Best TV show openings?

[Baby Gonzo]

I was just thinking about what sets great openings apart from the simply good or mediocre openings? Though a catchy opening theme can be great in and of itself, there are other elements that can really add to the memorability of an opening.

I find that opening themes that serve as somewhat of a mini-episode are effective, Within the first minute, you as a viewer know what the show is about as well as the overall theme of the show. This is opposed to the general montage of different scenes set to music approach. This approach just isn't as effective to me.

Fraggle Rock's opening is very effective. The song is memorable and from the moment you look through that window and see Doc working in the workshop til the moment Boober closes the song, you really get a feel of what the show is about.

Batman: The Animated Series has an amazing opening. The limited color scheme, dramatic lighting, and dramatic music make for an outstanding opening for an animated series. These elements along with stunning visuals (as far as TV animation is concerned) and a quick yet effective fight scene really give the audience reason to crave for more.


Anyone else have any favorites? Live action openings are welcome too.

 

[Drtooth]

Well, a few of my favorites Darkwing Duck Dispite Disney's usual use of reused clips and new footage...
Hong Kong Phooey! a FAAAAAANRIFFIC opening performed by Scatman Crothers... and it has an interresting take in the German Version
Inspector Gadget Which is even better in French
Osomatsu-Kun Frankly, I have never seen this show, but I found this opening one day, and I just love it.

And I might as well throw at least one show closing that I love...Shibibiin Rhapsody The end theme to something called Ippatusman

 

[mikebennidict]

Donahue Show Opening.

This was the opening that was used durring his Chicago years in the 70's and early 80's and the theme was composed by Mike Post.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypx2DKr1O2g

Gotta admit this was an interesting opening and was also used durring the commercial breaks as well.


Too bad the music wasn't used toawards the end it might of sounded dated in later years but still it was his best theme.

 

[Baby Gonzo]

It seems as though anime do much more with closing themes than American cartoons do. And with shows like Pokemon, closing themes change often, at least in Japan. It's interesting to look at those closings that never make it to the states. And the closings in Amercian cartoons are so short. are always so short... the credits seem to go by in a flash, which is kind of sad that the people involved don't get the credit they deserve.

Oooh, I enjoyed the opening for Inspector Gadget as well.

 

[wwfpooh]

Of course, any Henson show would work, but for non-Henson, I'd suggest:

Anything from The Disney Afternoon: Gummi Bears, DuckTales, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin, DarkWing Duck, Goof Troop, & Bonkers!. These shows rocked, enough said.

"Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?": It was Rockapella's first memorable hit, IMO.

Anything from Animaniacs!, whether it be the themes of the siblings--"Yakko's World", "Wakko's America", & "I'm Cute"--or Pinky & the Brain to the numerous parody tunes that the show utilized.

"Go Go Power Rangers": The only good theme the Power Ranger franchise has had (Granted, that's 'cause the MMPR era was the only good era the franchise has had, but I disgress). And ironically, just like the PR franchise, the Sonic franchise that it had apparently bested within ratings terms had its best theme via the opening of the Sonic [SatAM] cartoon entitled "The Fastest Thing Alive".

More to come...XD

 

[Baby Gonzo]

The Animaniacs certainly featured catchy music, but I'm not thinking about music itself as much as the whole opening. Everything form music to animation to theme.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

The simpsons has the bets openeing theme. The music is catchy, but the cool thing is that the format of the theme never changes, but what is shown overall changes.

Lisa's Sax solo always changes, the Marge and Maggie's car horn change sometimes, bart always writes something new on the chalkboard, and something different always happens to the family at the end. Somketimes the theme is long, sometimes its medium, and sometimes its short. You never know whats going to happen

 

[Oscarfan]

Too many to name my friend.

 

[D'Snowth]

Basically, openings like The Addams Family, The Munsters, Bewitched, Sanford and Son, and sadly, even Hogan's Heroes where the opening credits give you a visual of aid of who's playing who's (Starring Fred Gwynn as Herman Munster).

Now then, shows that have the WORST openings include Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, Two and a Half Men, etc, because they have no openings at all; some of them don't even have closings, they just roll the opening and closing credits while the episode plays.

 

[wwfpooh]

The Animaniacs certainly featured catchy music, but I'm not thinking about music itself as much as the whole opening. Everything form music to animation to theme.

Again, the 'maniacs win that, because of how the "variable verse" would change each time (especially via special presentation openings).

Then again, as a WWE fan, Jim Johnson--the company's lead composer--has composed lots of hit themes for the talent, some of which have been redone by famous bands like 3 Doors Down, Saliva, and the like. And then there are themes of specific talent that even non-fans know due to the talent branching out into other non-wrestling fields (ex: "Hulk Hogan" Terry Bolea's Real American [by Rick Derringer], "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson's If Ya Smell, "Stone Cold Steve Austin" Steve William's I Won't Do What You Tell Me, "Triple H" Paul Levesque's Time to Play The Game [by Motorhead], and even John Cena's The Time is Now). XD