Caspian Entertainment

Background
Caspian Entertainment was initially formed by Linda Dunn to acquire the rights to films produced by her mother, religious filmmaker Lisa Dunn and distribute to networks and on video. The company would later break into the syndication business after merging with the struggling Gallop Films, bringing on its owners Mandy York and Ruth Dodd. The company was reorganized into a general production company, moving operations to Sheffield, Yorkshire. A television production label, Graduate Films was opened in 1996 and presided over by producer Simon Collins, who would join Caspian’s board of directors thereafter. In 2004, the company was sued over misappropriation of government funds; Caspian collected money from tax incentive programs, often using other established companies as shell labels to qualify, while York collected money from the South Australian Film Corporation and set up fake projects where SAFC's money would be contributed to. York and Dodd were fined around $40 million. York was extradited to Australia and faced eight years in prison, but took a plea that shortened the length to four on the condition she be barred from serving as the lead operator of any company for fifteen years; this has since been fulfilled and York currently serves as a co-founder of Amalgamate Films. Dunn had agreed to testify against York and Dodd in exchange for immunity and had moved to Yorkshire, she is currently a content creator for YouTube. Caspian's catalog is currently owned by Entertainment One, who had inherited the rights from Peace Arch Entertainment. Mercury Entertainment inherited television distribution rights from the company's previous distributor Western International Syndication, they are currently held by Debmar-Mercury.

1st Logo (1987-1988)
Logo: On a black background we see red segmented lines form a silhouette of a caspian tiger standing on its hindlegs. A flash occurs as the text "Caspian" slides out.

FX/SFX: The lines and text.

Music/Sounds: A synth fanfare, ending with a bang and a quiet whoosh.

Availability: Ultra rare.


 * This was seen on syndicated episodes of The Halloween Gang.
 * It appeared on initial airings and reruns throughout the late-80s, but this and other logos were removed and replaced by that of The Program Exchange after they acquired broadcast rights from Orbis Communications.
 * The show's first network season was acquired by Elliot Strange and updated to feature the combo present at the end of the show's syndication package, along with five episodes of the second season that were sold.
 * The Orbis prints were released on video by Family Home Entertainment, though the syndicated episodes were taken out of print due to legal issues; the video release was touted as the show's second season, leading to fears of discrepancy.
 * The entire series was acquired by Byron Blessard and was updated to remove all references to other companies involved with the syndicated episodes.

2nd Logo (1989-1995)
Logo: On a black background we see a red tear with white streaks, some of which are forming the face of a tiger. "CASPIAN ENTERTAINMENT" fades in below in a bold white font.

FX/SFX: The fading.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Appeared on Huge and It Came to Space and Returned as the Beast from Space!. Was first seen on Nest.

3rd (1995-2003)
Logo: We see various searchlights pass on a black background. Random pieces fly in, forming a silhouette of a Caspian tiger standing on its hindlegs against a midnight blue background as "CASPIAN ENTERTAINMENT" appears below.

Variant(s):A short version exists.

FX/SFX: The searchlights and pieces, live-action footage later on.

Music/Sounds: A somber orchestrated fanfare. The short variant had a more majestic fanfare.

Availability: Appeared on the 1995 remakes of The Beast of Yucca Flats and Rabbit Test. Was later seen on Savior, Beauty Queen's Revenge, Her Glass Slippers, An Old Friend Still and Far Darrig. The short version appeared on the 1998 revival of Inner Sanctum, the television film She-Hulk and Hounds of Carlisle.