Industry Television production Owner Sony | Key people Steve McQuinn Founded 1986 | |
 | ||
Headquarters | ||
TriStar Television (first spelled Tri-Star) is an American television production studio that was launched in 1986 by TriStar Pictures (the studio which is currently owned by Columbia Pictures; CBS was a partner but dropped out in 1985 and HBO in 1986).
Contents
Background
TeleVentures was formed as a television distribution company when Tri-Star Pictures joined forces with Stephen J. Cannell Productions and Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions. On July 11, 1990, both Tri-Star and Cannell dissolved the TeleVentures joint venture. Most of the series and the Tri-Star film packages that were distributed by TeleVentures were taken over by Columbia Pictures Television Distribution.
History
CPT would continue on under Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), but TriStar Television was reestablished in October 1991 after CPT acquired some of the library of New World Television. Jon Feltheimer, who was president of New World Television became the new president of TriStar Television. On February 21, 1994, TriStar Television merged with Columbia Pictures Television and formed Columbia TriStar Television (CTT).
When TriStar Television's productions were folded into Columbia TriStar Television in 1999, Early Edition (a joint production with CBS) retained the TriStar copyright until 2000. The final season of Malcolm & Eddie was later produced by CTT and TriStar Television operated in-name-only. On October 25, 2001, Columbia TriStar Network Television and Columbia TriStar Television Distribution merged to become Columbia TriStar Domestic Television. On September 16, 2002, SPE retired the Columbia and TriStar names from television, rechristening CTDT as Sony Pictures Television.
Second Revival
On May 28, 2015, TriStar Television was re-launched as a boutique production label for Sony Pictures Television. The revived studio will be run by Suzanne Patmore-Gibbs after being in-name-only for 15 years. The first new series was Good Girls Revolt and was piloted for Amazon on November 5, 2015.