Okay, classic TV title sequences...

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:13 pm

Yeh, the 30+ degree heat has actually meant I have to poll some of you on something... I'm banging together a list of the 5 best TV title sequences ever for me site, and I've hit a bit of a mental block. So far the list stands at: -

Doctor Who (Davison version)
Avengers (Colour Emma)
Return of the Saint
The Prisoner

Suggestions please? Bubbling under at the moment are Thunderbirds, Space 1999 and Dangermouse, but I'm sure there are a couple of fantastic ones I've blanked out...

Now, a couple of ground rules: -

- No Transformers. I've considered them all. They were all pretty poor.
- I'm really, really not keen on "clip" title sequences, which frankly rules out 95% of American shows.
- Actual quality of the series is utterly irrelevant (cf. Return of the Saint, as lovely as Ian is)

Thanks in advance, assuming any of your suggestions are good.

Compliance will result in posting of Katie Fey pictures.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:19 pm

The 4400?

24? It doesn't have one - just names over the opening scenes, meaning they can kill off anybody! Mwa ha ha aha.

No?

Okay then.

Blackadder Goes Forth?

Rock Profile? For being attached to Rock Profile...

I'm out.

[EDIT] Yes Minister?

Count Duckula?

California Dreams?

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:25 pm

Duckula's a definite for the short-list...

I don't really, really like any of the Blackadder title sequences, myself. It's amazing how many of my favourite shows have poor title sequences...

Oh, one other thing - only one title sequence per series, or The Avengers would lock out the top 3...

LKW · Post by **LKW** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:28 pm

Well, I can think of a few decent non-clip ones. There's probably a fair chance that you've seen about as many of these as I have of the ones on your list (Dangermouse LONG ago, and Doctor Who - though possibly just the Baker version)...

Homicide: Life on the Street (black and white version, I guess - though the later color is also good). Dramatic music, harsh light on some dirty street or alleyway, light sweeps over castmembers' faces, in more stark than flattering fashion.

MASH (the final, BJ-with-moustache version). Shows what the MASH was about, bringing casualties down to their mobile med unit.

Cheers (first version) Just paintings of bar scenes, with people vaguely reminiscent of the show's characters.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine? I'll admit, it feels a little long; but nice illustrations of cosmic splendor, and an establishing lookover of the station.

Thought of two more while writing this:

Miami Vice. Lots of footage of the exotic weirdness of the locale, with Jan Hammer's memorable theme playing over.

Mystery? As I recall, a painted opening, with some animation, and sound effects such as creaking doors and screams adding to the creepyish music.

Aardvark · Post by **Aardvark** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:42 pm

To name but a few...

Jayce And The Wheeled Warriors

Bucky O' Hare

Bertha

...Muppets!!!!

I'll add more later

Whoever mentions the bloody A-Team--------->You're a wanker

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:12 pm

Good picks

Originally posted by Aardvark

Whoever mentions the bloody A-Team--------->You're a wanker

I actually sat down and saw an episode of that thing the other day... Christ, I must have been a very patient, easy to amuse child... I bet if 95% of the students who go on about it being so great were made to sit down and watch the bloody thing, it'd change their tune...

Aardvark · Post by **Aardvark** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:27 pm

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
Good picks

I actually sat down and saw an episode of that thing the other day... Christ, I must have been a very patient, easy to amuse child... I bet if 95% of the students who go on about it being so great were made to sit down and watch the bloody thing, it'd change their tune...

It's slightly better than Airwolf.

You know the X-Men intro was rather good. Wouldn't make it into my top 5 but it was pretty nifty.

Post by **Denyer** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 11:28 pm

Originally posted by Aardvark
Whoever mentions the bloody A-Team--------->You're a wanker

And this comes as news?

The title sequence will long outlive the rest of the show.

A-Team, Duckula, Thundercats (again better than the show), Fraggle Rock, MOTU/She-Ra, Bucky (was it start or end credits with the song?), D&D, The Raccoons -- soundtrack to my head rather a lot, Inspector Gadget, DOTE, and a whole bunch of other nostalgia. Come to think of it most of those intros were better than the shows themselves.

Anyone remember the first time they saw the Fresh Prince intro, before it made you want to commit battery towards BBC2 execs?

