MTM Enterprises

MTM Enterprises, Inc.

Logo with Mimsie the Cat, the company's mascot
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Television and film production
Founded	1969 (1969)
Founders	Mary Tyler Moore Grant Tinker
Defunct	May 19, 1998 (1998-05-19)
Fate	Library assets were folded into 20th Century Fox Television
Successor	20th Television
Parent	TVS Entertainment (Television South plc) (1988–1993) International Family Entertainment (1993–1997) News Corporation (1997–1998)
Divisions	MTM Television Distribution MTM International MTM Home Video MTM Records

MTM Enterprises (also known as MTM Productions) was an American independent production company established in 1969 by Mary Tyler Moore and her then-husband Grant Tinker to produce The Mary Tyler Moore Show for CBS. The name for the production company was drawn from Mary Tyler Moore's initials.

With MTM, Mary Tyler Moore would become one of the first women to own a television production company. MTM became very successful, producing a number of successful television programs during the 1970s and 1980s. The Walt Disney Company through its subsidiary, 20th Television owns all of its programs.

History

In 1969, MTM Enterprises was organized by both Mary Tyler Moore and Grant Tinker, and hired James L. Brooks and Allan Burns to create her sitcom. Brooks' show Room 222 has even been credited by the Television Academy Foundation for breaking the "new narrative ground" which developed MTM Enterprises' "major sitcom factories of the 1970s."

In 1971, co-founder Grant Tinker was forced to quit 20th Century Fox Television due to conflicts with how to run MTM, in order to maintain a full-time job at the company.

In 1976, MTM teamed up with Metromedia Producers Corporation to start a variety show, a first for first-run syndication. Earlier that year, the company had hired Bud Rifkin to launch a syndicated division.

In 1977, Ed. Weinberger, James L. Brooks, David Davis, Allan Burns, and Stan Daniels left MTM Enterprises for Paramount Pictures and started the John Charles Walters Company.

Tinker oversaw MTM's operation until leaving the company.

In 1981, Tinker became the chairman of NBC. Lawyers backing NBC's then-owner RCA convinced Tinker to sell his remaining shares of MTM. Moore and Arthur Price, her business manager and company vice president, bought Tinker's shares; Price subsequently was elevated to president. Tinker later regretted leaving MTM, believing that the company started to decline without him.

Most of MTM's programs aired on CBS. For many years, MTM and CBS co-owned the CBS Studio Center in Studio City California, where a majority of their programs were filmed and videotaped.

In 1986, MTM launched its own syndicated arm MTM Television Distribution, to handle off-net syndication of the MTM shows, and subsequently courted to continue its relations with syndicator Jim Victory to sell off-network rights to MTM's shows like Hill Street Blues and WKRP in Cincinnati, all the way up until the late 1980s as part of a contract settlement. In 1988, MTM was sold to UK broadcaster and independent station for the South and South East of England TVS Entertainment for $320 million. A year afterwards, MTM Television Distribution began producing its own programming for the first-run syndication market.

After TVS lost its franchise to broadcast on the ITV network to Meridian Broadcasting, a number of American companies (and to a lesser extent, Meridian) were interested in acquiring MTM, with Pat Robertson's International Family Entertainment making the first offer. A small number of shareholders, including Julian Tregar, rejected the offer from IFE. In November, TCW Capital made a bid, but withdrew it a few weeks later after reviewing the accounts of TVS. IFE increased its offer to £45.3M, but continued to be opposed by Julian Tregar, who blocked the deal on technical grounds, alleging that the offer was too low. IFE finally increased the offer to appease the remaining shareholders, and on January 23, 1993, their offer of £56.5M was finally accepted. The deal went into effect on February 1, 1993 (the month after Meridian began its first broadcast).

In 1995, Michael Ogiens, formerly running CBS, as well as his production company Ogiens/Kane Company, joined MTM to serve as president of the company in hopes that MTM would be restored to its independent production glory. The following year, Josh Kane, fellow partner of the Ogiens/Kane Company joined MTM as vice president for the East Coast offices. In 1997, MTM hit layoffs at the syndication unit after the cancellation of the show The Cape.

In 1997, International Family Entertainment was sold to News Corporation, and folded into its subsidiary Fox Kids Worldwide, eventually renamed to Fox Family Worldwide (a joint venture between Fox and Saban Entertainment). MTM's library assets however, were transferred over to 20th Television who retained them, even after Fox Family Worldwide was sold to The Walt Disney Company in 2001. Until then, The Pretender and Good News were the last surviving shows to be produced by MTM, as 20th Century Fox Television inherited both shows in 1997 (when News Corporation purchased MTM) and 1998 (when MTM ceased operations) respectively. MTM's library became property of Disney following its acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. Disney holds the rights of most of MTM's shows.

