Lorimar Television

Lorimar Television was the television-production identity of Lorimar, an American entertainment company founded in 1969 by Irwin Molasky, Merv Adelson, and Lee Rich. The company began by making made-for-television films, but established its reputation through The Homecoming: A Christmas Story and its television successor The Waltons. During the 1970s and 1980s, Lorimar became one of the most commercially important independent producers in American television, developing a portfolio that ranged from family dramas and prime-time soaps to situation comedies, miniseries, television movies, and syndicated programming. The company’s name combined “Lori,” taken from Merv Adelson’s then-wife, with “Palomar,” referring to the San Diego-area airport. Lee Rich brought television and advertising experience to the venture, while Adelson supplied early financial backing, including a reported bank loan of $185,000. Lorimar’s first substantial success came when Rich acquired the script for The Homecoming, adapted from Earl Hamner Jr.’s novel. CBS broadcast the production during the 1971 holiday season, and its success led to The Waltons, which premiered in 1972 and became one of the company’s defining programs. Lorimar expanded beyond television production into syndication, feature films, home video, music, advertising, studio facilities, and library ownership. Its television output reached a peak during the 1984–85 season, when Dallas, Knots Landing, and Falcon Crest were all among the ten highest-rated shows in the United States. The company also participated in the development or distribution of successful comedies including Eight Is Enough, The Hogan Family, Perfect Strangers, and Full House, the latter two associated with Miller-Boyett Productions. Its corporate structure changed substantially in the mid-1980s. Lorimar acquired Syndivision in an effort to build a first-run syndication business and merged with Telepictures in 1986, creating Lorimar-Telepictures. The combined company became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LT. It also acquired the former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio lot in Culver City and the Allied Artists film library. In 1987, the television production operation adopted the Lorimar Television name, while the distribution business became Lorimar Syndication. Warner Communications acquired Lorimar in 1988. Lorimar’s distribution operations were subsequently integrated into Warner Bros. Television Distribution, and its film and home-video activities were also progressively absorbed into Warner businesses. The former MGM lot was later sold to Sony and became part of the Columbia Pictures and TriStar studio complex. Lorimar retained a production identity for several more years, with Les Moonves serving as president and chief executive from 1990 to 1993. In 1993, primarily for economic and organizational reasons, Lorimar Television was consolidated into Warner Bros. Television. The final series to premiere under the Lorimar name was Time Trax. Programs that had been planned as Lorimar productions, including Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Living Single, ultimately carried Warner Bros. Television branding. Although the Lorimar label disappeared as an active television studio, much of its programming and related film library became part of Warner Bros.’ broader catalogue. Its historical importance rests on combining high-volume television production with syndication, film, home entertainment, and library assets, while helping define the commercial television landscape of the 1970s and 1980s.

Lorimar was established on February 1, 1969, by Irwin Molasky, Merv Adelson, and Lee Rich. The company’s early business consisted largely of made-for-television films commissioned for network broadcast. Rich’s acquisition of the script for The Homecoming, based on Earl Hamner Jr.’s novel, led to a sale to CBS. The 1971 broadcast became a ratings success and provided the basis for The Waltons, which debuted in 1972. During the 1970s, Lorimar developed a strong position in network television. Its productions included The Waltons, Eight Is Enough, and Dallas, with Dallas becoming the company’s most internationally recognized prime-time drama. Lorimar subsequently added Knots Landing and Falcon Crest to its portfolio. By the 1984–85 season, three Lorimar programs were among the ten highest-rated shows in the United States. The company later increased its involvement in situation comedy and worked with Miller-Boyett Productions on programs including The Hogan Family, Perfect Strangers, and Full House. Lorimar expanded horizontally during the late 1970s and 1980s. It entered a distribution partnership with United Artists, purchased the Allied Artists library in 1980, acquired the home-video business Karl Video Corporation in 1984, and bought Syndivision in 1985. Its activities also extended to theatrical film production, a record label, advertising, studio facilities, and sports-related broadcasting ventures. Lorimar acquired Kenyon & Eckhardt in 1983 and later combined it with Bozell Jacobs, creating Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon & Eckhardt, which was renamed Bozell Worldwide in 1992. In 1985, Lorimar announced a merger with Telepictures. The transaction closed in February 1986, creating Lorimar-Telepictures, a publicly traded company with the NYSE symbol LT. The company acquired the former MGM studio lot in Culver City and the Metrocolor laboratory; the laboratory was later sold to Technicolor. In 1987, the production arm became Lorimar Television, while the distribution operation was known as Lorimar Syndication. The company also maintained film and home-video identities, although these businesses were increasingly affected by corporate restructuring and outside distribution agreements. Warner Communications acquired Lorimar in June 1988. Following the acquisition, Lorimar’s distribution business was folded into Warner Bros. Television Distribution, and its film library was progressively incorporated into Warner Bros. Pictures’ catalogue. Lorimar’s former Culver City studio property was sold to Sony near the end of the decade and became the home of Columbia Pictures and related Sony operations. The 1990 merger of Warner Communications and Time Inc. created Time Warner, under which the remaining Lorimar operations continued for a limited period. Lorimar Television remained active as a production label into the early 1990s. Les Moonves served as president and chief executive from 1990 to 1993. After the closure of Orion Pictures’ television unit in 1991, Gary Nardino joined Lorimar and brought certain development relationships and talent arrangements. In 1992, former CBS executive Barbara Corday entered into an arrangement with the studio. In September 1993, Lorimar Television was consolidated into Warner Bros. Television for economic and organizational reasons. Time Trax was the last series to premiere with Lorimar branding. Several projects originally associated with Lorimar, including Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Living Single, were released as Warner Bros. Television productions instead. Lorimar also operated in home video through Karl-Lorimar and later Lorimar Home Video. Its activities included distribution of Lorimar films, Allied Artists titles, children’s material, exercise videos, direct-to-video productions, and music-concert releases. The home-video operation was closed in 1989 after the Warner acquisition and integrated into Warner Home Video. The Lorimar record label, created in 1979, issued relatively few releases and ended with the soundtrack to Action Jackson in 1988. Today, most of the company’s television and film assets are associated with Warner Bros., although some titles remain subject to rights held by original distributors or other parties.

