Opening Credit Sequences: From The Ridiculous To The Sublime

[ParadoxLost]

For me, although there are a lot of good main title credit sequences out there, Game of Thrones' remains the very pinnacle of what a title sequence can be.  Whoever came up with the idea is a genius.  Although they have gotten a bit sloppy about adding/subtracting locations depending on the episode.

 

I'm kind of eh on the title sequence.  It only raises to pinnacle because someone together Game of Goats which is the best parody of an opening sequence ever.

[proserpina65]

The opening credits to Game Of Thrones reminds me of a really intense version of Candyland

Now I'm going to picture this whenever I hear the theme music.  lol

[Jipijapa]

I used to get a little obsessed with the still shots in the opening credits of The Rockford Files, because they were not from any known episode.  Why was Jim in jail arguing emotionally with someone, who was that chick he was eating with in the car, and what kind of food was in the "fancy food" aisle at the supermarket?  I mean, after seeing these over and over, you started to wonder.

[tennisgurl]

Bumping this thread up for the theme song/title credits for The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Its such a funny, catchy song, and it completely captures the tone of the show. I never skip over the theme song, even as I binge watch! 

[paramitch]

This still gives me goosebumps:

What the heck was that? Really chilling yet magical. Thank you for sharing that -- I'm completely fascinated and now really want to find out more about that show. It almost has a Ray Bradbury feel to it.

 

My nomination for best old credits: The Love Boat.  Did it all.  And who can forget Ted Lange's finger gun?  (If you were alive then, that is.)

The test is that I was a kid when it was on but I could probably still sing the entire credits with no problem. 

 

Pushing Daisies-They would slightly alter the narration from episode to episode, but tells you everything you need to know, plus looks pretty!

The "Pushing Daisies" credits were so gorgeous, and the whimsy and color perfectly encapsulated the show in this great way. I also agree with the love for the "Dead Like Me" credits.

 

Seeing the Avengers made me think of Get Smart, for some reason or other. I used to think it was so cool that the doors shut in front of the credits

One of the best credits sequences ever. So clever and well-done, and to this day it holds up surprisingly well.

 

The Wire changed its credits (and singer) each season (though always with Bodie taking out that camera). Here's season 1:

I always liked the Angel credits, particularly when he busts down that door.

Twin Peaks has damn fine credits:

And on Mystery, I hate how the credits now are so short, because I loved all the Gorey.

I'm with you on all of these. The "Twin Peaks" credits were so spooky -- they were so serene and yet haunting. And I loved the beautiful and melancholy "Angel" credits (and extra points for the Angel door-bust!). And "The Wire" is my absolute favorite credits sequence of any show, ever. The way each season used a different version of the theme song to subtly spotlight the theme and focus of that season was just brilliant.

 

True Blood (sorry if this has been posted before).

What I liked about the "True Blood" credits was the way it was an intriguing story in itself. The girl in the opening credits really seems to have a life and personality, as if the credits happened to get her mid-story. They were really well done (although I confess to fast-forwarding through the part with the poor fox every single time after I first saw them, aghghgh).

I've been binging Outlander and I find the opening credits impressive.  Its lovely and dreamy, but what I find most interesting is viewing it through the progression of the series.  The opening credits almost give a feeling of time travel, in a weird way, for a show about time travel. 

The "Outlander" credits are just gorgeous, and I watch them fully each time I watch the show. They do a beautiful job of putting me into the frame of mind of the show -- same with "Game of Thrones."

 

Bumping this thread up for the theme song/title credits for The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Its such a funny, catchy song, and it completely captures the tone of the show. I never skip over the theme song, even as I binge watch! 

I was disappointed in the show's final episodes, but I absolutely agree with this, and admit that right now the "Unbreakable" credits song is even now running through my brain as an earworm (it's also really hard to dislodge once it gets in there).

 

My other favorite opening credits not mentioned here:

 

Villa Allegre (from back in the 70s)

Zoom (zoom zoom zoom-a zoom)

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

The Bionic Woman

MASH

Magnum, P.I.

