Rysher Entertainment
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film and television production and distribution |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Keith Samples |
| Defunct | 1999 |
| Fate | Ceased operations; distribution rights acquired by Viacom's successor Paramount Global |
| Successor | Paramount Global (via Paramount Pictures and CBS Media Ventures) |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Keith Samples (founder) |
| Products | Television series, feature films |
Rysher Entertainment, Inc. was a U.S.-based company engaged in film and television production as well as distribution, established in 1991 by Keith Samples. After being purchased by Cox Enterprises in 1993, the company ceased operations in 1999, with its distribution rights passing to Viacom's successor, Paramount Global, via its subsidiaries Paramount Pictures and CBS Media Ventures. Over time, Rysher's assets changed hands several times before Vine Alternative Investments acquired them in 2011.
History
In April 1991, Keith Samples founded Rysher as an independent entity primarily to distribute the series Saved by the Bell, which NBC was unable to syndicate due to fin-syn regulations. The firm later ventured into animation with the syndicated adaptation of DIC Entertainment's Captain N and the Video Game Masters. In 1992, Rysher pursued a merger with The Kushner-Locke Company, although the deal ultimately did not materialize.
Following discussions with Cox Enterprises, Rysher was acquired by the conglomerate in 1993. Soon after, it merged with Al Masini's Television Program Enterprises to create Rysher TPE, which syndicated programs including California Dreams and produced series such as Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and Star Search. Under Samples' guidance, the company produced more than twenty feature films within a three-year span. Later that year, Gabrielle Carteris' GABCO Productions entered into a production and distribution agreement with Rysher TPE.
In May 1995, Rysher secured a five-film domestic distribution arrangement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), but due to poor performance, it shut down its film division by July 1997. That same year, Papazian-Hrsch Entertainment collaborated with Rysher on television ventures.
By 1998, Rysher had partnered with HBO for international distribution of series such as Arli$$, Oz, and Sex and the City. The company terminated operations in 1999 after Viacom obtained distribution rights through Paramount Pictures and its television arm. The Rysher catalog includes titles like Hogan's Heroes, Ben Casey, Walking Tall, Nash Bridges, Highlander: The Series, Kingpin, and Big Night. In 1998, Rysher teamed up with CBS Productions to acquire the CBS drama Four Corners.
After shutting down, Rysher’s properties were purchased by 2929 Entertainment in 2001 and later acquired by Qualia Capital, LLC in 2006. This acquisition led to a merger with Gaylord Films and Pandora Entertainment to establish Qualia Libraries Co., which held trademarks including that of Hogan's Heroes. Vine Alternative Investments took ownership of Qualia Libraries Co. in 2011. Following the 2019 merger between Viacom and CBS Corporation forming ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global), distribution of Rysher’s television library is managed by CBS Media Ventures, while Paramount Pictures retains control over film rights; North American broadcast television rights are overseen by Trifecta Entertainment.
Feature films
| Release date | Title | Co-producer | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 28, 1995 | Destiny Turns on the Radio | Savoy Pictures | |
| October 27, 1995 | Three Wishes | ||
| November 17, 1995 | It Takes Two | Dualstar Productions | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| January 20, 1996 | Hard Eight | Green Parrot | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| April 3, 1996 | Primal Fear | Paramount Pictures | |
| July 26, 1996 | Kingpin | Motion Picture Corporation of America | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| August 9, 1996 | Escape from L.A. | Paramount Pictures | |
| August 7, 1996 | House Arrest | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |
| August 23, 1996 | Foxfire | Chestnut Hills Productions/Red Mullet Productions | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| September 26, 1996 | Big Night | Timpano Productions | |
| September 27, 1996 | 2 Days in the Valley | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |
| November 1, 1996 | Dear God | Paramount Pictures | |
| December 25, 1996 | The Evening Star | ||
| January 10, 1997 | Turbulence | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |
| January 24, 1997 | Zeus and Roxanne | ||
| March 7, 1997 | Private Parts | Paramount Pictures | |
| April 4, 1997 | The Saint | Mace Neufeld Productions | |
| August 22, 1997 | A Smile Like Yours | ||
| October 3, 1997 | Kiss the Girls | ||
| October 31, 1997 | Switchback | Pacific Western Productions | |
| December 6, 1997 | The Eighteenth Angel | Comstock (Japan theatrical) 20th Century Fox/Columbia TriStar (home video) | |
| May 22, 1998 | The Opposite of Sex | Sony Pictures Classics (current owner) |