MTM Enterprises also included a record label, MTM Records — distributed by Capitol Records — which was in existence from 1984 to 1988.

Filmography

Television series

Title	Genre	First air date	Last air date	Number of Seasons	Network	Co-production company(s)	Note(s)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show	Sitcom	September 19, 1970 (1970-09-19)	March 19, 1977 (1977-03-19)	7	CBS
The Bob Newhart Show		September 16, 1972 (1972-09-16)	April 1, 1978 (1978-04-01)	6
Rhoda		September 9, 1974 (1974-09-09)	December 9, 1978 (1978-12-09)	5			First spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Texas Wheelers		September 12, 1974 (1974-09-12)	July 7, 1975 (1975-1975-07T24)	1	ABC
Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers		September 14, 1974 (1974-09-14)	December 7, 1974 (1974-12-07)		CBS
The Bob Crane Show		March 6, 1975 (1975-03-06)	June 12, 1975 (1975-06-12)		NBC
Doc		August 16, 1975 (1975-08-16)	October 30, 1976 (1976-10-30)	2	CBS
Phyllis		September 8, 1975 (1975-09-08)	March 13, 1977 (1977-03-13)				Second spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Three for the Road	Adventure	September 14, 1975 (1975-09-14)	November 30, 1975 (1975-11-30)	1
The Lorenzo & Henrietta Music Show	Musical-variety	September 13, 1976 (1976-09-13)	October 11, 1976 (1976-10-11)		Syndicated
The Tony Randall Show	Sitcom	September 23, 1976 (1976-09-23)	March 25, 1978 (1978-03-25)	2	ABC (Season 1) CBS (Season 2)
The Betty White Show		September 12, 1977 (1977-09-12)	January 2, 1978 (1978-01-02)	1	CBS
Lou Grant	Journalism drama	September 20, 1977 (1977-09-20)	September 13, 1982 (1982-09-13)	5			Third spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
We've Got Each Other	Sitcom	October 1, 1977 (1977-10-01)	January 14, 1978 (1978-01-14)	1
WKRP in Cincinnati		September 18, 1978 (1978-09-18)	April 21, 1982 (1982-04-21)	4
Mary	Variety	September 24, 1978 (1978-09-24)	October 8, 1978 (1978-10-08)	1
The White Shadow	Sports drama	November 27, 1978 (1978-11-27)	March 16, 1981 (1981-03-16)	3
The Mary Tyler Moore Hour	Variety	March 4, 1979 (1979-03-04)	May 13, 1979 (1979-05-13)	1
The Last Resort	Sitcom	September 19, 1979 (1979-09-19)	March 17, 1980 (1980-03-17)
Paris	Police drama	September 29, 1979 (1979-09-29)	January 15, 1980 (1980-01-15)
Hill Street Blues		January 15, 1981 (1981-01-15)	May 12, 1987 (1987-05-12)	7	NBC
Remington Steele	Private eye drama	October 1, 1982 (1982-10-01)	February 17, 1987 (1987-02-17)	5
Newhart	Sitcom	October 25, 1982 (1982-10-25)	May 21, 1990 (1990-05-21)	8	CBS
St. Elsewhere	Medical drama	October 26, 1982 (1982-10-26)	May 25, 1988 (1988-05-25)	6	NBC
Bay City Blues	Sports drama	October 25, 1983 (1983-10-25)	November 15, 1983 (1983-11-15)	1
The Duck Factory	Sitcom	April 12, 1984 (1984-04-12)	July 11, 1984 (1984-07-11)
Mary		December 11, 1985 (1985-12-11)	April 8, 1986 (1986-04-08)		CBS
Fresno	Comedy	November 16, 1986 (1986-11-16)	November 20, 1986 (1986-11-20)				miniseries
The Popcorn Kid	Sitcom	March 23, 1987 (1987-03-23)	April 24, 1987 (1987-04-24)
Beverly Hills Buntz		November 5, 1987 (1987-11-05)	April 22, 1988 (1988-04-22)		NBC		Spin-off of Hill Street Blues
Eisenhower and Lutz		March 14, 1988 (1988-03-14)	June 20, 1988 (1988-06-20)		CBS
Annie McGuire		October 26, 1988 (1988-10-26)	December 28, 1988 (1988-12-28)
