Viacom (CBS)

Logo descriptions by Jason Jones, James Fabiano, Cameron McCaffrey, WileE2005, Matt Williams, BenIsRandom, LARDLOGORETURNS, and Yoshidude987
Logo captures by AsdfTheRevival, Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom, Eric S., mr3urious, Mr. Logo Lord, ASja2002, Dean Stewart Rumsey, Mr.Logo, wisp2007, BenderRoblox, Blatch-O, LogoGuy94, Derrick Anderson, Gilblitz112, TrickyMario7654, Pygmalion X, Sagan Blob, bdalbor, TheEriccorpinc, ClosingLogosHD, BenIsRandom, and BudTheChud1989
Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom, WizardDuck, Bob Fish, Optimus Prime 2000, MrThorax281, BenderRoblox, ClosingLogoLover, tbone2004, MariluHennerArtist45, PluMGMK, KaratePianoLogoNerd, KirbyGuy2001, BenIsRandom, indycar, MattBr, GoAnimateFan199Pro, and Unnepad
Video captures courtesy of JohnnyL80, ASja2002, Dean Stewart Rumsey, narutofire3, mcydodge919, PluMGMK, Steve Grayson, TVLOGOS708090, Eric S, travis7310, TheVintageTVArchive, bdalbortvclosings&more, BenIsRandom, BudTheChud1989, Pepsi9072, Mayfield Entertainment, GuateLogos, Ryan Holman, TheEriccorpinc, Luke2505, and Plasma Storm.

Background: Viacom Enterprises was the television distribution division of the CBS Television Network, formed in 1971 as the successor of the pre-1968 CBS Films, later reincorporated as CBS Enterprises, Inc. in 1968. In 1973, it was spun-off because it was against the FCC regulations for a television network to distribute its programs under its own name. Subsequently, Viacom formed "Viacom Productions" to produce first-run television series airing on the major television networks. The company was popular during the 1970s and 1980s, originally distributing CBS-produced shows such as I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show. In later years, they've distributed shows from numerous other production companies, including MTM, Filmways TV, Carsey/Werner, Lorimar, Rankin-Bass, and Hanna-Barbera (the latter mostly internationally). They also distributed several Four Star shows, and early Nelvana TV specials, as well as most movie releases from Romulus Films, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Tomorrow Entertainment, New World (until 1984), Orion, New Line, Cannon Films, and the Terrytoons library, among others, until they formed their own syndication companies. In 1976, Viacom and its production division formed "Viacom International, Inc." as their new parent company for distributing programs overseas. Within a decade, Viacom was bought by cinema chain National Amusements, becoming part of the newly-reincorporated "Viacom, Inc.". On January 1, 1990, as part of a restructuring, Viacom Pictures was formed. On March 11, 1994, Viacom acquired Paramount Communications, Inc. and Viacom Enterprises was folded into Paramount Domestic Television (now "CBS Television Distribution"), by transferring the domestic rights of the Viacom library. Viacom International was later reorganized as the parent company of MTV Networks and Showtime Networks. Viacom transferred the international rights of the said library into Paramount International Television, while Viacom Productions was reincorporated as a production sub-division of Paramount Television. The Viacom Enterprises logo of the era was still used for "Viacom Productions" with an updated variant, and would remain until 1999, receiving another update to the logo to reflect the company's new status after merging with former parent company CBS. The 1999-2004 Viacom logo would be its last, as the final two series to end under the Viacom Productions name would be Ed and The Division. In light of serious financial troubles brought on to Viacom, the production unit was folded into Paramount Network Television (now "CBS Television Studios") in 2004. Paramount took control of the remaining Viacom-produced series in 2005. On December 31 of that year, Viacom was reincorporated as "CBS Corporation", ceasing to exist officially. A "new" Viacom was established on the same day, as the holding company for Paramount Pictures, the MTV Networks, BET Networks, and their non-television firms. By 2009, most Viacom-distributed TV productions were distributed under CBS Television Distribution (formerly "CBS Paramount Domestic Television") and outside the U.S. under CBS Studios International (formerly "CBS Paramount International Television"), while the previous Viacom-distributed movies, and some Viacom Domestic Media Networks TV shows were distributed by Paramount with U.S. over-the-air rights licensed to Trifecta Entertainment and Media. On December 4, 2019, Viacom and CBS re-merged, forming ViacomCBS. Before the Paramount purchase, Viacom titles were distributed on home video by Magnetic Video Corporation, Warner Home Video, VidAmerica, Forum Home Video and U.S.A. Home Video, among others. A little known fact is that Viacom actually stands for "Video & Audio Communications".

Note: Not to be confused with the last incarnation of Viacom.

1st Logo
(June 4, 1971-June 1976)

Nicknames: "Pinball", "V-iA-COM", "V-iA-COM Pinball"

Logo: The word "ViACOM" in white, a group of letters at a time (in an ascending number: "V" (1), "iA" (2) and "COM" (3)), slide in from the right, with the background changing color as each one stops. As the screen fades to purple, the letter "V" slides in. Then "iA" slides in, changing the background to green. Then "COM" slides in, changing the background to red. When the word "ViACOM" is formed, the camera quickly pans outward and the words "A" and "PRESENTATION" are seen to the left and right of the word "ViACOM", over a blue background.

Trivia: The logo is actually in the same font as The Mary Tyler Moore Show logo (called "Peignot").

Variants:

One version of the logo replaces the red background with black. This could've been because of film deterioration, however.
Some prints of this logo have faded color that shifts to a red hue, affecting all 4 color backgrounds; this is due to the fading of a color 16mm stock (notably early Eastman).
Other sources would have this logo completely out of sync with the sound effects.
The logo is in B&W on early '70s prints of The Andy Griffith Show, Perry Mason, I Love Lucy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Our Miss Brooks, The Phil Silvers Show, The Twilight Zone, and The Beverly Hillbillies, among other classic shows. It also appears on a VHS of The Andy Griffith Show released by Premier Promotions, titled The Andy Griffith Show Double Feature Volume 33.
There is a dark color variant, possibly due to film deterioration.
Only a split second of the logo (only the first "ping" of the logo's soundtrack playing over a red screen) was shown on a 2012 Australian TV airing of Hogan's Heroes, due to being plastered by the 8th logo.
In-credit text such as "A Viacom (Enterprises) Presentation (or "Production")" or "In Association With Viacom Enterprises" would be shown on The $25,000 Pyramid and Goodson-Todman game shows, among other co-produced series and TV movies. This continued on into the '80s on shows like Family Feud.

FX/SFX: The three portions of "Viacom" sliding to the center from the left one by one, and the zoom out and appearance of "A" and "Presentation".

Music/Sounds: 4 synthesized ascending pinball-like chimes. The first 3 bring up the letters to "ViACOM", and the last, which plays over the zoom-out, has a zap-like "WHOOSH" that blends in with the last bell, combined with a synth chord and gurgling/telephone-like sounds.

