Rysher Entertainment

{{Short description|American film and television production company and distributor}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Rysher Entertainment, Inc.

| logo = Rysher logo.png

| logo_size = 155px

| logo_caption = Final logo

| type = Subsidiary

| founder = Keith Samples

| key_people =

| foundation = {{Start date and age|1991}}

| defunct = {{Start date and age|1999}}

| predecessors = {{Plainlist|

}}

| industry = {{Plainlist|

}}

| fate = Shut down by Cox Broadcasting; assets acquired by Vine Alternative Investments

| successor = Company: Vine Alternative Investments
Library: Paramount Pictures (film library)
CBS Media Ventures (television arm)

| parent = Cox Enterprises (1993–1999)

| location = Santa Monica, California, United States

| homepage =

}}

Rysher Entertainment, Inc. was an American film and television production company and distributor. It was founded in 1991. In 1993, Rysher was acquired by Cox Enterprises, and was subsequently closed in 1999. That same year, Viacom entered an agreement with Cox Enterprises for distribution rights to the Rysher library, which currently lie with Viacom's successor Paramount Global, specifically its subsidiaries Paramount Pictures and CBS Media Ventures. Ownership of the company's assets changed hands multiple times over the 2000s before finally being acquired by Vine Alternative Investments in 2011.

History

Keith Samples established the company in April 1991,{{Cite press release|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/COX+COMPLETES+ACQUISITION+OF+RYSHER+ENTERTAINMENT-a013129307|title=COX COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF RYSHER ENTERTAINMENT|agency=PR Newswire|publisher=Cox Enterprises|access-date=September 15, 2016|via=The Free Library}} as an independent company, whose sole product had been the distribution of the series Saved by the Bell (at the time, NBC could not distribute it in syndication due to fin-syn rules). Encouraged by the success, it made its second move with their first foray into animation, Captain N and the Video Game Masters, the off-net syndicated version of the DIC Entertainment series that also aired on NBC, Captain N: The Game Master.{{Cite news|date=1992-01-13|title=A sampling of the programming wares at INTV|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-01-13-OCR-Page-0014.pdf|access-date=2021-11-12|archive-date=January 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130215758/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-01-13-OCR-Page-0014.pdf|url-status=live}} Also that year, it attempted to merge with film and television production company The Kushner-Locke Company, only for the deal to be aborted.{{Cite news|date=1992-06-01|title=Kushner-Locke, Rysher merge|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-06-01-OCR-Page-0020.pdf|access-date=2021-11-12|archive-date=November 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112022716/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-06-01-OCR-Page-0020.pdf|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|date=1992-07-27|title=Rysher/Kushner-Locke merger off|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-07-27-OCR-Page-0019.pdf|access-date=2021-11-12|archive-date=November 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112022721/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-07-27-OCR-Page-0019.pdf|url-status=live}}

Also that year, Cox Enterprises was in discussions to purchase the studio and helped them merge with TPE.{{Cite news|last=McClellan|first=Steve|date=1992-12-07|title=Cox negotiates for Rysher Entertainment|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-12-07-OCR-Page-0007.pdf|access-date=2021-11-09|archive-date=November 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108145445/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-12-07-OCR-Page-0007.pdf|url-status=live}} It was considered that later that year that Gay Rosenthal was inking a deal with the studio to distribute their own projects.{{Cite news|date=1992-12-21|title=First-look for Rosenthal|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-12-21-OCR-Page-0024.pdf|access-date=2021-11-12|archive-date=November 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112022849/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-12-21-OCR-Page-0024.pdf|url-status=live}} The Cox/Rysher merger was finalized,{{Cite news|last=Freeman|first=Mike|date=1993-02-01|title=It's official: Cox to buy Rysher|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-02-01-OCR-Page-0027.pdf|access-date=2021-11-12|archive-date=November 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112023132/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-02-01-OCR-Page-0027.pdf|url-status=live}} and soon afterwards, Rysher merged with Al Masini's Television Program Enterprises to form Rysher TPE, its alternate name used from 1993 to 1994, and helped them to syndicate California Dreams, with Keith Samples remaining at the helm.{{Cite news|date=1993-03-29|title=Samples tops at TPE in Cox shuffle|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-03-29-OCR-Page-0015.pdf|access-date=2021-11-12|archive-date=November 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112023132/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-03-29-OCR-Page-0015.pdf|url-status=live}}

Through it, they produced and distributed shows, such as Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (renamed Lifestyles with Robin Leach and Shari Belafonte for the final season) and Star Search. Later, they produced and distributed George & Alana. The company branched out into feature films, and in the span of three years had produced over two dozen. In late 1993, Beverly Hills 90210 star Gabrielle Carteris, through GABCO Productions struck a deal with Rysher TPE for a production/distribution agreement.{{Cite news|date=1993-10-04|title=Rysher TPE signs deal with '90210' co-star|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-10-04-Page-0036.pdf|access-date=2021-10-14|archive-date=October 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028165004/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-10-04-Page-0036.pdf|url-status=live}}

