# The TV Show Opening Credits Hall of Fame and Shame **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2007, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133 "2007-03-23T04:29:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/21 "2007-03-23T14:42:26Z")
The opening credits of _Firefly_ still rock, and caqptures the spirit of the show perfectly. And of all the Treks, I like _Enterprise’s_ opening credits the best. I also rather liked the funky-jazz opening for _Night Court_, as well as the gospel-esque opening credits for _The Jeffersons_. _Miami Vice_ was another with opening credits that captured the meaning/spirit of the show very well with music and images. I don’t tend to think of opening credits that suck; even if the show is one I watch, if the credtis annoy me, I just tune them out. But as someone mentiond upthread, _Hill Street Blues_ was my first intoduction to opening credits that made me sit up and really take notice. _Edit:_ I ee **Kythereia** and I have a point of contention 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/22 "2007-03-23T15:01:24Z")
**Hall of Fame** : [This](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ4FHpSTFf4) deserves the grand prize for great openings. **Hall of Shame** : Seeing as [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOGxQ2xKphE) was the opening credits for a pilot that was shown, but never became an ongoing series, I don’t know if it counts. But you can tell why it didn’t get the greenlight. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/23 "2007-03-23T15:07:35Z")
My hall of fame would include: **I SPY** great jazzy music, some animation and scenes from that episode. **The Prisoner** iconic imagery, really exciting driving score, and it sets the scene that is so surreal and odd that it’s almost frightening. Plus bonus-big-white-bubble points! ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/24 "2007-03-23T16:52:00Z")
[QUOTE=Ellef] **Thunderbirds** - think big-budget disaster movie enacted by marionettes. [/QUOTE] And **Stingray** _Anything can happen in the next half hour!_ > [@ExTank](#): > > And of all the Treks, I like Enterprise’s opening credits the best. I presume you always watched this with the sound on mute? It’s been a long ::squelch:: A couple more for the hall of fame: The original black and white **Avengers** , Ms Rigg in a leather catsuit (and a great theme). **The Rockford Files** , just cut stills (and a great theme). ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/25 "2007-03-23T17:13:56Z")
I’ve always thought **The Flinstones** , **The Simpsons** and **Futurama** had some of the best tv theme songs ever. The first two were always fun to play in the school band! I’m always disappointed by the **CSI** (Vegas) theme song. I just think it’s too long. It’s powerful and all that but when I watch CSI I just want to get right to the show. Sort of the same for **House**. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/26 "2007-03-23T17:15:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Hall of fame award to Mark Snow for the brilliantly creepy opening music for The X-Files (and all his other work on the show and movie) I have remarked before on this Board (in fact, I think it was my very first post) that the theme from **The X Files** sounds to me like the theme from the 1960’s Kaye Ballard/Eve Arden comedy **The Mothers-in-law** , only slowed down and played more spookily. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/27 "2007-03-23T17:21:44Z")
[The Venture Brothers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2rQPDq2-4g) have the best opening ever (well, just season 1. Season 2 is good, but a lot shorter so not _as_ good.) Whatever you were going to say, stop saying it now, 'cause you’re wrong. (Unless you’re going to agree with me, then say it.) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/28 "2007-03-23T17:26:36Z")
How in the world did we get this far without the best of the lot? [**Mission: Impossible**](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k55NuWQCh78), especially with the clips from the show that heightened excitement and anticipation without really giving anything away. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/29 "2007-03-23T17:28:20Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] [The Venture Brothers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2rQPDq2-4g) have the best opening ever … [/QUOTE] But it would not be as great or as funny(which it is) were it not for the original. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/30 "2007-03-23T17:38:03Z")
[Cowboy Bebop](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6zDfxZ4NcE) ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/31 "2007-03-23T17:38:28Z")
I might get roasted for this, but… Since I TIVO everything, I usually skip the opening credits. The only recent show who’s opening credits I would always watch was **Joan of Arcadia**. I REALLY liked the Joan Osborne song they used. I even bought the CD that song was on, and found I hated everything else on the CD. Go figure. J. ---
