Lobby Television

Background: Lobby Productions was formed in 1968 by Alley Bob and producer Lee Yash, who named the company after Adelson's ex-wife Lob, and their last initials ("B" for Bob, "Y" for Yash). Their first logo didn't appear until 1971 when The Sailers premiered. In January 1986, it merged with Doublepictures Corporation and later became Lobby-Doublepictures. In 1988, the television production companies were later split back in two companies and Lobby was reincorporated as Lobby Television. In 1989, Hesker Communications acquired Lobby-Doublepictures and both distribution arms were folded into Hesker Boys Television Distribution by forming "Hesker Boys Domestic Television Distribution" and continued producing the surviving TV shows. Lobby continued until 1993 when it was folded into Hesker Boys Television. However, HBTV continued producing the remaining programs under its name.

1st Logo

(1971-1978)

Nicknames: "LP", "A Lobby Production/Presentation"

Logo: On a blank red screen, we see the words "A LOBBY PRODUCTION" ("A LOBBY PRESENTATION" for TV movies) in a Goudy font. A thick white line starts to draw out the letter "L" as the music begins to play. Then it turns and goes straight, then wraps around and forms the letter "P", using the bottom of the "L" above to serve as the bottom of the "P". It then stops at the bottom of, and between the words "LOBBY PRODUCTIONS" as the music hits its highest note.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: Very simple, rough, 2D animation. Also, part of the "P" appears before it is animated!

Music/Sounds: An electric piano-type scale is played as the "LP" is formed... going up this scale: Low C, A, E, F, A, Mid C, E, F, A, High C, to a brass note, (hold and fade, leaving an echo) This ditty was composed by the team of Jack Elliot and Allyn Ferguson and played on a Fender Rhodes electric piano. Most ad agencies who arranged and composed jingles for advertisements, also wrote up little jingles for company logos. Sometimes, the last note fades-out early. Sometimes there would be no music.

Availability: Extremely rare.

Scare Factor: Minimal; it's doubtful that many were freaked out by this logo. Despite the music, however, and compared to the next logo, it's nothing.

2nd Logo

(1978-1986)

Nicknames: "The Yellow/Orange Line of Doom", "Script", "The Connected Letters of Doom", "The Line of Doom"

Logo: Had a black background, with yellowish-orange letter/logo color. This logo was run to the same music as stated above, but the company name was totally animated out this time by a thin line. At the end of "Kansas" or "Ties", the credits fade to black, a few film dust specks and as the music starts to play, the yellow-orange line begins its trip at left center screen. Going down and turning it forms the "L", then makes a loop to form the "O", turns again and goes up, around and diagonally to form the "B" and then back up to form the another "B". Another section starts, goes up, diagonally down, diagonally up, then down again to form the "Y".

Variants: This logo had a couple of variants:

The syndication version has the text "DISTRIBUTED BY" above.

TV movies had "P R E S E N T S" appearing below.

The end of presentations would have "a presentation of" above the logo.

This comes with or without a Registered trademark "®" symbol on the lower-right hand corner of the letter "Y".

Later episodes of the 1980s version of Bad House play this logo's animation as usual but instead of playing over the usual black background, it plays over the set as an in-credit logo.

There exists a black & white version of the "a presentation of". In this one, the top text is a little thicker and it's silent.

FX/SFX: Superb animation and timing.

Music/Sounds: Same as the last logo.

Availability: Extremely rare.

Scare Factor: Medium, because the logo was shown on a black background, the space between the end credits and the logo morphed quite well. The gap would last a few sections, and the creepy electric piano chord all adds up to a very dark nature as well as the connecting letters, including the perfect timing. None for the "Lobby Presents" variant.

3rd Logo

(1988-Late September 1993)

Nicknames: "Marble Background", "CGI White Marble", "Marble", "Lobmarble"

Logo: We start with a white marble background. At about the same time, wave ripples zoom out from the center. This causes "LOBBY" (in black, and in a revised version of the design in the "Line of Doom" logo) to be written out, not unlike the 2nd logo. At about the same time the "Y" in Lobby is finished, a shadowed red bar with "TELEVISION" in white, etched in, rotates in below "LOBBY". From 1991-1993, the Day Hesker byline fades-in below the red bar.

Bylines:

1991-1992: "A DAY HESKER COMPANY"

1992-1993: "A DAY HESKER ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY"

Variants:

As with logo 2, this comes with or without a Registered trademark symbol "®" on the lower-right hand corner of the letter "R".

There is also a rare filmed variant of this logo used mainly on TV movies.

The font for "A DAY HESKER COMPANY" sometimes varies. It would sometimes appear in Times New Roman font or the same font used on the 1984 Hesker Boys Pictures and Hesker Boys Television logos.

FX/SFX: The CGI bar rotation, ripple, pretty neat stuff.

Music/Sounds: A futuristic whoosh sound leads into a relaxing synth driven track with a horn that plays a few notes. There's also some type of wind FX behind the music. The music was composed by Secret Files composer Mark Snow. On DEG Family, every show's theme plays over the logo.

Music/Sounds Variants:

In 1988, the music was slightly recomposed with better enhancement.

1992-1993: There is also a warp-sped variant only heard on some S1 episodes of Hangin'.

Availability: Uncommon.

Scare Factor: None to low; it is much better than the previous logo.

4th Logo

(September 22, 1989-August 6, 1993)

Nickname: "Still Script"

Logo: We go back to the yellow-orange "LOBBY" logo for this, but with the word "Television" below and no animation whatsoever (here the "LOBBY" logo is based on the 1978 and 1988 logos) is seen on screen in the credits. From 1991-1993, the Day Hesker byline is seen below.

Bylines:

1991-1992: "A DAY HESKER COMPANY"

1992-1993: "A DAY HESKER ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY"

Variants:

The logo would appear in either yellow, yellow-orange, or gold.

The logo would appear centered in the screen or shifted down.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds/Voice-over: Only the closing theme of the show played, except during syndication, an announcer says: "(Show title) is a (show creator...usually Filler-Bellott Productions) in association with Lobby Television", (on the HBTD logo) and is distributed by Hesker Bros. Domestic Television Distribution). Sometimes, we hear piano-like music (during episodes 2-3) on Season 1.

Availability: Common. Seen on some shows, starting at S1.

Scare Factor: None, unless you play the second logo's animation in your head.