Screen Gems Network
Classic Columbia television series in afternoon syndication.
The Screen Gems Network (SGN) was an American afternoon television programming block that ran in syndication from September 20, 1999, to September 9, 2002. It was a production of Evolution Media, 1999–2001 produced in association with Columbia TriStar Television Distribution, and 2001–2002 produced in association with Columbia TriStar Domestic Television. The concept for the program was announced on January 11, 1999 and it began airing on September 20, 1999. SGN was the first broadcast-based service airing classic shows from the Columbia Pictures Television vault, drawing on a resource base of 58,000 episodes of 350 television series from the 1950s to 1980s. The announcer of the program was Billy West, who was tapped by CTTD to be the announcer for the program on August 11, 1999.
Quick Facts
- Channel
- Syndication
- Developer
- Barry Thurston
- Narrator
- Billy West
- Theme music
- Peter Himmelman
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- First aired
- 20 September 1999
- Last aired
- 9 September 2002
Facts from the source article.
Background
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. 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 included 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. The block covered 62% of the country by March 1999; this number had risen to 80% of the stations carrying it by January 2000. The block was still being advertised by CTTD as late as May 2001. 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.
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