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20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Century-Fox Television, and TCF Television Productions, Inc.) is an American
television production A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
company that is a division of Disney Television Studios, part of
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...
. The original incarnation of 20th Television was the syndication and distribution arm of 20th Century Fox Television until it was folded into
Disney–ABC Domestic Television Disney–ABC Domestic Television (doing business as Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, and formerly named Buena Vista Television) is the in-home sales and content distribution firm of Disney Platform Distribution, a s ...
in 2020. 20th Television was part of The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of the majority of
21st Century Fox Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., doing business as 21st Century Fox (21CF), was an American multinational mass media corporation that was based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was one of the two companies formed on June 28, 2013, fo ...
's assets in 2019. The company's current name was adopted in 2020 when Disney dropped "Fox" from the names of acquired 21st Century Fox assets.


Divisions

20th Television has divisions from pre-Disney and post-Disney. *20th Century Fox Television Distribution (2011-2020) - a television distribution arm of 20th Century Fox Television for all Fox-produced and/or acquired programming. The company operates from 2011 to 2020. * FNM/FWP (1990-1994) - the TV movie production arm of TCFTV. The company was known as FNM Films, which stood for “Fox Network Movies”. In 1993, the company was renamed to Fox West Pictures, until it was reformed as the then-new Fox 2000 Pictures division. * 20th Century Fox International Television (2001-2002) - an international television production company and a short-lived unit of TCFTV. * Fox Circle Productions (1994-199?) - a division of 20th Century Fox Television that created TV movies and original programming. **
National Studios National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...
(1995-1998) - a TV movie division of Fox Circle Productions. * Fox Square Productions (1987-1990s) - a short-lived in-house production unit of the then-new
Fox Broadcasting Company The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations ...
. * 20th Century Fox Telecommunications (1982) - a television production company that only produced The Who Rocks America, a TV movie produced by
The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
. *
Fox Television Animation 20th Television Animation (formerly Fox Television Animation) is an American animation studio that creates, develops and produces adult animated television series and specials. It is a unit of Disney Television Studios, a subsidiary of Walt Disne ...
(1999-2020) - an American animation company owned by Disney Television Studios. It used to be an animation division of 20th Century Fox Television and 20th Television since its launch in 1999, until in 2020, Disney announced it would be separate from 20th Television.


History


TCF Television Productions, Inc. (1949–1958)

20th Century Fox Television was originally formed in 1949 by
20th Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
as other studios were branching out into television production. The company was known as TCF Television Productions, Inc. from its inception until 1958. Its first TV series was '' Crusade in Europe'', which was produced for ABC. In 1955, Fox intended to set up a TV film subsidiary on the company's Western Avenue lot in Hollywood, but it never materialized. Fox did not produce another TV show until 1955, when it launched its very first series, '' The 20th Century-Fox Hour'' on CBS, after the success of ABC's hit show ''
Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envisio ...
''. In 1956, Fox sold its second show to CBS, '' My Friend Flicka'', which is based on the '' Flicka'' film series. Later that year, Irving Asher, who was a very successful film producer, was made general manager of TCF Television Productions. In 1956, Fox sold the '' Broken Arrow'' TV project, which is based on the 1950 film of the same name, to ABC. In 1957, Fox cemented a pact with National Telefilm Associates (NTA) to produce ''
How to Marry a Millionaire ''How to Marry a Millionaire'' is a 1953 American screwball comedy film directed by Jean Negulesco and written and produced by Nunnally Johnson. The screenplay was based on the plays ''The Greeks Had a Word for It'' (1930) by Zoe Akins and ' ...
'', which was based on the 1953 movie of the same name, and '' Man Without a Gun''. NTA served as distributor of the series, which were to play on the NTA Film Network.


