MTM Enterprises: Difference between revisions

'''Logo:''' Over the years, the logo has been tweaked color wise and according to certain shows, but here's the basic concept: An "M" flies backward from off screen, then splits into two. In the space left between the two letters, two "T"'s come from the top and bottom of the screen and join to form one. This completes the initials of the company, and the letter "T" shrinks when a gold circle appears over it. Under the letters are the words "ENTERPRISES, INC.", "ENTERPRISES", "PRODUCTIONS, INC.", or "PRODUCTIONS". Sometimes, the finished logo will read out "AN MTM ENTERPRISES (INC.) PRODUCTION" ("AN" appears over the first "M"). Back to the circle, it is ribbon-like and decorated with stars and the letters "MTM" on top. Inside is a live-action orange striped kitten who meows once, obviously as a parody of the MGM lion. All the text (except for the later versions) appears in the Peignot font used for the Viacom "Pinball" logo.

'''Custom Variants: One thing that the MTM logo was known for was that it would often be custom made for whatever show it appeared at the end of. This means Mimsie's appearance would sometimes be different, usually involving her "wearing" a costume or saying something other than "meow". Here are those variants:

*''The Duck Factory'': Right at the end of the credits, before we cut to the logo, an off-screen voice that either states, "Where's the cat?", "Here's the cat.", or "Take it, cat!". The logo then proceeds as normal, but instead of meowing, Mimsie quacks like a duck.

*''Graham Kerr'': Mimsie wears a chef's hat.

*''Hill Street Blues'': Mimsie wears a policeman's cap.

*''Paris'' and ''Something for Joey'': When the logo appears, there is a still picture of Mimsie in the ribbon.

*''Lou Grant'': Same as the Paris and Something for Joey variants. Two other variants also exist on a blooper reel of the series. The first variant has Mimsie chirping (like the bird heard at the end of the Lou Grant intro) instead of meowing, while the second is a still image of the logo, but Mimsie is replaced with an image of the titular character of the series (played by Ed Asner).

*''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'': Same as usual, but on the 2nd episode, Mimsie's meow is different, it is more higher-pitched and rather shrill. On episode 71 "Put On a Happy Face," the cat is replaced by the image of Moore saying "Th-th-th-that's all folks!", a line spoken by Mary Richards during that episode.

*''The Bob Newhart Show'': The 1972 Christmas episode features a wreath in place of the MTM ribbon. On the season 4 episode "No Sale", footage of a cat from the episode named Abogast appears in the circle instead. He jumps down, disappearing from the circle's view, and as he does, you hear Mimsie's meow. On the season 5 Christmas episode "Making Up Is the Thing To Do", another Christmas wreath is also used. This was also used on the season 1 Rhoda episode "Guess What I Got You For the Holidays". On the season 3 episode of The Bob Newhart Show "Big Brother is Watching," a loud lion's roar is heard in place of the usual meow-sound (which is funny considering the origins of the company and the logo...).

*''The New WKRP in Cincinnati'': Dubbed with Les Nesman Jr. exclaiming "Ooh!".

*''Newhart'': Each episode (except the pilot) featured Mimsie meowing... in Bob Newhart's voice. On the season 1 episode "No Room At the Inn", a pink Christmas wreath (similar to the one used on The Bob Newhart Show, and Rhoda) is featured in place of the MTM ribbon. On the final episode, the cat yells "QUIET!" (the two Darryls' first and only word).

*''Remington Steele'': Mimsie wears a Sherlock Holmes deerstalker cap and meerschaum pipe. As she begins to meow, the pipe drops out of her mouth and falls in front of "PRODUCTIONS" or "ENTERPRISES, INC.". Mid-1990s prints of the show added a small IFE byline reading "A DIVISION OF INTERNATIONAL FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT," with the logo slightly zoomed out to make room for it.