Music/Sounds Variants:

The logo may be silent on some prints.
Sometimes, especially on PAL prints, the music is of a slightly higher pitch.
The soundtrack might sound distorted on some prints. This happens because lab technicians print the soundtrack onto the film at a louder volume than usual.
One variation has the soundtrack out-of-sync with the logo. This was seen on Season 11, Episode 20 (Me-TV airing) and Season 12, Episode 12 (Odyssey/Hallmark airing) of My Three Sons.

Availability: Ultra rare. Until recently, it was near extinction due to excessive plastering with later Viacom logos, Paramount Domestic Television logos, the CBS Paramount Domestic/Network Television logos, and the CBS Television Distribution logos.

The color version turned up on many season 11 & 12 episodes of My Three Sons on Odyssey Network/The Hallmark Channel back in the early 2000s. Many variations have also been spotted on these episodes when shown on Me-TV, as part of an unusual combo with CBS Television Distribution preceding it (with the exception of one episode, S12 E23, which first aired on August 2, 2018.) These sightings mark the first known time this Viacom logo has been seen on national American television since the Odyssey/Hallmark airings from the early 2000s.
The dark variant was spotted on several color episodes of My Three Sons and the Magnetic Video VHS release of 5 Terrytoon Cartoons Featuring Heckle and Jeckle.
This logo also appears on earlier 16mm syndication dupes of shows/movies distributed by Viacom, mostly before 1976; Such shows include: My Three Sons, Hogan's Heroes, and The Beverly Hillbillies, which occasionally appear on eBay.
This logo can also be seen on some older prints of episodes of The Banana Splits and Friends Show, Josie and the Pussycats, Whirlybirds, Petticoat Junction, pre-mid-1970s prints of The Rookies (which is now with Sony Pictures Television), Family Affair, The Houndcats, and the Canadian produced TV series The Amazing World of Kreskin, among others; that includes 16mm kinescopes.
This logo has been sighted on a DVD from Mill Creek, '100 Awesomely Cheesy Movies', which is a repackaging of another 2 Mill Creek DVD sets. On 'The Swingin' Seventies' section of the DVD, the 1970 TV Movie version of Jane Eyre retains the color logo at the end.
Only a small amount of home media releases retain this logo. At least one VHS release of The Houndcats has this logo, but it is unknown how many more have it, including releases from Trans World Entertainment, or the recent DVD releases. It was also spotted on a VHS of The Andy Griffith Show by Premier Promotions.
The in-credit text can be seen on What's My Line? on Buzzr.
With all that said, consider yourself very lucky if you see this logo on TV or even on video, or through any other medium.

Editor's Note: The logo was standard for the early '70s with its simple and rough animation and eccentric sound effects. This logo isn't anywhere close to being as well known (or perhaps even feared) as its successors, not only because of its short lifespan but also because it was commonly plastered with newer logos.

2nd Logo
(June 1976-September 13, 1986)

Nicknames: "V of Doom", "Big V", "Zooming V", "Viacom V"

Logo: On a sky blue (or lavender) background, the text "A Viacom Presentation" in a palatino-like typeface zooms-in from the center of the screen at a very fast pace, then stops abruptly (on the filmed variant) when it gets near to the screen. Then, a fancy-cut, navy blue "V" comes from the center and moves gradually closer and closer to the screen. When it gets to the point where the "V" takes up nearly the entire screen, the screen suddenly cuts to black or fades to black (depending on the version of the logo), with the "V" presumably still moving ever closer.

Variants:

A network television version, used from 1979 until 1985, usually had the black "V" and the name "Viacom" zooming-in together and stopping once it has come to a huge size, with a sea green/dark blue background. However, some showings have the "V" and the word "Viacom" sliding-in from opposite sides of the screen.
A variation of the network version features a copyright stamp for "Viacom International" appearing at the bottom once the "V" stopped to zoom almost completely.
A network television variation with a mirrored "V" has also been spotted, where the logo flips up.
The original version of this logo was filmed, and was used from 1976 until 1985.
A black & white version of the filmed "V" was used in the earlier years.
On the earlier color variant of the filmed version, the "V" is black, with a light blue background.
Videotaped versions have "A" and "Viacom" spaced farther apart, and the animation is more smooth. This was used from 1978 to 1986. Color variants include monochrome, purple background with dark blue "V", and faint purple with blue "V", among others.
Some filmed variants feature the "V" actually stopping right before it cuts to black. This was largely common in its earlier years (especially in black & white variants).
An extremely rare videotaped variant featuring a yellow "V" was used on some syndicated prints of The Honeymooners, appearing in a giant moon over a cityscape where the credits appear. This is a result of a chroma-key mistake. This variation was given the nickname "V of Moon".
There is also a rare videotaped variant with a jungle green background and a Charleston green "V".
An extremely rare turquoise variant with an ultramarine blue "V" was used in 1984. The "V" stops moving before we fade to black.
A videotaped variant of this logo has an orange background and a midnight blue "V" seen on 1978 episodes of You Don't Say!. There is also a warp speed version of this.
An extremely rare videotaped variant with the logo superimposed in a circle over a moving starfield background was used on the short-lived series Hot City. This is nicknamed the "V in Space".
There is an uncommon "warp-speed" videotaped variation that has a much sped up logo and music. This was used along side co-distributor idents and was seen from 1979-1986.
An extremely rare videotaped variant that flashes different colors reputedly exists. It was reported to be seen on an airing of The Honeymooners episode entitled "A Man's Pride" on The Comedy Network in Canada. A reconstruction can be seen <a href="https://youtu.be/-SHA454qzFM" target="_self">here</a>; no evidence of the actual logo has surfaced as of yet. This variant is unofficially nicknamed the "Rainbow V of Doom".
A variant where the "V" is dark red on a pink background appeared on the 1985 syndicated series The Star Games. It also appeared on a 1994 rerun of an episode of The Andy Griffith Show.
A videotaped variant with a lime background was found on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show on TBS in 1992 and on the Perry Mason S8 episode "The Case of the Wrongful Writ" on a March 13, 1991 TBS broadcast.
Dark variants of the Film-O-Vision version in color and B&W, due to film deterioration, exist.
The first second was lopped off on Magnetic Video's VHS release of Blue Hawaii.
There was a high pitched, slightly sped up version of the videotaped variant spotted on the Cannon episode "He Who Digs a Grave (Part 2)" on Me-TV. As of May 2019, this variant is still intact.
An ultra dark/deteriorated black and white version exists, in which the background is nearly black and the "V" is almost invisible. This was spotted on a Me-TV airing of Perry Mason as well as on a 16mm print of an episode of I Love Lucy.
A "blacked-out" variant also exists on film prints of episodes of Greatest Heroes of the Bible on the Internet Archive, which has the "V of Doom" music on either the "END OF PART ONE" or "THE END" card, likely due to sloppy plastering.
In-credit text would either say "A Viacom (Enterprises) Presentation", "In Association with Viacom Enterprises", "Distributed by Viacom Enterprises", or "Produced in association with Viacom Enterprises" would be shown on The $25,000 Pyramid, the Goodson-Todman game shows, and some TV and theatrical movies.