20th Century-Fox Television (1958–1985)

In 1958, the company was renamed to 20th Century-Fox Television. Around the same time,
Martin Manulis Martin Ellyot Manulis (May 30, 1915 – September 28, 2007) was an American television, film, and theatre producer. Manulis was best known for his work in the 1950s producing the CBS Television programs ''Suspense'', '' Studio One Summer Theatre' ...
, producer of CBS' ''
Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of th ...
'', joined 20th Century-Fox as head of television. Under Manulis' watch, the company developed '' Adventures in Paradise'' for ABC, '' The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'' for CBS and '' Five Fingers'' for NBC. In the following year, Fox also sold the drama ''
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
'' to ABC. By 1960, Roy Huggins, who was lured from Warner Bros. Television, was tapped to join 20th Century-Fox Television as vice president in charge of production. During Huggins' watch, he refreshed the ''Hong Kong'' show. He also oversaw the development of the three programs for ABC, which were the comedy '' Margie'' and dramas '' Follow the Sun'' and ''
Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...
''. In 1961, William Self was appointed to replace Huggins. In 1962, the company decreased its output to one show, then produced no shows by 1963. Roy Huggins departed to join Revue Studios. During the short-lived dark period in 1963, the company had signed Hal Kanter and Paul Monash to production deals. Later that year, highly successful feature film producer Irwin Allen was moved from its feature film unit to its television unit to serve as producer for the studio. The company had returned to producing prime-time programs by 1964. The first shows were the ABC sitcom ''
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...
'', the ABC dramas '' Peyton Place'', '' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'', and ''
12 O'Clock High ''Twelve O'Clock High'' is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force, who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and Occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War ...
''; and the NBC drama ''
Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...
''. Later that year, William Dozier and his Greenway Productions studio signed a deal with 20th Century-Fox to develop TV shows. By 1965, Fox was producing several new shows for primetime, such as ''
The Legend of Jesse James ''The Legend of Jesse James'' is a 1980 country music concept album written by English songwriter Paul Kennerley, based on the story of American Old West outlaw Jesse James. The album features Levon Helm singing the role of Jesse James, J ...
'', '' The Long, Hot Summer'', '' The Loner'' and Irwin Allen's science-fiction drama ''
Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...
'', to be followed by ''
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
'', which is based on the comic book series, and ''
Blue Light Blue Light or Blue light may refer to: Science and technology * Portion of the visible spectrum related to the blue color ** Blue laser ** Blue LED * Cherenkov radiation, the physical phenomenon responsible for the characteristic blue glow in nuc ...
''. The 1966–67 season proved to be a difficult year for Fox's TV unit, which was producing the ABC sitcom ''
The Tammy Grimes Show ''The Tammy Grimes Show'' is an American sitcom starring Broadway actress Tammy Grimes that aired during the 1966–67 season on the ABC network. ''The Tammy Grimes Show'' was one of the few prime time series of the era canceled after only four ...
'' and the ABC dramas '' The Man Who Never Was'', '' The Felony Squad'', ''
The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of med ...
'' and Irwin Allen's science-fiction show ''
The Time Tunnel ''The Time Tunnel'' is an American color science fiction TV series written around a theme of time travel adventure starring James Darren and Robert Colbert. The show was creator-producer Irwin Allen's third science-fiction television series an ...
''. Although most of the new shows in the season did not last long, ''Felony Squad'' turned out to be a hit. The 1967–68 season was similarly poor for Fox, as it only had two new shows, '' Custer'' and '' Judd, for the Defense'', both for ABC. Although ''Custer'' bombed, ''Judd, for the Defense'' was initially popular. It was cancelled after only two seasons. Fox also expanded its output to commission a Saturday morning show in collaboration with
Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and ...
, '' Journey to the Center of the Earth''. The 1968–69 season was also difficult for 20th Century-Fox Television, which saw the British co-production '' Journey to the Unknown'' and Irwin Allen's final science-fiction drama to be produced, '' Land of the Giants'', for ABC; the CBS drama ''
Lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the ...
''; and the NBC sitcoms '' The Ghost & Mrs. Muir'' and '' Julia''. Although ''Julia'' was deemed a hit, most of the shows in the season crumbled. Fox did have one additional Saturday morning cartoon for Filmation, '' Fantastic Voyage''. In 1969, Fox entered the game show fray by signing a deal to distribute ''
Beat the Clock ''Beat the Clock'' is an American television game show that involves people trying to complete challenges to win prizes while faced with a time limit. The show was a creation of Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. The show began on radio as ...
'', a revival of the popular 1950s game show. The decade closed out with the 1969-70 TV season and two new programs, '' Room 222'' for ABC and ''
