From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United Artists Television was an American television production/distribution company of United Artists Corporation that was formed in 1956. The company is famous for producing famous shows such as The Outer Limits, Gilligan's Island, The Fugitive, thirtysomething, and The Patty Duke Show.

UA purchased Associated Artists Productions ("AAP") in 1958, giving UA access to the pre-1948 Warner Bros. library and the Popeye cartoons made by Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios between 1933 and 1957.

In 1960, United Artists purchased Ziv Television Programs, including the 20% share still held by chair of the board, Frederick Ziv, and president, John L. Sinn, for $20 million. The newly merged production company was renamed Ziv-United Artists.

United Artists had never been very successful in television, having placed only two series in prime time, The Troubleshooters (1959—1960) and The Dennis O’Keefe Show (1959—1960'). This pattern continued after the merger. Ziv-UA produced 12 pilots during the first year and failed to sell any of them.

In 1962, the company phased out Ziv Television operations and changed its name back to United Artists Television. After The Mothers-In-Law was cancelled in 1969, the company decided to focus presenting their movie library on television and reruning their classics after years of still not being successful on television.

In 1981, MGM merged with UA and it later became MGM/UA Television in 1982. United Artists Television ended in 1983 under MGM/UA Television, although UA itself continued to produce television shows until 1995.

As of now, with the exception of Gilligan's Island and the AAP material (all now owned by Warner Bros./Turner Entertainment), as well as The Fugitive and the show East Side/West Side (both now owned by Republic Pictures and CBS Paramount Television), the rest of the television shows by United Artists Television are distributed by MGM Television.

• The Troubleshooters (1959—1960)
• The Dennis O’Keefe Show (1959—1960)
• Men Into Space (1959-1960)
• Aquanauts (1960)
• Miami Undercover (1961)
• Hollywood and the Stars (1963)
• The Human Jungle (1963-1964)
• The New Phil Silvers Show (1963-1964)
• East Side/West Side (1963-1964)
• The Patty Duke Show (1963-1966)
• The Fugitive (1963-1967)
• The Outer Limits (1963-1965)
• The Unknown (1964) (show was included in syndication package of The Outer Limits)
• Gilligan's Island (1964-1967)
• The Hollywood Palace (1964-1970)
• Kibbee Hates Fitch (1965)
• The Incredible World of James Bond (television special) (1965)
• My Mother The Car (1965-1966)
• O.K. Crackerby! (1965-1966}
• Mona McCluskey (1965-1966)
• The Milton Berle Show (1966-1967)
• Hey, Landlord (1966-1967)
• The Pink Panther Show (1966-1979)
• Rat Patrol (1966-1968)
• Welcome To Japan, Mr. Bond (1967) (television special)
• The Mothers-In-Law (1967-1969)
• The Pink Panther in: A Pink Christmas (1978) (television special)
• James Bond: The First 25 Years (1983) (television special)
• thirtysomething (1987-1991)

This television-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.