# TV shows that changed their beginning sequences **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917 "2010-05-18T17:59:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/61 "2010-05-19T05:23:37Z")
The pilot episode of The Nanny had an opening with Fran putting on makeup in a mirror, then walking off into the distance with a baby carriage (which was silly as none of the children in the TV series were young enough to be in a baby carriage). Thankfully it was switched to the now-famous animated opening with the theme song, and the pilot animation has never been shown again, not even on the first season DVD. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/62 "2010-05-19T05:30:14Z")
_Perry Mason_ (the original series) went through several iterations of the video, all set to the same theme music. YouTube has them available if you search “Perry Mason intro”. _The Partridge Family_ changed the entire lyrics to the opening song fairly early on (“When We’re Singing” ——\> “C’mon Get Happy”) _Gunsmoke_ went through a couple versions (some black-and-white, some in color) of the shootout on mainstreet opening, plus some later versions that didnt’ feature the shootout at all, but instead had the actors’ pictures in little oval picture frames crop up… in addition to all that I faintly recall seeing an intro that had a real ominous voice-over something vaguely like “Gunsmoke… by the time you can smell it, it’s too late”, although I was so young back then that might have been an ad for the show instead of the opening credits. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/63 "2010-05-19T06:19:29Z")
The animated intro to [The Wild Wild West](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYCgq8q9Ofw) had color added and the theme music jazzed up, which would hardly rate a mention here, but [one change](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX_ibEv_fS0) rather shocked me the first time I saw it. Which was in reruns, of course! ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/64 "2010-05-19T08:26:24Z")
I think “Lost in Space” had a different start later on. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/65 "2010-05-19T11:37:58Z")
Of course, _Three’s Company_ went from Jack doing a pratfall off his bike and Janet watering Chrissy out the window to Jack, Janet, and whatsername and Furley at the bumper cars to Jack, Janet, and Teri at the zoo. ---
**Author:** ![Charley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/97f17d/32.png) [@Charley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charley)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/66 "2010-05-19T11:52:08Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Hmm, I bet a lot of these changes in opening themes are misremembered. We need a more accurate assessment method. > > Y’know… a thematic perception test. That was beautiful. Thank you. To justify my post, I had to really dredge but … _The Wonder Pets_ changes the episode title and its style, the contents of the schoolroom and occasionally other things too. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/67 "2010-05-19T12:24:48Z")
_ **Ed** _ used the Foo Fighters’ “Next Year” as its theme song during season 1. But the band and the show’s producers got into some sort of legal dispute over it, so in season 2 it was Clem Snide’s “Moment in the Sun.” Then, though, the Foo Fighters and the producers resolved their differences and “Next Year” was back for seasons 3 and 4. ---
**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 19, 2010, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/68 "2010-05-19T12:33:59Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Star Trek also had two different versions of its theme: one purely instrumental, and one with a singer. No it did not. I watched the show in the original run and there was only one theme song – purely instrumental. Gene Roddenberry wrote lyrics to the theme, but that was to get songwriter royalties; they were absolutely awful and were never used in the show. [Snopes link](http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/trek.asp). ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/69 "2010-05-19T13:08:09Z")
I was watching a re-run from \*A Different World \*last night - and that theme entry definitely changed. Of course, a huge part of this was because Lisa Bonet was in the cast originally, and then it all changed. But the stylizing was pretty different too. Originally they had 4 main cast members and had them doing different scenes around town: washing a car, jumping rope with some young kids, playing the piano on the back of a pick-up truck, talking on a pay phone, etc. Once Lisa Bonet and Marisa Tomei had left - the show went to the more bright colored, choreographed opening. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/70 "2010-05-19T13:39:22Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > There was an episode of _Family Guy_ where they did the opening in [Law & Order style](http://www.genspot.com/Video/ShowVideo.aspx?video_id=204661). And in one episode they make it most of the way through the regular opening sequence only to have Peter fall down the stairs and crush one of the showgirls. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/71 "2010-05-19T13:49:46Z")
> [@Rrose\_Selavy](#): > > I think “Lost in Space” had a different start later on. Yes, yes it did. The original theme was written by John Williams (yes, that John Williams). In season 3, it was rewritten by Williams to include the countdown sequence and a much better song. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/72 "2010-05-19T13:50:01Z")
In addition to a different opening sequence each season, Buffy the Vampire Slayer also ran a once-off opening for the episode “Superstar.” The plot of the episode involved the tertiary character Jonathan making a deal with a demon to be the most famous person in the world, so the credits reflected his “new” influence and status. He was in every snippet, doing hero-y things. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/73 "2010-05-19T14:09:46Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > And in one episode they make it most of the way through the regular opening sequence only to have Peter fall down the stairs and crush one of the showgirls. There’s another spoofing the opening of the _Naked Gun_ movies too, following Stewie on his tricycle. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/74 "2010-05-19T14:35:14Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > > [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > > > Star Trek also had two different versions of its theme: one purely instrumental, and one with a singer. > > No it did not. I watched the show in the original run and there was only one theme song – purely instrumental. Gene Roddenberry wrote lyrics to the theme, but that was to get songwriter royalties; they were absolutely awful and were never used in the show. He didn’t say lyrics, he said a singer. And yes, there were versions with and without a wordless female voice singing the melody. ---
**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:** [May 19, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/75 "2010-05-19T15:20:44Z")
_Robot Chicken_ has had at least one Christmas-themed and one _Star Wars_-themed opening sequence. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/76 "2010-05-19T22:29:39Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **The Dick van Dyke Show** had two openings – one where he trips over the hassock and another where he avoids it. I thought that the difference was due to whether or not it was a rerun or not. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/77 "2010-05-20T01:54:04Z")
_Leave It to Beaver_ also had different opening sequences. [Leave It to Beaver - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leave_It_to_Beaver#Opening_and_closing_sequences) > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > > > Star Trek also had two different versions of its theme: one purely instrumental, and one with a singer. > > No it did not. I watched the show in the original run and there was only one theme song – purely instrumental. Gene Roddenberry wrote lyrics to the theme, but that was to get songwriter royalties; they were absolutely awful and were never used in the show. > > [Snopes link](http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/trek.asp). Yes, it did. Your Snopes link says only that the lyrics were never used. But I didn’t say anything about lyrics. In the sung version that was used, a soprano sings the theme on “ah”, not words. Actually, there were more than two versions of the theme. [Theme from Star Trek - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_from_Star_Trek#History) I didn’t watch all of it in the original run. But I’ve definitely heard both versions in syndication. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/78 "2010-05-20T01:58:54Z")
“Two and a half men” used basically the same opening, except at the end they showed the characters from the first season morphing into the characters of the current season. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/79 "2010-05-20T03:00:22Z")
> [@Lord\_Mondegreen](#): > > “Two and a half men” used basically the same opening, except at the end they showed the characters from the first season morphing into the characters of the current season. We wish they wouldn’t do that! The boy creeps us out with his speed growing. Make them stop it! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917/80 "2010-05-20T17:53:37Z")
I dream of Jennie originally had a live opening when she comes out of the bottle and gives Tony a loooooong kiss. Later the opening was a cartoon where she danced and gave him a little peck on the check. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-changed-their-beginning-sequences/539917.md?page=5)