TriStar Television
 |
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| Division of Sony Pictures Television | |
| Industry | Television production |
| Successor |
Columbia TriStar Television (1999–2002) Sony Pictures Television (2002–present) |
| Founded | 1986 (original launch) 1991 (re-launch) 2015 (second re-launch) |
| Headquarters | Culver City, California, USA |
|
Key people
|
Steve McQuinn |
| Owner | Sony |
| Parent | Sony Pictures Entertainment |
TriStar Television (first spelled Tri-Star) is an American television production studio that was launched in 1986 by TriStar Pictures (the studio which is currently owned by Columbia Pictures; CBS was a partner but dropped out in 1985 and HBO in 1986).
It was formed when Tri-Star Pictures joined forces with Stephen J. Cannell Productions and Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions and created a television distribution company called TeleVentures. By December 1987, Coca-Cola owned 80% Columbia Pictures Entertainment until January 1988, when it was reduced down to 49% and Tri-Star Television was combined with Columbia/Embassy Television into the reorganized Columbia Pictures Television (CPT) in January 1988. Columbia Pictures Entertainment was sold in 1989 to Sony of Japan. On July 11, 1990, both Tri-Star and Cannell dissolved the TeleVentures joint venture and Tri-Star sold its shares to Stephen J. Cannell Productions and TeleVentures became Cannell Distribution Co. Most of the series and the Tri-Star film packages that were distributed by TeleVentures were taken over by Columbia Pictures Television Distribution.
CPT would continue on under Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), but TriStar Television was reestablished in October 1991 after CPT acquired some of the library of New World Television.Jon Feltheimer, who was president of New World Television became the new president of TriStar Television. On February 21, 1994, TriStar Television merged with Columbia Pictures Television and formed Columbia TriStar Television (CTT).
When TriStar Television's productions were folded into Columbia TriStar Television in 1999, Early Edition (a joint production with CBS) retained the TriStar copyright until 2000. The final season of Malcolm & Eddie was later produced by CTT and TriStar Television operated in-name-only. On October 25, 2001, Columbia TriStar Network Television and Columbia TriStar Television Distribution merged to become Columbia TriStar Domestic Television. On September 16, 2002, SPE retired the Columbia and TriStar names from television, rechristening CTDT as Sony Pictures Television.
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