Tattingers	Dramedy		April 26, 1989 (1989-04-26)		NBC
FM	Sitcom	August 17, 1989 (1989-08-17)	June 28, 1990 (1990-06-28)
Rescue 911	Reality	September 5, 1989 (1989-09-05)	August 27, 1996 (1996-08-27)	8	CBS	Arnold Shapiro Productions	U.S. distribution only, produced by CBS Entertainment Productions
America's Funniest Home Videos	Clip	November 26, 1989 (1989-11-26)	Present	32	ABC		distribution for pre-2001 episodes only; currently distributed by sister company Disney Entertainment Distribution
City	Sitcom	January 29, 1990 (1990-01-29)	June 8, 1990 (1990-06-08)	1	CBS	CBS Entertainment Productions
Capital News	Journalism drama	April 9, 1990 (1990-04-09)	April 30, 1990 (1990-04-30)		ABC
The Trials of Rosie O'Neill	Legal drama	September 17, 1990 (1990-09-17)	May 30, 1992 (1992-05-30)	2	CBS
Evening Shade	Sitcom	September 21, 1990 (1990-09-21)	May 23, 1994 (1994-05-23)	4		CBS Entertainment Productions, Bloodworth-Thomason Mozark Productions and Burt Reynolds Productions	distributed outside of U.S. television by Paramount Global Content Distribution
You Take the Kids		December 15, 1990 (1990-12-15)	January 12, 1991 (1991-01-12)	1		CBS Entertainment Productions and Paul Haggis Productions
The New WKRP in Cincinnati		September 14, 1991 (1991-09-14)	May 22, 1993 (1993-05-22)	2	Syndicated
Graham Kerr's Kitchen	Cooking	September 30, 1992 (1992-09-30)	March 19, 1995 (1995-03-19)	3			distribution only
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman	Western	January 1, 1993 (1993-01-01)	May 16, 1998 (1998-05-16)	6	CBS	The Sullivan Company	U.S. TV distribution only; produced by CBS Productions
Xuxa	Educational	September 13, 1993 (1993-09-13)	December 31, 1993 (1993-12-31)	1	Syndicated	Lynch Entertainment
Christy	Drama	April 3, 1994 (1994-04-03)	August 2, 1995 (1995-08-02)	2	CBS	The Rosenzweig Company
Snowy River: The McGregor Saga	Adventure	September 23, 1994 (1994-09-23)	May 24, 1998 (1998-05-24)	4	The Family Channel		aired on Nine Network in Australia
Boogies Diner	Sitcom	September 17, 1994 (1994-09-17)	January 1, 1995 (1995-01-01)	1	Syndicated	Franklin/Waterman and King Street Entertainment
Family Challenge	Game show	October 2, 1995 (1995-10-02)	September 7, 1997 (1997-09-07)	2	The Family Channel	Woody Fraser Enterprises and Maple Palm Productions
Sparks	Sitcom	August 26, 1996 (1996-08-26)	March 2, 1998 (1998-03-02)	2	UPN	The Weinberger Company
The Cape	Adventure	September 9, 1996 (1996-09-09)	May 19, 1997 (1997-05-19)	1	Syndicated	Zaloom-Mayfield Productions
The Pretender	Science fiction	September 19, 1996 (1996-09-19)	May 13, 2000 (2000-05-13)	4	NBC	NBC Studios	season 1 only; distributed outside the U.S. by NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Bailey Kipper's P.O.V.	Sitcom	September 14, 1996 (1996-09-14)	December 14, 1996 (1996-12-14)	1	CBS	Kipper Productions and Victoria Productions
Shopping Spree	Game show	September 30, 1996 (1996-09-30)	August 14, 1998 (1998-08-14)	2	The Family Channel	Jay Wolpert Enterprises
Wait 'Til You Have Kids			January 31, 1997 (1997-01-31)	1
It Takes Two		March 10, 1997 (1997-03-10)	May 30, 1997 (1997-05-30)			Mark Phillips Philms & Telephision
Good News	Sitcom	August 25, 1997 (1997-08-25)	May 19, 1998 (1998-05-19)		UPN	The Weinberger Company

