GRAND OPENINGS
Here's a little something that pleases me.
Something that seemed to be dying off looks like it's clawing its way back a bit. Opening titles.
When I'm writing a spec pilot, I frequently like to visualize what the opening titles might be like (I even like to fantasize that I could pull a J.J. Abrams and write and perform the music myself.)
Yeah, lots of new shows still opt for just the title card kind of thing (Reaper, for one and just as well, as I fear the theme song would simply be whatever was popular on Indie 103 last spring, just as so many pilots seemed to feature "Young Folks"). And most of those that do have openings keep it really short (Journeyman and Bionic Woman come to mind).
Then there's Maude-- I mean Chuck, flying in the face of crushing and condensing in the name of gaining more time (mostly for commercials) with a full on specially made sequence (not just clips strung together).
Another cool, recent opening, though not new in the fall season, is this one.
And I gotta say, my favorite new sequence, though, is for Journeyman.
Primarily for the music, rather than the time lapse and backward birds. I really dig the music.
I looked forward to the Bionic Woman's opening, but was let down by clips and a theme that, just as it starts to get bad-ass, comes to an abrupt end. I do hope that's not a sign.
This reminds me that Internet Jesus, Warren Ellis proclaimed that Hawaii 5-0 was the best opening titles ev-ar and invited challenges to that. I'm not entirely inclined to agree, but it's really hard to argue. He might be right. Go there to see many links to many awesome openings.
My personal favorite of all time? The perfect merging of music and images? Right here.
What's yours?
Something that seemed to be dying off looks like it's clawing its way back a bit. Opening titles.
When I'm writing a spec pilot, I frequently like to visualize what the opening titles might be like (I even like to fantasize that I could pull a J.J. Abrams and write and perform the music myself.)
Yeah, lots of new shows still opt for just the title card kind of thing (Reaper, for one and just as well, as I fear the theme song would simply be whatever was popular on Indie 103 last spring, just as so many pilots seemed to feature "Young Folks"). And most of those that do have openings keep it really short (Journeyman and Bionic Woman come to mind).
Then there's Maude-- I mean Chuck, flying in the face of crushing and condensing in the name of gaining more time (mostly for commercials) with a full on specially made sequence (not just clips strung together).
Another cool, recent opening, though not new in the fall season, is this one.
And I gotta say, my favorite new sequence, though, is for Journeyman.
Primarily for the music, rather than the time lapse and backward birds. I really dig the music.
I looked forward to the Bionic Woman's opening, but was let down by clips and a theme that, just as it starts to get bad-ass, comes to an abrupt end. I do hope that's not a sign.
This reminds me that Internet Jesus, Warren Ellis proclaimed that Hawaii 5-0 was the best opening titles ev-ar and invited challenges to that. I'm not entirely inclined to agree, but it's really hard to argue. He might be right. Go there to see many links to many awesome openings.
My personal favorite of all time? The perfect merging of music and images? Right here.
8 Comments:
I do like the Chuck openings - like a nerdy James Bond sequence.
I notice Shark has gone from flash card to full on title sequence this year.
I approve of that change.
As for favourite title sequences, either Red Dwarf - because of the theme tune, or SuperGran - because of the crazy idea and the Billy Connolly sung theme tune.
I like the way Supernatural does it. They don't do credits exactly, that they leave for a flashy title card, but their "previously on" sets the tone for the show just as much as a title sequence would. They show poignant clips to a classic rock song at a very fast pace. It's a well edited sequence, not just a few shots thrown together so we can get on with it.
But I also really like the opening credits to The Wire.
Carnivale, of course, had an exquisite opening sequence. Naturally, HBO has a bunch of great opening sequences.
Journeyman's opening is terrific, but I like the imagery, too. It goes a long way to establishing the local atmosphere of the show, which too many dramas skimp on, in my opinion.
I actually still miss ER's opening, compared to the short segment we get now.
And this season The Unit had it's opening titles declawed with the replacement of its stellar title music with some quasi-heartfelt pop song.
While we're on the subject, though, I much prefer it when a movie has fully developed opening or closing titles. I'm just a sucker for that kind of thing.
The Mad Men opening is just about my favorite ever. I told my girlfriend I liked it, and she said,
"I know; you always watch it and you always skip through all the others."
In fact, I'm adding the YouTube version to my favorites list right now. Thanks!
Oh, I'm also a big fan of the Lost opening: a 10-second atmospheric title graphic and right back into the action. Sweet.
Great choice on Millennium. One of my favourites. I always thought that the theme for Angel nicked the Millennium violin.
But my favourite is still Rescue Me.
And Deadwood.
Currently great are Madmen, Dexter, Scrubs, Weeds and, surprisingly, Ghost Whisperer.
Favorites...hmm...it's so difficult to separate the visual title sequence from the opening theme, so I think half of these are here as much for theme as anything else.
Not counting any of the above...
X-Files, Angel, Firefly, Lost (I know, I know, it doesn't really have much in the way of an opening, but it was one of the first I remember doing this and totally works for the show), Twilight Zone.
Man, this makes me want a show so bad. Sadness.
I too love The Wire & Rescue Me (both of which I have to watch, even when viewing several eps in a row). Dexter is amazing; I can't believe how well the opening conveys the show's two tensions, creepiness and humor.
I also still love the Veronica Mars opening(s). They got across a kind of fun bad-assery, and the opening strains of "We Used To Be Friends" still make me smile.
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