- 30 Rock--the music and the quick cuts between the characters, coupled with the NYC backdrops, immediately make the show's tone and setting clear, and put you in an appropriately manic mode.
- The Office and Parks and Recreation--Both establish that while we're in a small universe, we're in a small universe that's not without charm and quirk (or, apparently, Hutts), and where people have ambition beyond that world (even if that ambition fails). (And looking forward to see how they tweak the Parks and Rec credits to reflect this season's cast changes.)
- Parenthood--This (which oddly doesn't seem to be available on YouTube) may actually be my favorite opening sequence on TV right now, with its mixture of Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" and real childhood photos of the adult cast through the years evoking the show's tone just right.
There are a bunch of other solid ones on NBC (and its cable sister networks) now--Chuck, Friday Night Lights, Psych, Royal Pains--where the theme music and title sequence combine to effectively establish tone and character, along with a number of classic NBC ones (Hill Street Blues, ER, Friends, Cheers). It's an art we're losing, and one I wish we weren't.
Re the Parenthood theme, do they only show the childhood pictures of the Bravermans, not the spouses? I can't tell for sure.
ReplyDeleteWatching the credits on Hulu, suggests that it reaches Braverman generations 2 and 3, but not grandparents or spouses. Baby Lauren Graham riding a trike and Baby Erika Christensen in mama's high heels are adorable, though.
ReplyDeleteRobin and I once had a debate over livejournal about the pros and cons of opening credits, with her stating all of the "fors" and me stating all of the "againsts" (purely as a devil's advocate). We used sequences from different shows to make our cases, but reached a stalemate when we couldn't convinice the other which side "90210"s theme sequence fell on.
ReplyDeleteon which side it fell, even.
ReplyDeleteI know it's non-network, but pay cable has been dutifully carrying the flame for opening sequences. Dexter's is an all-time classic, the one for the US adaptation of Shameless is pretty fun and gets the premise across pretty quick (poor family eats, drinks, and screws in a beat-up house), I watched Boardwalk Empire's opening every week just because I loved the coupling of the anachronistic music and visual style, and the Bored To Death intro is just a great time.
ReplyDeleteAs for network and basic cable stuff, I find Southland's intro to be incredibly effective, everything on AMC to be superb (with the exception of Breaking Bad, which mostly goes stinger), and while Fringe's intro isn't great per se, I like the way they play with the form (alternate '80s and Other Side intros).
Interesting; we've been catching up on Community on DVD and Hulu (and we are officially All! Caught! Up!) so I had no idea the cootchie-catcher titles are cut for time sometimes. I love that one, especially the modification for this year's Halloween episode.
ReplyDeleteSeeing as all three of my sisters watched the show and yet I can't think of what the 90120 credits were like at all (I'm just going to imaging they're like the Melrose Place titles), I'll say against.
ReplyDeleteWhat I particularly like is how effectively the handwriting/drawing on the cootie catcher for each performer evokes the respective character.
ReplyDeleteMy husband recently got me into The Big Bang Theory, and I've really been enjoying the open credit sequence and music. (I always chime in on the "we built the pyramids" bit, and he always sings the last "bang.") Totally gets me into a good mood for thes how.
ReplyDeleteThat was a surprisingly accurate summary of an EPIC debate, Paul. Also, clearly 90210 is for: duh nuh nuh nuh, duh nuh nuh nuh PUNCH PUNCH. I mean, come on.
ReplyDeleteNot pigeonhole myself as the resident Castillian, but Castle does have a title sequence - it's a set of clips that establish the premise. They show it about half the time these days. It's changed a bit for the different seasons.
ReplyDeleteSeason 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f5rwKB9eqE
Season 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcIvw8xaX_U
ALOTT5MA Style Guide says <span>DUH <span>NUH </span>NUH NUH, DUH <span>NUH </span>NUH NUH [CLAP CLAP]</span>
ReplyDeleteI don't deny the awesomeness of the theme song, but what did the Punch Punch tell you about Brandon's character, at all? In the credits, he's whimsical, in the show, he's having an anguished quasi-incestuous relationship with Tiffany Amber-Thiessen.... Where's the stock footage that tells me anything about the tone of this thing? Do the placement of these people in front of the backdrop tell me anything about their characters' proximity to each other's lives and hearts? I said it then, I say it now: I'm aggin' it.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about that--I don't consider that a credits/title sequence (though it does effectively establish the Castle/Beckett relationship). It's more a kind of "Previously on Castle."
ReplyDeleteThe punch punch tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about Brandon: the six-to-twelve demographic will find him irresistable, true teenagers will think he is lame but feel pressured to emulate him nevertheless, and adults will be confused and horrified. Come to think of it, this tells you everything you need to know about the series.
ReplyDeleteShe is referring to Brandon's air punching during the Clap Claps, which started in later seasons.
ReplyDelete....meh. I see pretty people against a bland backdrop.
ReplyDeleteWait, did I just lose my own argument?
Not an NBC show, but my favorite opening sequence in recent memory was from the dearly departed Terriers. A song so catchy I even downloaded it on iTunes.
ReplyDeleteI actually REALLY like the Castle stinger. The little guitar riff with the fountain pen shooting into the lettering is short, stylized, and perfect.
