The Carsey-Werner Company facts for kids

The Carsey-Werner Company is a TV and film production company that makes popular shows and movies. It was started in 1981 by two talented people, Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner. They used to work together at a big TV network called ABC. Tom Werner is also known for being a co-owner of the Boston Red Sox baseball team and Liverpool F.C. soccer club.

Marcy Carsey first left ABC in 1980 to create her own company, Carsey Productions, to develop new TV shows. She then convinced Tom Werner to join her, and together they formed their own independent company. This meant they could make shows without being directly owned by a big TV network.

Since the early 1990s, Carsey-Werner has not only produced shows but also handled their distribution, meaning they managed how their shows were shown to audiences. Before that, other companies like Viacom and Paramount helped distribute their programs. In 1994, Carsey-Werner bought back the rights to three of their shows that Viacom had been distributing. They also worked with Paramount Pictures in 2002 to create feature films.

Around 2004, Carsey and Werner thought about selling their company, which included a valuable collection of their past shows. Big companies like Viacom and Time Warner were interested, but the sale didn't happen, and Carsey-Werner stayed independent. In 2005, Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner decided to go their separate ways in terms of ownership. Tom Werner took full control of the production side in 2007, renaming it Werner Entertainment. This company later joined with Sara Gilbert's Gilbert TV in 2019 to form Sara+Tom, especially after the success of their show The Conners. However, the part of the company that distributes their shows still uses the Carsey-Werner name.

Since then, Carsey-Werner has mostly focused on distributing their older, well-loved shows. But they have also produced new ones, like the return of Roseanne in 2018 and its spin-off The Conners. Tom Werner also brought back a game show called You Bet Your Life in 2021, which Carsey-Werner had briefly produced in the 1990s.

Stuart Glickman: A Key Leader

A very important person who joined Carsey-Werner's team was Stuart Glickman. He became the chief executive officer (CEO) in 1987. A CEO is like the main manager of a company. Stuart Glickman started his career as a lawyer. He then moved into the entertainment world in 1968.

As CEO, Glickman helped the company grow a lot. He wanted Carsey-Werner to become a big, worldwide entertainment company that earned money in many different ways. He helped set up their own distribution team, which meant they could control how their shows were shared. He also got back the rights to Carsey-Werner's shows from other companies. He even helped the company start making feature films. The magazine Variety said that Glickman helped turn Carsey-Werner into a "tiny powerhouse," meaning a small company that had a lot of power and influence.

In 2000, Carsey-Werner had some ups and downs. One of their animated shows, God, the Devil and Bob, didn't do very well and was taken off the air. However, they also signed a big deal with famous actor Steve Martin to produce shows. In June 2000, Stuart Glickman announced he would be leaving the company after 13 years as CEO. He said he was leaving at a good time, as the company's plans for new shows were all set. These included the return of That '70s Show and 3rd Rock from the Sun, plus a new comedy.

TV Shows They Made

Carsey-Werner has produced many popular TV shows over the years.

Series

• Oh Madeline (1983–1984)
• The Cosby Show (1984–1992)
• A Different World (1987–1993)
• Roseanne (1988–1997; 2018)
• Chicken Soup (1989)
• Grand (1990)
• Davis Rules (1991–1992)
• Frannie's Turn (1992)
• You Bet Your Life (1992–1993, 2021–2023)
• Grace Under Fire (1993–1998)
• She TV (1994)
• Cybill (1995–1998)
• Townies (1996)
• Men Behaving Badly (1996–1997)
• Cosby (1996–2000)
• 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001)
• Damon (1998)
• That '70s Show (1998–2006)
• God, the Devil and Bob (2000; 2011)
• Normal, Ohio (2000)
• Dot Comedy (2000)
• You Don't Know Jack (2001)
• Grounded for Life (2001–2005)
• That '80s Show (2002)
• The Tracy Morgan Show (2003–2004)
• Whoopi (2003–2004)
• Game Over (2004)
• Good Girls Don't (2004)
• The Scholar (2005)
• That '90s Show (2023-present)

Specials

• Callahan (1982)
• Single Bars, Single Women (1984)
• Carol, Whoopi, Carl & Robin (1987)
• The Cosby Outtakes Show (1990)
• The Brett Butler Special (1993)

Other Show Rights

In 2006, Carsey-Werner gained the rights to distribute a collection of shows made by Stephen J. Cannell. These shows included 21 Jump Street, The Greatest American Hero, and Silk Stalkings. This meant Carsey-Werner could now share these shows with audiences.

Shows on DVD

In 2004, Carsey-Werner started making deals with other companies to release some of their TV shows on DVD. This was a big step for fans who wanted to own their favorite shows.

However, in 2005 and 2006, fans of The Cosby Show and Roseanne were upset because some DVD episodes were edited (parts were cut out). Carsey-Werner listened to the fans and decided to release later seasons of these shows without any cuts. This happened after Roseanne Barr, the star of Roseanne, talked to the producers about it.

Here are some of the Carsey-Werner shows that have been released on DVD:

• 3rd Rock from the Sun
• A Different World (Season 1 only)
• Cybill
• The Cosby Show
• God, the Devil and Bob
• Grounded for Life
• Roseanne
• That '70s Show

Shows Online

Many Carsey-Werner shows became available to watch online through Netflix starting in 2011. These included Roseanne, That '70s Show, The Cosby Show, and 3rd Rock from the Sun. Some shows were later removed, but then some, like Roseanne and 3rd Rock from the Sun, were added back. That '70s Show was removed from Netflix in 2020 when its distribution agreement ended.

Remastered Shows

In 2013, Carsey-Werner announced they were "remastering" some of their shows. This means they were updating the old shows, like That '70s Show and Roseanne, to look much better on modern high-definition (HD) TVs. They made them fit wider screens (16:9) so they look clearer and more vibrant.

Movies They Made

Carsey-Werner has also produced a few movies. Their first film for Universal Studios was a comedy called Let's Go to Prison, released in 2006. They released two more films after that.

• Let's Go to Prison (2006)
• The Brothers Solomon (2007)
• Smother (2008)

See also

In Spanish: The Carsey-Werner Company para niños