Background: Freefrorm's origins take place in 1977, when the CBN Network was created, later widely known after being renamed to CBN Family Channel in 1988. The Family Channel was sold to Fox Kids in July 1997 and renamed Fox Family the year after, the same year that MTM Enterprises was assimilated into 20th Century Fox. In October 2001, the company was sold to Disney for $2.9 billion together with Saban. In November that year, they renamed it to ABC Family, and the name was stuck until January 12, 2016 when ABC Family was rebranded as Freeform. The word "Freeform" debunked earlier rumors that the network was in a contract that forced the term "Family" into its name no matter what (and no matter what they show apparently). The channel never used a production logo until 1988.
The Family Channel[]
1st Logo
(1988-1990)
Nicknames: "The Satin Sheet", "The Sphere and the Ring"
Logo: On a moving background of a blue satin sheet, we see a red sphere with lines, and a blue ring contains the texts "THE" and "CHANNEL" in a serif font above and below circling towards the ring, surrounding the red sphere. The text "Family" in a slanted orange script font is shown behind the logo. Then the words "Family" shines with a yellow light moving towards the words.
Variant: An earlier version exists where the text reads "THE CBN" instead of just "THE".
FX/SFX: The moving of the background, the shining.
Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show.
Availability: Rare. Seen on old Family Channel shows like Bordertown and Zorro, which was later got plastered on reruns.
Editor's Note: None.
2nd Logo
(1990-1994)
Nicknames: "The Glass Ring", "Moving Circles", "The Sphere and the Ring II"
Logo: On a blue background with a purple floor, we see the same Family Channel logo as the previous logo, only this time the logo itself, including the blue ring is made of shiny glass and having "THE" and "CHANNEL" bigger, and the red sphere is smaller. The words "Family" has a metallic white outline. There are yellow, blue and purple circles wiping and moving towards the background. The blue and purple circles then wipe away, leaving the yellow circles, which then stop moving.
Variants:
- On Big Brother Jake, the words "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" appears above the logo.
- On Great American Music: A Salute to Fast Cars, "In Association With" fades in above the logo, followed by the copyright notice fading in below.
FX/SFX: The circles moving toward the background.
Music/Sounds: None or the end theme of the show.
Availability: Rare. Seen on Big Brother Jake, Bordertown, The Adventures of the Black Stallion, Maniac Mansion, Zorro, Prince Valiant and African Skies, among other Family Channel shows of the time period. Current prints of Zorro remove the logo.
Editor's Note: None.
3rd Logo
(1993-1995)
Nicknames: "Writing in the Sky", "The CGI Sphere and the Ring", "The Sphere and the Ring II"
Logo: On a moving time-laspe purple sky background, we see a red ball with yellow lights and big blue stone circle contains the texts "THE" and "CHANNEL" above and below circling it pans toward the logo. Afterwards, the text "Family" in the same orange script font as before writes itself with red laser and the logo shimmers, then the logo zooms out to position the ball, as it turns from yellow to orange. Once "Family" is done writing, the logo then stops shimmering, creating the 3D version of the Family Channel logo as seen on the previous logo.
Variant: A filmed version of the logo exists.
FX/SFX: The writing of the text, the zooming out. All good CGI animation.
Music/Sounds: A 4-note horn fanfare, with laser zaps, ending with a harp melody, Sometimes, the closing theme to the show finishes under it.
Availability: Rare. It was preserved on Golden Book Video releases of Madeline, and Snowy River: The McGregor Saga with the ending theme playing over it. It was also seen on the TV movie Tad, The Mighty Jungle, Lost in Alaska and Wink Martindale's game shows like Trival Pursuit and the interactive games Boggle, Shuffle and Jumble.
Editor's Note: None.