Zisteau · Post by **Zisteau** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:38 am

Originally posted by Denyer
Fraggle Rock

DrSpengler · Post by **DrSpengler** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 1:20 am

Post by **Hound** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:04 am

The opening to the Batman Animated Series is pretty damn good if you ask me.

Galvatron91 · Post by **Galvatron91** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:04 am

The Dukes of Hazard! That was seriously my favorite song when I was like 4.

For some reason that and Three's Company stick out as childhood favorites as far as title sequences along with the Muppet Show.

Next Cliffy, you have to do a worst title sequence thread...that should go on and on!

StoneCold Skywarp · Post by **StoneCold Skywarp** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 8:45 am

I always preferred Captain Scarlett's opening to Thunderbirds personally. Knight Rider was a pretty awesome opening if only for the music alone.

Samurai Pizza Cats was also a fun opening...

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:14 pm

Thanks for all your suggestions... I'm trying to avoid any mediocre title sequences made good by a cracking theme tune, or I would have had 10 already (The Persuaders, The Protectors, Sapce 1999 would be a cert, Angel would be there, etc., etc. and so on)...

I'm very much leaning towards Dangermouse, because it's so damn subversive, actually seeming like the title sequence to a straight-forward silly cartoon...

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:47 pm

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
Avengers (Colour Emma)

That is most certainly the greatest TV title sequence ever- With a special mention to The Forget Me Not for it's cunning way of marking the change over between leading ladies.

Whilst The Prisoner title sequence is very good, it looses points for being so bloody long. There's about twice where it looks like it's ended but then carries on. The entire reason nothing is ever explained in the show is they kept having to cut things to get the credits in...

Surrviors and the beaker, The A-Team one where Face meets a Cylon (Yes Aardy, I am a wanker), the cheap and cheerful original X-Files credits, and The New Adventure os Superman one with that shot of Terri Hatcher. Though the "Faster than a..." George Reeves title sequence is cool as well.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 6:24 pm

Somebody mentioned MASH? Wasn't that essentially clips, though? Just an edited down version of the opening scene in the pilot?

Clips credits are disqualified.

Originally posted by DrSpengler
You guys in the UK only got an edited version of the show and opening, right (Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles)? Where they cut out all of Mike's nunchakus?

I was living out of the UK when Turtles was first on... my exposure to it came mainly from pirated video tapes (which, due to Cypriot copyright laws, were perfectly legal and a pound a pop) - I could never quite wrap my head around why some of them had this really slow mo chopped down slo mo sequence that had blatantly been edited, whilst other tapes had The Coolest Credits of All Time and a much funkier theme. And a different program name...

LKW · Post by **LKW** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 8:07 pm

Originally posted by Brendocon
Somebody mentioned MASH? Wasn't that essentially clips, though? Just an edited down version of the opening scene in the pilot?

Clips credits are disqualified.

I don't think I've ever seen the pilot episode. (I have a low tolerance for the first three seasons of that show, especially the all-"comedy" eps.) I did know about the clips rule; if MASH is a clipfest, my bad.

While I'm here - I'll change my vote for Homicide's credit sequence to the LATER one. I re-watched my copy of "Homicide: the Movie" - the two hour sequel/final episode - last night; it had a title sequence, similar to the later episodes of the series, reminding me that that was the superior sequence. Footage of streets, crime scenes, a barking dog, followed by the casts' names against a speedy/blurry background. (Excellent series, if you haven't seen it, by the way. Not all self-contained episodes, not all the crimes get solved, memorable, human characters.)

Clogs · Post by **Clogs** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:57 pm

Duckula - opening of course, and can I include the really brill end sequence? Terribly, terribly insane. Gotta have DM, too.

Then it has to be the original Captain Scarlet. That was made for children and it's still creepy today.

Fraggles and Muppets, definitely. I also rather liked the somewhat grim opening for The Storyteller.

Aardvark · Post by **Aardvark** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 12:30 am

I forgot to mention Trap Door!!!

Clogs · Post by **Clogs** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:16 pm

OK - how about Chorlton and the Wheelies? It is classic, in a sick sort of way.

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Okay, classic TV title sequences...

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