FX/SFX: The text zooming in from screen center and the "V" logo zooming in.

Music/Sounds: Here are the main music variants used on this logo:

Usually, the music used was a 5-note synthesized fanfare, along with a timpani drum roll playing throughout with a final, rather loud pound at the end. Even after the logo faded (or cut) to black, the timpani's echo could still be heard.
The very first version of this logo featured the "Pinball" music from the first logo and was used eventually until late 1978 (and was also often used when replacing the original "Pinball" logo). This variant is also known as the "V of Pinball".
The very first version of the normal 1976 music had a slightly faster tempo/low-pitched version of the usual music, used on the same logo with the very dark blue/black "V" logo, and it was also used in tandem with the standard filmed variant.
For the network TV variant, it used only the closing theme of the show or TV movie, or none.

Music/Sounds Variants:

PAL versions of the logo were in a higher pitch and had a slightly faster sequence of synthesizer notes.
In some rare cases, the closing theme of the show was used, or none.
The turquoise variant of the logo has two extra pounds of the timpani at the end.
Sometimes, the "V of Doom" music cuts off right before the last timpani beat, removing the final echo in the process. This was heard on the Magnetic Video release of Don't Give Up the Ship.
Sometimes on the filmed variant, the first note or two can be cut off. Often, the final bit of the show's closing theme will play over the logo briefly. This is caused by a bad splice on the film between the credits and the logo. An example of this would be the Season 11 finale to My Three Sons.
On The Beverly Hillbillies episode "Christmas with the Clampetts", and perhaps other episodes from the first two seasons, it has a generic theme (the show's theme couldn't be used due to it being copyrighted while episodes from the first two seasons have fallen into the public domain) playing over the filmed version of this logo.
On the Have Gun-Will Travel season 3 episode "Fragile" on Me-TV and H&I, the 1987 Paramount Television theme plays faintly over a black screen before the videotaped variant appears, due to a double plaster.
On the Hot City variant, the music starts playing over the last bit of the closing song.

Availability: Uncommon, bordering on rare, but it has become a bit easier to find in the past few years. Most shows that had this ID have been updated with either the "V of Steel" or "Wigga Wigga", Paramount Domestic Television, CBS Paramount Domestic/Network Television, or CBS Television Distribution. However, newer variants might be seen on local stations that show older Viacom shows, such as The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, Rawhide, Hogan's Heroes, The Twilight Zone, and Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C. All variants of the "V of Doom" (with the exception of the "V of Pinball" until evidence is found) can be seen on VHS tapes of The Andy Griffith Show released by various video outlets such as Premier Promotions and sometimes (though mostly the videotaped variant) by UAV Corporation.

V of Pinball: The B&W filmed variant with the "Pinball" theme is near extinct at this stage. It appears on the Magnetic Video releases of King Creole (also on the 1985 Key Video re-release) and Visit to a Small Planet. This variant was also recently discovered on a 16mm print of The Phil Silvers Show. Its color counterpart has been seen on the 1975 TV movie Eric, and may be intact on that film's VHS release, the Magnetic Video release of Girls! Girls! Girls! (also on the 1985 Key Video re-release), the Australian Magnetic Video VHS of All in a Night's Work, and on one mid-1970s print of an early color episode of Gunsmoke, which aired on Superstation WTBS back in 1986.
Filmed Variant: It appears at the end of most Viacom syndication prints of the time, on shows such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, The Phil Silvers Show, and My Three Sons. It appeared on the Season 11 finale of My Three Sons on Hallmark back around 2000 and was again seen on a Me-TV airing of the latter on July 2, 2018, strangely with CBS Television Distribution preceding it. It appeared on some TV movies from the era, such as Police Story, The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan, and Top Secret (1978), among others. It was also seen on the original Magnetic Video VHS releases of many feature films, such as Last Train from Gun Hill and possibly All in a Night's Work; those featuring Elvis Presley, including G.I. Blues (also on the 1985 Key Video re-release) and Blue Hawaii; those featuring Jerry Lewis, including Don't Give Up the Ship (don't expect to see this on any of their laserdiscs or Greatest Sports Legends tapes, though); and at the end of earlier video prints of the 1981 film Firebird 2015 AD and the 1980 film The Unseen, while the videotaped variant makes a strange appearance at the beginning of the latter film (the same also applied to an '80s broadcast on the USA Network). The filmed variant can be seen on Cozi TV airings of episodes from the first two seasons of The Beverly Hillbillies, due to said network using public domain prints of that show. It also appeared on Nelvana's first special A Cosmic Christmas; this is intact on current prints of the special whenever it gets aired on TV, as well as YTV Direct's print on YouTube (where it is followed by the 2004 Nelvana logo), in addition to Terror In The Wax Museum on Amazon Prime. The B&W filmed variant was once spotted on an episode of Perry Mason on Me-TV before it was replaced with a later print sometime in 2015. It can also be spotted on almost every episode of The Millionaire, which can occasionally be seen on Decades. The color variant of the filmed variant was seen on some prints of The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and recently (as of 2018) on three episodes of Gunsmoke on Me-TV ("The Witness", "Eleven Dollars", and "Kitty's Love Affair") and one episode ("Like Old Times") on CBS Drama in the UK. The B&W filmed variant variant can also be spotted on DVDs of The Beverly Hillbillies released by the Platinum Disc Corporation, Madacy Entertainment, Mill Creek Entertainment, and GoodTimes Entertainment, among other companies. It is unknown if this was seen on the Magnum Entertainment releases of The Deerslayer, The Last of the Mohicans (1977) or California Gold Rush, the Magnetic Video VHS release and 1985 Key Video re-release of Roustabout, or the 1985 Key Video re-issue of Blue Hawaii.
Videotaped Variant: The videotaped version used to be somewhat common on Perry Mason on Me-TV, but since 2015, they have started using remastered DVD prints with the CBS Television Distribution logo, although these older prints can still be seen on FETV. It's also seen at the end of most Cannon episodes, mostly between seasons 3-5, shown on Me-TV (and whenever it airs on Decades, owned also by the parent company of Me-TV, Weigel Broadcasting). Several of the "Classic 39" episodes of The Honeymooners,as well as the "lost" episodes, had this logo when they previously aired on WGN America, but newer prints of the latter use the MPI Home Video logo instead. It was also seen on episodes of The (New) Price is Right from 1976-1980. The 1978 and 1983 variants was formerly seen on two episodes of The Twilight Zone on Syfy ("You Drive" and "One for the Angels") until Syfy acquired updated prints sometime in 2015. It was also surprisingly seen on a 2012 airing of The Missiles of October on Me-TV, before the 1990 "Wigga Wigga" logo; however, newer prints, such as a recent Decades airing, used CTD instead. The warp-speed variant was also recently spotted on a rerun of The Bob Newhart Show S5 episode "Making Up Is the Thing To Do" on Me-TV, Hallmark Channel, Decades (occasionally), Sundance, and FamNET, after the decorated MTM Enterprises logo and preceding the 20th Television logo, and is also available on various season 5 and 6 episodes of that show on Shout Factory's 2014 complete series set, as well as solo releases of said seasons and Me-TV airings of most season 6 episodes, with the logo on a majority of those episodes being followed by the 20th Television logo. It can be seen on two season 3 episodes of Have Gun-Will Travel on Me-TV and H&I ("Fragile" and "The Black Handkerchief"). It was also seen on some episodes of All in the Family before CPTD (now SPT) acquired the syndication rights to that show. The videotaped variant was also recently spotted on two Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C. VHS tapes released by Forum Home Video in 1989, as well as The Devil and Daniel Mouse, which is included as an extra on the Blu-Ray of Nelvana's Rock & Rule. It also makes a strange appearance at the start of the original VHS release of the 1980 film The Unseen (also intact on an '80s USA Network airing), while the filmed variant appears at the end. It can also be found on seasons 3-5 of Cannon on DVD; Season 3 has an odd combo of this with the CBS Television Distribution logo following it, while the remaining two seasons have the videotaped VoD alone. This logo also made a surprise appearance on a recent Decades airing of the season 2 Bob Newhart Show episode "The Modernization of Emily". This variant had recently made a surprise appearance on GSN and Buzzr airings of a 1980 episode of To Tell the Truth. It appeared on original broadcasts of Family Feud's first syndicated run (where it was preceded by the in-credit text), but does not appear to have ever been retained in repeat airings.
Silent Variant: Rare. It was seen on old VHS releases of the 1963 movie Fun in Acapulco and the 1966 movie Paradise, Hawaiian Style from Magnetic Video (both of which plaster over the Paramount logo at the end of the film, though the Spanish-dubbed version, as well as the 1985 Key Video reprint (In English) of the latter film used the standard "V of Doom" music), the 1974 TV movie The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman from Prism Entertainment, and the 1976 movie The Amazing World of Psychic Phenomena. It is also retained on the 1985 Key Video re-issue of Fun in Acapulco. It was also spotted on an '80s USA Network airing of the 1968 movie Mission Mars (it is unknown if it's intact on any VHS releases of the movie). 16mm prints of Fun in Acapulco also have this variation.
Network TV Variant: Near extinction nowadays. During the 1980s, it was seen on various short-lived shows and TV movies produced by this company, such as The Master, The Devlin Connection, Amanda's, Dear Detective, Ace Crawford: Private Eye, The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Fifteen Years Later Affair, and To Race the Wind, among others; however, very few have been released onto VHS or DVD. Older prints such as VHS releases might have this logo intact but the more recent releases such as on DVD or Blu-Ray generally plaster this with the CTD logo. Cases in point; To Race the Wind, on which said variant is intact, and The Devlin Connection, The Master and The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Fifteen Years Later Affair, which were released on video by Trans World Entertainment. It is unknown if it's preserved on the USA Home Video releases of East of Eden (1981) or For Ladies Only; it is, however, surprisingly preserved on the Starmaker Video reprint of the former film.
Rainbow Variant: Unknown. This variant's existence has yet to be confirmed.