Bracken's World ''Bracken's World'' is an American drama television series that aired on NBC from September 19, 1969, to December 25, 1970. The series was created and produced by Dorothy Kingsley. The Lettermen performed the second-season theme song "Worlds" ...
'' for NBC. Also that year, Grant Tinker was hired to join the studio, but he would quit two years later due to conflicts with running MTM Enterprises. While the 1970s were difficult for Fox's TV unit, the studio initially started off the decade with the shows '' Nanny and the Professor'' on ABC and '' Arnie'' for CBS, which proved to be modest successes. The studio would then produce ''
M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. T ...
'' in 1972 for CBS, which would go on to be incredibly successful, lasting eleven seasons. Later on, in 1979, the studio produced '' Trapper John, M.D.'', which was popular throughout the 1980s. Other Fox shows for the 1970s, such as '' Cade's County'', '' The New Perry Mason'', Irwin Allen's ''
The Swiss Family Robinson ''The Swiss Family Robinson'' (German: ''Der Schweizerische Robinson'') is a novel by Johann David Wyss, first published in 1812, about a Swiss family of immigrants whose ship en route to Port Jackson, Australia, goes off course and is shipwr ...
'', ''
Young Dan'l Boone ''Young Dan'l Boone'' is an American adventure drama series that was broadcast on CBS for four episodes from September 12 to October 4, 1977. The series follows famed American frontiersman Daniel Boone on his adventures before his marriage. His ...
'', ''
W.E.B. ''W.E.B.'' is an American prime time drama series that aired on NBC for five episodes from September 13 until October 5, 1978. Cast *Pamela Bellwood as Ellen Cunningham *Alex Cord as Jack Kiley *Lee Wilkof as Harvey Pearlstein *Richard Basehart ...
'', '' The Paper Chase'', '' Loves Me, Loves Me Not'', and ''
Billy Billy may refer to: * Billy (name), a name (and list of people with the name) Animals * Billy (dog), a dog breed * Billy (pigeon), awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945 * Billy (pygmy hippo), a pet of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge * Billy, a yo ...
'' all bombed, although ''The Paper Chase'' became a cult classic and gave Showtime additional seasons. Fox also distributed the game show '' Masquerade Party'', produced by
Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Productions Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Productions is a television production company responsible for producing several American game shows in the 1970s and 1980s. The company is best known for its hit series ''Let's Make a Deal'', which aired in several company- ...
, which aired during the 1974–75 season. From 1976 to 1978, Fox distributed '' Liar's Club'', as well as '' Celebrity Sweepstakes'', both of which were produced by Ralph Andrews Productions. In 1973, Fox distributed the syndicated Canadian videotape production '' The Starlost'', produced by Glen-Warren Productions. In 1980, television producer Glen A. Larson quit Universal and joined 20th Century-Fox Television. The first show was '' The Fall Guy'', which was successful, though it would end up being the only Fox/Larson show to become so. The other collaborations, ''
Trauma Center A trauma center (or trauma centre) is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds. A trauma center may also refer to an emerge ...
'', '' Manimal'', ''
Automan ''Automan'' is an American superhero television series produced by Glen A. Larson. It aired for 12 episodes (although 13 were made) on ABC between 1983 and 1984. It consciously emulates the stylistic trappings of the Walt Disney Pictures l ...
'', ''
Masquerade Masquerade or Masquerader may refer to: Events * Masquerade ball, a costumed dance event * Masquerade ceremony, a rite or cultural event in many parts of the world, especially the Caribbean and Africa * Masqueraders, the performers in the West ...
'', '' Cover Up'' and '' Half Nelson'' did not fare well due to poor ratings. By August 1980, other producers and agencies, like Clyde Phillips (Blue Hill Avenue Productions), former employee of Bob Banner Associates and Marc Merson (Brownstone Productions), former employee of Lorimar Productions had struck a deal with the studio. Other series of the early 80s, like ''
Hagen Hagen () is the 41st-largest city in Germany. The municipality is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the south eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne and Volme (me ...
'', '' Breaking Away'', ''
Ladies' Man A ladies' man or lady's man is a man who enjoys spending time socially with women, who strives to please them and that women find attractive. Ladies' man or lady's man may also refer to: Literature * ''Ladies' Man'' (novel), a 1978 novel by R ...
'', '' Jessica Novak'', ''
9 to 5 Working(laboring) time is the period of time that a person spends at paid labor. Unpaid labor such as personal housework or caring for children or pets is not considered part of the working week. Many countries regulate the work week by law, s ...
'', '' It's Not Easy'', ''
Emerald Point N.A.S. ''Emerald Point N.A.S'' is an American primetime soap opera created by '' Dynasty''s Richard and Esther Shapiro which premiered on CBS on Monday, September 26, 1983. The series revolved around the lives of personnel stationed on a naval air sta ...
'' and '' AfterMASH'' did not fare well in the ratings, although ''AfterMASH'' was initially a minor hit, especially in its first season, and ''9 to 5'' did well in syndication after being a minor network hit in its original ABC run. In 1984, James L. Brooks and his Gracie Films company was moved to 20th Century-Fox for a film and TV partnership, creating a long relationship that lasted until the early 1990s when he moved to Sony.