• 1993

  Lorimar Television is discontinued as a separate studio

  [1]Lorimar Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  The production operation is consolidated into Warner Bros. Television.

• 1988

  Warner Communications purchases Lorimar

  [1]Lorimar Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition begins the integration of Lorimar’s entertainment operations into Warner’s businesses.

• 1987

  The Lorimar Television name is adopted

  [1]Lorimar Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  The production arm is renamed Lorimar Television and the distribution unit becomes Lorimar Syndication.

• 1986

  Lorimar-Telepictures begins NYSE trading

  [1]Lorimar Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  The Telepictures merger is completed and the combined company trades under LT.

• 1984

  Karl Video Corporation is acquired

  [1]Lorimar Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition broadens Lorimar’s home-video operations, including the Jane Fonda’s Workout video series.

• 1980

  Allied Artists library is acquired

  [1]Lorimar Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  Lorimar adds a substantial historic film library to its assets.

• 1979

  Lorimar Records is formed

  [1]Lorimar Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  The company creates a small record label whose releases include film soundtracks.

• 1972

  The Waltons premieres

  [1]Lorimar Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  The series becomes Lorimar’s first major television franchise.

• 1971

  The Homecoming: A Christmas Story airs

  [1]Lorimar Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  The CBS television film becomes a ratings success and serves as the pilot for The Waltons.

• 1969

  Lorimar is founded

  [1]Lorimar Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  Irwin Molasky, Merv Adelson, and Lee Rich establish Lorimar Productions as an American entertainment company.

A commercially oriented American entertainment studio built around hit television production, prime-time franchises, syndication, and ownership or exploitation of film and television libraries.

• Television series · 1972

  The Waltons

  A family drama derived from The Homecoming: A Christmas Story. Premiering in 1972, the series became one of Lorimar’s foundational successes and helped establish the company as a major network television producer.

• Prime-time television series

  Dallas

  A serialized prime-time drama centered on the Ewing family and the Texas oil business. It became Lorimar’s most prominent international television franchise and a defining American television hit of the late 1970s and 1980s.

• Prime-time television series

  Knots Landing

  A long-running drama spun off from Dallas. Its success contributed to Lorimar’s unusually strong position in serialized prime-time programming during the 1980s.

• Prime-time television series

  Falcon Crest

  A prime-time family and business drama that, together with Dallas and Knots Landing, placed three Lorimar productions among the ten highest-rated American programs in the 1984–85 season.

• Family television series

  Eight Is Enough

  A family-oriented television series that formed part of Lorimar’s successful 1970s programming slate.

• Situation comedy

  The Hogan Family

  A family sitcom originally developed under the title Valerie. It represented Lorimar’s mid-1980s move toward commercially accessible, family-friendly comedy.

• Situation comedy

  Perfect Strangers

  A sitcom associated with Miller-Boyett Productions and Lorimar’s expanding comedy business during the 1980s.

• Situation comedy

  Full House

  A successful family sitcom produced with Miller-Boyett Productions and part of Lorimar’s transition toward a broader portfolio of mainstream comedy series.

• Science-fiction television series · 1993

  Time Trax

  A science-fiction series distributed through the Prime Time Entertainment Network. It was the last series to premiere under the Lorimar name before the production operation was absorbed into Warner Bros. Television.

• Home-video label

  Lorimar Home Video

  Lorimar’s home-entertainment operation released and distributed films, television material, children’s programming, exercise videos, direct-to-video productions, and concert titles. It was folded into Warner Home Video after closing in 1989.

• 1993

  Consolidate Lorimar Television into Warner Bros. TelevisionStrategy

  Background

  Warner pursued organizational consolidation after acquiring Lorimar, with economic efficiency cited as a principal consideration.

  Action taken

  Lorimar Television ceased operating as a separate production studio and its activities were combined with Warner Bros. Television.

  Aftermath

  Time Trax was the last series to premiere under Lorimar branding; several planned Lorimar projects instead appeared as Warner Bros. Television productions.

  Source

• 1988

  Accept acquisition by Warner CommunicationsM&A

  Background

  Lorimar-Telepictures had expanded across television, film, home video, advertising, and library assets, creating a broader corporate combination with Warner Communications.

  Action taken

  Warner Communications purchased Lorimar and began integrating its operating units and catalogues.

  Aftermath

  Lorimar distribution was folded into Warner Bros. Television Distribution, while film and home-video operations were also absorbed into Warner businesses.

  Source

• 1986

  Merge with TelepicturesM&A

  Background

  Lorimar sought to strengthen its distribution capabilities and expand in first-run syndication as the television business became increasingly diversified.

  Action taken

  Lorimar combined with Telepictures, creating Lorimar-Telepictures and beginning public trading under the symbol LT.

  Aftermath

  The combined company operated production and distribution units under the Lorimar name before Warner Communications acquired it in 1988.

  Source

1. 1Lorimar Televisionen.wikipedia.org