Hill Street Blues

Cheers

Northern Exposure

Battlestar Galactica (I loved both versions of the opening song too)

Monk

Six Feet Under

The Walking Dead

 

It's funny, but while I love "Deadwood" and "Justified" as two of the best shows ever on TV, in both cases I just kind of think the credits are okay. They do what's needed but I wish they better encapsulated the shows for me. On "Elementary," I like the Rube Goldberg machine concept but the way it's filmed and edited is awkward to me and feels like a cheat -- I don't ever feel like all those events actually tie together. I also don't love the credits for "Masters of Sex" -- they're coy and over the top and the show is so much more subtle and moving than that.

The thing that always gets me with the "Mad Men" credits is the way the music ends on that surprisingly jarring, discordant flat note. It's a great way of letting us know that strange, sad things may be approaching.

 

For sheer enjoyment's sake, I'd probably pick as favorites the "Game of Thrones" credits because they are so fascinating -- the little tiny clockwork castles, the astrolabe, the choice to position it all within a sphere -- it's fascinating to watch and think about. And then the "Battlestar Galactica" credits, which are so mournful and so incredibly gorgeous. And I loved the creative ways in which the showrunners used the credits, from the constantly updated survivor numbers, to the masterful "preview" sequences before each episode -- just brilliant. (Although I do agree that the producers maybe shouldn't have harped so constantly on "And they have a plan" if, er, they didn't actually appear to have one after all...)

Last but not least, I loved the witty and constantly changing credits on "Frasier," with the sketchy little Seattle skyline, as well as the show's use of text and titles, which fit perfectly with the urbane, sharp feeling of the show.

Edited May 7, 2015 by paramitch

[UYI]

Two of the classiest theme songs of all time. Fitting that both of them are classical pieces:

 

Masterpiece Theater:

 

 

CBS Sunday Morning:

 

[ToxicUnicorn]

Someone mentioned the credits to The Wire upthread, which are fantastic.  My only beef with those is that I still can't match up many of the actor names with their characters, which is too bad.

 

One aspect of The Wire I really enjoy is when the credits for an entire season contain glimpses (not too revealing) of the entire season.  It makes the show seem so much more thoughtful and there is the pleasure of putting together the pieces when you finally see the clip in context.

 

I loved this in Damages and Sherlock, too.  All three have great music, as well.

[Snowprince]

Always had a soft spot for this 1:

 

Edited May 22, 2015 by Snowprince

[M.F. Luder]

I originally thought the Psych intro was cheesy, but it quickly grew on me and is now one of my favorites. I love all the different versions that they had of it through the years.

 

I HATE the intro song for The Affair. I guess it fits the tone of the show of being melodramatic and overly maudlin, but it's just so annoying to listen to. I had to mute it every time.

[walnutqueen]

My cat loves the Game of Thrones opening credits, because I spank out a drum solo on his body for the entire sequence.   He stands there for the whole time just purring away ...   :-)

[Haleth]

^ I would lose a hand if I tried that with my cat.

[paramitch]

I originally thought the Psych intro was cheesy, but it quickly grew on me and is now one of my favorites. I love all the different versions that they had of it through the years.

 

I HATE the intro song for The Affair. I guess it fits the tone of the show of being melodramatic and overly maudlin, but it's just so annoying to listen to. I had to mute it every time.

 

My favorite with Psych was the Spanish credits they did for the telenovella episode. Just so freaking funny.

 

I love the song for "The Affair" and find it incredibly atmospheric and haunting. My problem is that the show doesn't live up to it and that I ultimately felt like the song was kind of a cheat -- it's about this one small moment -- how one woman's last breath, like the flap of a butterfly's wings, has this huge effect on multiple other lives. I would have loved "The Affair" if that was what I felt it was ultimately about, instead of about

two assholes who didn't even seem that into each other

.

 

Someone mentioned the credits to The Wire upthread, which are fantastic.  My only beef with those is that I still can't match up many of the actor names with their characters, which is too bad.