20th Century Fox Television and the Metromedia buyout/Murdoch era (1985–1989)

In 1985, after Steven Bochco left MTM and the '' Hill Street Blues'' program, he moved to 20th Century Fox Television to start the NBC crime drama '' L.A. Law'' and the ABC dramedy ''
Hooperman ''Hooperman'' is an American comedy-drama television series which aired on ABC from September 23, 1987, to July 19, 1989. The show centered on the professional and personal life of San Francisco police Inspector Harry Hooperman, played by John R ...
'', and marked the return of success for its television studio. During that same year, Fox returned to success with the sitcom ''
Mr. Belvedere ''Mr. Belvedere'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC from March 15, 1985, to July 8, 1990. The series is based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel ''Belvedere'', which was later ...
'', which was an instantly popular hit. Also that same year, Fox sold its sitcom '' Charlie & Co.'' to CBS, which flopped after only one season. The second new sitcom under the Murdoch regime was '' Fathers and Sons'', which was sold to NBC, which also flopped after one season. In 1986, Fox had purchased the assets of Metromedia, including its television stations and the distribution subsidiary, Metromedia Producers Corporation, which was distributing the series '' Small Wonder''. Fox also sold '' The Wizard'' to CBS, and '' Heart of the City'' to ABC for the 1986-1987 television season in addition to '' L.A. Law'' on NBC, which helped save the television industry of Fox. Fox also introduced the sitcom '' The Tracey Ullman Show'', produced by Gracie Films for the Fox network, which introduced ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
'', that the success spawned a spinoff in 1989 that saved Fox's struggling television unit. Fox also distributed the sitcom '' The New Adventures of Beans Baxter'', produced internally by Fox Square Productions. For the 1987–88 season, Fox has sold the sitcom '' Second Chance'' to the then-new Fox television network, and sold the drama '' Leg Work'' to CBS, and the sitcom '' Pursuit of Happiness'' to ABC, in addition to ''Hooperman''.


20th Television (production arm) (1989–1994)

