DreamWorks Television
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production Television syndication |
| Predecessor | Geffen Television |
| Founded | December 1994 |
| Founders | Steven Spielberg Jeffrey Katzenberg David Geffen |
| Defunct | September 6, 2013 |
| Fate | Folded into Amblin Television |
| Successors |
|
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Parent | DreamWorks Pictures |
| Divisions | DreamWorks International Television DreamWorks Television Animation (1996–1999) |
DreamWorks Television was an American television distribution and production company based in Universal City, California, that was a division of DreamWorks. The company was active from December 1994 to September 6, 2013, when it was folded into Amblin Television.[1]
DreamWorks Television was formed in December 1994 as DreamWorks Pictures agreed to a $200 million seven-year television production joint venture with the Capital Cities/ABC.[2] The company was set up to produce series for broadcast networks, cable channels and first run syndication with no first look for ABC, but financial incentives favored ABC.[3] The first show, Champs, was scheduled as a mid-season replacement for ABC. Dan McDermott was named division chief executive in June 1995.[4] DreamWorks Television's first success was Spin City on ABC.[3] The Walt Disney Company bought Capital Cities/ABC in February 1996.[5]
In 1997, DreamWorks Television had a falling-out with NBC over the development of various television shows.[6] The dispute was eventually settled, and went to being a development slated for NBC in 1998.[7] In 1998, DreamWorks struck a deal with Paramount Domestic Television to syndicate Spin City for off-net syndication.[8]
In 2002, the company's joint venture agreement with ABC ended. This agreement was replaced by a development agreement with NBC with a first look clause, financing for series pickups by the network while taking a financial stake in the show. DreamWorks Television could finance shows sold to other outlets, and NBC paid an annual fee to it.[3]
In December 2005, it was announced that Paramount Pictures' parent company Viacom was purchasing DreamWorks' live-action film and television divisions, with the $1.6 billion deal being finalized at the beginning of February 2006.[9] The deal also included a six-year distribution agreement with DreamWorks Animation, which split into its own separate company in October 2004.[9] DreamWorks' live-action film and television divisions briefly operated as labels of Paramount, before becoming independent entities again in late 2008.[10]
