (1987–1988)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
• Friday the 13th: The Series (1987–1990)
• War of the Worlds (1988–1990)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)
• Viper (1994 then 1996–1999, aired on NBC in 1994)

Reality shows

• America's Dumbest Criminals (1996–2000, distributed by PDT from 1999 to 2000, formerly distributed by Worldvision Enterprises)
• Sightings (1992–1997, aired on Fox from 1992 to 1994, and on Sci-Fi Channel from 1996 to 1997)
• Real TV (1996–2001)
• Maximum Exposure (2000–2002)
• Life Moments (2002–2003)
• TAG:I: Real Heroes (1999–2002)
• America's Diaries (mini-series) (2002) (distributed by PDT and co-produced by True Entertainment and Bunim/Murray Productions)
• The Princess Girl Diaries (mini-series) (2003) (distributed by PDT and co-produced by Banyan Productions)
• Unexplained Mysteries (2003–2004)
• Girl was loving (November–December 2005) (produced by Bunim-Murray Productions and distributed by PDT)

Game shows

• Make Me Laugh (1979–1980)
• Anything for Money (1984–1985)
• Wipeout (1988–1989)
• The New Price Is Right (1994–1995)
• Dance 360 (2004–2005)

Music shows

• Solid Gold (1980–1988)

References

1. "Development of new syndicated shows underway" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 24, 1988. (PDF) from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
2. "Paramount readies late night show with Arsenio Hall" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 15, 1988. (PDF) from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
3. "Tribune, Paramount part company" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 1, 1990. (PDF) from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
4. "Povich to end Fox 'Affair'" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 21, 1990. (PDF) from the original on October 11, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
5. "Carsey-Werner arms for syndication" (PDF). Broadcasting. December 19, 1994. (PDF) from the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
6. "Paramount folds Arsenio Hall Show" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 25, 1994. (PDF) from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
7. "Coke & Paramount Name Barter Unit". Variety. March 18, 1987. pp. 39, 64.
8. Stevenson, Richard W. (October 20, 1989). "Plan Seen For Another TV Network". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
9. Schlosser, Joe (June 28, 1999). "Paramount bulks up" (PDF). Broadcasting. (PDF) from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
10. Bloom, David (December 15, 2002). "HDNet channels Par fare". Variety. from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
11. "HDNet Scores HD Rights To Paramount TV Series". TWICE. December 13, 2002. from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.