In 1989, 20th Century Fox Television's functions were taken over by Twentieth Television Corporation, a separate entity from 20th Century Fox. Both companies were subsidiaries of News Corporation unit Fox Inc.; the move was made to separate the television productions from the movie studio in order to increase the latter's output. For the 1989–90 season, 20th Television was distributing programs from Steven Bochco Productions that were aired on ABC. The first to come out of the deal was '' Doogie Howser, M.D.'', which lasted four seasons on the air. Also introduced this season was ''
Alien Nation ''Alien Nation'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Rockne S. O'Bannon (later known for ''Farscape''), comprising film, television, and other media productions about alien refugees living on Earth. The series began with th ...
'' to the Fox network, as well as '' Sister Kate'' for NBC, in addition to ''The Simpsons''. In mid-1990, Twentieth Television had sold the sitcom '' Working Girl'' to NBC. Twentieth Television also offered the variety series '' In Living Color'' to the Fox television network, which introduced the talent of stars like Keenan Ivory Wayans and
David Alan Grier David Alan Grier (born June 30, 1956) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work as Bernard on ''Damon (TV series), Damon'' (1998), as David Bellows on ''Life with Bonnie'' (2002–2004), as Joe Carmichael on ''The Carmic ...
. For the 1990-91 television season, 20th Television sold '' Working It Out'' to NBC, and also sold the sitcoms ''
Babes Babes may refer to: __NOTOC__ Arts and entertainment * Babes (band), an American indie pop band * "Babes", a song from the album '' The Inner Me'' by Lala Hsu * ''Babes'' (TV series), an American sitcom (1990–1991) * Babes (website), a pornogra ...
'', '' Good Grief'' and '' True Colors'' to the Fox network. Twentieth Television also distributed the show '' Cop Rock'', produced by Steven Bochco Productions for ABC via a development deal. Also during this season, Twentieth Television had purchased ''
The Sunday Comics ''The Sunday Comics'' is a prime time showcase of comedy broadcast in the United States by Fox Broadcasting Company in 1991 and 1992. ''The Sunday Comics'' showcased not only standup comedy but also variety acts, and film shorts produced by ...
'' to the Fox television network. By the 1991–92 season, the Twentieth Television production company sold the comedy '' Drexell's Class'' to the Fox network, and distributed the Steven Bochco crime drama ''
Civil Wars A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
'' to the ABC. Twentieth Television also distributed the midseason cartoon '' Capitol Critters'', a joint production between
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
and Steven Bochco, to ABC in the spring of 1992, along with the Fox comedy ''
Stand By Your Man "Stand by Your Man" is a song recorded by American country music artist Tammy Wynette, co-written by Wynette and Billy Sherrill. It was released on September 20, 1968, as the first single and title track from the album '' Stand by Your Man''. I ...
'', which was part of a contract between Twentieth Television and British producer WitzEnd Productions. Also in 1991, David E. Kelley, who had produced two shows for Steven Bochco, ''L.A. Law'' and ''Doogie Howser, M.D.'', announced that he was quitting to sign a joint agreement with CBS and Twentieth Television. The first program to come out of the deal was the family dramedy '' Picket Fences'', which premiered in the 1992–93 season. In 1992, Peter Roth, who had left
Stephen J. Cannell Stephen Joseph Cannell (; February 5, 1941 – September 30, 2010) was an American television producer, writer, novelist, occasional actor, and founder of Cannell Entertainment (formerly Stephen J. Cannell Productions) and the Cannell Studios. ...
's production company, joined 20th Television, and was instrumental in the development of the subsequent seasons. In the 1992–93 season, Twentieth Television sold the sitcom ''
Rhythm & Blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
'' to NBC, but it failed to catch on in the ratings. This was followed by a joint production between British-based WitzEnd Productions, Twentieth Television and CBS Entertainment Productions, '' Dudley'', which was a vehicle for Dudley Moore, which aired in the spring of 1993, but it also failed to catch on in the ratings. The company had also distributed the half-hour crime drama ''
Likely Suspects ''Likely Suspects'' is an American crime drama that aired from September 11, 1992 to January 14, 1993. Premise The show was an interactive crime drama where the viewer was treated as a rookie partner. Cast *Sam McMurray Sam, SAM or variants ma ...
'' for the Fox network, which was produced by Four Point Entertainment. In mid-1992, actor Chevy Chase received a deal with 20th Television to star in a late night comedy show, titled '' The Chevy Chase Show'' but it tanked after only one season on the air. By the 1993–94 season, Twentieth Television sold ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
'' to Fox, which became very profitable for the division, spawning 9 seasons, a revival series and a multimedia franchise. That same season, Twentieth Television distributed another high-profile project, ''
NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensembl ...
'' for ABC, produced by Steven Bochco Productions, which would go on to last for twelve seasons. Fox also sold '' South Central'', originally proposed by CBS, to the Fox television network for the spring of 1994. Also, for the spring of 1994, Fox distributed the Steven Bochco-produced drama ''
The Byrds of Paradise ''The Byrds of Paradise'' is an American drama television series that ran on ABC from March 3 to June 23, 1994, during the 1993–94 season. One of the few series executive produced by Steven Bochco that he did not help create, the hour-long dram ...
'', which was aired on ABC. By the 1994–95 season, ''
Chicago Hope ''Chicago Hope'' is an American medical drama television series, created by David E. Kelley. It originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1994, to May 4, 2000. The series is set in a fictional private charitable hospital in Chicago, Illino ...
'', the second show from the Kelley–CBS–20th Television deal, went on to be a hit, lasting for six seasons. The Twentieth Television production company also sold '' The 5 Mrs. Buchanans'' to CBS, and '' Wild Oats'', to the Fox television network.


