What is at least one of your favorite title sequences, either past or present? One of mine is from Knots Landing, especially from nos. 3-8 (when they had the scrolling pictures going right to left). Here’s an example from #7 (1985-86):
Another, of course, is from the original Five-O w/Jack Lord (and it’s so good that whenever I look at an episode on DVD, it’s something I never skip over).
Yet another is from Trapper John, M.D. (the rising hospital shot, the color changes [normal to several shades of blue, then at the end, back to normal], red X-rays concealing the cast members, etc., not to mention the music by John Parker).
Not sure if it qualifies, but I am a big fan of the “The Wire” and the title sequences for its different seasons, all a variant of “Way down in the hole” by Tom Waits.
Its rare for a box set that I will listen to the title music for every single episode, but I do for “The Wire”.
The remake of The Island of Dr. Moreau (no really). The title sequenceis 10x better than the movie. It’s like Saul Bass spent a weekend looking through a microscope while tripping balls. (Kyle Cooper made it, not Thomas Cobb as the youtube page states. )
Also, Kyle Cooper’s title sequence for Seven (refuse to spell it with a 7) was wonderfully fresh and spawned a thousand imitators.
When I was a little kid, my favorite was the super-cheesy one for The Fall Guy. Multiple truck jumps, fireballs, rocket packs, riding on top of a racing train, holding onto that one part of the helicopter (you know the part I mean), Heather Thomas in a bikini, and for no clear reason - savagely beating a man in traction. It had everything.
Base lines from Night Courtand Barney Miller. Not themes so much as hot session music.
Whoa… just looked up the wiki pages–same composer (Jack Elliott)
Another vote for Game of Thrones. Awesome title sequence.
Great favourite from my childhood was The Tomorrow People about the first youngsters to manifest serious paranormal abilities such as telepathy and teleportation. Series ran 1973-1979 and the title sequence was quite striking for the time.
Also love the U.F.O. Gerry Anderson series. (ignore the bizarre second of removing an alien’s contact lens right at the beginning - pretty sure that WASN’T in the title sequence).
I assumed you meant TV series, which may just be my lazy thinking, but in either case, my vote is for the opening of Carnivale. It’s not my favorite series, but I can’t think of any show opener so visually stunning.
I usually watch through the whole opening sequence to Iron Chef (Japanese, not American), though I’m not sure that really all qualifies as a title sequence.
I’d never seen the part of him beating up the guy in traction.