Screen Gems Network

{{Short description|American television programming block (1999–2002)}}

{{Infobox television

| image = Screen_Gems_Network.jpg

| caption = Logo used from 1999–2002, based on the 1992 Columbia Pictures logo

| runtime =

| channel = Syndication

| developer = Barry Thurston

| narrated = Billy West

| theme_music_composer = Peter Himmelman

| country = United States

| language = English

| first_aired = {{Start date|1999|9|20}}

| last_aired = {{End date|2002|9|9}}

| executive_producer = Douglas Ross
Greg Stewart
J. Rupert Thompson

| company = Evolution Media

}}

The Screen Gems Network (SGN) was an American afternoon television programming block that ran in syndication from September 20, 1999, to September 9, 2002, launched by Columbia TriStar Television Distribution and produced by Evolution Media. The concept for the program was announced on January 11, 1999{{cite magazine |last=Schlosser |first=Joe |date=January 11, 1999 |title=CTTD pitches classic TV |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/99-OCR/BC-1999-01-11-OCR-Page-0012.pdf |magazine=Broadcasting & Cable |page=12 |via=World Radio History}} and it began airing on September 20, 1999; for the block's first season, only half-hour sitcoms were part of the block, with the second season expanding to include hour-long drama shows. (While not part of the Screen Gems Network itself, CTTD and Evolution also produced 130 half-hour compilations of shorts featuring The Three Stooges in a similar manner to that of the Screen Gems Network.)[https://web.archive.org/web/20150402091103/http://business.highbeam.com/2012/article-1G1-55643139/west-voice-screen-gems West voice of Screen Gems.] business.highbeam.com, Retrieved on February 28, 2014

SGN was the first broadcast-based service airing classic shows from the Columbia Pictures Television vault, airing shows with a resource base of 58,000 episodes of 350 television series from the 1950s to 1980s, included were shows created by Columbia Pictures Television, Tandem Productions, and ELP Communications. The announcer of the program was Billy West, who was tapped by CTTD to be the announcer for the program on August 11, 1999."PRNewswire" [https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/columbia-tristar-television-distribution-taps-futurama-star-billy-west-to-blast-back-to-the-past-for-screen-gems-network-74151202.html Columbia TriStar Television Distribution Taps 'Futurama' Star Billy West To Blast Back to the Past for Screen Gems Network] prnewswire.com, Retrieved on February 28, 2014{{Cite magazine |last=Schlosser |first=Joe |date=6 September 1999 |title=West to voice for ColTriStar |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/99-OCR/BC-1999-09-06-OCR-Page-0046.pdf |magazine=Broadcasting & Cable |page=46 |via=World Radio History}}

Programs were creatively grouped for theme weeks such as "Love is in the Air", "Pilots", "Best Music Videos" and "Before They Were Stars". Holiday based theme weeks include promotions for Halloween, Christmas, Mother's Day and Father's Day, among others.

The block was intended to be carried by stations in daytime slots, primarily afternoon and early evenings; for instance, WNYW in New York ran the block at 2 p.m., while WUAB in Cleveland aired it at 11 a.m.{{Cite magazine |last=Schlosser |first=Joe |date=18 October 1999 |title=Gems: N.Y. setting, diamond timing |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/99-OCR/BC-1999-10-18-OCR-Page-0037.pdf |magazine=Broadcasting & Cable |page=37 |via=World Radio History}} The block covered 62% of the country by March 1999; this number had risen to 80% of the stations carrying it by January 2000.{{Cite magazine |last=Schlosser |first=Joe |date=22 March 1999 |title=WB picks up Felicity, Buffy |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/99-OCR/BC-1999-03-22-OCR-Page-0032.pdf |magazine=Broadcasting & Cable |page=28 |via=World Radio History}}{{Cite magazine |date=31 January 2000 |title=NATPE: Better Than Usual |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/00-OCR/BC-2000-01-31-OCR-Page-0007.pdf |magazine=Broadcasting & Cable |pages=7 |via=World Radio History}} The block was still being advertised by CTTD as late as May 2001.{{Cite magazine |date=7 May 2001 |title=The Future of Advertising is Here! |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/01-OCR/BC-2001-05-07-OCR-Page-0051.pdf |magazine=Broadcasting & Cable |pages=51 |via=World Radio History}}