In May 1995, Rysher entered into a five-film domestic distribution arrangement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). The company closed the film unit due to underperforming box-office sales in July 1997.{{Cite press release|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/rysher-calls-cut-1116677282/|title=Rysher calls 'Cut!'|date=July 9, 1997 |agency=Variety|publisher=Andrew Hindes|access-date=May 11, 2018|via=Variety}} Later that year, in 1997, Papazian-Hrsch Entertainment struck a deal with Rysher to develop their television projects.{{Cite news|date=1997-09-29|title=New producers for 'Bridges'|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/97-OCR/BC-1997-09-29-OCR-Page-0058.pdf|access-date=2021-11-01|archive-date=November 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101020845/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/97-OCR/BC-1997-09-29-OCR-Page-0058.pdf|url-status=live}}

In 1998, Rysher collaborated with HBO to distribute some of the series outside of the United States, including Arli$$, Oz and Sex and the City. The company was closed in 1999 after Viacom entered an agreement with Cox Enterprises, allowing Paramount Pictures and its television unit to handle distribution rights.{{Cite press release|url=https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/et-all-par-tv-s-now-1117502530/|title='ET' all Par TV's now|date=May 27, 1999 |agency=Variety|publisher=Cynthia Littleton|access-date=May 11, 2018|via=Variety}} The company's library is incorporated into CBS Media Ventures for television series and Paramount Pictures for films (except The Opposite of Sex). The company's films and series included Hogan's Heroes (whose partial rights are held by CBS), Ben Casey, Walking Tall, Nash Bridges (continued by Paramount Network Television), Highlander: The Series, Kingpin, and Big Night. In 1998, Rysher and CBS Productions jointly purchased the Ann-Margret CBS drama Four Corners from Columbia TriStar Television.{{Cite web|last=Hontz|first=Jenny|date=1998-01-16|title=Eye web drama in transit|url=https://variety.com/1998/tv/news/eye-web-drama-in-transit-1117466721/|access-date=2021-09-16|website=Variety|language=en-US|archive-date=September 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916001120/https://variety.com/1998/tv/news/eye-web-drama-in-transit-1117466721/|url-status=live}}

The company's assets were acquired by 2929 Entertainment in 2001. They were bought by Qualia Capital, LLC. in 2006, and were merged with Gaylord Films and Pandora Entertainment. The combined entity became known as Qualia Libraries Co. and the brand name served as a limited partnership, and now owns the trademark to Hogan's Heroes. In 2011, Qualia Libraries Co. was acquired by affiliates of Vine Alternative Investments.{{cite web|url=https://app.crb.gov/case/claim/311|title=Claim 311 on 2016 CD - eCRB|website=app.crb.gov|access-date=November 19, 2019}} Viacom merged with CBS Corporation, under the name ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global), as a single distribution company in December. CBS Media Ventures currently distributes Rysher's television library, while the distribution rights to the film library lie with Paramount Pictures, with Trifecta Entertainment handling North American broadcast television rights.

Television programs

{{Main|List of Paramount Global television programs#Rysher Entertainment}}

Feature films

class="wikitable sortable"
Release date ! Title ! Co-producer ! Distributor
align="right"\| April 28, 1995 \| Destiny Turns on the Radio \| rowspan="2"\| \| rowspan="2"\|Savoy Pictures
align="right"\| October 27, 1995 \| Three Wishes
align="right"\| November 17, 1995 \| It Takes Two \| Dualstar Productions \| Warner Bros. Pictures
align="right"\| January 20, 1996 \| Hard Eight \| Green Parrot \| The Samuel Goldwyn Company
align="right"\| April 3, 1996 \| Primal Fear \| \| Paramount Pictures
align="right"\| July 26, 1996 \| Kingpin \| Motion Picture Corporation of America \| Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
align="right"\| August 9, 1996 \| Escape from L.A. \| rowspan="2"\| \| Paramount Pictures
align="right"\| August 7, 1996 \| House Arrest \| Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
align="right"\| August 23, 1996 \| Foxfire \| Chestnut Hills Productions/Red Mullet Productions \| rowspan="2"\|The Samuel Goldwyn Company
align="right"\| September 26, 1996 \| Big Night \| Timpano Productions
align="right"\| September 27, 1996 \| 2 Days in the Valley \| rowspan="6"\| \| Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
align="right"\| November 1, 1996 \| Dear God \| rowspan="2"\|Paramount Pictures
align="right"\| December 25, 1996 \| The Evening Star
align="right"\| January 10, 1997 \| Turbulence \| rowspan="2"\|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
align="right"\| January 24, 1997 \| Zeus and Roxanne
align="right"\| March 7, 1997 \| Private Parts \| rowspan="5"\|Paramount Pictures
align="right"\| April 4, 1997 \| The Saint \| Mace Neufeld Productions
align="right"\| August 22, 1997 \| A Smile Like Yours \| rowspan="2"\|
align="right"\| October 3, 1997 \| Kiss the Girls
align="right"\| October 31, 1997 \| Switchback \| Pacific Western Productions
align="right"\| May 22, 1998 \| The Opposite of Sex \| \| Sony Pictures Classics (current owner)

class="wikitable sortable"

Release date

! Title

! Co-producer

! Distributor

align="right"| April 28, 1995

| Destiny Turns on the Radio

| rowspan="2"|

| rowspan="2"|Savoy Pictures

align="right"| October 27, 1995

| Three Wishes

align="right"| November 17, 1995