# Rainbow "SPECIAL" Television Show Intro **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262 "2004-10-20T19:42:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/1 "2004-10-20T19:42:45Z")
Does anyone remember back in the late 70’s or early 80’s when “Specials” such as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer or The Great Pumpkin were introduced by a rainbow colored “SPECIAL” that came spinning onto the TV screen? I think there were drums that went along with this. Anytime I saw this, I knew I’d be seeing cartoons, at night!!! This was before the likes of Cartoon Network, and as I remember it was a pretty big deal. Does anyone know where to find this “effect” online? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/2 "2004-10-20T19:49:43Z")
Not sure where to find it, but it was only on CBS, if that helps. I used to love seeing that opening because it meant a cartoon, and Peter Paul candy and McDonald’s commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/3 "2004-10-20T19:56:26Z")
I remember that, too. It was so exciting! And don’t forget the Dolly Madison commercials, **Max Carnage**. One of the 80s stations on Live 365 plays that soundbite sometimes. I think it’s Lavalounge, but I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/4 "2004-10-20T20:06:58Z")
I loved those; except sometimes I felt cheated when it turned out to be something like figure skating. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/5 "2004-10-20T20:07:25Z")
The Zinger Zapper! ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/6 "2004-10-20T20:11:06Z")
> [@](#): > > I loved those; except sometimes I felt cheated when it turned out to be something like figure skating. Amen to that!! I’m still Googling it, and I think I’m getting warmer. Knowing that it was CBS is helping, **Max**. ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/7 "2004-10-20T20:11:37Z")
> [@](#): > > I loved those; except sometimes I felt cheated when it turned out to be something like figure skating. Amen to that!! I’m still Googling it, and I think I’m getting warmer. Knowing that it was CBS is helping, **Max**. ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/8 "2004-10-20T20:19:36Z")
[This](http://www.homestarrunner.com/xmas.html) might be it at the beginning. Is that how everyone else remembers it? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/9 "2004-10-20T20:22:52Z")
Ooooh I was so close… [http://www.talkabouttelevision.com/group/alt.tv.animaniacs/messages/94137.html](http://www.talkabouttelevision.com/group/alt.tv.animaniacs/messages/94137.html) HAD a link to the logo. But it was snipped. And the original poster’s email is unavailable. But maybe it’s a lead? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/10 "2004-10-20T20:23:58Z")
That’s the one, but I think it had more color changing going on. As soon as I saw the graphic, I could hear the sound, which I can in no way imitate. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/11 "2004-10-20T20:24:00Z")
That’s definitely the sound, but the picture was a little more colorful. But, yeah, that’s the one. ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/12 "2004-10-20T20:27:20Z")
I thought there was more color too. From what I’ve gathered, my link is merely a “reproduction” of the effect, and not the original. I’d still like to find the original one though. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/13 "2004-10-20T20:28:29Z")
Yay! I don’t know if it has sound though, because I’m at work. [www.x-entertainment.com/adventcalendar/2003/december20/cbsspecial.wmv](http://www.x-entertainment.com/adventcalendar/2003/december20/cbsspecial.wmv) ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/14 "2004-10-20T21:02:10Z")
We have a winner!!! Man that brings back great memories. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/15 "2004-10-20T21:25:19Z")
::sniff:: That was beautiful man. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/16 "2004-10-20T21:27:56Z")
I’m dying to be home to listen. It does have sound, right? ---
**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:** [October 20, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/17 "2004-10-20T21:29:31Z")
And it was on a Homestar Runner cartoon, too! _giggling_ Oh, holy craaaaaappp… ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/18 "2004-10-20T22:32:02Z")
I remember it from childhood, so it’s later than the early eighties. Also, they parodied that on the “Warners’ 65th Anniversary Special” episode of Animaniacs. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/19 "2004-10-20T22:37:05Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > I remember it from childhood, so it’s later than the early eighties. Also, they parodied that on the “Warners’ 65th Anniversary Special” episode of Animaniacs. Yeah, it was definitely a 70s thing first. I can remember seeing that come on and getting excited because it meant CHARLIE BROWN! And I know I was younger than 9 years old (born in 1971). ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262/20 "2004-10-21T00:10:18Z")
It’s odd how something like this remains stuck in your brain. I remember CBS, for a time in the early 70’s, actually had two animated intros for the network’s specials. The first was the one mentioned in the OP and reproduced by HR. It was used preceding children’s or family programs like the **Peanuts** or Dr. Seuss cartoons. The second one isn’t as well-remembered and (as I recall) featured a few notes of a French horn underscoring an animated flare. This latter one was used before more serious programs like National Geographic specials or CBS Reports documentaries. NBC, on the other hand, had only one animated intro for its specials: the NBC peacock. You saw it regardless whether the it was before a holiday children’s program like **The Little Drummer Boy** , a Bob Hope special, or one of Johnny Carson’s prime time anniversary shows. I don’t remember if ABC has any “special programming” animated intros. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbow-special-television-show-intro/270262.md?page=2)