Amblin Television Explained

Storyteller TV Distribution Co., LLC,^[1] doing business as Amblin Television (stylized as AMBLIN _{T E L E V I S I O N}), is the television production division of Amblin Partners. It was established in 1984 by Amblin Entertainment as a small-screen production arm for Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories anthology series for NBC.^[2] The company has produced television series, including the first three seasons of Bull, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, SeaQuest DSV, ER, Falling Skies, and The Americans.

In 2013, DreamWorks Television, producer of such series as Spin City, Taken, Band of Brothers, The Pacific, United States of Tara, Smash, and the HBO film All the Way, was merged into Amblin Television.^[3] Since then, the combined company has produced television shows including The Borgias, Under the Dome, The Haunting and Roswell, New Mexico.

History

In the 1980s and 1990s, Amblin Television produced television series, specials, made-for-TV and cable films, and animated children's programming such as Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs, along with television series adaptations based around Amblin's popular feature films such as Back to the Future, An American Tail, Casper, and Men in Black.^[4] In the 1990s, they also ventured into live-action series production with Harry and the Hendersons, seaQuest DSV and Earth 2. Its longest running television series is ER, which aired from 1994 until 2009 for 15 seasons.^[5] The company also entered the streaming television market with specials and series including the documentary Five Came Back and The Haunting, both for Netflix.

In 2013, DreamWorks Television was merged into Amblin Television, the former having been founded by Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks SKG partners Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen in 1996.^[6] Soon after the DreamWorks merger, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey were named co-presidents of Amblin Television.^[7] Under their leadership, the company would develop and produce several series including The Americans, The Haunting, and Roswell, New Mexico.

Filmography

Television series

Current

Title	Years	Network	Notes
Resident Alien	2021–present	Syfy (seasons 1–3) / USA Network (season 4)	co-production with Jocko Productions, Dark Horse Entertainment and Universal Content Productions
Billy the Kid	2022–present	Epix (season 1) / MGM+ (season 2)	co-production with One Big Picture (season 1), De Line Pictures, MGM Television and MGM+ Studios
Gremlins	2023–present		co-production with Warner Bros. Animation
Tiny Toons Looniversity
	2024–present		co-production with Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation Television credited under Amblin Entertainment

Future

Title	Years	Network	Notes
Cape Fear	TBA		co-production with Eat the Cat and Universal Content Productions[8] [9]
Easy Rawlins		TBA	co-production with B.O.B FilmHouse, Inc. and JB Pictures[10]
Friends Like These			[11]
Our Time			co-production with Warner Bros. Television, The Jackal Group and The Donners' Company[12]
Rashomon			co-production with Opus7 Entertainment and Atmosphere Entertainment[13]
Signs of Survival: A Memory of the Holocaust		TBA	co-production with Scholastic Entertainment and Solo One Productions[14]
The Afghanistan Papers			co-production with Jigsaw Productions[15]
The Talisman			co-production with Upside Down Pictures and Paramount Television Studios[16] [17]
The Woman's Hour			co-production with Warner Bros. Television[18]
Untitled Poltergeist TV series		TBA	co-production with Amazon MGM Studios