20th Century Fox Television and the New World era (1994–2019)

Following a 1994 restructuring of Fox's television production companies, 20th Television was refocused on syndication and "non-traditional programs", while network television programming once more came under the 20th Century Fox Television banner and returned to being a division of the movie studio. For the 1995–96 season, the new 20th Century Fox Television production company sold the sitcoms '' The Crew'' and ''
The Preston Episodes ''The Preston Episodes'' is an American sitcom that aired from September 9, 1995, to October 28, 1995, on Fox. Premise A divorced English professor recently moved from New Jersey starts working as a caption writer for a gossip magazine called '' ...
'' to the Fox television network, '' Cleghorne!'' to
The WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...
television network, and the adventure series '' Space: Above and Beyond'', to the Fox television network. It distributed the crime drama '' Murder One'', produced by Steven Bochco Productions, which was sold to the ABC television network during the season. In 1995, David E. Kelley signed a 5-year agreement with the studio, with the ability to produce television series, the first and third to be on the ABC television network and the second and fourth to be on the Fox television network, and so on. The first two projects to come out of the deal were ABC's ''
The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy ...
'' and Fox's '' Ally McBeal''. In 1996, Peter Roth was transferred to becoming president of Fox Entertainment. Chris Carter, writer/producer of ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
'' also extended its contract with 20th Century Fox Television. The first project to come out of the new contract was the science-fiction fantasy drama ''
Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
''. In the summer of 1996, Fox and the production company bought out '' L.A. Firefighters'' for a summer run on the Fox television network. In 1996,
New World Communications New World Pictures (also known as New World Entertainment and New World Communications Group, Inc.) was an American independent production, distribution, and (in its final years as an autonomous entity) multimedia company. It was founded in 197 ...
was bought out by Fox, which included its television stations, New World/Genesis Distribution and New World Entertainment. The deal was finalized in 1997. Shortly afterwards, Cannell bought back his library of rights from Fox in 1998. Also that same year, Steven Levitan, producers of '' Just Shoot Me!'' had signed a contract with 20th Century Fox Television. In 1997, MTM Enterprises became part of 20th Century Fox Television. MTM at that time was producing three shows '' The Pretender'' for NBC, and '' Good News'' and '' Sparks'' for UPN, at primetime, after layoffs hit at MTM's syndicated unit. Later that year, Fox established another television production company,
Fox Television Studios The second incarnation of Touchstone Television (formerly known as Fox 21 Television Studios) was an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Disney Media Networks' Walt Disney Television owned by The Walt Disney Company. I ...
to house smaller production units, under executive David Grant. Also, producer Barbara Hall inked an overall deal with the studio. In 2003
Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is a business segment of The Walt Disney Company. The studio is best known for creating and producing the '' Star Wars'' and ...
and 20th Century Fox Television produced the first three series that aired on
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...
: '' Star Wars: Clone Wars'' In 2006, TCFTV produced the first two series that aired on Fox's sister network, MyNetworkTV: the telenovelas ''
Desire Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like " wanting", " wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of ...
'' and '' Fashion House''. In 2012, 20th Century Fox Television was reorganized as a separate unit of News Corporation. In July 2014, it was announced that the operations of the
Fox Broadcasting Company The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations ...
and 20th Century Fox Television would merge into a new unit, the Fox Television Group.


Under Disney Television Studios

In March 2019, 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Television and Fox Television Animation were acquired by
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...
and integrated into Walt Disney Television as part of Disney Television Studios. On January 17, 2020, it was announced that the "Fox" name would be dropped from several of the Fox assets acquired by Disney. On August 10, 2020, 20th Century Fox Television and 20th Television were merged into one unit as part of a restructuring plan by Disney regarding their television production units. In 2020, Disney announced that the Touchstone Television label was folded into 20th Television.