**Author:** ![2pelo\_honey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/ecb155/32.png) [@2pelo\_honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2pelo_honey)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/32 "2007-03-23T17:41:18Z")
[QUOTE=Wheeljack] [Here ya go!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukSvjqwJixw) [/QUOTE] Oh, my…where did that come from!!! Thankfully I never saw it!!! ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/33 "2007-03-23T17:49:24Z")
I have a special place in my heart for the opening to _St. Elsewhere_ but that’s because, when my fiancée and I watched the 1st season DVDs, we’d make up random lyrics to the theme every time. _Here at Saaiiinnnttt Elsewhere, someone’s gonna get-stabbed Howie Mandel bought himself-a-gun! There’s doc-tor White, no-body liiikkeess him And there’s that foreign-doc who-gets-no-lines!.._ You’d think it’d get old but it never does 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/34 "2007-03-23T18:00:38Z")
'Nother one for the Hall of Fame: [the Mary Tyler Moore Show](http://youtube.com/watch?v=uCHt4l1hSw0). Frankly, I’m ashamed at all of us, me included, for not thinking of it earlier. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/35 "2007-03-23T18:04:45Z")
Much as I like many of the recent, good, **HBO** shows, such as **Deadwood** , **The Wire** , **Six Feet Under** , and **Rome** , I’ve always been pretty unimpressed by their opening credits, and just fast-forward through them. I really wish they associated the names of the actors with the characters, the way Joss Whedon’s shows all do. **Big Love** at least associates the 4 main characters with their actors, plus it is just super-catchy. Others I love: **Veronica Mars** (particularly season 1) **Firefly** **My So Called Life** ---
**Author:** ![anamnesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@anamnesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anamnesis)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/36 "2007-03-23T18:19:12Z")
Gotta agree with kytheria and Small Clanger on the [Star Trek: Enterprise](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxRASpy8h78) intro. Might have been tolerable had they actually used an orchestral title theme like every other Star Trek series. Every show has had its own beautiful, distinctive, and identifiable theme, but I guess Paramount couldn’t afford to pay Goldsmith this time around. Perfect excuse to say “well we’re trying to appeal to a young and sexy demographic and they don’t like orchestral music, they like pop country western ballads!” :rolleyes: The interesting thing is that the “progress of mankind in space” visual montage wasn’t bad, and neither is the ‘Faith Of The Heart’ song either, but whoever thought they’d work well together needs to be smashed in the head with a brick. Perfect example of two things which, separately, are good efforts, but when combined, cause you to ask yourself what the blue fuck they were thinking. Big Hall of Shame nomination from me. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/37 "2007-03-23T18:20:24Z")
The Sopranos deserves a Hall of Fame. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/38 "2007-03-23T18:22:26Z")
I’m surprised it took 19 posts before someone mentioned “ **Hawaii Five-O** ”. Tremendous theme song and opening sequence. (How about when that lovely cutely-coiffed wahine stares right into the camera?) I’ll also second those nominations for “ **The Avengers** ” and “ **The Prisoner** ”. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/39 "2007-03-23T19:04:29Z")
I’m not a fan of the show, but as sitcoms go, I’ve always thought **Dharma & Greg** had a good opening sequence. It’s only 10 or 15 seconds, just a little tune and the main characters, and it’s kinda sweet, and it gets across exactly what the show’s about: he and she, yin and yang. The first season of **Battlestar Galactica** had an awesome opening. The mournful music, the destruction of humanity, the ragged gathering of survivors and the beginning of the war…very gritty. And then, the drums and the high-impact scenes from the very episode you’re about to watch. Keeps ya hooked, but good. It’s still pretty good, but I prefer the old music to the new vocalizing, and there’s too much text now. Worst? Hmm…well, last season’s ultra-glurgy theme and opening montage on **Extreme Makeover: Home Edition** was absolute crap. They seem to have recognized that and changed it. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/40 "2007-03-23T19:05:07Z")
My Hall of Fame nominee is **The Gary Shandling Show** : \*"This is the theme to Gary’s show The opening theme to Gary’s show This is the theme song that you hear as you read the credits I’m almost at the part where I start to whistle…"\* That’s all I can recall I second \*\*The Ropers \*\* for Hall of Shame, but not just the credits. [QUOTE=2pelo honey] Oh, my…where did that come from!!! Thankfully I never saw it!!! [/QUOTE] That was the cheesetastick Small Wonder about the litle girl Robot named VIKI (was that how it was spelled?). It was a syndicated show in the mid-80s. It was deliciously bad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133.md?page=3)