The server migration is on hold. Check here for more info. |
Lorimar Television
| Lorimar Television | |
 | |
| Founded | February 1, 1969 |
| Dissolved | 1993 (folded into Warner Bros. Television) |
| President | Irwin Molasky Merv Adelson Lee Rich (founders) |
| Notable Works | The Waltons Dallas Perfect Strangers Full House Family Matters |
Lorimar, later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American television production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993. It was founded by Irwin Molasky, Merv Adelson, and Lee Rich, who named the company by combining the name of Adelson's ex-wife, Lori, with Palomar Airport in San Diego, California.
Contents |
History
Early Years
When Lorimar started operation, they initially started producing made-for-TV movies for the ABC Movie of the Week. Rich then bought the script to an adaptation of Earl Hamner Jr.'s novel The Homecoming and subsequently sold the rights to CBS. The Homecoming: A Christmas Story became a ratings success, and served as the pilot for the company's first major hit, The Waltons, which premiered in 1972. Throughout the 1970s, Lorimar produced several other shows as well, including Eight Is Enough; of these, the most popular by far was Dallas. In 1980, Lorimar purchased the bankrupt Allied Artists Pictures Corporation and its TV subsidiary Allied Artists Television.
In the 1980s, Lorimar's output swung toward family-friendly sitcoms; among these were Perfect Strangers and Full House, which were produced by Miller/Boyett Productions.
In 1986, Lorimar merged with television syndication firm Telepictures, becoming Lorimar-Telepictures. Later that year, they purchased the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lot from Ted Turner, and months later, Rich left the company and moved to MGM.
The Purchase from Warner Communications
In 1988, the Lorimar-Telepictures production arm became known as Lorimar Television. The distribution arm, however, stayed in business until 1989. The following year, Warner Communications purchased the Lorimar name, which then merged with Time, Inc., and formed Time Warner, one of the largest media companies in the world.
Key components Lorimar owned
Lorimar had owned key components of the film library of the defunct Allied Artists film studio (formerly known as Monogram Pictures), which include Cabaret and Papillon. Both of these movies are owned by Warner Bros.
Productions
List of shows produced by Lorimar Television
- ↑ Co-production with Screen Gems.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Distribution only.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Folded into Warner Bros. Television in 1993.
