GoodTimes Entertainment
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Home video, Entertainment |
| Predecessor | GoodTimes Home Video |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Kenneth Cayre, Joseph Cayre, Stanley Cayre |
| Fate | Acquired by Gaiam in 2005 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Parent | Gaiam (post-2005) |
GT Media, Inc. originated as an American home video enterprise established in 1984 under the name GoodTimes Home Video by the Cayre brothers—Kenneth, Joseph, and Stanley—who were also recognized for their roles with Salsoul Records. The company’s headquarters were situated in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, while its distribution and duplication operations were based in New Jersey. Following bankruptcy proceedings, its parent organization was acquired in 2005 by Gaiam, a company specializing in yoga-related content.
History
GoodTimes began by distributing public domain films alongside affordable fitness videos, such as the 29 Minute Workout collection. Its primary offerings consisted of economically produced traditional animation from studios like Jetlag Productions and Golden Films. Numerous releases—including titles resembling Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid—were mockbusters that closely mirrored popular major studio productions, utilizing stories in the public domain to compete within the home video sector. This approach resulted in a 1993 legal challenge from The Walt Disney Company concerning packaging similarities; as a result, GoodTimes was mandated to clearly display its branding on all packaging to prevent consumer confusion.
In 1985, GoodTimes introduced the Kids Klassics Home Video label aimed at children’s programming, initially distributing 52 color cartoon episodes through a partnership with Remco. The late 1980s saw the company broaden its licensing portfolio by securing agreements with Worldvision Home Video and MCA Home Video (Universal Pictures), thereby incorporating Hanna-Barbera and Universal titles into its library. In 1987, GoodTimes merged its distribution divisions with Kids Klassics to create Goodtimes/Kids Klassics Distribution Corp. During the 1990s, the company diversified further by launching GT Publishing’s Inchworm Press imprint, focusing on children’s literature.
Branching out from home video, GoodTimes established GT Interactive to enter the computer and video gaming market; this division was sold to Infogrames in 1999. Throughout its existence, GoodTimes collaborated with prominent studios such as Columbia Pictures, NBC, HBO, Orion Home Video, Universal Pictures, and Paramount Pictures to release budget-conscious videotapes of movies and television series. Additionally, it released collections of public domain films and archival footage through Film Shows, Inc.
In February 2003, Quadrangle Capital Partners purchased GoodTimes Entertainment for $90 million plus $160 million in liabilities and rebranded the company as GT Brands. This marked a pivotal restructuring aimed at expanding business operations and improving financial stability.
Bankruptcy and sale to Gaiam
GT Brands Holdings filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection in July 2005. Subsequently, Gaiam acquired all assets belonging to GoodTimes for $40 million, finalizing the transaction in September of that year. Following the acquisition, GT Brands Holdings LLC was renamed GT Media, Inc., serving as Gaiam’s general-interest label featuring films and animated content from DIC Entertainment alongside mockbusters produced by The Asylum.
By the late 2000s, Gaiam phased out the GT Media brand to concentrate exclusively on fitness and yoga-related media. In April 2012, Gaiam merged with Vivendi Entertainment to form Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment, establishing the largest independent distributor of content nationwide. Later, in October 2013, Cinedigm purchased Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment for $51.5 million, marking Gaiam’s withdrawal from the home video market. This entity was then combined with Cinedigm’s New Video division to create a standalone distributor operating under the Cinedigm name.
Library
Prior to declaring bankruptcy, GoodTimes Entertainment was responsible for producing the television series Wulin Warriors, which was a modified adaptation of Pili. This show was developed by Broadway Video and Animation Collective specifically for Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block in 2006.
Additionally, the company created live-action musical videos targeted at children, such as Treehouse Trolls Birthday Day and Treehouse Trolls Fun and Wonder (1992). These productions are particularly significant as they marked the debut of Rachael Harris in the film industry.