Rysher Entertainment

Rysher Entertainment, Inc. was an American film and television production company and distributor. It has the roots dating back to 1949 as Bing Crosby Productions, founded by Bing Crosby, 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 Enterprises.

Rysher Entertainment, Inc.
Subsidiary
Industry
FateShut down by Cox Broadcasting. Assets owned by Vine Alternative Investments. Film library is distributed by Paramount Pictures and television series were distributed by CBS Television Distribution
PredecessorBing Crosby Productions
SuccessorVine Alternative Investments
Founded1945 (1945) (as Bing Crosby Productions)
FounderKeith Samples
Defunct1999 (1999) (Original)
OwnerCox Enterprises (1993–1999)

Keith Samples established Rysher Entertainment in April 1991,[1] as an independent company, whose sole product had been the distribution of the series Saved By The Bell (at the time, NBC was unable to distribute it in syndication due to fin-syn rules). In 1993, and later distribution to another 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 it, they produced and distributed shows, such as Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (renamed Lifestyles with Robin Leach and Shari Belafonte for the final season) and Star Search. Later, they produced and distributed George & Alana, which ran for one season in 1995. The company branched out into feature films, and in the span of three years had produced over two dozen feature films.

In May 1995, Rysher entered into a five-film domestic distribution arrangement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company closed the theatrical film unit in July 1997, due to under-performing box office sales.[2] In 1998, Rysher collaborated with HBO to distribute some of the series outside of the United States, including Arli$$, Oz and Sex and the City. The company was shut down in 1999 after Viacom entered an agreement with Cox Enterprises, allowing Paramount Pictures and its television unit to handle distribution rights.[3] The company's library is incorporated into the one for CBS Television Distribution and Paramount Pictures (except The Opposite of Sex). The company's films and series included Hogan's Heroes (whose partial rights are held by CBS), Ben Casey, Walking Tall, Nash Bridges (continued by Paramount Network Television), Highlander: The Series, Kingpin, and Big Night.

The company's assets were acquired by 2929 Entertainment in 2001. They were bought by Qualia Capital, LLC. in 2006, and were merged with Gaylord Films and Pandora Entertainment. The combined entity became known as Qualia Libraries Co. and the Rysher name now serves as a limited partnership. In 2011, Qualia Libraries Co. was acquired by affiliates of Vine Alternative Investments which were integrated into Lakeshore Entertainment in 2015.[4] Vine acquired Lakeshore's library and international sales operations in 2019. Later that year, Viacom merged with CBS, under the name ViacomCBS, as a single distribution company in December.

Television programs
Main article: List of ViacomCBS television programs § Rysher Entertainment

Feature films
Release date Title Co-Producer Distributor
April 28, 1995Destiny Turns on the Radio Savoy Pictures
October 27, 1995Three Wishes Savoy Pictures
November 17, 1995It Takes Two Dualstar Productions Warner Bros. Pictures
April 3, 1996Primal Fear Paramount Pictures
July 26, 1996Kingpin Motion Picture Corporation of America Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
August 9, 1996Escape from L.A. Paramount Pictures
August 7, 1996House Arrest Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
August 23, 1996Foxfire Chestnut Hills Productions/Red Mullet Productions The Samuel Goldwyn Company
November 1, 1996Dear God Paramount Pictures
December 25, 1996The Evening Star Paramount Pictures
September 26, 1996Big Night Timpano Productions The Samuel Goldwyn Company
September 27, 19962 Days in the Valley Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
January 10, 1997Turbulence Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
January 24, 1997Zeus and Roxanne Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
February 28, 1997Hard Eight Green Parrot Goldwyn Films
March 7, 1997Private Parts Paramount Pictures
April 4, 1997The Saint Mace Neufeld Productions Paramount Pictures
August 22, 1997A Smile Like Yours Paramount Pictures
October 3, 1997Kiss the Girls Paramount Pictures
October 31, 1997Switchback Pacific Western Productions Paramount Pictures
May 22, 1998The 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.
  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.
  4. "Claim 311 on 2016 CD - eCRB". app.crb.gov. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
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