Former

	Title	Years	Network	Notes
1	Amazing Stories	1985–1987		co-production with Universal Television credited under Amblin Entertainment
2	Tiny Toon Adventures	1990–1995	CBS (episode 1) / Syndication (seasons 1–2) / Fox Kids (season 3)	co-production with Warner Bros. Animation credited under Amblin Entertainment
3	Harry and the Hendersons	1991–1993	Syndication	credited under Amblin Entertainment in season 1
4	Back to the Future	1991–1992	CBS	co-production with Universal Cartoon Studios, Zaloom/Mayfield Productions and BIG Pictures
5	The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles	1992–1993		co-production with Lucasfilm and Paramount Television
6	Fievel's American Tails	1992	CBS	co-production with Nelvana and Universal Cartoon Studios
7	The Plucky Duck Show		Fox Kids	co-production with Warner Bros. Animation credited under Amblin Entertainment
8	Family Dog	1993	CBS	co-production with Tim Burton Productions, Nelvana, Universal Television and Warner Bros. Television
9	seaQuest DSV	1993–1996	NBC	co-production with Universal Television
10	Animaniacs	1993–1998	Fox Kids (seasons 1–2) / Kids' WB (seasons 3–5)	co-production with Warner Bros. Animation credited under Amblin Entertainment
11	ER	1994–2009	NBC	co-production with Constant C Productions and Warner Bros. Television
12	Earth 2	1994–1995		co-production with Universal Television
13	Fudge	1995–1996	ABC	co-production with Kevin Slattery Productions and MCA Television Entertainment
14	Freakazoid!	1995–1997	Kids' WB	co-production with Warner Bros. Animation credited under Amblin Entertainment
15	Pinky and the Brain	1995–1998
16	The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper	1996–1998	Fox Kids	co-production with Harveytoons and Universal Cartoon Studios
17		1997–2001	Kids' WB	co-production with Adelaide Productions and Columbia TriStar Television credited under Amblin Entertainment
18	Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain	1998–1999		co-production with Warner Bros. Animation credited under Amblin Entertainment
19	The Land Before Time	2007–2008		co-production with Universal Animation Studios credited under Amblin Entertainment
20	On the Lot	2007		co-production with Mark Burnett Productions and DreamWorks Television
21	The Borgias	2011–2013		co-production with CTV (season 1), Bell Media (seasons 2–3), Myriad Pictures, ImageMovers, Take 5 Productions, Octagon Films and Showtime Networks
22	Terra Nova	2011	Fox	co-production with Chernin Entertainment, Kapital Entertainment, Siesta Productions and 20th Century Fox Television
23	The River	2012	ABC	co-production with Haunted Movies, J.A. Green Construction Corp. and ABC Studios
24	The Americans	2013–2018		co-production with Nemo Films, Fox Television Studios (seasons 1–2), Fox 21 Television Studios (seasons 3–6) and FX Productions previously produced by DreamWorks Television in the pilot
25	Under the Dome	2013–2015	CBS	co-production with Baer Bones and CBS Television Studios
26	Lucky 7	2013	ABC	co-production with Remainder Men, The Beekeeper's Apprentice Productions and ABC Studios
27	Falling Skies	2014–2015		co-production with Invasion Productions and TNT Original Productions seasons 4–5 only; previously produced by DreamWorks Television in seasons 1–3
28	Extant		CBS	co-production with 22 Plates Productions (season 1) and CBS Television Studios
29	Red Band Society		Fox	co-production with Filmax and ABC Studios
30	The Whispers	2015	ABC	co-production with Clickety-Clack Productions and ABC Studios
31	Public Morals		TNT	co-production with Marlboro Road Gang Productions and TNT Original Productions
32	Minority Report		Fox	co-production with Paramount Television and 20th Century Fox Television
33	American Gothic	2016	CBS	co-production with Full Fathom Five, Hyla Regilla Productions and CBS Television Studios
34	Bull	2016–2019		co-production with Atelier Paul Attanasio, Picturemaker Productions (seasons 2–3), Stage 29 Productions and CBS Television Studios seasons 1–3 only[19]
35	Cooper's Treasure	2017–2018		co-production with Ample Entertainment[20]
36	Five Came Back	2017		co-production with Scott Rudin Productions, IACF Productions, Passion Pictures and Rock Paper Scrissors Entertainment
37	Reverie	2018	NBC	co-production with Extant Storytech, Cheap Theatrics Inc., Energy Entertainment and Universal Television
38	All About the Washingtons		Netflix	co-production with Simmons/Lehman Productions and ABC Signature Studios
39	The Haunting	2018–2020		co-production with FlanaganFilm (season 1), Intrepid Pictures (season 2) and Paramount Television Studios
40	Roswell, New Mexico	2019–2022		co-production with My So-Called Company, Bender Brown Productions, CBS Studios and Warner Bros. Television
41	Why We Hate	2019	Discovery Channel	co-production with Jigsaw Productions and Escape Artists[21]
42	Tommy	2020	CBS	co-production with Atelier Paul Attanasio and CBS Television Studios
43	Amazing Stories			co-production with ABC Studios, Kitsis/Horowitz and Universal Television
44	Laurel Canyon			co-production with Jigsaw Productions, The Kennedy/Marshall Company, Warner Music Entertainment and MGM Television
45	Brave New World			co-production with David Wiener and Universal Content Productions
46	Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous	2020–2022	Netflix	co-production with Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation Television credited under Amblin Entertainment
47	Animaniacs	2020–2023		co-production with Warner Bros. Animation
48	Halo	2022–2024		co-production with Chapter Eleven (season 1), David Wiener (season 2), One Big Picture, 343 Industries and Showtime Networks
49	Fatal Attraction	2023		co-production with Nutmegger and Paramount Television Studios
50	San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time			co-production with Jigsaw Productions, K/M Documentaries, FourScore Productions, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Entertainment and MGM+ Studios
51	Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul		Netflix	co-production with This Machine Filmworks and Time Studios
52	Encounters			co-production with Boardwalk Pictures, Vice Studios and Motherboard
53	Life on Our Planet			co-production with Silverback Films
54	Masters of the Air	2024	Apple TV+	co-production with Playtone and Apple Studios[22] [23]