Editor's Note: This is very well known as one of the most popular "scary logos" ever created during the time frame, along with the "S from Hell", "The Mask Of Guo Xiang", "Princess Ozma", and "THX". In fact, this is the very first logo known to be labeled as "scary" on the Internet. Despite its label though, it's a favorite by some who are used to it.

3rd Logo
(1981)

Nicknames: "Flashing V", "V of Rainbow", "Viacom V II"

Logo: On a black background, we see the "V" rotating to the center in a rainbow streak. Then, the rainbow streak lines out of the logo. After that, the "V" flashes to bright cerulean and the word "Viacom" in the same color flashes in with the word "presents" below. As the opening theme comes up, we zoom up to the left corner of the "V" step-by-step until it engulfs the screen with blue.

Variant: At the end of the reel, we see the "V" with the word "Viacom" in blue and the word "from" above the "V" and they all zoom in towards the viewer.

FX/SFX: The rotating of the "V" to center, the colors lining out of the logo, the flash of "Presents" and the "V", the zoom-in to the corner of the "V" in step with the opening theme. The quick zoom-in to center with a flash at the end of the reel.

Music/Sounds: The opening and closing themes of the syndie promo or none.

Availability: Extinct. The only sighting that has come up is a sales tape for individual stations to purchase syndication rights for Viacom-owned shows. The tape used for the captures above is from a Hawaii Five-O sales tape.

Editor's Note: This is a very underrated and under-appreciated logo. If Viacom made any feature movies at the time, this was definitely the logo to go with (with or without the 'Presents' moniker). They already had some TV movies out, so this would have been perfect, yet they never used it.

4th Logo
(1984-1986)

Nicknames: "Special Delivery", "The Viacom Emblem", "Viacom V III", "Golden V"

Logo: We start off in outer space. The words "Special" and "Delivery" streaks through the sun that is in the background leaving arainbowtrail. Then on a blue/black gradient background, the two words fly to a ring with wings. "From Viacom" with "Viacom" bigger, are also in this logo above the familiar "V" from the 2nd logo. The logo then constantly shines throughout the logo, with it occasionally flashing. At the end, a firework flash effect emerges from the logo.

Variants:

A short variant exists.
A extended version also exists, where "From Viacom" is added to the streaking words, followed by the border being formed. It rotates and drops down as a rainbow-trailing outline, before retracting and fading to the gold version, flashing once. The rest is unchanged.

FX/SFX: The words streaking leaving a rainbow trail, and the firework flash.

Music/Sounds: After the drum roll at the start, a majestic 13-note fanfare plays, with the last note held out. The last half plays for the short version, while its extended for the long version.

Availability: Extinct. It was seen on the 1984 Twilight Zone Silver Anniversary special, as well as mid-'80s prints of classic Rankin-Bass TV specials (including Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town), and some TV movies from the era, among others.

Editor's Note: This is a beautiful and majestic logo with awesome scanimation.

5th Logo
(December 1, 1985-May 24, 1987)

Nicknames: "V of Calm”, "Viacom V IV", "Friendly V"

Logo: On a black background, we see a still image of the Viacom "V" logo in blue. Below that is the "Viacom" name in white.

Variant: On Really Weird Tales, the "V" and name are smaller and colored orange.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The closing theme of the show/TV movie or none.

Availability: Extremely rare, bordering on near extinction.