 

One aspect of The Wire I really enjoy is when the credits for an entire season contain glimpses (not too revealing) of the entire season.  It makes the show seem so much more thoughtful and there is the pleasure of putting together the pieces when you finally see the clip in context.

 

I loved this in Damages and Sherlock, too.  All three have great music, as well.

 

Oh, nice mention -- I adore the credits for "Damages," too. They're gorgeously filmed, disturbing, haunting, yet don't give anything away. And I still love the song too, and the way the editing mimics the driving beat of the opening bassline -- it gives the show an exciting and dangerous edge.

[ToxicUnicorn]

Bumping this thread to complain about the opening credits to Farscape.  I'm on episode 37 or so and I still find them entirely noxious.

 

As a wise poster somewhere on this forum predicted, though, I am more accustomed to the funny costumes and the muppets.  That part doesn't bother me anymore.  It's ... everything else.

[bmasters9]

I'm to the point on M Squad where the title sequence is set to Count Basie's classic opening title track, and announcer Nelson Case says "M Squad!", and then as Lt. Frank Ballinger's car pulls up, Case says "Starring Lee Marvin!"

 

Here's an example of that:

[Chaos Theory]

And in the category of horrible opening credit to an otherwise great series Sens8.   Warning though the show is TV-MA and so are the credits

 

Edited June 20, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[Rinaldo]

I'm not able to watch Sense8 (though I've read a bit about it), so those credits are the first I've seen of it. Not being challenging or argumentative, just from a position of knowing nothing... what is it that makes those credits so unsuitable? (Not having seen the series, I find them kind of cool. But maybe they don't fit the tone, or something like that?)

[cpcathy]

I'm not getting MA from that opening, either. Maybe the two gentlemen sharing an ice cream cone?? That's all I've got.

 

Since True Detective is tomorrow night, I hope the opening credits are at least half as cool as OG flavor TD.

[Kromm]

The tiny bit of gay tongue action shouldn't be a huge deal these days.  It wasn't extended.

 

The biggest offense of those credits is that they're so long.  I mean we spend lots of time bemoaning how super-short some credits are these days, but two minutes is kind of a big bite to take out of each episode and I think it could have easily made the same point I THINK it was trying for (this kind of over the top experiential thing) in half the time.

[Rinaldo]

The biggest offense of those credits is that they're so long.  I mean we spend lots of time bemoaning how super-short some credits are these days, but two minutes is kind of a big bite to take out of each episode 

But as this is a Netflix series, not filling any kind of predetermined timeslot, there's nothing to take a bite out of, is there? Each episode can be as long as it likes, and the credit sequence, once assembled, isn't going to add to the budget of an episode. I was enjoying precisely the leisurely duration, which is truly unheard of these days.

[Chaos Theory]

The tiny bit of gay tongue action shouldn't be a huge deal these days. It wasn't extended.

The biggest offense of those credits is that they're so long. I mean we spend lots of time bemoaning how super-short some credits are these days, but two minutes is kind of a big bite to take out of each episode and I think it could have easily made the same point I THINK it was trying for (this kind of over the top experiential thing) in half the time.

I think I misspoke (miswrote). I wasn't sure if I should include the TV-MA rating and normally I wouldn't but since this is a video I did out of basic Fyiness. To be honest the only real issue I have with the credits is that they are overly long especially for a Netflix show. The first time you watch it is cool but by the fourth episode it got annoying.

[Kromm]

Sometimes minimalism works really well.  At first these credits look like a big nothing, but... look a little closer.  There's stuff happening there.  It's kind of like one of those inkblot tests, only with blood red.

 

[SmithW6079]

I always thought "StarTrek: Voyager" had great opening credits, from the beautiful shots of Voyager soaring through space to the soaring music.

"The Nanny" had the swingingest theme song.

[Miss Dee]

Voyager fell short in a lot of ways, but in my opinion they had one of the best opening credits of any show ever. I have been known to sit through the teaser of an episode I didn't want to watch just so I could see them, then immediately change the channel.

[Rinaldo]

"The Nanny" had the swingingest theme song.

