United Artists Television

United Artists Television (UATV) was an American television production/distribution studio of United Artists Corporation that was formed on New Year's Day (January 1), 1958. The company is remembered for producing series such as This Man Dawson, World of Giants, Stoney Burke, The Outer Limits, Gilligan's Island, My Mother the Car, The Fugitive, The Rat Patrol, thirtysomething, The New Phil Silvers Show, The Patty Duke Show and The Pink Panther Show. In September 2014, the studio briefly returned to full-time TV production under the new management of United Artists Media Group (UAMG), led in part by husband and wife producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. With its folding back into MGM Television, UATV was temporarily dormant until 2020 when MGM Television was reincorporated.

United Artists Television
IndustryTelevision
FateFolded into MGM/UA Entertainment Co. Television
FoundedNew Years Day 1958
Defunct1982 (1982)

History

UATV was formed on New Year's Day (January 1), 1958, with Herb Golden, former vice-president of Banker's Trust, as its president, and Bruce Eells from Television Programs of America as its top operating executive.[1]

In that same year, UATV purchased Associated Artists Productions (AAP), giving access to the pre-1950[2][3][4] Warner Bros.' short subject library and the 231 Popeye cartoon shorts made by Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios for Paramount Pictures between 1933 and 1957. With UATV's purchase, AAP became United Artists Associated (UAA) and became its distribution division.

In 1960, UATV purchased Ziv Television Programs, including the 20% share still held by board chairman Frederick Ziv and his son-in-law and business partner president John L. Sinn, for $20 million. The newly merged production company was renamed Ziv-United Artists.

UATV had never been very successful in the small screen, having placed only two series in prime time, The Troubleshooters on NBC and The Dennis O'Keefe Show on CBS, both of the 1959–1960 season. This negative pattern continued after the merger. Ziv-UA produced a dozen of TV pilots during the first year of operation, but failed to sell any of them, although Aubrey Schenck's Miami Undercover only lasted one season in 1961.

In 1962, the studio phased out Ziv Television Programs and reverted its name to United Artists Television. In that same year, ABC premiered a successful prime time television film show called The ABC Sunday Night Movie in competition to NBC's successful motion picture program Saturday Night at the Movies. The first season featured releases of many United Artists' films with some episodes containing featurettes promoting the upcoming UA's cinema releases.

UATV had several shows such as Stoney Burke (1962), The Patty Duke Show (1963), The Outer Limits (1963), The Fugitive (1963), Hollywood and the Stars (1963), The Hollywood Palace (1964), and Gilligan's Island (1964). In 1967, UATV was purchased by Transamerica Corporation and, the following year, United Artists Associated was reincorporated as United Artists Television Distribution (UATD). After The Mothers-in-Law was cancelled on NBC in 1969, the studio decided to focus in presenting their movie library on television and rerunning their classics after years of still being unsuccessful in TV production.

In 1981, MGM merged with UA to create MGM/UA Entertainment Co.; as a result, their respective television units combined as well became MGM/UA Entertainment Co. Television or simply MGM/UA Television the following year. The United Artists Television name was eventually phased out around 1983 in favor of the MGM/UA Television banner, although UATV continued itself producing television shows until 1995.

Return to television

In September 2014, MGM acquired a 55% controlling interest in One Three Media and Lightworkers Media, both operated by husband/wife Hollywood producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. The two companies were consolidated into a new film and television company, United Artists Media Group (UAMG). Burnett is UAMG's CEO and Downey is president of Lightworkers Media.[5] Hearst Entertainment, an investor in Burnett and Downey's entertainment assets, has also acquired a minority stake in United Artists through this deal.[6] Through this acquisition, UAMG held the production rights to Burnett's reality show franchises The Voice, Survivor, The Apprentice, On the Menu, Shark Tank, Beyond the Tank and Lucha Underground.[7] When it was folded back into MGM Television, UATV's current incarnation ended. Although since then, MGM/UA Television was reformed (as of February 2020), most new UATV material is produced either by MGM’s digital unit or MGM itself.

Shows

United Artists Television (UATV)
Title Years Network Notes
World of Giants1959SyndicationProduced by Ziv Television Programs.
Tales of the Vikings1959–1960SyndicationProduced by Kirk Douglas' production company Bryna Productions.
The Troubleshooters1959–1960NBCProduced by Meridian Productions.
The Dennis O'Keefe Show1959–1960CBSProduced by Cypress Productions.
Men into Space1959–1960CBSProduced by Ziv Television Programs.
The Aquanauts1960–1961CBSProduced by Ziv Television Programs.
Miami Undercover1961SyndicationProduced by Ziv Television Programs.
Stoney Burke1962–1963ABCProduced by Daystar Productions.
The Outer Limits1963–1965ABCProduced by Villa DiStefano for Daystar Productions.
The Fugitive1963–1967ABCProduced by Quinn Martin Productions; Overall rights to this show now is owned by CBS Studios and distributed by CBS Television Distribution, due to the buyout of its original syndicator and owner, Worldvision.
The Patty Duke Show1963–1966ABCProduced by Chrislaw Productions between 1963 and 1965 and by Cottage Industries Incorporated during the third and last season (1965–1966).
East Side/West Side1963–1964CBSProduced by Talent Associates in association with CBS.
The New Phil Silvers Show1963–1964CBSProduced by Gladasya Productions.
Hollywood and the Stars1963–1964NBCProduced by David L. Wolper.
Lawbreakers1963–1964SyndicationProduced by Rapier Productions Incorporated.
Gilligan's Island1964–1967CBSUnited Artists Television's stake in this show now is owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed by Warner Bros. Television, in co-production with Gladasya Productions.
My Mother the Car1965–1966NBCProduced by Cottage Industries Incorporated.
Mona McCluskey1965–1966NBCProduced by McCadden Productions.
O.K., Crackerby!1965–1966ABC
The Milton Berle Show1966–1967ABC
The Rat Patrol1966–1968ABCProduced by Mirisch-Rich Television Productions and Tom Gries Productions.
Hey, Landlord1966–1967NBCProduced by Mirisch-Rich Television Productions.
It's About Time1966–1967CBSProduced by Gladasya Productions and Redwood Productions.
Super 61966NBCProduced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and Mirisch-Rich Television Productions
The Mothers-In-Law1967–1969NBCProduced by Desi Arnaz Productions.
Super President1967NBCProduced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and Mirisch-Rich Television Productions
Ultraman1968–1986SyndicationProduced by Tsuburaya Productions.
The Pink Panther Show1969–1979NBC/ABCProduced by Mirisch Films and DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.

United Artists Media Group (UAMG)
Title Years Network Notes
Survivor2000–presentCBS
The Apprentice2004–presentNBC
Shark Tank2009–presentABCco-production with Sony Pictures Television.
The Voice2011–presentNBCco-production with Warner Horizon Television.
On the Menu2014TNT
Lucha Underground2014–presentEl Rey Network
Beyond the Tank2015–2016ABCco-production with Sony Pictures Television.

Television specials

References
  1. "UA-TV Names Banker Expert". Billboard. December 16, 1957. p. 6. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  2. You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story (2008), p. 255.
  3. WB retained a pair of features from 1949 that they merely distributed, and all short subjects released on or after September 1, 1948; in addition to all cartoons released on or after August 1, 1948.
  4. 1957 MOVIES FROM AAP Warner Bros Features & Cartoons SALES BOOK DIRECTED AT TV
  6. Bond, Paul (September 22, 2014). "MGM Acquires Majority Stake in Mark Burnett's Companies". The Hollywood Reporter.
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