HBO

HBO, or Home Box Office, is the leading pay TV network in the US. It is also one of the most influential networks in the world, due to its focus on quality television programmes, produced without restrictions on content. It can do this because it operates solely on subscriptions (subscribers pay extra to recieve the channel), and thus doesn't have to answer to corporate interests or family sensitivity. HBO was owned by Time, Inc. at its inception in 1972. When Time merged with Warner Communications to form Time Warner, it became an integral part of that conglomerate. It remains part of Time Warner today. While HBO is known for its mature, cutting-edge programming, the main HBO channel does not show such programmes during the day. This continues a longstanding policy dating back to the 1970s; many early HBO ratings bumpers prominently note this fact, although it is not promoted today.

Early HBO

HBO was born in November, 1972 and initially used microwave to broadcast its signal. On December 13, 1975, HBO began broadcasting via satellite – just in time to show the famous "Thrilla in Manilla" boxing match between Joe Frazier and Mohammad Ali. Early HBO presentation was simple, and downright primitive compared to the glossy, state-of-the-art presentation that HBO cultivates today. Its logo was different as well – while the basic design is the same as that used today, the "O" originally overlapped the "B". Beginning around 1980, the current design was gradually phased in, and was the sole logo by 1982.

A Starship is Born

From early 1980 on, HBO began to update its look and feel, beginning (as stated before) with their logo. But they were still looking for their "centerpiece" – an opening intro sequence to be used for its programming. HBO was beginning to think big as far as presentation was concerned, so no more cel animations – they wanted something that would capture the viewer's attention, and look like nothing else on cable. Tony Lover and Liberty Studios delivered a pitch that fit that criteria – and in the process created one of the most celebrated ident sequences in all of television. The idea was simple – the ident would start with a couple tuning into HBO. The camera would then pan out onto the streets of the city, and then begin to fly through it at increasing speed before panning upwards towards the sky to reveal a giant, almost satellite-like HBO logo. The execution, was not. Liberty created a painstakingly detailed model city, then used a stop-motion camera to film it. Ferdinand Jay Smith and Tony Lover composed the memorable, exciting theme music. All of the elements were either hand-made, achieved with camera tricks, or used simple animations. There was no 3D computer animation used to film this. By all accounts, the project took one and a half years to complete. From this single basic sequence, countless edits were created. Some of them were as simple as changing the end title and musical sting – others were a bit more drastic. Notably, there are three distinct "lengths" of the sequence. The original is the sequence described above, containing the live-action footage of the couple (or in some airings, the entire family). The second variation omits the live-action but retains the impressive city flyover. The third and most commonly aired version begins right at the starship. By 1987, HBO's bumpers and presentation were using impressive computer graphics, and a corresponding movie open was introduced. The starship was retained, but it would now be used only for movies airing during primetime. This had the effect of making the nighttime movies much more of an "event" as the ones aired during the day.

Two For One

By the mid-1980s, computer graphics had become the norm, and some eye-popping examples had begun to appear on the networks and local stations. HBO, always thinking of ways to improve its look, decided to join the fray, but there was an interesting wrinkle – the 1982 Liberty Studios effort had become synonymous with the channel. HBO's solution to this problem was inspired. A fantastic new state-of-the-art intro by Pacific Data Images, then the unquestioned king of CG idents, began to air in 1987. While this open would introduce most feature films, it would not appear before the big-ticket primetime films. Those films would continue to be opened with Liberty's starship HBO. This had the effect of not only making the channel appear more up to date, but also made the primetime films an event by bestowing them with the thrilling music and animation.

It's Not TV…

HBO's history has been marked by subtle evolutions and a willing to push the envelope – both in content and presentation. But perhaps the channel's biggest evolution – one that it has followed to this day – occurred in 1997. HBO had been shifting its programming to feature more self-produced content for years up to this point, and by this time the channel was already featuring a healthy variety of original feature films, comedy shows, and specials. But after 1997, this shift became more pronounced as HBO began to introduce more scripted comedies and dramas such as "Arli$$" and "Sex and the City". Because of this, the channel's perception began to change from a movie channel to a network subsisting on quality programmes – especially after the 1999 premiere of "The Sopranos", the network's most popular and critically acclaimed series. As a result, the channel's marketing grew much more sophisticated. "It's Not TV. It's HBO" became the network's main marketing slogan, bumpers and graphics were updated and streamlined, and the long-running ident sequences were finally retired. Yet, the network has not turned its back on its past. HBO's new theme was clearly inspired by Ferdinand Jay Smith's famous score, streamlining the bombastic fanfare into an 11-note signature. This signature is still used today.