Absolutely! When it was in first-run, and when I bump into it in syndication, I would catch the beginning just to hear the theme song. Ann Hampton Callaway is a brilliantly gifted singer-songwriter (I used to go to her NYC piano-bar shows when she was starting out), and her equally talented sister Liz is doing backup vocals on the song.

[selkie]

In the changing credits category, I've come to really like the "Please Like Me" intro that features a number of different scenes of characters singing along to a song called "I'll Be Fine" in a wide variety of scenes- Josh dancing around as he makes a meal in the kitchen or takes care of his morning bathroom sink rituals, Josh and his friends dancing at a club as a drag queen does her set to the song, Josh's mother setting off on a hike through the outback....

 

Unfortunately, it's an obscure enough show that I can only find one really low res clip of the kitchen scene credits online so I can't really share.

[DearEvette]

I have been binge watching Strike Back.  It is a testosterone driven British black ops show with lots of manly posturing and guns a blazing and super sexy people.  Even the women are hard core and bad ass while still being sexy.  The credits match the show perfectly.  They are exactly right for this.  The song is what takes it over the top. 

 

Edited June 22, 2015 by DearEvette

[Amello]

DearEvette, is Jimi Mistry the most boring man on the planet on that show, too?

[DearEvette]

DearEvette, is Jimi Mistry the most boring man on the planet on that show, too?

 

LOL.  he was the Big Bad in Season 1  and  I was like... wait...he's the scary dude?  He wasn't deployed very much.  The big thing with his character was that he was elusive and they couldn't get their hands on him. For a villain he felt very figure-head-y.

 

OTOH, Charles Dance was the Big Bad in Season 2 and he was a great villain.  Charismatic as all get out, Freezing-you-with-his-eyes death stare, cool henchmen (and hench-women) and doing horrible things for a seemingly noble reason.

[proserpina65]

Two of the classiest theme songs of all time. Fitting that both of them are classical pieces:

Masterpiece Theater:

I really miss the classic 80s Masterpiece Theater credit sequence.  It hit on so many of the series which cemented MT's reputation as high class television - sometimes very subtlely as with the snake from I, Claudius - and ended with the production which really made the entire enterprise a roaring success (relatively speaking), Upstairs, Downstairs.  I realize that with the changes in sponsors and funding issues, losing the extended credit sequence was an obvious way to cut costs, but to me, it's representative of the general decline in qualify on MT.

[Rinaldo]

As The Nanny was mentioned recently, I thought I'd share Ann Hampton Callaway's live version, performed as part of her and Liz's sister act Sibling Revelry at Rainbow & Stars atop Rockefeller Center 20 years ago. I saw it (though not the performance at which DRG made this recording), and it remains a fond memory.

 

 

Some of it is voiced for female trio; Liz provides one backup line of course, and the other is their pianist-bandleader using his falsetto to blend in.

[Jeebus Cripes]

The opening credits for Halt and Catch Fire are pretty sharp. I like the '80s synth tune, too.

 

[mansonlamps]

I always liked the opening credits for NYPD BLUE.

[DittyDotDot]

I started watching a Canadian show called Heartland on Neflix recently and find I'm rather in love with the title sequence. The show is a family western and sometimes a bit syrupy, but the titles really capture the show nicely, IMO. I couldn't find a better quality one and this must be from later in the show's run because they feel shortened to what I'm currently seeing in S1.

 

[bmasters9]

 

Don't know if I've posted this here before, but I wanted to bring up this 1984 opening from NBC's classic serial Another World. What I liked about it, among other things, is  that tunnel that was made of AW's familiar wreath of interlocking circles, and how, after the faces of the man and woman separated, the two parts of the Another World title came in from the top and bottom, and then swung around like the hinges on a door, eventually settling into the middle of the screen. I have heard also that this AW opening was computerized, and that it was from one of the several Procter and Gamble serials whose openings were changed in 1981.

[memememe76]

Friends may be too obvious a choice, but those clips and the fountain are so iconic. 

 

I love the black & white montage on Felicity. I was sad when they modernized their opening sequence. 