It was once seen on original airings of the first 3 episodes of 1st season of Matlock on NBC plus its pilot episode (from March 1986), as well as on the Andy Griffith reunion special Return to Mayberry and the first five made-for-TV movie revivals of Perry Mason, but most have all fallen victim of being plastered with the "V of Steel" or "Wigga Wigga", 1995 or 2003 Paramount Domestic Television, CBS Paramount Network Television ("Wallpaper"), or CBS Television Distribution logos.
Surprisingly, a November 2013 airing of Return to Mayberry on Me-TV left this logo intact, followed by a silent 1995 Paramount Domestic Television logo. However, on November 21, 2017, a rebroadcast on said network had it plastered with the CBS Television Distribution logo as it used a newer print.
It is preserved on the VHS releases of Return to Mayberry, Perry Mason Returns, Really Weird Tales, and a Brazilian VHS release of the Matlock pilot movie Diary of a Perfect Murder, among possible others
It was also preserved on Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun when it aired on Encore Mystery, but Encore Suspense airings cut the end theme off early and plaster it over with the CBS Television Distribution logo, while Me-TV and Hallmark airings plaster it over with the 1990 "Wigga Wigga" logo.
It is preserved on the 2016 Kino Lorber DVD of Really Weird Tales, followed by the "Wigga Wigga" logo.

Editor's Note: This is either a calm or boring logo, depending on what you think about still logos.

6th Logo
(1985-1986)

Nicknames: "V in the Big City", "Early V of Steel", "Silver Viacom V", "Viacom V V"

Logo:

Opening: Against a space background with twinkling stars, a metallic steel outline of the Viacom "V" and "Viacom" in its familiar Palatino like font zoom back with a metallic steel trail effect. The trail effect finishes as the "V" turns solid and metallic textured and "Viacom" turns solid grey. The logo shines in a similar manner as the "Special Delivery" logo before flying downwards and offscreen.
Closing: Against a city skyline with a purple night sky with most of the building's lights switched on and twinkling stars, the metallic textured "V" forms out of light particles. The word "Viacom" forms in the same manner as before. The logo shines once completed.

FX/SFX: For the opening variant, the trailing text, and the shining. For the closing variant, the trailing text, the "V" forming, and the shining.

Music/Sounds/Voice-over: The closing theme of the show. Promotional reels featured a voice over (from Vee-a-Com.)

Availability: Extinct on television.

It appeared on a sales tape for The Lost Honeymooners.
The closing variant also appeared on Jackie Gleason Presents: the Honeymooners Reunion which has not been seen since its one and only airing in 1986.

Editor's Note: The scanimate-like 3D effects on the logo are admirable, even if the results can look unconvincing. It's also a precursor to the next logo below.

7th Logo
(September 13, 1986-December? 1990)

Nicknames: "Silver V", "Rotating Silver V", "Shining Silver V", "V of Steel", "Viacom V VI"

Logo: We start out with a screen, divided half black/purple gradient on top and half silver on the bottom with a bright light flare shining between. The silver part then rotates counter-clockwise (a la CBS/Fox Video), revealing it is a steel version of the "V" logo. The word "Viacom" flies in from the upper-left of the screen and places itself under the "V", and the "V" shines.

Variants:

VHS tapes containing this logo and select TV broadcasts have the "V" shining three times.
A warp speed version of the three shines variant has been seen on the syndicated version of Super Sloppy Double Dare.
There is also a variant where the "V" shines four times. It has been seen on episodes of Rawhide, Perry Mason, Matlock (seasons 1-4), Hogan's Heroes, The Adventures of the Little Koala, Finders Keepers (Toffler version), Easy Street (1986 series), and the 1986 revival of Split Second. There is also a warp speed version of this, as well as a rare ultra warp speed variant.
There is a still variant.
There is a variant where the "V" doesn't shine at all. It was only seen on We Love Lucy; the 30-minute re-edit of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.
On the 1987 Celebrity Double Dare pilot, the logo is revealed with a computer-generated effect before animating.
There is also a B&W variant.
There is another sped-up variant of this logo with the music at the normal speed.
There is also a variant that plays at a slightly slower speed.
On Fox's Family Double Dare, the logo fades in after the Nickelodeon logo with the "V" is already in place, then the "V" shines two times before fading out.
There is a variant where both the "V" and the "Viacom" appear to be in higher contrast, making the logo look shinier than before.
One version had a midnight blue screen with text saying "DISTRIBUTED BY", and then after a second, it cut to the "V" in the middle of its animation, with the full music playing throughout.
Another version cuts to when the "V" turns. This is unofficially known as the "in-progress" variant.
There is a variant where the logo starts off in black and white, but quickly changes to color. This was spotted on a 1988 rerun of The Andy Griffith Show on TBS.
The British Braveworld Video VHS of King Creole has a variant that cuts off the first or so second from the logo.
On an episode of The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams on GetTV, the logo starts fading during the second time it shines.

FX/SFX: The rotating "V", the "V" "shining", and the light flare behind the "V" illuminating in the background.

Music/Sounds: Pindrop-like synth notes, followed by a descending synth chord. The music shares a similar musical key as the "V of Doom".

Music/Sounds/Voice-over Variants:

The music had a couple of variations over the years. A couple of "warp-speed" versions, one of which is an ultra warp speed version featuring a higher-pitched jingle, can be seen on various programs, if they haven't been plastered.
In some cases, it used only the closing theme of the show or none.
Some episodes of Cannon and Perry Mason on Me-TV (before that channel received updated CBSTD prints of the aforementioned episodes of both, though the aforementioned Perry Mason prints have since resurfaced on FETV) have/had the "V of Doom" music playing over this.
Some episodes of Gunsmoke, Matlock (seasons 1-4), and one episode of Hogan's Heroes (seen in Australia) have the "Wigga-Wigga" music playing over this. A Russian print of Father Dowling Mysteries S1 EP3 also features this over the warp-speed variant, which continues into the CBS Television Distribution logo.
A very rare variant of the extended warp-speed (3 wipes) variant includes a voice-over. This was seen on a sales tape for the un-aired game show I Predict. As the logo animates, the voice-over is heard saying: "A Ron Greenberg Production, in association with Viacom." (Pronounced "Vee-a-com", similar to Sandy Hoyt on Split Second).
A high tone variant exists, which is most likely from a PAL source.
On an '80s print of the movie Running, the normal variant features two very faint copies of the theme playing and overlapping each other that are both off-sync with the animation, making them continue long after the logo fades to black.

Availability: Uncommon, bordering on rare in its unaltered form.