Predecessors


20th Television (distribution arm)

The original incarnation of 20th Television was the television syndication and distribution arm of 20th Century Fox Television and the
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...
movie studio. It was formed in 1989 in order to separate television production from the 20th Century Fox division which oversaw film production. During this time, 20th Television and 20th Century Fox served as two of Fox's four main units, along with the
Fox Broadcasting Company The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations ...
and
Fox Television Stations Fox Television Stations, LLC (FTS; alternately Fox Television Stations Group, LLC), is a group of television stations located within the United States, which are owned-and-operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Fox Co ...
. Following a 1994 restructuring of Fox's television production companies, 20th Television was refocused on syndication and "non-traditional programs"; its network television division was moved back to 20th Century Fox and retook the 20th Century Fox Television name. 20th Television distributes almost all programming and documentaries from the television production unit and its subsidiaries and the motion picture studio's output (and their own subdivisions). It owns programming from other production companies and studios they have acquired, including MTM Enterprises, most by Metromedia Producers Corporation, and most by New World Entertainment (including those by Four Star Television and Genesis Entertainment). The company also syndicated and/or co-syndicates product from partners such as Regency Television and Debmar-Mercury (until April 2019). As part of the restructuring that stemmed from News Corporation spinning off its entertainment assets into
21st Century Fox Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., doing business as 21st Century Fox (21CF), was an American multinational mass media corporation that was based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was one of the two companies formed on June 28, 2013, fo ...
, it was announced on July 8, 2013, that 20th Television will operate under the management of 20th Century Fox Television; it was previously under Fox Television Stations. As a result, the former company's president reported to the latter's chairmen. On August 10, 2020, 20th Television was merged into
Disney–ABC Domestic Television Disney–ABC Domestic Television (doing business as Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, and formerly named Buena Vista Television) is the in-home sales and content distribution firm of Disney Platform Distribution, a s ...
.


Touchstone Television

The second incarnation of Touchstone Television (formerly known as Fox 21 Television Studios) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a division of Walt Disney Television, which is owned by
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...
. It was founded in 2014 from the merger of Fox Television Studios and Fox 21, and given its second name in mid-2020 following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney. On December 1, 2020, 20th Television took over the television function of Touchstone Television.


Blair Entertainment

Blair Entertainment (formerly Rhodes Productions) is a television production/distribution company founded by Jack E. Rhodes, operated from 1970 until 1992, a year before
New World Communications New World Pictures (also known as New World Entertainment and New World Communications Group, Inc.) was an American independent production, distribution, and (in its final years as an autonomous entity) multimedia company. It was founded in 197 ...
' acquisition and folding of SCI Television in 1993. Rhodes Productions was originally formed in 1970 by Jack E. Rhodes as a subsidiary of Taft Broadcasting Company in New York City, to distribute
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
cartoons. In 1971, Rhodes expanded by distributing the syndicated version of the game show '' Hollywood Squares''. Also at the same time, the company's headquarters was moved from New York City to Los Angeles. In 1975, the original Rhodes Productions was renamed by Taft to Taft H-B Program Sales, and Jack E. Rhodes has moved to Filmways to serve as chief of the domestic syndication arm launch Rhodes Production Company. Rhodes took the nighttime ''Hollywood Squares'' with them, and also launched the nighttime version of the game show '' High Rollers''. Under the Filmways regime, Rhodes Productions also launched the soap opera spoof for late night viewing, '' Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'', which is produced by
Norman Lear Norman Milton Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American producer and screenwriter, who has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear is known for many popular 1970s sitcoms, including the multi-award winning '' All in the Fami ...
and his
T.A.T. Communications Company ELP Communications (formerly known as T.A.T. Communications Company, Embassy Television, Embassy Telecommunications, and Embassy Communications) was an American television production company that originally began in 1974. History Beginning EL ...
in 1976. In 1977, Rhodes Productions debuted its breakout property ''
Second City Television ''Second City Television'', commonly shortened to ''SCTV'' and later known as ''SCTV Network'' and ''SCTV Channel'', is a Canadian television sketch comedy show that ran intermittently between 1976 and 1984. It was created as an offshoot from T ...
'' (''SCTV''), which was originated in Canada. In 1978, Rhodes Productions was split off from Filmways, and began operating as an independent production company and syndicator. Rhodes opted to keep ''Second City Television'' and ''Disco Break'', while Filmways was forming the new syndication company Filmways Enterprises. In 1980, Rhodes purchased the syndication rights of ''
Let's Make a Deal ''Let's Make a Deal'' (also known as ''LMAD'') is an American television musical comedy variety-game show that originated in the United States in 1963 and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The program was created an ...
'', the 1980 revival that was originated in Canada. This was followed up in 1981 by another acquisition of a Canadian game show '' Pitfall''. John Blair & Company through Blair Television acquired Rhodes Productions in 1983, and renamed it into Blair Entertainment. Blair had retained distribution rights of several shows like '' The Cisco Kid'' and ''SCTV'', as well as a revival of '' Divorce Court''. In 1985, Blair Entertainment had introduced the new game show '' Break the Bank'' in partnership with broadcasting groups
Storer Communications Storer Broadcasting, Inc. was an American company which owned several television and radio stations in the Northeastern United States. It was incorporated in Ohio 1927, and was broken up in 1986. History 1920s–1940s In 1927, George B. Store ...
and
Hubbard Broadcasting Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. is an American television and radio broadcasting corporation based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was founded by Stanley E. Hubbard. The corporation has broadcast outlets scattered across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, ...
. This was followed in 1986 by another game show property '' Strike It Rich''. In 1986, they also expanded their production activities with launches of several TV series. ''Divorce Court'' has been highly profitable, among other hit syndicated series in Blair's lineup. In 1990, Blair Entertainment, in collaboration with RHI Entertainment and advertising sales agent Action Media Group launched a new drama ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taki ...
''. It also signed a new reality program ''Detectives in White'' to cable. In 1991, Blair Entertainment debuted a new program in collaboration with GRB Entertainment and All American Television, ''Stuntmasters''. In 1992, Blair Entertainment has shut down its operations.