ReplyDeleteI'd argue that it isn't, because when they need to ((imho tedious) backstory about Beckett's mother) they add clips for context. This bit of clips just establish wtf is going on generally for new viewers. I think this is another kind of traditional opening - the explainy opening - see, e.g., Bosom Buddies, Remington Steele, the Brady Bunch.
ReplyDeleteI love the Modern Family opening - it's quick, but I like how the opening bit gets framed and we see all the characters in their immediate families, and get the implication that they're all connected.
Regardless of how people felt about the actual show, Covert Affairs on USA had a very cute title sequence.
ReplyDeleteanother great title sequence from cable is the one for justified. the music always makes me slide into the feel of harlan. the cable show that needs a better title-sequence to fit its main character is white collar. seems like they could do so much more there.
ReplyDeleteThe Dexter title sequence is one of the best things ever created for television. It is perfect.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of the Modern Family one, which leans toward the sting end of the spectrum, but conveys a lot in its short time.
Community and Parks and Rec are also very pleasing.
The Nurse Jackie title sequence is the serious version of the Clarissa Explains it All title sequence. I keep expecting the gospel choir in the background to sing "way cool!"
I watch the Parenthood opening all the way through every week. I also watch the HIMYM one every week. I love them both.
ReplyDeleteI watch those two as well!! I think they are the only ones I ALWAYS watch, well plus big bang theory and I sing both BBT and HIMYM along with them.
ReplyDeleteThe Amazing Race still has a fun credit sequence that definitely "establishes tone and character." Gorgeous location shots, goofy team poses, and that catchy, bomping tune. Everybody sing along: ""It's! The! Race! Amazing Race!<span><span></span><span></span></span> So! Try! To come in first! Not! Last! Your taxi must! Be! Fast! You! Will! Ride! On camels and! On! Planes! Don't waste your dough! Wear your...sunscreen...don't be...too mean...and the...teams! Will! Come! And they must try! To! Win! Phil's handsome! [BOMP.]"
ReplyDelete(Lyrics, of course, by the incomparable Miss Alli/Linda Holmes. If you haven't read all of her brilliant Season 2 lyrics, get thee to the TWOP archives immediately. The fun starts in Episode 3.)
The Castle stinger is pretty good, but it can be weird sometimes when the first act is 10 minutes long and you've forgotten it hasn't come up yet. It also can be annoying that they don't run the opening credits until after the first commercial break, which is more distracting that far into the episode.
ReplyDeleteQuasi-incestuous relationship! [Punch! Punch!]
ReplyDeleteTo me, Louie's title sequence is perfect, placing Louis CK within a place (New York), a mindset (the song's age suggests a little nostalgia and conservatism, but it's also not the kind of music you'd expect that he listened to back then), and a mood (kind of melancholy in a weird way).
ReplyDeleteAs for stingers, Cougar Town's self-referential title card makes me laugh every time I see it, which is now never, because it gets preempted and then gets listed as a rerun which makes my DVR ignore it.
I was thinking about this while watching NCIS:LA this week (don't judge). If I were an actor, I'd really, really like having my name and my face put together like that for the audience each week. I know as a viewer, there are shows I watch every week and I know the actors' faces and names, but couldn't put them together if I had to. (Like, for instance, Castle, for the secondary detectives and chief.)
ReplyDeleteRight, because it's the grandparents' collection -- at least that's how I rationalize it. (No Jabbar, I think. They weren't around when he was younger.)
ReplyDeleteThe HIMYM one freaks me out because I think the "ba ba ba"s sound like Ted's voice.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that googling just led me to find out that the song is by the creators of the show just confuses me more.
Every week, Louie would make me hungry for pizza. That slice he's eating just looks so good, you know?
ReplyDeleteExcept everytime I see it I think, "wow, that's Chuck-esque."
ReplyDeleteI actually don't like that version as much as the slightly shorter version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVHOn-S82ms
ReplyDelete...and now I'm very sad. Whistling, but sad.
I am partial to the theme songs that change to fit the episode. I recall at least one Monk episode - the Snoop Dogg epi - where they did this. Psych does it on a fairly regular basis.
ReplyDeleteA dear friend of mine played "girl who repeatedly whacks Louie on the head" in one of the Season 1 one episodes. I really enjoyed the couple of episodes I saw, but never set a season pass, in part because it was so dark and nihilistic.
ReplyDeleteThe Walking Dead's was one I never fast forwarded thru - the violins are so epic and creepy sounding, and then it has the awesome shot of the door handle turning as the zombie tries to get in. Nice.
ReplyDeleteTerriers?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/v/32bD4VMMzkg&feature" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
I have to put in a plug for Psych, who not only uses credits, changes up the credits-- they do Special Credits in foreign languages, with wacky animation, and different versions of the theme tune.
ReplyDeleteLate last night I was reminded that even when I DVR Craig Fergueson, I still watch the opening theme.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, the problem (at least for me) with the recording wasn't that it got listed as a rerun, it's that the TiVo thinks it recorded an episode with the same title last week and won't record two airings of the same episode of the same show within a 28 day period.
ReplyDeleteEither way, it is very disappointing to have missed it.
ReplyDeleteLouie is dark, but it's not nihilistic. In other words, the darkness is a tone, but not a world view.
Hey thanks! I created the opening sequence for 30 Rock and Royal Pains. Nice to know you don't just fast forward through them.
ReplyDeleteBored to Death title sequence is phenomenal work.
ReplyDelete