Amblin Television

This article is about the television production company. For the film production company, see Amblin Entertainment. For the parent company, see Amblin Partners.

Storyteller TV Distribution Co., LLC
Amblin Television
Company typeDivision
IndustryTelevision
FoundedJuly 31, 1984; 40 years ago (1984-07-31)
Founders
Headquarters100 Universal City Plaza, Building 5121,
Universal City, California 91608
,
United States
Key people
  • Justin Falvey (co-president)
  • Darryl Frank (co-president)
ProductsTelevision series
ParentAmblin Entertainment (1984–2015)
Amblin Partners (2015–present)
DivisionsAmblin Documentaries
Websiteamblin.com/tv/

Storyteller TV Distribution Co., LLC,[1] doing business as Amblin Television, 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]

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]

Filmography

Television specials

Airdate Title Network Notes
December 18, 1991 A Wish for Wings That Work CBS co-production with Universal Cartoon Studios
March 27, 1994 Tiny Toon Spring Break Fox co-production with Warner Bros. Animation
credited as Amblin Entertainment
May 28, 1995 Tiny Toons' Night Ghoulery
April 2, 2009 Previously on ER NBC 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 Discovery Channel co-production with Jigsaw Productions[8]
November 15, 2022 Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous: Hidden Adventure[9] Netflix co-production with Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation Television
credited under Amblin Entertainment
Interactive special
March 8, 2024 Tiny Toons: Spring Beak Max / Cartoon Network co-production with Warner Bros. Animation

Television films

Airdate Title Network Notes
August 24, 1992 The Water Engine TNT 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 ABC 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 The Family Channel co-production with Lucasfilm and Paramount Television
credited under Amblin Entertainment[10]
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 HBO co-production with HBO Films, Moon Shot Entertainment, Tale Told Productions and Everyman Pictures
May 5, 2020 Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind HBO Max co-production with Nedland Media and HBO Documentary Films[11]
October 18, 2022 Mama's Boy[12] HBO / HBO Max co-production with LD Entertainment, Playtone, Nedland Media and HBO Documentary Films
November 4, 2022 Good Night Oppy[13] Amazon Prime Video co-production with Amazon Studios, Film 45 and Tripod Media
credited under Amblin Entertainment
March 15, 2024 The Bloody Hundredth[14] Apple TV+ co-production with Playtone and Herzog & Co.
July 13, 2024 Faye HBO / Max co-production with HBO Documentary Films and Nedland Media
credited under Amblin Documentaries[15]
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[16]
November 1, 2024 Music by John Williams Disney+ co-production with Lucasfilm Ltd., Imagine Documentaries and Nedland Media
credited under Amblin Documentaries[17][18]

Future

Airdate Title Network Notes
Summer 2025 Jaws @ 50 National Geographic co-production with Nedland Media
credited under Amblin Documentaries[19]

References

  1. ^ "STORYTELLER TV DISTRIBUTION CO., LLC". Dun & Bradstreet. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  2. ^ Bennetts, Leslie (July 31, 1984). "Spielberg to Produce Adventure Series for Nbc". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  3. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (June 19, 2013). "Steven Spielberg: Tackling TV on His Own Terms". Variety. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  4. ^ "History of Amblin Entertainment – FundingUniverse". www.fundinguniverse.com. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  5. ^ Bowes, Danny (April 15, 2013). "20 Years of TV: How 'ER' Was the Last Great Drama in Which the Show Itself Was the Star". IndieWire. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  6. ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine (January 20, 1997). "Despite a Sluggish Beginning, Dreamworks Is Viewed as a Potential Hollywood Power". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  7. ^ "Amblin TV Chiefs on Spielberg's 'Minority Report' Reboot, 'Extant' Changes and Their Message to Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. November 6, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ Moore, Kasey (October 19, 2022). "'Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous: Hidden Adventure' Sets November 2022 Release Date". What's on Netflix. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  10. ^ Sandler, Adam (October 14, 1994). "Young Indiana Jones & the Hollywood Follies". Variety. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  11. ^ "Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind | Documentaries". HBO. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  12. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 14, 2022). "'Mama's Boy' Documentary Adapted From Dustin Lance Black Memoir Gets HBO Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  13. ^ Pedersen, Erik (March 5, 2021). "Mars Exploration Documentary 'Good Night Oppy' In Works From Amazon Studios, Amblin TV & Film 45". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  14. ^ Rice, Lynette (February 28, 2024). "Apple TV+ Reveals Premiere Date, Trailer For 'The Bloody Hundredth' Doc From Playtone-Amblin". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  15. ^ "HBO Original Documentary FAYE Debuts In 2024". Warner Bros. Discovery. April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  16. ^ "New HBO Original Documentary 'Wild Wild Space' Features Planet's Origin Story and Space Industry Trajectory". Business Wire. July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  17. ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 20, 2023). "Steven Spielberg & Imagine Team Up For John Williams Documentary Feature". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  18. ^ Gardner, Chris (August 22, 2024). "Fest to Open With World Premiere of 'Music by John Williams' Documentary". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  19. ^ Petski, Denise (June 24, 2024). "Nat Geo Greenlights 'Jaws @ 50' Feature Documentary Marking 50th Anniversary of Film & Book, From Steven Spielberg's Amblin & Nedland Media". Deadline Hollywood.