MTM Enterprises

MTM Enterprises (alternatively known as MTM Productions) is an American independent production company established in 1969 by
Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), whi ...
and her then-husband Grant Tinker to produce ''
The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moo ...
'' for CBS. The name for the production company was drawn from Moore's initials. MTM produced a number of successful
television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...
s during the 1970s and 1980s.


Four Star Television

Four Star Television, also called Four Star International, is an American
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
production company. Founded in 1952 as Four Star Productions by prominent
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...
actors
Dick Powell Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility, and successfully transformed into ...
, David Niven,
Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...
, and Joel McCrea, it was inspired by
Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Gold ...
and Desi Arnaz founding Desilu Productions a year earlier. Four Star produced several popular programs in the early days of television, including '' Four Star Playhouse'' (its first series), '' Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'', '' Stagecoach West'', '' The June Allyson Show'' (also known as ''The DuPont Show Starring June Allyson''), '' The Dick Powell Show'', '' Burke's Law'', '' The Rogues'' and ''
The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour ...
''.


Productions


See also

* Walt Disney Television **
20th Television Animation 20th Television Animation (formerly Fox Television Animation) is an American animation studio that creates, develops and produces adult animated television series and specials. It is a unit of Disney Television Studios, a subsidiary of Walt Disne ...
** ABC Signature ** Searchlight Television ** Touchstone Television **
FX Productions FX Productions (FXP) is an American television and in-house production company owned by FX Networks (and jointed with Disney Television Studios), a division of the Walt Disney Television unit of The Walt Disney Company. The studio currently pr ...
* Disney Platform Distribution **
Disney–ABC Domestic Television Disney–ABC Domestic Television (doing business as Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, and formerly named Buena Vista Television) is the in-home sales and content distribution firm of Disney Platform Distribution, a s ...
* Fox Entertainment ** Bento Box Entertainment **
MarVista Entertainment MarVista Entertainment is an American production company, based in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. The company mainly provides financing and some original content, mainly made-for-TV films and direct-to-SVOD titles, many of which are carri ...


References


External links

* {{Commons category 20th Television 20th Century Studios 1949 establishments in California Disney production studios Disney acquisitions Companies based in Los Angeles Entertainment companies based in California Entertainment companies established in 1949 Mass media companies established in 1949 Peabody Award winners Television production companies of the United States Former News Corporation subsidiaries Disney Television Studios