Television specials

Title	Genre	Original air date	Network	Co-production company(s)	Note(s)
Carlton Your Doorman	Animated comedy	May 21, 1980 (1980-05-21)	CBS		Pilot for proposed spin-off of Rhoda

CBS connection

MTM programs appeared almost exclusively on CBS until the early 1980s, when Grant Tinker assumed the additional role of president of NBC. Soon, NBC picked up a number of MTM shows. His intention was to leave NBC after 5 years (in 1986) and return to MTM, taking over the reins from interim MTM president Arthur Price. However, Price fired many of the key players in the company's ranks, and by 1986 they had few shows left on the schedules (Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere and Remington Steele were all nearing the ends of their runs, leaving Newhart as the sole entrant on the schedule).

Mascot

Mimsie the Cat (1968 - c. June 1988) was a live-action tabby cat seen in the company's logo, in a spoof of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's long-running Leo the Lion mascot. Mimsie was borrowed from a local shelter and then owned by one of the MTM staff (not by Moore and Tinker, who named the cat).

In the standard version of the logo, as first used on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mimsie appears in a crouched position, looks up at the camera, and meows once. Mimsie would not meow for the camera crew, so they eventually used footage of her yawning in reverse, with the "meow" added.

By the 1980s, there were many different variants of the logo, with Mimsie often appearing in different costumes, as well as being replaced by other cats, corresponding to the style and theme of the particular programs, including the following:

• On two episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, they had the following:
  • On "Today I Am a Ma’am.", Mimsie did a higher-pitched and rather shrill meow.
  • On the episode "Put on a Happy Face", Moore herself was shown stating the famous Looney Tunes end line, "That's All Folks!", which was actually a line spoken by Mary Richards during that episode.
• For the detective series Remington Steele, a Sherlock Holmes-esque stalking cap and pipe (that fell out of Mimsie's mouth when she meowed) were added.
• Bay City Blues had an animated version of Mimsie wearing a baseball hat and baseball glove and catching a baseball and meowing.
• Lou Grant, Paris, Just Between Friends and Something for Joey showed a still image of Mimsie.
• For the blooper reel of Lou Grant, Mimsie chirps like a bird.
• The White Shadow featured a different black-and-white cat bouncing an orange basketball; an extended version of the variant can be seen on rare prints of the pilot, featuring the logo animating and the cat watching the ball fall off screen.
• Hill Street Blues put a police uniform hat onto Mimsie's head, stating a reference to the TV show.
• St. Elsewhere showed her in a surgical outfit. Two episodes of the TV show feature a different meow soundtrack.
  • On the series finale, Mimsie (possibly portrayed by another cat) is shown unconscious and dying on-screen, connected to an IV, a heart monitor, and medical equipment; as the credits roll the heart monitor beeps and then as the credits end the heart monitor flatlines marking the end of St. Elsewhere and Mimsie's death. Coincidentally, Mimsie died shortly after the airing of this episode at the age of 20. Syndicated copies of this episode replace this variant with the normal credits.
• Graham Kerr put a chef's hat onto Mimsie's head. She would sometimes meow twice.
• The Texas Wheelers had a different black-and-white kitten near a water pipe, looking around a bit and meowing (though not the same as Mimsie's meow).
  • The final episode had an animated version of a kitten staggering from behind a wagon wheel and collapsing.
• For Carlton Your Doorman, the logo is drawn animation-like and Carlton's cat Ringo is seen and says off-screen, “Come on, meow!”. When Ringo does not meow, Carlton mutters "Damn cat...".
• Xuxa had Mimsie say "Tchau!”, which means "Goodbye!" in Portuguese.
• A Little Sex featured an animated gray cat (similar to the British shorthair), joining an animated version of Mimsie. After Mimsie meows the two cats purr by rubbing their faces.
• Newhart kept the original, unadorned footage, but replaced (except for the series pilot) the meowing sound effect with Bob Newhart's voice-over of "meow" in his trademark deadpan style, and on the series finale featured Mimsie yelling “QUIET!", uttered by Darryl and Darryl (their first and only word).
• The Duck Factory had (right on the credits) feature an off-screen voice say “Where's the cat?”, “Here’s the cat.”, or “Take it, cat!”, and then used the original footage, replacing Mimsie's meow with a "Quack!"
• WKRP in Cincinnati replaced the meowing sound effect with Les Nessman saying “Ooooooh!”
• The Steve Allen Show had Mimsie wearing Allen's sunglasses and says “Schmock!”.
• Vampire had the MTM text all in dark red, and Mimsie is nowhere to be seen. Due to this, the "T" is in its normal size.
• In 2013, an episode of Hot in Cleveland titled "Love is All Around", which starred Betty White and featured Georgia Engel, did an MTM reunion with Moore, Valerie Harper, and Cloris Leachman. At the end of the episode the camera pans to a similar-looking cat in the window, giving Mimsie's final meow in a homage to the company's logo.
• Mary Tyler Moore: The 20th Anniversary Show had Mimsie say "Bye!" voiced by Moore herself.
• The logo is briefly seen in the Fox-produced Family Guy in their episode "420", where Quagmire and his new cat watch the end of The Mary Tyler Moore Show solely so he can show the cat the logo, pointing out to him "You're one of those!"
• Minecraft: The Wild Update has followed the two episodes in season one:

• On What Will You Uncover? The MTM text are all in dark red and Mimsie is nowhere to be seen. This is similar from Vampire
• On the final episode Craft Your Path, the sound effect of meow is with Bob Newhart's voice. Which is similar to the audio from Newhart

External links

• MTM Enterprises records — at the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research.