How did Merv Griffin Productions come about? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Hawkee · 08-10-2025, 05:04 AM

I thought that Merv Griffin was focusing on his singing career before starting Merv Griffin Productions and I always wanted to know how Merv Griffin Productions got started? Did Merv always dream of having his own production company or did he want to become a famous star by doing other types of shows or did he want to add a production company as a second hobby? Because I know that Merv Griffin got famous from his talk show but his big break was creating Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy and were those shows the first ever shows Merv Griffin Productions ever created? I know later he created Click and Peer Pressure in 1997. Did Merv ever produce sitcoms too? I do know that before he died in the 2000's Merv Griffin created his final show Merv Griffin's Crosswords and after his death Merv Griffin Productions got sold. Another thing I noticed that after each episode of Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy when the logo would appear I thought the griffin logo looked like something out of an adventure book and I also noticed that one of the griffin's eyes would wink or blink as well when the logo appeared. Was that Merv Griffin's signature trademark for his logo when he founded the company?

howilu · 08-10-2025, 08:54 AM

If you watched the original version of Jeopardy, you saw the logo near the graphic "A Griffin Production." That was likely the same on his other short-lived game shows Let's Play Post Office, Reach for the Stars and Joe Garagiola's Memory Game. The logo changed in the mid 1970s when Wheel of Fortune debuted and the Merv Griffin Productions logo first appeared.

Dude111 · 08-10-2025, 01:17 PM

I loved seeing that

Hawkee · 08-11-2025, 02:32 AM

When Merv Griffin died which television company did they sell his company to? Because I hadn't heard much about what became of the company after Merv passed. Does Sony own it now?

howilu · 08-11-2025, 09:40 AM

Long after Merv Griffin's passing, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy are both owned by Sony. He still retains a "Created by" credit at the end of each episode.

08-10-2025, 05:04 AM	#1
Hawkee Michael Fassbender Fanatic Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jan 17, 2016 Location: California Posts: 10,824	How did Merv Griffin Productions come about? I thought that Merv Griffin was focusing on his singing career before starting Merv Griffin Productions and I always wanted to know how Merv Griffin Productions got started? Did Merv always dream of having his own production company or did he want to become a famous star by doing other types of shows or did he want to add a production company as a second hobby? Because I know that Merv Griffin got famous from his talk show but his big break was creating Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy and were those shows the first ever shows Merv Griffin Productions ever created? I know later he created Click and Peer Pressure in 1997. Did Merv ever produce sitcoms too? I do know that before he died in the 2000's Merv Griffin created his final show Merv Griffin's Crosswords and after his death Merv Griffin Productions got sold. Another thing I noticed that after each episode of Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy when the logo would appear I thought the griffin logo looked like something out of an adventure book and I also noticed that one of the griffin's eyes would wink or blink as well when the logo appeared. Was that Merv Griffin's signature trademark for his logo when he founded the company?
	__________________ Hawkee and Aguilar, Hoping to be a great team

08-10-2025, 08:54 AM	#2
howilu Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 20, 2003 Location: St. Louis Park, MN Posts: 1,963	If you watched the original version of Jeopardy, you saw the logo near the graphic "A Griffin Production." That was likely the same on his other short-lived game shows Let's Play Post Office, Reach for the Stars and Joe Garagiola's Memory Game. The logo changed in the mid 1970s when Wheel of Fortune debuted and the Merv Griffin Productions logo first appeared.

08-10-2025, 01:17 PM	#3
Dude111 Forum Legend Join Date: Nov 05, 2013 Posts: 36,422	I loved seeing that

08-11-2025, 02:32 AM	#4
Hawkee Michael Fassbender Fanatic Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jan 17, 2016 Location: California Posts: 10,824	When Merv Griffin died which television company did they sell his company to? Because I hadn't heard much about what became of the company after Merv passed. Does Sony own it now?

08-11-2025, 09:40 AM	#5
howilu Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 20, 2003 Location: St. Louis Park, MN Posts: 1,963	Long after Merv Griffin's passing, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy are both owned by Sony. He still retains a "Created by" credit at the end of each episode.