Embassy Communications: Difference between revisions

Background: Embassy Television was formed in January 1982, reincorporating the former [[T.A.T. Communications Company]] (formed in 1974) founded by Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio after the duo acquired [[Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation]] and merged it with T.A.T. by becoming "Embassy Communications, Inc.". Embassy also introduced Embassy Telecommunications (reincorporating the distribution division of T.A.T. Communications Co. and also folding the former [[PITS Films]]) as the television distribution arm. In 1985, Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy Communications, Inc. (which included [[Tandem Productions]] and Embassy Television) to the Coca-Cola Company (former parent of Columbia Pictures Industries). When Diff'rent Strokes was canceled in 1986, Coca-Cola merged Embassy Television, Embassy Telecommunications, and Tandem Productions into the holding company and Embassy Communications ceased to exist as a holding company to become a full serviced television studio, who later merged with Columbia Pictures Television on November 24, 1986 and became "Columbia/Embassy Television", however Tandem remained as an in-named-only division of Embassy Communications. On December 21, 1987, Coke spun-off its entertainment business and sold it to Tri-Star Pictures. Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. was renamed to "Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc." and merging the Columbia and Tri-Star Pictures theatrical banners. By January 4, 1988, the Embassy Communications logo was phased out and was replaced by the [[Columbia Pictures Television]] logo, but the series by Embassy Communications retained the copyright for its series until March 19, 1988 (the last production to use an Embassy copyright was the final season ''Facts of Life'' episode "Big Apple Blues" while others began using the ELP copyright by February 1988), when Embassy Communications was renamed to "ELP Communications", but was under the production banner of Columbia Pictures Television from 1988-1994, and [[Columbia TriStar Television]] from 1994-1997 (both studios however, still produced their series individually). ELP Communications is a joint venture between LEP Holdings and PEP Communications that was formed on December 21, 1987. In 1998, after ''Beakman's World'' was canceled, Sony Pictures Entertainment retired Embassy Television. However, Embassy currently remains as an in-name-only unit of [[Sony Pictures Television]].