Rysher Entertainment

Rysher Entertainment, Inc.

Former type	Subsidiary
Industry	Television syndication
Fate	Shut down by Cox Broadcasting. Assets now owned by Qualia Capital. Film library is now handled by Paramount Pictures and TV series are distributed by CBS Television Distribution
Predecessor	Bing Crosby Productions
Successor	Qualia Libraries Co.
Founded	1945; 74 years ago (1945) (as Bing Crosby Productions)
Founder	Keith Samples
Defunct	1999; 20 years ago (1999) (Original)
Owner	Cox Enterprises (1993–1999)

Rysher Entertainment was the owner of television and film programming content, primarily distributed around the world by CBS Television Distribution and Paramount Pictures. Select rights are also distributed by Warner Bros., Universal, Lionsgate, Fox, Columbia Pictures, MGM and other entertainment distribution companies worldwide.

The company has its roots in Bing Crosby Productions ("BCP"). Its namesake, actor-singer Bing Crosby, founded BCP in 1949, and was best known for producing the sitcom Hogan's Heroes and the medical drama Ben Casey – in succeeding years, BCP was acquired by Cox Broadcasting.

In 1993, Cox acquired Rysher Entertainment. Rysher, founded in April 1991 by Keith Samples,^[1] had been established as an independently owned company whose original sole product had been the distribution of NBC's series Saved By The Bell (at the time, NBC was unable to distribute its series in syndication due to fin-syn rules). In 1993, and later distribution of another NBC series California Dreams in 1994, Rysher merged with Al Masini's Television Program Enterprises to form Rysher TPE, its alternate name used from 1993 to 1994. Through Rysher TPE, they produced and distributed shows such as Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (renamed Lifestyles with Robin Leach and Shari Belafonte for its final season) and Star Search. Later, they produced and distributed George & Alana, which ran for one season in 1995. The company would later branch out into theatrical films, and in the span of three years had produced over two dozen feature films.

The company then shut down its theatrical film unit in 1997 due to under-performing box office sales.^[2] Then the company was shut down in 1999 after Viacom entered an agreement with Cox Enterprises that would allow Paramount Pictures and its television unit to handle distribution rights.^[3] Rysher's library, today is incorporated into the libraries of CBS Television Distribution (CTD) and Paramount Pictures (for TV series and films, respectively), which includes television and feature film classics such as Hogan's Heroes (whose partial rights are held by CBS), Ben Casey, and Walking Tall, as well as more recent programs and films including Nash Bridges (1999–2001 episodes are produced by Paramount Network Television), Highlander: The Series, The Opposite of Sex (with Sony Pictures Classics), Kingpin and Big Night.

Rysher also distributes internationally through CTD several of HBO's award-winning titles including Arli$$, Oz and Sex and the City.

Rysher also produced House Arrest and Zeus and Roxanne, both of which were released by MGM and distributed by HBO Home Video for home release. Rysher's assets were later acquired by 2929 Entertainment in 2001, then in 2006 they were bought by Qualia Capitol, LLC. and were merged with Gaylord Films and Pandora Entertainment. The combined entity is known as Qualia Libraries Co. and the Rysher name now serves as a limited liability company and maintains the trademarks and copyrights for Hogan's Heroes. Most of the film library is currently handled by Paramount Pictures for both home media and digital distribution, with the exception of The Opposite of Sex.

Feature films

Release date	Title	Co-Producer	Distributor
April 28, 1995	Destiny Turns on the Radio		Savoy Pictures
November 17, 1995	It Takes Two	Dualstar Productions	Warner Bros. Pictures
April 3, 1996	Primal Fear		Paramount Pictures
July 26, 1996	Kingpin	Motion Picture Corporation of America	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
August 9, 1996	Escape from L.A.		Paramount Pictures
August 7, 1996	House Arrest		Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
August 23, 1996	Foxfire	Chestnut Hills Productions Red Mullet Productions	The Samuel Goldwyn Company
November 1, 1996	Dear God		Paramount Pictures
December 25, 1996	The Evening Star
September 26, 1996	Big Night	Timpano Productions	The Samuel Goldwyn Company
September 27, 1996	2 Days in the Valley		Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
January 10, 1997	Turbulence		Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
January 24, 1997	Zeus and Roxanne		Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
February 28, 1997	Hard Eight	Green Parrot	Goldwyn Films
March 7, 1997	Private Parts		Paramount Pictures
April 4, 1997	The Saint	Mace Neufeld Productions	Paramount Pictures
August 22, 1997	A Smile Like Yours		Paramount Pictures
October 3, 1997	Kiss the Girls		Paramount Pictures
October 31, 1997	Switchback	Pacific Western Productions	Paramount Pictures
May 22, 1998	The Opposite of Sex		Sony Pictures Classics

References

1. 
   ^ "COX COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF RYSHER ENTERTAINMENT" (Press release). Cox Enterprises. PR Newswire. Retrieved September 15, 2016 – via The Free Library..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   


2. 
   ^ "RYSHER CALLS 'Cut!'" (Press release). Andrew Hindes. Variety. Retrieved May 11, 2018 – via Variety.
   


3. 
   ^ ""ET" ALL PAR TV'S NOW" (Press release). Cynthia Littleton. Variety. Retrieved May 11, 2018 – via Variety.
   

External links

• 
  Rysher Entertainment on IMDb
  

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