PBS Home Entertainment

Background: PBS Home Video was founded in the 1980's to distribute their programs on home media. PBSHV went through a slew of distributors, such as Pacific Arts (1989-1994), Turner Home Entertainment (1994-1997), Warner Home Video (1997-2004), and Paramount Home Entertainment (2004-2011). In 2011, PBS formed a joint venture with WGBH Educational Foundation to expand their distribution operations, forcing PBS Home Video to sever their ties with Paramount, as well as merging their home video unit with WGBH Home Video, resulting in the creation of PBS Distribution.

1st Logo
(1989-1998)

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Nicknames: "Transparent Blue P-Head on Video", "PBS P-Head"

Logo: We fade to a P-head outline on a sky background framed with black. The lines from the 1989 PBS logo come from the right side of the screen and go into the P-head's eye, after which the sky background fills the screen and the P-Head reverts to its color from the 1989 TV Ident logo as "PBS HOME VIDEO", in dark electric blue with rippling waves, fades in at the bottom of the screen.

Variant: At the end of tapes, only the animation with the lines going into the P-Heads eye plays. The closing variant was used from 1989-1994.

FX/SFX: The sky, the lines, the fade in of "PBS HOME VIDEO".

Music/Sounds/Voice-over: A quiet piano/string/flute sounder, followed by a female announcer saying "The following presentation is from PBS Home Video". Some tapes lack the announcer. The end variant uses the same opening melody, but ends with two piano/flute notes. At the end of some tapes, the regular long music played with no voice-over.

Availability: Uncommon. Seen on PBS Home Video tapes from Pacific Arts and Turner Home Entertainment, though the end variant (both the long and short versions) is kinda rare. You may spot it at the end of some Reading Rainbow tapes of the time. On Adventures from the Book of Virtues tapes however, the 6th PBS logo is used at the end instead.

Scare Factor: None.



2nd Logo
(1998-2004)

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Nicknames: "PBS P-Head II", "Circle PBS P-Head"

Logo: On a white background fading to a yellow-tinted version of the 7th PBS logo's background, three P-head circles (one vermilion, one green, and one dodger blue) zoom out and merge to form a fuchsia P-head circle. When "PBS HOME VIDEO" ("PBS DVD" on DVD releases) fades in, the P-head circle turns black.

FX/SFX: The merging of the circles.

Music/Sounds: A funky drum/bass riff with a light "ding", followed by a mellow synth remix of the 7th PBS logo's music.

Availability: Fairly common. On PBS Home Video and DVD releases from Warner Home Video, such as The Secret Life of the Brain.

Scare Factor: None.



3rd Logo
(2004-2009)

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Nicknames: "PBS P-Head III", "Circle PBS P-Head II"

Logo: It's a variant of the 2002 PBS ident.

FX/SFX: Same as the 8th PBS logo.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 8th PBS logo.

Availability: Uncommon. It appears on PBS DVD and Blu-ray releases from Paramount Home Entertainment.

Scare Factor: Minimal. The music might surprise you.