4th Logo
(1994)
Nicknames: "The Comet", "The Sphere and the Ring in the Sky", "The Sphere and the Ring IV"
Logo: On a cloudy sky background, we see the blue ring moving down, along with the red sphere zooming toward the center, and we see the words "THE" and "CHANNEL" on the blue ring spreads out. While it zooms out, a comet creates the word "Family" via sparks, and then the comet disappers, forming the Family Channel logo from the previous logos. A small copyright notice appears below.
FX/SFX: The moving of the ring and the zooming.
Music/Sounds: The same horn fanfare as before, plus whooshes.
Availability: Extremely rare. Seen on season 1 of Masters of the Maze.
Editor's Note: None.
5th Logo
(1995-1996)
Nicknames: "Black Rings", "The Rotating Ring", "CGI Sphere and the Ring II", "The Sphere and the Ring V"
Logo: On a orange cloudy background, we see a sphere with lines, which starts out as wireframe transparent with a light shimmering briefly appears which later zooms out to reveal the red sphere from the previous logos. There's a blue ring with the words "THE" and "CHANNEL" in a different font from the previous logo pans and zooms toward the logo. We see black rings, and the serif words "The Family Channel" moving toward the logo,. The logo then settles in place, and the words "Family" in the same style as the previous logos fades in, creating the Family Channel logo, and the white border than fades in. Then the logo shines, and the black rings continue moving before the logo fades out.
Variants:
- A short version of the logo exists.
- Sometimes, a copyright stamp appears under the logo.
- A filmed version of the logo exists.
FX/SFX: The zooming and panning, the rings moving. All great CGI for 1995!
Music/Sounds: A 4-note majestic theme with drums, ending with a 3-note harp melody.
Availability: Rare. Seen on some Family Channel shows of the time frame, like Family Challenge, Wild Animal Games, the second season of Masters of the Maze, The Home and Family Show, the Hart to Hart TV movies, and the 1996 TV movie Night of the Twisters.
Editor's Note: None.
6th Logo
(1996-August 14, 1998)
Nicknames: "The Red Ring", "The Rings in Space", "Moving Circles", "Moving Rings", "The Sphere and the Ring VI"
Logo: On a blue space background, with purple lights, we pan out to see a orange transparent sphere with wireframe lines, and a big 3D blue ring rotating toward the viewer. A red thin ring emits throughout the logo. The camera then moves, and the blue ring rotates to reveal the words "THE" and "CHANNEL" on the sides of the ring. The orange transparent sphere then rotates, and then it turns to the red sphere from the previous logos, and the words "Family" in the same font as before moving towards the logo, creating the same Family Channel logo as the previous logos. The copyright stamp then fades in under the logo. The red ring then disappears, and then the logo shines, except for the sphere and the text.
Variants:
- A later version exists where the logo takes place on a different space background with blue and red circles, transparent rings moving, and the words "the family channel" appear rotating in a circular motion. The copyright notice is in a different, all-caps and shortened font. Plus the red sphere's texture looked different.
- Sometimes, the copyright stamp is absent.
- A filmed version of the logo exists.
FX/SFX: The rotating and panning, the words "Family" moving. Like before, very good CGI!
Music/Sounds: A brief piano note followed by a 5-note harp theme. Sometimes, it is shortened or having the end theme finishing over it.
Availability: Rare. The earlier version is seen on TV movies like Panic in the Skies!, Apollo 11, Doomsday Rock and it was currently intact on the 1996 Christmas special, The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue when Hallmark Channel airs it. It was also seen on the second season of Family Challenge, The New Shop 'til You Drop, The Home and Family Show, Shopping Spree, Small Talk and Wait 'til You Have Kids. The later version is seen on TV movies like Flood: A River's Rampage and Let Me Call You Sweethart as well as the 1997 revival of It Takes Two.
Editor's Note: None.
Fox Family[]
1st Logo
(August 15, 1998-2000)
Nicknames: "Moving Rings II", "The Fox Family Oval"
Logo: On a green background, with clear rings moving about, we see the Fox Family logo of the time (consisting of the words "FOX" and "FAMILY" stacked on each other, in the same font as the 20th Century Fox logo, in purple, or in blue and is rotated to look 3D. There's a purple oval surrounding it, with two tornado-like borders on the top left and bottom right, and has yellow inside it.) zooming out and quickly zooming up. The oval in the Fox Family logo spins briefly before stopping.
