# Favorite TV Show Opening/Closing Title Sequences **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 24, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325 "2005-05-24T20:26:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/1 "2005-05-24T20:26:38Z")
\*\*The Dick Van Dyke Show The Andy Griffith Show Dragnet The NBC Mystery Movie\*\* (Mysterious guy shines a flashlight to the drones of Henry Mancini’s eerie score) **All in the Family** **MASH** **Little House on the Prairie** (funny that Laura makes like an airplane in the closing credits since AIRPLANES WEREN’T INVENTED YET.) **The Waltons** **Barney Miller** (though the opening shot of the Twin Towers immediately destroys and suspension of disbelief) \*\*Dallas Hill Street Blues General Hospital\*\* (the “classic” opening they used up to about 10 years ago; consisted of a static, grainy photo of a hospital with the text GENERAL HOSPITAL superimposed. This went on for about 45 seconds!) \*\*The Simpsons Seinfeld\*\* (show logo, 4 seconds of bass, on with the episode) **Everybody Loves Raymond** (the NFL films spoof) **Higglytown Heroes** ---
**Author:** ![Wartime\_Consigliori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@Wartime\_Consigliori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wartime_Consigliori)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/2 "2005-05-24T20:28:52Z")
I always dug the opening to **The Wild Wild West**. Great. Now I’m gonna have that music stuck in my head all week. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/3 "2005-05-24T20:31:24Z")
The Outer Limits (original) “Do you adjust your set. We are controlling transmission…” The Texas Wheelers, mostly because of the use of “Illegal Smile.” ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/4 "2005-05-24T20:39:57Z")
The Rockford Files: opening - from the answering machine call to spot the picture of the girl in the bikini flash by Maverick: the closing song, “Who was the tall dark stranger there, Maverick is his name…” Hogan’s Heroes Buffy the Vampire Slayer ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/5 "2005-05-24T20:45:55Z")
**Hill Street Blues** **The Rockford Files** Going by music alone: **Simon & Simon** **Barney Miller** **Miami Vice** **The A-Team** (and pretty much anything else by Post and/or Carpenter) **Murphy Brown** ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/6 "2005-05-24T20:47:01Z")
**The Beverly Hillbillies** ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/7 "2005-05-24T20:53:46Z")
**Jack of All Trades**. Best opening ever. **Greg the Bunny**. Also very good opening. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/8 "2005-05-24T20:59:36Z")
**Dilbert**. Awesome opening sequence. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/9 "2005-05-24T21:01:50Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > Hogan’s Heroes I _loved_ that opening when I was a kid- would run from anywhere to hear the drumbeat. \*\*I Dream of Jeannie My Favorite Martian Garry Shandling’s Show\*\* (not to be confused with _Larry Sanders_) Any intro that explains the show’s thesis in a cheesy song. ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/10 "2005-05-24T21:30:27Z")
I haven’t watched the show in some time, but I really like the opening for the West Wing. I think it’s the music coupled with the black and white photos that really do it for me. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/11 "2005-05-24T22:22:20Z")
One that used to scare the crap out of met to the point where I’d plug up my ears when the music started was _Tales from the Dark Side_. I’d hear that coming from downstairs when I was up in bed and immediately the hands would go to my ears… ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/12 "2005-05-24T23:19:05Z")
Sopranos. Easily the best all time in my book, both the song and the visuals. It defies fast forwarding when you watch it on DVD. Taxi. Newhart. Mancini is _always_ good for a nice little ditty. MST3K. For its time, Knight Rider, though it probably sounds cheesy nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/13 "2005-05-24T23:25:32Z")
Deadwood’s opening and closing sequences are brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/14 "2005-05-24T23:28:21Z")
Get Smart ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/15 "2005-05-24T23:31:41Z")
Nobody’s mentioned **Get Smart** yet? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/16 "2005-05-24T23:33:38Z")
Missed it by _that_ much… ---
**Author:** ![Tarrsk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@Tarrsk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarrsk)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/17 "2005-05-24T23:39:37Z")
Firefly: “You can’t take the sky from me…” Love that song! ---
**Author:** ![Southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@Southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southpaw)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/18 "2005-05-24T23:43:36Z")
> [@Torgo](#): > > \*\* > **Little House on the Prairie** (funny that Laura makes like an airplane in the closing credits since AIRPLANES WEREN’T INVENTED YET.) I thought she was imitating a hawk. **The Beverly Hillbillies** (my favorite of the “expositional” theme songs) **Hawaii 5-0** **Animaniacs** ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/19 "2005-05-24T23:46:50Z")
**Carnivale** , hands down. Incidentally done by the same company that did **Deadwood’s** , which I agree are very good. ---
**Author:** ![Trafalgar\_Laura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trafalgar_laura/32/2907_2.png) [@Trafalgar\_Laura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trafalgar_Laura)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325/20 "2005-05-24T23:56:02Z")
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s theme music always seemed so wistful and yearning. It still chokes me up to hear it. Feel free to stand in awe of my geekiness. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-show-opening-closing-title-sequences/305325.md?page=2)