TriStar Television Inc.

Created in 1985 as the television division of TriStar Pictures, which was formerly a joint venture between Columbia Pictures, HBO and CBS. Eventually after HBO sold their stake to Columbia, the TV division in 1989 was folded. However, after Japanese giant Sony Pictures acquired Columbia Pictures in 1991, TriStar Television was reinstated and in 1994, was merged with Columbia Pictures Television to form Columbia TriStar Television, Inc.. The two television labels were moved under the umbrella of the ill-fated Columbia TriStar Television Group until Sony's one-year partnership in 1998 with Germany's Global Maritime Group, creating a copyright merger named "Global Entertainment Productions GmbH & Co. Median KG" (except for TriStar TV holding the copyright co-owning of Early Edition with CBS). In 1999, towards the next millennium, after the Sony/Global Maritime partnership deal expired and Early Edition was cancelled, TriStar Television was shut down again, resulting in all of its produced or distributed programs being handed by Columbia TriStar Television (or CTT Distribution for distributed shows). In 2002, Columbia TriStar Television was renamed to Sony Pictures Television. In September 2015, Sony recovered TriStar Television for the second time as a boutique production label under SPT.