Television specials

Airdate	Title	Network	Notes
December 18, 1991	A Wish for Wings That Work		co-production with Universal Cartoon Studios
March 27, 1994	Tiny Toon Spring Break		co-production with Warner Bros. Animation credited as Amblin Entertainment
May 28, 1995	Tiny Toons' Night Ghoulery
April 2, 2009	Previously on ER		co-production with John Wells Productions, Constant C Productions and Warner Bros. Television Retrospective special of ER
June 21, 2020	Why We Hate: The Reckoning		co-production with Jigsaw Productions[24]
November 15, 2022	Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous: Hidden Adventure[25]		co-production with Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation Television credited under Amblin Entertainment Interactive special
March 8, 2024	Tiny Toons: Spring Beak		co-production with Warner Bros. Animation

Television films

Airdate	Title	Network	Notes
August 24, 1992	The Water Engine		co-production with Brandman Productions, Majestic Films International and Planet Productions
January 26, 1993	Cooperstown		co-production with Brandman Productions
April 12, 1993	Class of '61		co-production with Universal Television
August 23, 1993	Arthur Miller's The American Clock	TNT	co-production with Brandman Productions
September 7, 1993	Percy & Thunder
October 15, 1994	Young Indiana Jones and the Hollywood Follies		co-production with Lucasfilm and Paramount Television credited under Amblin Entertainment[26]
January 15, 1995	Young Indiana Jones and the Treasure of the Peacock's Eye		co-production with Lucasfilm credited under Amblin Entertainment
October 8, 1995	Young Indiana Jones and the Attack of the Hawkmen
June 16, 1996	Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father
May 21, 2016	All the Way		co-production with HBO Films, Moon Shot Entertainment, Tale Told Productions and Everyman Pictures
May 5, 2020			co-production with Nedland Media and HBO Documentary Films[27]
October 18, 2022	Mama's Boy[28]	HBO / HBO Max	co-production with LD Entertainment, Playtone, Nedland Media and HBO Documentary Films
November 4, 2022	Good Night Oppy[29]		co-production with Amazon Studios, Film 45 and Tripod Media credited under Amblin Entertainment
March 15, 2024	The Bloody Hundredth[30]		co-production with Playtone and Herzog & Co.
July 13, 2024	Faye		co-production with HBO Documentary Films and Nedland Media credited under Amblin Documentaries[31]
July 17, 2024	Wild Wild Space		co-production with HBO Documentary Films, Planet Labs, Hyperobject Industries and Zero Point Zero Production credited under Amblin Documentaries[32]
November 1, 2024	Music by John Williams		co-production with Lucasfilm Ltd., Imagine Documentaries and Nedland Media credited under Amblin Documentaries[33] [34]

