One of the saddest changes in the television landscape has been the disappearance of the theme song. They're really not that important to the people who create TV shows now (or the networks who want to get more commercials in). Lost has just a single note as their theme song, ER has changed and shortened their theme song, Jericho has static, and Heroes doesn't have a theme song or credits either.
Luckily, the shows that still have theme songs also have opening credits. Shows like The Office and Dexter all have theme songs and opening credits. They're classic TV openings. Of course, it's nothing like years gone by, where almost all shows had theme song and opening credits. The Onion has picked 22 that they feel fit their shows perfectly. I don't know if that is the same as "best opening sequences," but the choices are interesting, quirky, a little maddening, and they left out a few, as I'm sure you'll agree.
I don't think I would have picked Homicide as number one, as they do, but it works well. Other current shows on the list include The Sopranos, Big Love, The Simpsons, and Dexter, but the bulk of their list comes from older shows: The Love Boat, All in the Family, The Andy Griffith Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Get Smart, and Freaks and Geeks.
But what's missing here? They pick Buck Rogers in the 25th Century but not any of the Star Trek shows? It's fantastic that they mention Mannix, one of the great openings, but what about shows like Private Eye, Magnum, P.I., The Wild, Wild West, or Spenser: For Hire?
What would be on your list? Below is one of my favorites, from U.F.O. It's so swingin'! It's futuristic yet really dated at the same time. I love it.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-22-2007 @ 1:48PM
Douglin said...
Off the top of my head:
-The Prisoner
-Quantum Leap - the later one(I think it had different music in the early seasons)
-Johnny Quest
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3-22-2007 @ 2:00PM
David said...
Garfield and Friends the second and most well known one. Star Treks, all of them are great. Note I do not include Enterprise because it wasn't a Star Trek.
Rome also has a theme song. Weeds has a great theme song! In Season 2 they kept the same words to the song but changed the langauge or the background music. It was a perfect examble of how to use theme songs.
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3-22-2007 @ 2:27PM
Mike said...
My favorites are The Greatest American Hero and The A-Team.
Friday Night Lights has an opening theme song, and it drives me nuts. They show nice images of each individual main character, with a name below it...but the names don't match the character shown! Why not line it all up so people can put the actor's name and face together?
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3-22-2007 @ 2:47PM
Neale said...
Scrubs is perfect, short and sweet with great theme music.
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3-22-2007 @ 2:49PM
Rogphi said...
Mission Impossible and the Twilight Zone
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3-22-2007 @ 2:51PM
David said...
Wow -- you remembered "Private Eye"! Music by Joe Jackson!
I'm kind of surprised that "Carnivale" didn't make that list... I gasped the first time I saw the old footage turn into tarot cards and vice versa.
And the article mentioned that they hope Steve Carell pays homage to that opening sequence of "Get Smart" in the movie... how about if he's goes into the phonebooth and is pneumatically shot UPWARDS?
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3-22-2007 @ 3:12PM
Tess Capra said...
I always loved the *Ellery Queen* credits, with the big black-and-white chessboard set up with props from Queen's life: the beaten-up typewriter, the sophisticated Stork Club props, the clues from murders, and the final chess piece -- the Queen, naturally -- with a broken neck. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKnTUNOZr5Q)
Similarly, Bill Bixby's *The Magician* was great: images from a playboy's life -- fast cars and faster women -- unveiled by animated hands performing sleight of hand tricks.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKxDBG0lFV0)
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3-22-2007 @ 3:42PM
Bob Sassone said...
Yeah, I'd have to add Mission Impossible and Ellery Queen to my favorites too. And TZ.
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3-22-2007 @ 3:48PM
Justin said...
Sorry, but "CHiPs" should've made the cut.
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3-22-2007 @ 3:55PM
Andrew said...
Where's Friends?
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3-22-2007 @ 3:59PM
jr ewing said...
Homicide is not they're number one pick. None of the shows are, also these are not meant to be the best. They are just as the feature says, they fit the show perfectly. As a long time reader of the Onion A/V Club I can tell you that the whole point of these weekly inventory features are not to list "the best". They are meant to highlight an idea. The writers on the site often plainly say that inventory features are not definitive lists, they aren't meant to be, that is why they are irregular numbers (each week the inventory is a diferent topic with a different number). The lists are always interesting but one thing is for sure, they aren't meant to be "the best"
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3-22-2007 @ 4:09PM
Alan said...
I disagree completely with the Mary Tyler Moore theme song. The song is so triumphant, while the show was Mary just eaking out an existence.
I would also add to the list Barney Miller. Great song, and a good 3 second snap of each officer's personality.
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3-22-2007 @ 5:08PM
Tom said...
"The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr." (w/the great Bruce Campbell) & the last incarnation of "The Fugitive" (starring Tim Daly).
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3-22-2007 @ 5:29PM
gt said...
ellery queen reminded me of murder she wrote.
but good riddance to these. that ufo opening was 53 seconds long!
as much as i like the office opening, i dont watch it anymore, i 30sec skip it. who has time these days to watch the same minute opening credit every week??
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3-22-2007 @ 7:09PM
ooda said...
For me I would have added these to the list...
The Wire
Deadwood
Six Feet Under
Entourage (Maybe my top pick for most relevant)
The Larry Sanders Show
Okay, I know that the shows I named are exclusively HBO shows, but you have to admit, they made good intros.
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3-22-2007 @ 7:33PM
verdana said...
Lots of good selections -- I'm glad The 4400 was includedm because that one is amazing. But what about the theme for "Alias" -- the first one, not the robotic one that came along about the same time the robotic Lauren character appeared?
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3-22-2007 @ 8:55PM
Vito The TiVo said...
Heroes does have theme music, the vocal by that guy with one name.
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3-22-2007 @ 9:42PM
raf said...
What about Hawaii Five-O? On of the best ever, for sure! Anyone second this?
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3-22-2007 @ 10:50PM
Tim said...
Openings for The Prisoner and The Avengers both fit their classic British series perfectly. Great music, great images.
But how could they possibly have left out the opening for The Fall Guy. Lee Majors explains the whole set up in a song that is rivaled only by Chuck Norris as the prime example of why action stars should not be allowed to sing.
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3-22-2007 @ 11:29PM
Stevie said...
definitely weird how they have so many iconic classics (eg. mtm) and not mission:impossible. i would definitely put the prisoner, six million dollar man, and the avengers (in colour) on the list. i also think the house, m.d. opening is perfect. always loved futurama, too; i like that 2 elements of the opening were unique to each ep, so u had to watch for them.
until u mentioned it, i hadn't realized how many shows have effectively done away w/ theme songs. mike post, where are you when we need you?
thanks so much for posting ufo -- it's so awesome! my bf has the theme as his ringtone for when i call. prob b/c i can't hear it w/out dancing like i'm on hullaballoo!
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