Regular Variant (One Wipe): It is currently seen on Rawhide on Me-TV, Decades (occasionally) and H&I. It's also currently seen on most episodes of The Phil Silvers Show on Me-TV, Forces TV (United Kingdom) and occasionally seen on Decades, and it is preserved on the season 2 Shout! Factory DVD of the show, and on most episodes from seasons 3-4 of TPSS on DVD (season 1 on DVD and the British DVD releases use CTD instead), and was on most episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies, as well as Gunsmoke (mostly color reruns) on Me-TV before they were issued updated prints by CBS, although for The Beverly Hillbillies, it can still be seen on some episodes, and as for Gunsmoke, it can still appear on certain episodes from season 14 (the third color season) onward. It was spotted on the 1989 film Sonny Boy on TCM as well as AMC, and has been spotted on syndicated prints of Cannon films, such as Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. This can also be seen on most episodes of The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams on the recent DVD releases. Seen on '80s prints of other Viacom-distributed shows, including at one point in time, episodes of The Andy Griffith Show (particularly reruns on TBS), as well as episodes of I Love Lucy on Nick at Nite (as well as AMC briefly), Have Gun-Will Travel on Encore Westerns, various prints of The Cosby Show and Roseanne, Rawhide on the Hallmark Channel as well as Encore Westerns, The Millionaire on TV Land, and various episodes of Hogan’s Heroes on Forces TV in the United Kingdom and Fox Classics in Australia, among possible others. It is unknown if this was seen on '80s prints of The Dick Van Dy-ke Show, The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse, Petticoat Junction, The Houndcats, The Harlem Globetrotters (1970s cartoon), Hawaii Five-0, Amigo and Friends, Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C., The Alvin Show, The Honeymooners, Whirlybirds and Our Miss Brooks, among possible others. It can be seen on the Perry Mason made-for-TV movies from 1987-89, and some from the earlier part of 1990 along with some prints of previous ones (though most use the warp speed variant), but DVDs plaster it over with the CBS Television Distribution logo. However, it is preserved on some VHS tapes such as the British VHS release of Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson, but these aren't easy to come by, and as far as we can tell, have never been released to VHS in the United States. It was also seen on some episodes of Perry Mason on Me-TV before they were issued updated prints by CBS, but these prints can still be seen as of recently on FETV. This logo (and its extended variants) is also seen on various game shows syndicated by Viacom from 1986-1990, including Split Second, Double Dare (this includes recent prints on iTunes), and Remote Control. The B&W variant can be found at the end of select VHS tapes of The Andy Griffith Show that were released by Premier Promotions, including notably The Andy Griffith Show Collector's Series Volume 12: Mayberry Classics, and was recently spotted on a Season 08 episode of Rawhide on Me-TV. This logo was also spotted on British VHS releases of Fun in Acapulco, King Creole, Roustabout and All in a Night's Work, older prints of Dempsey and Makepeace, Father Dowling Mysteries, a Decades broadcast of The Blue Knight (1975), at least one episode of The Twilight Zone on the French version of the Sci-Fi Channel, a Movies! broadcast of the 1971 docudrama Evel Knievel, and international prints of seasons 1-4 (and some of season 5) of Matlock, though most use the warp speed variant. It does appear on a few Season 3-4 episodes of Matlock on CBS Justice (UK). The "in-progress" variant can be found on the MCA/Universal Home Video VHS of Super Force, the unsold Baby on Board pilot from 1988, as well as at least one episode of Rawhide on Me-TV. It has also been seen on some episodes of A Different World on Netflix. It was also spotted on syndicated prints of the 1979 Canadian sports drama, Running with Michael Douglas.
Extended Variant (3-4 Wipes): The long variant (3 wipes) can be found on the Family Home Entertainment VHS of The Adventures of the Little Koala and was on at least one episode of Perry Mason on Me-TV before being issued an updated print by CBS, while the original version with 4 wipes is extremely rare, and made its premiere on the short-lived NBC-aired sitcom Easy Street, and was last spotted on the Toffler version of Finders Keepers on the now-defunct Nick GAS network. This is also seen on various game shows syndicated by Viacom from 1986-1990, including Split Second, Double Dare (this includes recent prints on iTunes), and Remote Control. The 3 wipes variant was also recently spotted on an FETV broadcast of the Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Poison Pen Pal".
Silent Variant: Extremely rare. Originally, it could only be seen on syndicated TV prints of The Stepford Wives (the 1975 version), though it was recently spotted on the Forces TV print of the Hogan's Heroes episode, "The Most Escape Proof Camp I've Ever Escaped From", which is from season 2, although Fox Classics’ print has the theme present on it.
Warp Speed Variant: This can currently be found on some episodes of Rawhide on Me-TV, Decades (occasionally) and H&I. It's also seen on older prints of Matlock (season 1-5, 1990 episodes; current TV prints use the 8th logo instead, while the DVD of S1 uses CBS/Paramount and every other season on DVD uses CTD instead). Oddly, FETV's print of the Matlock S1 episode, "The Don, Part 1" had this preserved. Many Season 3 and 4 episodes of Matlock on CBS Justice (UK) as well as a few season 2 episodes and 2 season 1 episodes keep this logo intact. Its spin-off Jake and the Fatman (DVDs and TV prints of seasons 1 and 2 use CTD instead.), Father Dowling Mysteries (including a few early season 3 episodes), and a Brazilian VHS of Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery (And DVD print) all have this logo. This is also preserved on the season 1 DVD release of Father Dowling Mysteries, preceded by CTD and can be seen on the other two seasons as well. Decades airings use the DVD prints of Father Dowling Mysteries as well. It was also seen on a 2016 British Horror Channel airing of Murder by Moonlight, and was presumably present on the film's original CBS broadcast. It is unknown if this is preserved on season 3 and 1990 episodes of S4 of Jake and the Fatman on DVD. The "DISTRIBUTED BY" variant is ultra rare, as it's only known to exist on older prints of Superboy.
Warp Speed Variant (Extended): Extremely rare, usually plastered by either the "Wigga-Wigga", Paramount Domestic Television, CBS/Paramount Domestic/Network Television ("Eye in the Sky" or "Wallpaper"), or CBS Television Distribution logos, though they have been spotted on a few episodes of Rawhide on Me-TV and H&I, and the 4 wipe version was spotted on the Australian television print of the Hogan's Heroes episode "Request Permission to Escape". which is the last episode of season 1. When the episode aired in the UK on Forces TV, the last wipe was cut off.
Sped-Up Variant: Seen on Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen. It was also seen on Season 3 and 4 episodes of Matlock, when last aired on CBS Justice in the UK.
Ultra Warp Speed Variant: The ultra warp speed version can be seen on Netflix's prints, most official YouTube prints, some VHS tapes, and The Family Channel airings of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show and The Legend of Zelda.
Ultra Warp Speed Variant (Extended): Extremely rare. Could probably be seen on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show and The Legend of Zelda.

Editor's Note: This was a great effort that displayed some pretty good CGI for its time. It's also a favorite among the logo community.

8th Logo
(January 1, 1990-May 11, 2000)

Nicknames: "Wigga-Wigga", "\/|/\CO/\/\", "Zig-Zags of Steel', "Silver Zig-Zags"

Logo: On a shaded blue background, a silver "V" flies from the bottom left and then backwards. As it does so, a zig-zag line comes out of it to form the other letters in the name (it shines as it does this), with the "A" and "M" still taking the form of zig-zags, forming the word, "VIACOM". The completed logo shines.