Future

References

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2. News: Bennetts . Leslie . 1984-07-31 . Spielberg to Produce Adventure Series for Nbc . en-US . The New York Times . 2019-08-09 . 0362-4331.
3. Web site: Littleton . Cynthia . 2013-06-19 . Steven Spielberg: Tackling TV on His Own Terms . 2019-08-09 . Variety . en.
4. Web site: History of Amblin Entertainment – FundingUniverse . 2019-08-09 . www.fundinguniverse.com.
5. Web site: Bowes . Danny . 2013-04-15 . 20 Years of TV: How 'ER' Was the Last Great Drama in Which the Show Itself Was the Star . 2019-08-09 . IndieWire . en.
6. News: Fabrikant . Geraldine . 1997-01-20 . Despite a Sluggish Beginning, Dreamworks Is Viewed as a Potential Hollywood Power . en-US . The New York Times . 2019-08-09 . 0362-4331.
7. Web site: Amblin TV Chiefs on Spielberg's 'Minority Report' Reboot, 'Extant' Changes and Their Message to Netflix . 2019-08-09 . The Hollywood Reporter . November 6, 2014 . en.
8. Web site: 'Cape Fear' Series From Nick Antosca, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese & UCP Heats Up TV Marketplace. November 21, 2023. Nellie. Andreeva. November 21, 2023. Deadline Hollywood.
9. Web site: Siegel. Tatiana. Ageless Auteurs: Scorsese Eyes Frank Sinatra Biopic With Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, Spielberg Tackling UFO Movie and More. Variety. April 17, 2024. April 17, 2024.
10. Web site: Amblin to Adapt Walter Mosley's 'Easy Rawlins' Books for TV. Variety. February 23, 2021.
11. Web site: Amblin Television Developing Kimberly McCreight's Novel 'Friends Like These' Into Series. Justin. Kroll. Deadline Hollywood. September 22, 2021. May 4, 2023.
12. Web site: 2021-12-16 . 'The Goonies' Re-Enactment Series 'Our Time' Being Developed for Disney+ . 2021-12-16 . collider.com.
13. Web site: 'Rashomon'-Inspired Drama From Billy Ray, Virgil Williams & Amblin Television In Works At HBO Max. White. Peter. Deadline Hollywood. September 24, 2020. September 24, 2020. September 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200929074559/https://deadline.com/2020/09/rashomon-billy-ray-virgil-williams-amblin-television-hbo-max-1234583664/. live.
14. Web site: BreAnna. Bell. Marlee Matlin to Develop 'Signs of Survival: A Memoir of the Holocaust' Series With Amblin Television, Scholastic. August 24, 2022. November 29, 2022. Variety.
15. Web site: Alex Gibney, Amblin TV Team for 'Afghanistan Papers' Doc and Limited Series. Rick. Porter. The Hollywood Reporter. January 30, 2020. May 4, 2023.
16. Web site: Kit. Borys. March 5, 2021. Steven Spielberg, Duffer Bros. Team to Tackle Stephen King's 'Talisman' (Exclusive). May 24, 2021. The Hollywood Reporter. en-US.
17. Web site: Duffer Brothers Launch Netflix Shingle Upside Down Pictures; 'Stranger Things' Spinoff & Stephen Daldry-Helmed Stage Play Coming Along with Manga 'Death Note' & Stephen King/Peter Straub 'The Talisman' Series . July 6, 2022 .
18. Web site: Ryan . Patrick . Hillary Clinton developing new drama, 'The Woman's Hour,' for CW . USA TODAY . May 20, 2021 . October 1, 2020.
19. Web site: Porter. Rick. May 9, 2019. Steven Spielberg's Amblin TV Leaves CBS' 'Bull' Over Harassment Scandal . May 9, 2019. The Hollywood Reporter.
20. Web site: 2018-04-18. 'Cooper's Treasure' Docuseries From Ample & Amblin TV Renewed For Season 2 By Discovery Channel. 2018-04-18. Deadline. en-US.
21. Web site: 2019-08-26. Steven Spielberg, Alex Gibney's Docuseries 'Why We Hate' Gets Premiere Date From Discovery (Exclusive). 2019-08-27. TheWrap. en-US.
22. Web site: Gonzalez . Sandra . 2019-10-11 . 'Masters of the Air' from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks lands at Apple . 2019-12-09 . CNN.
23. Video: Apple TV+ Winter 2022 & Beyond - Official Preview . Apple . The Futon Critic . December 2, 2022 . December 2, 2022.
24. Web site: Discovery to Highlight Recent Events with a Discussion Surrounding the Timely Series from Executive Producers Alex Gibney and Steven Spielberg - "Why We Hate: The Reckoning". The Futon Critic. June 17, 2020.
25. Web site: Moore. Kasey. October 19, 2022. 'Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous: Hidden Adventure' Sets November 2022 Release Date. October 19, 2022. What's on Netflix.
26. Web site: Sandler . Adam . 1994-10-14 . Young Indiana Jones & the Hollywood Follies . 2019-12-10 . Variety . en.
27. Web site: Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind Documentaries . 2019-12-09 . HBO.
28. Web site: 'Mama's Boy' Documentary Adapted From Dustin Lance Black Memoir Gets HBO Premiere Date. https://web.archive.org/web/20220914235628/https://deadline.com/2022/09/dustin-lance-black-memoir-mamas-boy-amblin-tv-playtone-ld-entertainment-laurent-bouzereau-1234756397/. dead. September 14, 2022. Mike Jr.. Fleming. Deadline Hollywood. September 14, 2022. October 17, 2022.
29. Web site: Mars Exploration Documentary 'Good Night Oppy' In Works From Amazon Studios, Amblin TV & Film 45. Erik. Pedersen. Deadline Hollywood. March 5, 2021. June 30, 2022.
30. Web site: Apple TV+ Reveals Premiere Date, Trailer For 'The Bloody Hundredth' Doc From Playtone-Amblin. Rice. Lynette. Deadline Hollywood. February 28, 2024. February 28, 2024.
31. Web site: HBO Original Documentary FAYE Debuts In 2024. Warner Bros. Discovery. April 29, 2024. May 18, 2024.
32. Web site: New HBO Original Documentary 'Wild Wild Space' Features Planet's Origin Story and Space Industry Trajectory. Business Wire. July 8, 2024. July 17, 2024.
33. Web site: Steven Spielberg & Imagine Team Up For John Williams Documentary Feature. Deadline Hollywood. Erik. Pedersen. January 20, 2023. January 31, 2023.
34. Web site: Gardner. Chris. Fest to Open With World Premiere of ‘Music by John Williams’ Documentary. August 22, 2024. August 22, 2024. The Hollywood Reporter.
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