TCM emphasized the "C" in its recent "Where Then Meets Now" rebrand

Entertainment Weekly

The "C" in TCM, of course, means "Classic." But as TCM general manager Pola Changnon points out, "classic doesn't mean old. It means quality. It means value." As Entertainment Weekly reports, Changnon and her team "brainstormed how to break the logo out of the rectangle that had been part of its distinctive look for over a quarter of a century, they realized the 'C' was even more dynamic than they thought as words like connection, community, and creativity kept coming up in conversation." Longtime TCM host Ben Mankiewicz frames the re-brand as if TCM were a film. "The movie takes place in a house, but it's not just a house, right?" he says. "It's the opening and closing credits and every shot in between," he explains. "I think of it as new production design." The rebrand also includes a new mid-century modern set that was geared towards Mankiewicz's style than that of TCM's iconic inaugural host, Robert Osborne. The changes are also reflected in the lighting and camera angles. "From the way we're shooting this and the way we're lighting it, all of it is to try and foster that," says Mankiewicz. "Of course, that's subtle and subjective."