Trivia: This is based on an ID used on Fox Family during the time period.
FX/SFX: The background, the Fox Family logo zooming out and quickly zooming in, and the oval spinning.
Music/Sounds: A synth-playful fanfare with horns, and drums.
Availability: Extremely rare. It was seen on Au Pair and some episodes of Great Pretenders when it aired on Fox Family. The Australian DVD release and international airings of the former deletes this logo and plasters it with the Saban International logo. It was seen on Fox Family shows and movies during this era. It was also seen on 1999-2002 Fox Kids (the North American Block) reruns of Life with Louie.
Editor's Note: None.
2nd Logo
(2000-November 9, 2001)
Nicknames: "The Rectangle", "The Flying Squares"
Logo: On a blue background with squares and rectangles flying from left to right of the screen we see the Fox Family logo from the era (a rectangle with rounded corners that is divided into 2 parts, with the word "FOX" in it's corporate font, which is turned sideways, and in the small black part of the rectangle, and the word "family" in a black bold Univers font on the yellow part of the rectangle) zooming in with a black shadow in front of it.
Variant: There's a variant on a green background for daytime programs. Here, this lacks a black shadow in front of it.
FX/SFX: The background, the logo, and the shadow.
Music/Sounds: A joyful-disco music, or the end theme of the TV movie/special.
Availability: More rarer than the previous logo Seen on Special Delivery when it aired on Fox Family, and most likely seen on the channel's other TV movies during the era before it became ABC Family. The green background variant was seen on the TV special Santa Mouse and the Ratdeer, Braceface and reruns of Camp Candy and Bad Dog.
Editor's Note: None.
ABC Family[]
1st Logo
(November 10, 2001-2003)
Nicknames: "The Rectangle II", "The Flying Squares II"
Logo: A modified version of the last Fox Family logo of the era, except we can see the normal 1962-2007 ABC circle logo takes the spot of the sideways Fox logo.
FX/SFX: Same as the last Fox Family logo, except modified.
Music/Sounds: Same as the last Fox Family logo.
Availability: Extremely rare. Seen on earlier ABC Family originals and TV movies of the time period, like Mom's on Strike. Later prints delete the logo, or be plastered with the next logos. Check your old tapes!
Editor's Note: None.
2nd Logo
(2003-2005?)
Nicknames: "The Flashing Asterik", "Tilted ABC Family"
Logo: On a green background, we see a asterisk rapidly flashing black and white. It then disappears to become the circle ABC logo, but slightly tilted. The logo moves slightly to the left so the words "family" in a plain bold Helvetica font can appear one by one also tilted.
Variant: On some of their TV movies, the logo is shortened to the point where the ABC logo appears on screen.
FX/SFX: The asterisk, the ABC logo, and the word "family" appearing.
Music/Sounds: Silence, or the end theme of the show/TV movie, or a guitar theme.
Music/Sounds Variant: On This Time Around, the WildRice Productions logo's audio (which consists of birds singing and chirping) plays over this logo.
Availability: Seen on the channel's original movies and series from the period like This Time Around, and Switched! (not to be confused with one of the channel's original series Switched at Birth).
Editor's Note: None.
3rd Logo
(2005-2006)
Nicknames: "Moving Circles II", "ABC Family Circles"
Logo: On a green background with multiple rapid circles moving on the right, we see the ABC Family logo from the previous logo zooms in, and this time it was less slanted.
Variant: On the pilot of Kyle XY, the logo is still and the ABC Family logo has a white glow.
FX/SFX: The zoom-in of the logo, the circles moving.
Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the show.
Availability: Appeared on Falcon Beach, Wildfire and the pilot of Kyle XY.
