Embassy Communications

ELP Communications (formerly known as T.A.T. Communications Company, Embassy Television, Embassy Telecommunications, and Embassy Communications) was an American television production company founded in 1974 by Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio.

History

Beginning

ELP Communications was originally formed in 1974 as T.A.T. Communications Company when Norman Lear joined up with former talent agent Jerry Perenchio, a year before Bud Yorkin ended his partnership with Lear. "T.A.T." stood for the Yiddish phrase "Tuchus Affen Tisch" (תּחת אויפֿן טיש), which meant "Putting one's ass on the table."

The first sitcom to be produced by T.A.T. Communications was ''The Jeffersons'', which was spun off from the sitcom ''All in the Family'' in 1975. The company made its syndicated project with ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'' through Rhodes Productions (a division of Filmways), only for the latter to withdraw support in order to get Norman Lear to launch its own syndicated unit.

Acquisition of Avco Embassy and rename

Television producer Norman Lear and his business partner Jerry Perenchio bought Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation in January 1982 and decided to drop the name "Avco" from the name to bring back the Embassy Pictures name, and T.A.T. Communications Co. was thus renamed Embassy Communications, Inc.

The television division was renamed as Embassy Television, a division name for his shows produced by the former T.A.T. Communications such as ''The Jeffersons'', ''One Day at a Time (1975 TV series), One Day at a Time'', and ''The Facts of Life (TV series), The Facts of Life''. More shows were produced by Embassy Television such as the first two under the name: ''Square Pegs'' and ''Silver Spoons''. The latter show ran five seasons, while the former ran one but developed a cult following. ''Who's the Boss?'' was piloted later in 1983 until airing in 1984. Embassy Television also produced ''Diff'rent Strokes''s final season from Tandem Productions, which was eventually operated by Embassy.

Embassy also held the TV rights to a majority of the Embassy theatrical library, syndicated under the umbrella title ''Embassy Night at the Movies''. Embassy Telecommunications was the television distribution arm of Embassy Television. They distributed off-net syndicated shows by Embassy Television and those by Tandem Productions and T.A.T. Communications. Tandem's PITS Films was folded into Embassy Telecommunications.

Coca-Cola era

Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy Communications (included Tandem Productions) to The Coca-Cola Company (then-current owners of Columbia Pictures) for $485 million on June 18, 1985. After the sale, Lear, Perenchio, nor Bud Yorkin were no longer involved with Embassy or Tandem. A month later in July 1985, CBS canceled ''The Jeffersons'' and ''Diff'rent Strokes'' was already canceled by NBC. The latter was later moved to American Broadcasting Company, ABC. During the fall, a new Embassy sitcom called ''227 (TV series), 227'' debuted on NBC.

A year later, Embassy Communications became the only television banner as Embassy's television divisions (Embassy Television, Embassy Telecommunications, and Tandem Productions) were consolidated into the holding company.

When ABC canceled ''Diff'rent Strokes'', the brand name Tandem Productions became dormant but renamed active as an in-name-only division. On November 24, 1986, Coca-Cola fused Embassy's television operations including the movie packages (''Embassy Night at the Movies'', ''Embassy II'' and ''Embassy III'') with Columbia Pictures Television; the combined company became Columbia/Embassy Television, though Columbia and Embassy continued to produce and distribute programs under their separate names. During that formation, Coca-Cola took Columbia and Embassy out of the first-run syndication business and focused them on first-run network and off-net syndication programming. This was also the formation of Coca-Cola Television when Coke regrouped Columbia Pictures Television, Embassy Communications, and Merv Griffin Enterprises. ''Married... with Children'' was the next—and as it would transpire, last—successful sitcom by Embassy Communications, debuting as part of the fledgling Fox Broadcasting Company's first primetime lineup in 1987.

Columbia Pictures Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment eras

On December 21, 1987, Coca-Cola sold its Columbia Pictures entertainment businesses to TriStar Pictures, Inc. and renamed the Tri-Star holding company as "Columbia Pictures Entertainment" for $3.1 billion. Columbia/Embassy Television then merged with TriStar Television to form a new version of Columbia Pictures Television. Embassy Communications then became ELP (Embassy Lear Pictures) Communications. Still-running and newer Embassy shows would begin to use the Columbia Pictures Television logo in January 1988 but some shows would begin to use the ELP copyright in the credits in February 1988. ''Embassy Night at the Movies'' was renamed as ''Columbia Night at the Movies''. On November 8, 1989, Columbia Pictures Entertainment was sold to Sony and renamed as Sony Pictures Entertainment on August 7, 1991.She Holds Torch for Sony Pictures Entertainment
latimes.com

The final long running show to be produced by Embassy Television, as ELP Communications, was ''Beakman's World'' in 1992. On February 11, 1994, SPE merged Columbia Pictures Television and the newly relaunched TriStar Television to become Columbia TriStar Television.https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-02-11-fi-21622-story.html
"Los Angeles Times". February 11, 1994, Retrieved on June 28, 2012 All series by CPT, ELP, TriStar, Merv Griffin were brought under the banner (though most shows would not begin to use CTT's logo until around 1997, while ''Beakman's World'' switched in 1994). ''Beakman's World'' was cancelled in 1997 and ELP Communications became an in-name only unit of Columbia TriStar Television.

Today, television distribution rights to both Embassy's television and theatrical libraries are now owned by Sony Pictures Television. Also, all shows from T.A.T. Communications Company to ELP Communications are all copyrighted by ELP Communications.