*''St. Elsewhere'': Mimsie is wearing a scrub suit and a surgical mask, which is animated to look like her mouth is moving underneath when she meows. At least two episodes feature a different meow soundtrack. On the final episode, she (possibly portrayed by another cat) is hooked on life support on a hospital bed throughout the last credit roll. The credits run as usual over a picture of the MTM circle, with life support equipment attached on either side. You can hear the beeps of the heart monitor over the end theme, too. After the credits complete, the company name fades in and Mimsie flatlines and dies, with a long, high-pitched beep heard. This variation is especially rare, as reruns of the series finale plastered it over with the typical credits (as a side note, the actual cat, Mimsie, died in 1988, the same year St. Elsewhere ended). According to Grant Tinker, it was not uncommon for MTM kill off Mimsie in their logo whenever a show got cancelled. (See also Texas Wheelers.)

*''The Steve Allen Show'': Mimsie (who also wears Allen's famous eyeglasses) lip-syncs Allen's "Schmock!".

*''The White Shadow'': Mimsie is replaced by a black and white cat bouncing a basketball. There is a shorter version with the company name already there and the cat footage looped (and thus the cat is continually bouncing the ball). The other (seen only at the end of the series pilot) has the letters animating as usual and at the end, the ball falls off-screen and the cat appears to be looking down at it. Some prints of the pilot have the looped version, however.

*''Xuxa'': Another dub job; instead of "meow", Mimsie says "ciao".

*''A Little Sex'': The MTM logo forms as usual... but Mimsie is a cartoon! She is also more to the side of the circle, which now has a black background. She meows as always, and then another cat enters the circle; the two felines rub against each other and start purring.

*''Carlton Your Doorman'': Carlton's cat Ringo is seen in the MTM logo instead of Mimsie. The circle seems to have been redrawn to be more "animation" like. Carlton says off-screen, "C'mon, 'Meow!'". When Ringo doesn't meow, Carlton mutters "Damn cat...".

*''Bay City Blues'': An animated Mimsie wears a baseball cap and baseball glove in her right paw; she catches a baseball and meows.

*''Vampire'': The MTM text is all in dark red, and Mimsie is nowhere to be seen. Due to this, the "T" is in its normal size.

*''The Mary Tyler Moore Show 20th Anniversary'': At the end, Mimsie says "Bye!" (in Mary Tyler Moore's voice).

*''The Bob Newhart 19th Anniversary Special'': Bob Newhart himself says "Meow!" much like he does from Newhart.

*''The Trials of Rosie O'Neill'': The logo appears in a still shot with gold text against a brown background.

*''The Betty White Show'': On the episode "We're Not Really Divorced", the "meow" is not heard.

*''Texas Wheelers'': A full-screen scene has a black-and-white kitten looking from around a corner where there is a water pipe and meows (though not the same as Mimsie's meow). The company's name appears over the scene in the same font as the closing credits. Several animated variants that have been rumored to exist including:

:*In a Chicago Tribune article in 1985, the article describes a finale variant in where "In the final episode...an animated version of the kitten staggered from behind a wagon wheel and dropped dead". :*According to Jacob Dennis-Oehling (and several others) on YouTube, there was another version where Mimsie dressed as a cowboy shoots some guns in the circle. He also describes another version of the finale variant, in which Mimsie is instead shot to death. The Paley Center for Media's print of the finale doesn't have a logo however.

*''Friends and Lovers'': At least the final episode is said to involve the MTM circle turning upside down. Awaiting confirmation/denial/description.

*''Just Between Friends'': The logo is zoomed out and is a still image. Mimsie's head is turned away, pre-meowing had the logo animated as usual.

*''MTM Christmas Gag Reel'': Made for the MTM staff, this combo of the popular shows at the time feature two variants on the MTM logo. One near the beginning is the standard logo, only Mimsie says "Wooooooow!" (possibly taken from Julie Kavner's line as Brenda on Rhoda). Later, the wreathed version of the logo appears, except now Mimsie gives a female shriek.

*''Television's Christmas Classics'': A huge green wreath fades in around the MTM ribbon.