Trivia: Many people think the announcer is mispronouncing the name Viacom. It is indeed long "i", like in "prize", although the original pronunciation of the name pre-1986 was indeed with a short "i", like in "pizza", hence the pronunciation "vee-a-com". Oddly, the post-1986 pronunciation was used by the announcer on the Magnetic Video logo several years before it became the official pronunciation.

Variants:

There is a very rare filmed variant seen on some TV movies from the era.
Several shows would have the name already formed during the later years, with the only animation being the shining of the letters.
There is a text variation on this logo for Viacom Productions. It has the "VIACOM" text already formed, but a line slides in from the right and forms into "PRODUCTIONS" in Futura Extra Bold font, after which the "C" and the "O" in "VIACOM" shine. This shorter variation was seen on network TV productions from 1998-1999. There was another variant of this in which the text doesn't shine at all, used on Diagnosis: Murder.
On reruns of the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch pilot on ABC Family (now Freeform), The Hub (now Discovery Family) and Antenna TV, this logo is still (a la the 1985 "V of Happiness" logo) and followed by the 2003 Paramount Domestic Television logo.
A black & white version of this exists on some prints of older B&W shows (though most feature the color version).
On the 1997 TV movie, The Right Connections, the words "in association with" are seen over the logo's background, then fades out when the animation starts.
On WPIX's print of the Honeymooners episode "The Sleepwalker", the logo freezes before it is fully formed. The audio is distorted in this variant. It's likely an error in production.
On the 1996 TV movie Brothers of the Frontier and a Me-TV airing of Matlock S7 episode "The Class", the short version of the logo is played in slow motion.
On the 1998 TV movie Inferno, the Productions variant has the text "Viacom Productions, Inc. Exclusive Distributor" in two lines below.

FX/SFX: The CGI coiled line forming "VIACOM", and the logo shining.

Music/Sounds: Again, there have been several musical variations accompanied with a voice-over by Don LaFontaine saying "Viacom" near the end:

Usually, a synthesized rock score is used, complete with drums, a synthesizer and even a guitar. Telephone-like "wigga-wigga" sounds are heard as the line zig-zags.
For the newly-formed Viacom International, the same logo is accompanied by different music. A synthesized whoosh is heard first, leading into a jingle played on a flute being heard as the line uncurls. As the logo finishes, a faint choir is heard in the background. Synthesized "shining" sounds can be heard throughout the entire logo. The LaFontaine voice-over is still heard.
There is a version where the LaFontaine voice-over cuts in earlier.
Some versions have no LaFontaine voice-over. The Viacom Productions logo is one of these, except the variant used on Diagnosis: Murder. An extremely short version with no LaFontaine voice-over was seen for a brief time in 1996. This version would also have the Paramount Domestic Television logo play almost immediately afterwards.
There was a warped version during later years.
There is a low toned variant for the short version that appeared after an episode of The Twilight Zone.
A high pitched variant exists. It's usually seen on PAL prints of Viacom-distributed shows and movies with this logo.

Music/Sounds Variants:

In some cases, it used the closing theme of the show, generic network music on CBS, NBC, and ABC, or it was silent.
There is a variant with the "V of Doom" theme playing instead on several early-1990s syndie prints of classic TV movies from the era, plastering the 1976 filmed logo.
There is another variant with the "V of Doom" music now playing faintly instead on some episodes of The Twilight Zone on Syfy, Perry Mason, and The Honeymooners both on Me-TV and last aired on WGN America. Sometimes, the short version plays with the normal music, but the "V of Doom" music can be heard again faintly in the background. This is sometimes called the "Ghost of the V of Doom".
There is a variant with the "V of Steel" theme playing instead on one episode of Gunsmoke as well as a Hungarian-dubbed rerun of the Father Dowling Mysteries season 1 episode "The What Do You Call a Call Girl Mystery" on AXN Crime. Father Dowling Mysteries S2 EP1 on the Russian CBS Drama channel also features this.
One episode of Rawhide on Me-TV has the warp-speed version of the logo with the warp-speed "V of Steel" music playing over it.
A variant with the sped-up "V of Steel" music was reportedly sighted on a British rerun of the Matlock episode "The Brothers".
Another variant with the warp-speed VoS music playing under the regular version was spotted on a Hungarian-dubbed rerun of the Father Dowling Mysteries season 1 episode "The Mafia Priest Mystery: Part 2" on AXN Crime. This is unofficially called the "Ghost of the V of Steel". This may also have been spotted on an Australian airing of a Jake and the Fatman episode.
The Viacom Productions variant has used the music from the final logo below on certain occasions. This has been sighted on an international print of the eighth episode of S7 of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, "Bada-Ping!", an Antenna TV airing of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch S7 episode "Sabrina Unplugged", and has also been reported to appear on some episodes of the final season of Diagnosis: Murder.
A variant of the original "Wigga Wigga" logo without the announcer in it also exists.

Availability: Quite common. This logo is quite infamous for plastering the older Viacom logos. Many of the shows that had this logo have been updated with either the Paramount Domestic Television, the CBS Paramount Domestic or Network Television logos ("Eye in the Sky" or "Wallpaper") or CBS Television Distribution logos by now, especially on DVD releases, but it is still seen on some shows and TV movies.