Studios and tapings by ELP Communications

*''The Jeffersons'' at Television City, CBS Television City (1975), Metromedia Square (1975–1982) and Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios by Compact Video (1982–1985)
*''Hot l Baltimore'' at The Prospect Studios, ABC Television Center (1975)
*''One Day at a Time (1975 TV series), One Day at a Time'' at Television City, CBS Television City (1975), Metromedia Square (1975–1982) and Universal Studios by Compact Video (1982–1984)
*''The Dumplings (TV series), The Dumplings'' at The Burbank Studios (1976)
*''All's Fair (1976 TV series), All's Fair'' at Metromedia Square (1976–1977)
*''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'' at Metromedia Square (1976) and Old Warner Brothers Studios, Golden West Videotape Division Studios (1976–1977)
*''The Nancy Walker Show'' at Metromedia Square (1976)
*''All That Glitters (American TV series), All That Glitters'' at Metromedia Square (1977)
*''Stick Around (TV pilot), Stick Around'' at Metromedia Square for pilot (1977)
*''A Year at the Top'' (1977)
*''Fernwood 2 Night'' at Metromedia Square (1977)
*''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman#Forever Fernwood, Forever Fernwood'' at Golden West Videotape Division Studios (1977–1978)
*''America 2-Night'' at Metromedia Square (1978)
*''In the Beginning (TV series), In the Beginning'' at Metromedia Square (1978)
*''Hello, Larry'' at Metromedia Square (1979–1980)
*''Highcliffe Manor'' at Metromedia Square (1979)
*''McGurk: A Dog's Life'' (Pilot) (1979)
*''Hanging In'' (1979)
*''The Baxters'' at Metromedia Square (1979–1980)
*''The Facts of Life (TV series), The Facts of Life'' at Metromedia Square (1979–1982), Universal Studios by Compact Video (1982–1985) and Sunset Gower Studios (1985–1988)
*''Joe's World'' at Metromedia Square (1979–1980)
*''Palmerstown, U.S.A.'' at Metromedia Square (1980–1981)
*''Checking In'' at Metromedia Square (1981)
*''Kids' Writes'' (1981–1983)
*''Silver Spoons'' at Metromedia Square for pilot (1982), Universal Studios by Compact Video (1982–1985) and Sunset Gower Studios (1985–1987)
*''Square Pegs'' on location (1982–1983)
*''Who's the Boss?'' at Universal Studios by Compact Video (1983–1985), ABC Television Center in Hollywood (1985–1988), and Sunset Gower Studios (1988–1992)
*''a.k.a. Pablo'' at Universal Studios by Compact Video (1984)
*''Double Trouble (American TV series), Double Trouble'' at Universal Studios by Compact Video Season 1, C.C.R. Video Corporation, Sun Television, Compact Video Season 2 (1984–1985)
*''E/R'' at Universal Studios by Compact Video for Pilot, by One Pass Film and Video (1984–1985) by Sun Television (1985) Quality Video (1985)
*''It's Your Move'' at Universal Studios by Compact Video (1984–1985)
* ''Diff'rent Strokes'' at ABC Television Center (1985–1986, final season only)
* ''227 (TV series), 227'' at Metromedia Square (1985–1986), Fox Television Center (1986–1987), and Sunset Gower Studios (1987–1990)
*''The Charmings'' at Sunset Gower Studios (1987–1988)
*''Married... with Children'' at ABC Television Center (1987–1988), Sunset Gower Studios (1988–1994) and Sony Pictures Studios (1994–1997)
*''Sweet Surrender (TV series), Sweet Surrender'' at Sunset Gower Studios (1987)
*''Everything's Relative (1987 TV series), Everything's Relative'' at Unitel Video Inc. New York (1987)
*''Trial and Error (TV series), Trial and Error'' (1988)
*''Live-In'' (1989)
*''One of the Boys (1989 TV series), One of the Boys'' at Sunset Gower Studios (1989)
*''The Famous Teddy Z'' at Sunset Gower Studios (1989)
*''Free Spirit (TV series), Free Spirit'' at ABC Television Center (1989–1990)
*''Living Dolls'' at Sunset Gower Studios (1989)
*''Sugar and Spice (American TV series), Sugar and Spice'' (1990)
*''Married People'' at Sunset Gower Studios (1990–1991)
*''Top of the Heap'' at Sunset Gower Studios (1991)
*''The Powers That Be (TV series), The Powers That Be'' at Sunset Gower Studios (1992–1993)
*''Beakman's World'' at Sunset Gower Studios (1992–1997)
*''Vinnie & Bobby'' at Sunset Gower Studios (1992)
*''Phenom (TV series), Phenom'' at Sony Pictures Studios (1993–1994)
*''George (1993 TV series), George'' (1993–1994)
*''704 Hauser'' at Sunset Gower Studios (1994)
*''Muddling Through'' at Sunset Gower Studios (1994)
*''My Wildest Dreams (TV series), My Wildest Dreams'' (1995)

Theatrical release

*''Blue Collar (film), Blue Collar'' (1978, as T.A.T. Communications Company and distributed by Universal Pictures)

References

External links

TAT Communications Company
at the Internet Movie Database

Embassy Television
at the Internet Movie Database

Embassy Telecommunications
at the Internet Movie Database

Embassy Communications
at the Internet Movie Database

ELP Communications
at the Internet Movie Database

{{Norman Lear

Television production companies of the United States
Mass media companies established in 1974
Predecessors of Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Entertainment
1974 establishments in California