Lorimar, later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American television production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993. It was founded by Irwin Molasky, Merv Adelson and Lee Rich, who named the company by combining the name of Adelson's ex-wife, Lori, with Palomar Airport in San Diego, California. Lorimar initially started producing made-for-TV movies for the ABC Movie of the Week. Rich bought the script to an adaptation of Earl Hamner Jr.'s novel "The Homecoming" and subsequently sold the rights to CBS. The Homecoming: A... Christmas Story was a ratings success, and served as the pilot for Lorimar's first major hit production, The Waltons, which premiered in 1972. Throughout the 1970s, Lorimar produced several other shows as well including Eight is Enough; of these, the most popular by far was Dallas. In 1980, Lorimar purchased the bankrupt Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. In the 1980s, Lorimar's output swung toward family-friendly sitcoms; among these were Perfect Strangers and Full House, which were produced by Miller-Boyett Productions.
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| Founded: | 1969 |
| Founders: | Irwin Molasky, Merv Adelson, Lee Rich |