 

thirtysomething is my favourite theme score. And their montages really captured the wistfulness of the series. My second favourite theme score is I'll Fly Away. 

 

My favourite theme song is "Generation" for American Dreams. 

 

Degrassi is fun too. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

I can't recall if I stated this up thread, but I really love the opening credits of Smallville. It didn't hurt that I also loved and still love the song.

Edited November 14, 2015 by GHScorpiosRule

[JustaPerson]

I can't say I was expecting the JJ opening credits to be like it was, but I quite like them. Jazzy rock-n-roll film noir...can't say I've never seen that one before. On the other side of the coin, I love the Daredevil credits. The dripping blood, the church, the blind scales of justice? Amazing.

One of my absolutes favorites is The Americans theme. The blend of Russian and English? American and Russian photos and footage? The music that makes you feel just a bit unsettled? Basically this show.

[riley702]

My favorites are Buffy the Vampire Slayer (that driving beat always made me want to head bang along with it), Game of Thrones (agree with whoever said these opening credits are genius), The Tudors and The X-Files for that spooky whistling. I'll probably think of some more later.

Edited August 20, 2016 by riley702

[walnutqueen]

BrainDead.  The songs are hilarious.

[zxy556575]

8 hours ago, JustaPerson said:

I love the Daredevil credits.

I became a fan of creative director Patrick Clair, of all things, after he was responsible for half of the Outstanding Main Title Design emmy nominations last year (Daredevil, Man in the High Castle, Halt and Catch Fire.) Poor guy's down down to only one this year, for The Night Manager.

[DittyDotDot]

8 hours ago, JustaPerson said:

I can't say I was expecting the JJ opening credits to be like it was, but I quite like them. Jazzy rock-n-roll film noir...can't say I've never seen that one before. On the other side of the coin, I love the Daredevil credits. The dripping blood, the church, the blind scales of justice? Amazing.

The Daredevil one reminded me of Hannibal's main title sequence. The blood, the face and the music are all somewhat reminiscent. 

Edited August 20, 2016 by DittyDotDot

[paramitch]

On 6/20/2015 at 6:28 AM, ToxicUnicorn said:

Bumping this thread to complain about the opening credits to Farscape.  I'm on episode 37 or so and I still find them entirely noxious.

I love Farscape but oh my God I'm with you. I hate the theme song so much. The WAAAAAHHHHHHH creepy-crazy-shrill voices. So. Much. Hate.

On 6/20/2015 at 11:50 AM, cpcathy said:

Since True Detective is tomorrow night, I hope the opening credits are at least half as cool as OG flavor TD.

I really loved the S1 "True Detective" opening credits -- they were eerie, atmospheric and I never wanted to fast-forward through them (the ultimate test).

On 6/25/2015 at 0:16 PM, proserpina65 said:

I really miss the classic 80s Masterpiece Theater credit sequence.  It hit on so many of the series which cemented MT's reputation as high class television - sometimes very subtlely as with the snake from I, Claudius - and ended with the production which really made the entire enterprise a roaring success (relatively speaking), Upstairs, Downstairs.  I realize that with the changes in sponsors and funding issues, losing the extended credit sequence was an obvious way to cut costs, but to me, it's representative of the general decline in qualify on MT.

I loved the original 80s Masterpiece Theater credits! Almost as much as the original Masterpiece Mystery credits (and the wonderful music and the Gorey animations.

On 11/13/2015 at 7:15 PM, memememe76 said:

Friends may be too obvious a choice, but those clips and the fountain are so iconic. 

I love the black & white montage on Felicity. I was sad when they modernized their opening sequence. 

thirtysomething is my favourite theme score. And their montages really captured the wistfulness of the series. 

I totally think the "Friends" opening credits were iconic. My favorite version of the "Friends" credits was the one that preceded "The One That Might Have Been," complete with chubby Monica (who I loved -- instead of making her character a joke, they treated her with a lot of sweetness and compassion).

I adored "Thirtysomething," and the credits were wonderful. That whole Snuffy Walden score was just gorgeous though, throughout the show.