Editor's Note: None.
4th Logo (Opening)
(2006-January 11, 2016)
Nicknames: "A New Kind of Family", "Orange ABC Family"
Logo: There is a white background. First, we see orange lowercase words "a new", "kind", "of" and "family", written letters by letter and taking four lines under each other. Then it is followed by close-up of white letters "f", "a", and "m", and the background turns orange. An ABC shield pops up and takes place with family written at the right side, and byline: "a new kind of family". There is a reflection underneath. The logo zooms out.
FX/SFX: CGI effects.
Music/Sounds: An electric guitar with drums playing.
Availability: It appears before self-produced shows on ABC Family, such as Kyle XY, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Wildfire, Pretty Little Liars, Stitchers and Switched at Birth. It also appears before ABC Family programming on demand.
Editor's Note: None.
5th Logo (Closing)
(2006-January 11, 2016)
Nicknames: "A New Kind of Family II", "Orange ABC Family II"
Logo: We zoom out from a flash to reveal the ABC Family logo of the time on the same orange background as before. Above it was "an original presentation of". The flash then dies down, and the logo rotates from the camera. The words "an original presentation of" shines while the logo rotates. The logo is surrounded by a reflection, like in the previous logos. Finally, the logo then settles to its normal position.
FX/SFX: The flash, the zooming.
Music/Sounds: None or the end theme of the show.
Availability: Seen at the end of most ABC Family originals of the period like Kyle XY, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Wildlife, Pretty Little Liars, Stitchers and Switched at Birth. It plasters the first three logos on some pre-2016 prints of its content.
Editor's Note: None.
Freeform[]
1st Logo (Opening)
(January 12, 2016-March 2018)
Nicknames: "The Waves", "The Freeform Waves", "Wavy Freeform"
Logo: We see some light blue waves on a blue background as the words "FREEFORM" in a rather strange turquoise font is seen through it. The waves change color and all of a sudden change to a different view as the letters of the Freeform logo quickly stretch in. The background turns light blue as the waves briefly go into the Freeform logo as a burst happens in the background. Dark waves then briefly go into the logo. The logo ends with waves appearing in the Freeform logo for one final time.
FX/SFX: Everything, which can cause seizures.
Music/Sounds: An electronic tune.
Availability: Common. It can also be seen on the VOD releases of the final season of Pretty Little Liars, as well as Stitchers and Shadowhunters. It was also seen on early episodes of The Bold Type and Grown-ish.
Editor's Note: None.
2nd Logo (Closing)
(January 12, 2016-March 2018)
Nicknames: "The Waves II", "The Freeform Waves II", "Still Waves"
Logo: On a blue background, we see waves, but it was in red (it was meant to be similar to blood), and we see the text that looks like this:
THIS HAS BEEN A
FREEFORM
ORIGINAL
"THIS HAS BEEN A" and "ORIGINAL" was in red, while "FREEFORM" was in turquoise, and in the network's logo font.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Common. Seen on the final season of Pretty Little Liars, Shadowhunters, and Stitchers as well as early episodes of The Bold Type and Grown-ish.
Editor's Note: None.
3rd Logo
(March 2018- )
Nicknames: "The Circles", "a little forward"
Logo: On a black background, several circles quickly scroll down (in red, yellow, green, and blue, respectively). When it stops on the blue square, a connected "ff" appears one by one, and "FREEFORM" also appears below in a very bold font. The words "a little forward" appeared letter by letter on the right of the circle.
Variant: A still closing version exists that has the word "this has been a" above the logo and below it is the word "original", and lacks the words "a little forward".
FX/SFX: The very, very fast-paced animation.
Music/Sounds: A tune consisting of claps and a few beeps. The closing version is silent.
Availability: Current. It can also be seen on the VOD releases of Grown-ish, The Bold Type and Shadowhunters. The closing version is seen on TV, but it was not present on Internet releases.
Editor's Note: A overall improvement from the first logo.