Regular Variant: It was spotted on the film I'm All Right Jack on TCM, two episodes of Cannon on the season 3 DVD (one episode on Me-TV, S03 E03,) syndicated prints of Cannon Group films such as Masters of the Universe, and one episode of The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams on DVD. It has been spotted on reruns of color episodes of Gunsmoke on Me-TV and TV Land, albeit in split screen form on the latter channel, and was also spotted on The Alvin Show when re-ran on Nickelodeon. However, recent prints of Gunsmoke episodes from Season 12 (the first color season) and Season 13 and are now restored and now use CTD, though it can possibly still be spotted on almost all other episodes from Season 14 on (needs further confirmation). It was also seen when Have Gun-Will Travel aired on Encore Westerns in the early 2010s, as well as some episodes of Perry Mason, Hogan's Heroes (these prints now air on U.K. television network Forces TV and Australian cable channel Fox Classics), and The Beverly Hillbillies on Me-TV and occasionally Decades before they both were issued updated prints by CBS (though it can be still be found in the majority of color episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies (S05-S09) and formerly on select episodes of Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C.; for the latter show, all episodes have been restored and use either CBS-Paramount or CTD. FETV prints of Perry Mason still have this logo intact on many episodes. In the past, episodes of I Love Lucy and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour on Nick at Nite and TV Land had this logo as well. It could also been seen on the Perry Mason TV movies from 1991-95, and some prints of older ones, but DVDs plaster it with the CTD logo. The high pitched variant was recently spotted on a British television broadcast of California Gold Rush. This can also be found on Family Affair, My Three Sons (it also appeared on Season 11, Episode 12 of that show after the CBS Television Distribution logo on a June 14, 2018 airing on Me-TV), VHS releases of Payoff (1991), a recent European TV broadcast and Me-TV airings of the 1973 TV film A Dream for Christmas, the 2009 Warner Archive DVD-R of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973), the Republic Pictures VHS of Rent-a-Kid, the Prism Entertainment VHS of Memories of Murder, VHS copies of The Right Connections, The Operation (AKA: Bodily Harm) (2007 Lifetime prints had the 7th logo), recent Movies! broadcasts of Day of the Animals (1977) and The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, the Mexican VHS release of the Greatest Heroes of the Bible episode "Abraham's Sacrifice", They Watch, the Starmaker Video VHS releases of Last Train from Gun Hill, Donner Pass: The Road to Survival, Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980), The Incredible Rocky Mountain Race, and Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love, among possible others, a Brazilian VHS of the Sunn Classics adaptation of The Fall of the House of Usher, the Kino Lorber DVD of Really Weird Tales (after the 5th logo), the Vidmark Entertainment VHS of Murder by Moonlight, and international prints of Rawhide, along with some recent prints on Heroes & Icons.
Warp Speed Variant: It's currently found on Matlock on WGN America, Me-TV, Decades, FETV, and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (it plasters over the the 7th logo on many episodes from seasons 1 to 4, along with earlier season 5 episodes, and the 5th logo on later syndicated prints of the pilot episode for that show; DVDs use the CBS/Paramount "Wallpaper" logo for season 1 while 2-9 have CTD). Some episodes from seasons 6 and 7, and possibly 8, use the regular variant instead. Also seen on the first 3 seasons and early season 4 episodes of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch on Antenna TV (DVDs have the CBS/Paramount "Eye In The Sky" logo for season 1, while seasons 2-3 have the "Wallpaper" logo and 4-7 have CTD. Hulu prints use the CBS/Paramount "Wallpaper" logo for season 1). It's also seen on the first five seasons of Diagnosis: Murder on DVD, Encore Suspense, Me-TV, Decades (occasionally), and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (however, DVDs of season 2 use the CBS/Paramount "Wallpaper" logo instead). It was also preserved at the end of the DVD print of the Jake and the Fatman S4 episode, "It Never Entered My Mind", which is included on the Diagnosis: Murder season 1 DVD. It is unknown if this same print is retained on the Jake and the Fatman complete series boxset, or if said boxset retains this logo on later season 4 episodes as well as S5 episodes.
Ultra Warp Speed Variant: The version where the LaFontaine voice-over cuts in earlier was formerly seen on S1 episodes of The Twilight Zone on Syfy (though some episodes were known to contain the 2nd logo); recently, Syfy and Me-TV had acquired new, updated prints with the CBS Television Distribution logo, making the logo quite rare. It may still be intact on some episodes of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and was spotted on a December 2018 Me-TV broadcast of the Gunsmoke episode "P.S. Murry Christmas", and can possibly be seen on episodes from the later seasons. It was also intact on many Season 17 episodes of Gunsmoke on the UK CBS Channels. This was also seen on at least one episode of Rawhide on H&I. This variant appeared on some Season 2 episodes of Matlock and some season 2 episodes of Father Dowling Mysteries when aired on CBS Justice (UK).
Productions Variant: Seen on season 4 episodes of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Seasons 5 through 7 episodes of Diagnosis: Murder, among other Viacom productions at the time.
International Variant: It was present on syndicated and international prints (though some used the regular variant) of The Cosby Show and Roseanne, but it is now plastered with the Carsey-Werner Distribution logo, though some prints have survived, but not all of them. The international version, and sometimes the regular variant, can be seen on some episodes of A Different World on Netflix, including the pilot, and was also seen on Terrytoon prints that were distributed around in the 1990s, as well as reportedly, one episode of The Beverly Hillbillies on the Fox Classics Network in Australia.

Editor's Note: Another beloved logo by some for its good-looking CGI, music (especially on the International variant), and classic voice-over. This also marked a departure from the "V" logo that was used for the past fourteen years. The core design initially lasted for fifteen years, but even after the current Viacom debuted in 2006, some logos from Paramount has prolonged use of its font past its original lifespan, such as the movie logo maintained it for their byline until at least 2010, and the home entertainment logos retained this even to this day.

9th Logo
(September 24, 1999-August 8, 2004)

Nicknames: "Wigga-Wigga II", "VIACOM 2000", "Robocom", "ViaBot"

Logo: On a smoky blue background,we see the letters of "\/|/\CO/\/\" zooming out, being stacked in front of each other, then spreading out. The background is full of "Wigga-Wigga"-type "\/|/\CO/\/\" letters along with a blue smoke effect slowly clearing out. Underneath "\/|/\CO/\/\" is the text "PRODUCTIONS" in a Wigga-Wigga font with a line and the byline "a Paramount company" (in the text used for the Paramount Pictures logo) fading in.

Variants:

A still version of this logo exists (a la the 1985 "V of Happiness" logo).
In 2002, the words were made bolder, and the letters at the start are brighter.
Sometimes on the 2002 version, "in association with" spreads out above.
A 4:3 version of the 2002 version stretched to 16:9 exists.
A cropped 16:9 version can be seen on most widescreen movies/shows.
Another version has the cropped 16:9 logo zoomed out with borders. This can be seen in 4:3 or 16:9.
There is a true 16:9 version.
A shorter version cuts to either the first quarter or to the last.
There is a slower version.
A filmed version appears on some TV movies.
On some shows, there is the word "in association with" on top of the "\/|/\CO/\/\" logo.

FX/SFX: The letters spreading out and the smoke.

Music/Sounds:

A descending crystallized wind chime-like sound effect culminating in a synth explosion, followed by a robotic voice saying the word "Viacom" faintly.
The robotic voice was shortened in 2002.

Music/Sounds Variants:

Very early broadcasts featured the 1990 and 1998 network TV music. This can be seen on "updated" airings of season 7 episodes of Diagnosis: Murder on Me-TV and at least one season 4 episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.
There is also a silent variant.
A version in which the wind chime sound effect plays faster also exists.
A sped-up higher pitch version also exists.
Sometimes, it has the end theme of the show or TV movie or generic network music, as seen on NBC, CBS and UPN.

Availability: Fairly common.

It can be seen on any show or TV movie produced by Viacom from 1999-2004; these include seasons 4-7 of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch on Antenna TV (plastered on the DVDs by CBS Television Distribution), The Division on Start TV, season 1 of The 4400 last aired on USA Network, and seasons 7 & 8 of Diagnosis: Murder on Me-TV, Decades (occasionally), Encore Suspense, DVD (possibly), and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, as well as the final two TV movies spun off from that show.
The still version can be seen on some season 8 and "updated" season 7 episodes of Diagnosis: Murder on Me-TV, Encore Suspense, Decades (occasionally), Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, DVD (possibly), and original CBS airings of Diagnosis: Murder from 2000-2001.
It was also spotted at the end of Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story.

Editor's Note: It's not a well-known logo like the previous ones, but it's another well-made logo with some really cool effects. This was also a fitting way to end a company with an amazing and memorable library of logos.

Viacom (CBS)

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