On 11/14/2015 at 10:50 AM, GHScorpiosRule said:

I can't recall if I stated this up thread, but I really love the opening credits of Smallville. It didn't hurt that I also loved and still love the song.

I loved the "Smallville" credits, especially the editing of the meteor strikes within the song. It was intense and really well-done. Even when I stopped really enjoying the show, I still thought the credits sequence was terrific.

On 11/20/2015 at 4:15 AM, nosleepforme said:

Just started the first episode of Jessica Jones. Damn, those opening credits must be the worst I have seen in a while.

I love the "Jessica Jones" opening credits! They're so dreamlike and quirky, but so dark, and I like the slightly jazzy feel (and the way it goes unexpectedly dramatic and lush at the end), complete with that surreal closeup on her eye. Love it.

8 hours ago, JustaPerson said:

One of my absolutes favorites is The Americans theme. The blend of Russian and English? American and Russian photos and footage? The music that makes you feel just a bit unsettled? Basically this show.

 

I really like "The Americans" credits sequence too -- and the season 4 credits sequence was my favorite of the bunch. It seemed to sneak in more little moments of foreshadowing than ever before.

I'm a dork, but I also always love the credits for "The Amazing Race." I love the photography, the incredible travel shots, the theme (and am always amused to trying to hear the newest variations in it, like when they moved the BOMP at the end). I also loved the credits for "The Sopranos" and "Homicide: Life on the Street" because they were so immediately evocative. I also found the "Cheers" credits weirdly poignant and bittersweet -- the warm, happy song against all those slightly wistful old cartoons and photos.

Also, anyone else remember this?

I loved the theme, which reminded me a lot of Dave Grusin's work for "My Bodyguard."

[bmasters9]

On 11/14/2015 at 6:43 AM, nosleepforme said:

But I must say that I like intros that have city imagery in general

Oh, yes, that with me too, in spades! I especially have enjoyed the opening of original-recipe Dallas, in both of its major versions (the one where the skyline went right-to-left [seasons 1-7] and then the one where the skyline zoomed in [seasons 8-14 and the 1996 and 1998 movies]). 

To start with, here's the first version, from the third season (1979-80):

[DittyDotDot]

27 minutes ago, paramitch said:

Also, anyone else remember this?

 

I loved the theme, which reminded me a lot of Dave Grusin's work for "My Bodyguard."

I do not remember this show, but Adam Arkin--and others--look so young! I don't know anything about the show, but the titles made me feel like I did. Which reminded me, I'm on a nostalgia trip lately and have been watching The Wonder Years a bit. The title sequence has a similar effect on me.

[bmasters9]

To expand upon my previous post: here's the second version of the opening from original-recipe Dallas, this one from the ninth season (1985-86):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3U4BALs5P8

[GHScorpiosRule]

31 minutes ago, bmasters9 said:

To expand upon my previous post: here's the second version of the opening from original-recipe Dallas, this one from the ninth season (1985-86):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3U4BALs5P8

Why'd you have to post the dream*season one??!

*Bobby isn't in the credits!

[King of Birds]

This is something I saw earlier this week, about the Stranger Things opening credits and the font style.

[bmasters9]

2 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Why'd you have to post the dream*season one??!

*Bobby isn't in the credits!

Tenth-season opening (1986-87): Bobby is in these credits

Edited August 20, 2016 by bmasters9

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 hours ago, bmasters9 said:

 

Tenth-season opening (1986-87): Bobby is in these credits

That's more like it! Though I think some of the scenes changed in the 11th season opening credits? I remember when George Kennedy's character came around and there was a war between him and the Ewings and there was dynamite blowing up between their land, which made it to the credits. This was, I think, a year before Barbara Bel Gedes left the show.

[BooksRule]

I while back I marathoned all four seasons of 'Treme' and liked how the opening credits changed with every season.  Some scenes stayed the same, but others changed to reflect what was going on in New Orleans during the time of the episodes.  From the devastation of Katrina, to rebuilding as well as current events.  Even the title card changed--from flood-damaged, to mold-covered, to being repaired, to finally showing a touch-up with gold paint during the final season.