# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/21 "2019-03-11T12:31:39Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > \*\*\*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.” I didn’t call it “Showdown”. When I got a big screen TV, I started calling it “The Huge Ass.” ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/22 "2019-03-11T12:41:45Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > 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. DS9 definitely changed over the years. For one thing, they didn’t get the Defiant until S3, I think, and the later opening credits showed the Defiant leaving the station. There was also Terry Farrell leaving the show before the final season, and Siddig El Fadil’s name change a few seasons in. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/23 "2019-03-11T12:52:17Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Bob Newhart’s shows ran six and eight years, respectively, and I don’t think the intro changed at all for either one. We watched the complete run of _The Bob Newhart Show_ a bit ago. Not only were there changes from season to season, there’d be changes within a season. One of the easiest to spot was how Suzanne Pleshette was presented. Either starting with her back to the camera and turning and smiling or as she’s getting ready to leave the apartment. I prefer the latter. The biggest, most unforgivable change was when they dropped the bit with Bob saying “Hello.” on the phone in the opening. Bob Newhart and a phone belong together. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2019, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/24 "2019-03-11T13:43:19Z")
_I Love Lucy_. Six years with the same opening credits. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/25 "2019-03-11T13:48:33Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > 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.” Days has been consistent with the music and the hourglass, but it has definitely updated over the years. When Macdonald Carey died, they removed his line “This is Macdonald Carey,” although it’s still his voice saying “These are the Days of our Lives.” They also updated the hourglass with CGI - now the background is dynamic and you can really see the grains of sand falling. ---
**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, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/26 "2019-03-11T15:11:39Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > \ 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. When you binge “NCIS,” you get help from two of my dearest friends (the Skips): Skip Intro and Skip Recap. They’re the best. ---
**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, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/27 "2019-03-11T15:18:05Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > I didn’t call it “Showdown”. When I got a big screen TV, I started calling it “The Huge Ass.” [I didn’t know Dodge City had a Flaming Moe’s.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvH3cU-kfuM) ---
**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, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/28 "2019-03-11T15:48:46Z")
For the first five years of its eight-year run, I don’t think the opening of\*\*\* Laverne and Shirley\*\*\* changed at all. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/29 "2019-03-11T17:16:50Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > When you binge “NCIS,” you get help from two of my dearest friends (the Skips): Skip Intro and Skip Recap. They’re the best. I hate those with the fire of a thousand suns, and I wish there was an option to get rid of those buttons. And even worse, I hate how they push the show up into the corner and show a preview of something else the nanosecond the credits start. More than once I’ve been unable to read something at the start of the credits because it will not allow the first few seconds of the credits to show in full screen. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/30 "2019-03-11T17:52:12Z")
Except for a few gimmick episodes, the credits for \*How I Met Your Mother \*remained unchanged for nine seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/31 "2019-03-11T18:14:05Z")
If cast name changes count, it is a lot harder. MASH is what I thought of, though apparently there were changes in the video itself? I never noticed any changes to the opening sequences. Game of Thrones gives the illusion of being the same, but it floats over different locations based on what is in the episode. X-files stayed the same season 1-7? Or did they add people even before Mulder left? Even the reboot used the same old pictures of Mulder and Scully. ---
**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 12, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/32 "2019-03-12T00:13:59Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > 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. Here’s the alternate opening on Dexter: [https://youtu.be/-k6WFdU85XE](https://youtu.be/-k6WFdU85XE) ---
**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 12, 2019, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/33 "2019-03-12T03:57:37Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Here’s the alternate opening on Dexter: [https://youtu.be/-k6WFdU85XE](https://youtu.be/-k6WFdU85XE) Ha! That’s funny. ---
**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 12, 2019, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/34 "2019-03-12T07:25:14Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > 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. > [@Dinsdale](#): > > Sorry if I was unclear - when I said “pictures AND words” I meant to include cast changes listed in the credits. I don’t think the Shameless credits have changed in either pictures or words. The young children from 10 years ago are still the principle cast, just now they’re young adults. Even when some of them go missing for multiple seasons, they still appear in the opening credit sequence. (Because it’s never changed.) ---
**Author:** ![JoeBlank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@JoeBlank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeBlank)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/35 "2019-03-12T16:30:40Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I don’t think the Shameless credits have changed in either pictures or words. The young children from 10 years ago are still the principle cast, just now they’re young adults. > > Even when some of them go missing for multiple seasons, they still appear in the opening credit sequence. (Because it’s never changed.) I have binged watched Shameless of the last few months, and I recall noticing that Karen was originally in the opening. Her scene with Lip was replaced by the scene that appears to be Ian and Lip wrestling and then urinating, one of them in the sink. ---
**Author:** ![Garak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Garak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garak)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/36 "2019-03-12T18:46:51Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > If cast name changes count, it is a lot harder. MASH is what I thought of, though apparently there were changes in the video itself? I never noticed any changes to the opening sequences. when BJ joined the cast they added in a new video clip of him into the credits and when Radar left they cut him out of the video in the credits ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/37 "2019-03-12T18:57:43Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > 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. Not sure if this counts, but the first two seasons of Shameless used a white logo, while the rest of the seasons it was blue. And come to think of it, they did change it after Lip’s girlfriend Karen had the baby with downs syndrome and left with Jody. There used to be a scene in the credits with Karen holding Lip’s cigarette while he used the toilet, then it was changed to Lip and Ian wrestling before they both used the “facilities.” ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/38 "2019-03-12T19:03:50Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Except for the switch to color in 1966, _ **The Beverly Hillbillies** _ opening was the pretty much the same from 1962 to 1971. Later episodes included Raymond Bailey and Nancy Kulp in the opening. > [@terentii](#): > > Except for a couple of cast changes, I think the opening of _ **ST: TNG** _ was the same from 1987 to 1994. The first season or two started with shots from within the solar system; later seasons changed this. > [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > “60 Minutes”? 51 seasons; might be the winner. The stopwatch face has changed at least once. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > _I Love Lucy_. Six years with the same opening credits. If you mean the “heart” credits, those are the syndicated credits; I don’t think they used those on the CBS broadcasts. Speaking of which, that’s something else you have to take into account for earlier shows; sponsor changes. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/39 "2019-03-12T19:06:40Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > 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. TNG’s opening credits (ignoring cast changes) changed in season 3, season 5, and again in season 6. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923/40 "2019-03-12T20:52:38Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > 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. As someone else wrote, TNG changed in I believe Season 3. The panning past the planets in the beginning changes. DS9 actually changed a few times. The very first episode did not show the wormhole open at the end since they didn’t discover it until the end of the episode. Also, in season three the theme changes slightly to have a little more bass and sound more “military” for lack of a better word. They also changed the ships docking on the station. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-with-longest-running-unchanged-opening-credits/830923.md?page=3)