# TV show with longest running, unchanged opening credits **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 11, 2019, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923 "2019-03-11T02:20:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/1 "2019-03-11T02:20:50Z")
We’re bingeing Brooklyn 99 right now. We are in S5, and I noticed the opening credits are IDENTICAL in terms of pictures AND words, to S1-4. Can you think of any other shows that had their opening credits unchanged for as long? Off the top of my head, maybe Gilligan’s Island? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/2 "2019-03-11T02:26:39Z")
Oh, hell no; Gilligan’s Island was in B&W the first season and didn’t mention The Professor or Mary Ann in the theme song. Among other things. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/3 "2019-03-11T02:32:30Z")
Can’t say which for sure, but at least one of the daytime soap operas probably hasn’t changed opening credits in forever; Like “Days of Our Lives.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/4 "2019-03-11T02:49:37Z")
Except for the switch to color in 1966, _ **The Beverly Hillbillies** _ opening was the pretty much the same from 1962 to 1971. _ **My Three Sons** _ ran even longer, from 1960 to 1972, though again there was the switch to color (and some cast changes). ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/5 "2019-03-11T02:54:59Z")
“Dark Shadows,” ran six years and I don’t think the opening changed. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/6 "2019-03-11T02:55:39Z")
\*\*\*Green Acres \*\*\*used the same opening from 1965 to 1971, and it was always in color. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/7 "2019-03-11T03:01:32Z")
Except for a couple of cast changes, I think the opening of _ **ST: TNG** _ was the same from 1987 to 1994. Same goes for _ **Voyager** _ and _ **DS9** _, both of which ran for seven years. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/8 "2019-03-11T03:07:36Z")
“60 Minutes”? 51 seasons; might be the winner. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/9 "2019-03-11T03:11:10Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > “60 Minutes”? 51 seasons; might be the winner. To paraphrase Lorne Michaels, they don’t have the same cover on their magazine every week. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/10 "2019-03-11T03:15:19Z")
Yeah, I didn’t think so, but it was worth posting that to get your response. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/11 "2019-03-11T03:16:11Z")
\*\*\*Gunsmoke \*\*\*(1955 to 1975) might be a candidate, if you split the openings into two eras: the violent B&W “Showdown” and the family-friendly color “Galloping Dillon.” ---
**Author:** ![Wallet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Wallet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallet)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/12 "2019-03-11T03:24:59Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > We’re bingeing Brooklyn 99 right now. We are in S5, and I noticed the opening credits are IDENTICAL in terms of pictures AND words, to S1-4. Can you think of any other shows that had their opening credits unchanged for as long? The last season’s credits now omit Chelsea Peretti, and have included Dirk Blocker and Joel Miller. Otherwise, the same 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/13 "2019-03-11T03:26:52Z")
Bob Newhart’s shows ran six and eight years, respectively, and I don’t think the intro changed at all for either one. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/14 "2019-03-11T05:27:51Z")
It’s been years since I’ve watched it and I wondered if M_A_S\*H might be a contender, [but no](https://mash.fandom.com/wiki/M*A*S*H_TV_series_opening_sequence): > [@](#): > > While the basic structure of the opening sequence remained largely the same during all of the eleven seasons, there were subtle changes from season to season, mostly to accommodate changes in the main cast. Indeed, experienced M_A_S\*H viewers can identify the series season simply by watching the opening sequence. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/15 "2019-03-11T05:34:46Z")
It’s been a while since I saw it, but **Dexter** had 8 seasons and I’m pretty sure the credits were the same for all seasons. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/16 "2019-03-11T05:43:52Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > It’s been a while since I saw it, but **Dexter** had 8 seasons and I’m pretty sure the credits were the same for all seasons. Maybe it shouldn’t count, but there was 1 episode where he was exhausted from taking care of his son and the opening credits had him going through his morning ablutions all bleary-eyed and bumbling. It was hysterically funny. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/17 "2019-03-11T07:09:43Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > “60 Minutes”? 51 seasons; might be the winner. > [@terentii](#): > > To paraphrase Lorne Michaels, they don’t have the same cover on their magazine every week. And the Simpsons don’t have the same couch gag, so I guess they’re out too. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2019, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/18 "2019-03-11T08:18:56Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > And the Simpsons don’t have the same couch gag, so I guess they’re out too. Even not counting the blackboard and the couch gag Many things have changed over the years with the Simpsons opening. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/19 "2019-03-11T08:44:37Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > It’s been a while since I saw it, but **Dexter** had 8 seasons and I’m pretty sure the credits were the same for all seasons. Good answer. It might be a Showtime thing… Shameless is now in its 9th or 10th season and I was just noticing last week that the opening credits/theme has never changed, even though half the principle cast were young children when it started 10 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/20 "2019-03-11T12:26:20Z")
Sorry if I was unclear - when I said “pictures AND words” I meant to include cast changes listed in the credits. 99 impressed us in that the credits are essentially shots of the principal cast members and their names, and the cast (and the photos used) remained unchanged for 5 years. When I thought back, I was having trouble thinking of a show where a cast member wasn’t added or dropped, or the pictures/scenes used updated. When we binge shows, I generally FF thru the credits. But when we start a new season, my wife likes to watch the credits once to see if they changed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923.md?page=2)