TV shows that changed their beginning sequences

Cafe Society
81

I never noticed Angel’s theme changing, but Buffy’s got rerecorded for the third (and subsequent) seasons. They also changed the font the logo was written in at some point, I don’t recall if it was for season 3 or earlier.

It was mentioned that Quantum Leap would change the scenes in the opening, but for the last season they also changed the theme. There was a lot of complaining about it, but I didn’t think it was bad. The final episode used the old theme, and for syndicated reruns, so did the rest of the season, at least I never saw the other theme again after NBC.

Someone already brought up The Drew Carey Show’s three main themes, but the last two seasons used a rotating set of remixes of each of the three. I don’t know how many different ones there were, but there were quite a few.

For the last season Alias had a different opening. IIRC, they actually showed the actors, not just names on a black background.
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The Office** recently added Andy to the opening, in addition to Michael, Jim, Pam, Dwight, and Ryan. There was also an alternate opening for the Superbowl episode with the entire cast actually getting shown, and an alternate Michael Scott Paper Company used for one episode.

Already been posted that The Simpsons redid the opening when they moved to HD, but they also reanimated it once before, I just can’t recall if it was for season 2 or season 3. Of course, they have many shorter versions used depending on how long the eps run, and have had a few alternate versions along the way (a live action one, one with everything looking wintery, etc)

Similarly, One Tree Hill used to occasionally drop the credits for “special” episodes (my guess is they just ran a little long and needed the extra time), but when they jumped forward 5 years they got rid of the opening for good. (And I hated that opening to Grey’s, :p)

82

Why in the heck is BJ Novak still in the opening of The Office? He gets less lines than Creed now. Also, they would sometimes show an extra long opening which had EVERYONE in the credits, including Creed.

Both Seinfeld and Frasier would change the color of the logo every season.

One that really got to me when I was a kid was how around season 5 of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, they completely changed the opening (still kept the same song)…what bothered me is that it included a scene of the turtles gathering around a pizza, only to THROW IT AT THE CAMERA.

The Simpsons actually has reanimated the opening three times. It was reanimated for season 2, in order to make it look far less crappy (with a couple of the characters who were introduced for that season) included, and reanimated again when the show started airing in HD (with some post-classic-style cringeworthy changes, such as Homer ACTUALLY GETTING RUN OVER in the garage). There were also a number of shorter versions of the season 2 opening (remember that except in the last 5 seconds, there are no actual credits over the opening, so it exists solely as a way to burn extra time), one which cuts straight to the couch gag, another which does chalk gag and then couch gag, and one which cuts out the second half of the opening (goes from the scene at the grocery store straight to the couch gag). There was also one episode (the Rush Limburgh one, I believe) where even the couch gag got skipped, and it went from the clouds right to the “executive producer” screen on the TV.

Malcolm In the Middle has an opening with scenes of season 1 mixed together with various fast paced anime/b-movie scenes. Around season 5, they changed the shots to scenes from season 4, since the kids all looked older now, but still kept the same stock footage.

South Park changes their opening every season. They basically do a “best of last season” montage, and the song gets remixed every couple years. Note that one of the montages had uncensored Muhammad in it! (even better was that that season included the Family Guy episode about how Muhammad could NOT appear on tv - yet there he was in the credits!)

83

Rhythmdvl already mentioned Farscape, but it wasn’t just the narration that was changed, but the theme and the whole opening sequence, between seasons 2 and 3. Plus assorted cast changes, of course.

And Battlestar Galactica had four episodes at the beginning of season 3 that took place mostly on the ground, rather than in space, and which had a different opening sequence (though the same theme).

84

It also has an alternate theme song done by the same artist as the normal one, including the lyrics “why dance around to the same old song?” That gets included every once in a while.

85

Something a lot more recent: The Late Late Show changed it’s opening to be more like SNL and other shows like that, instead of just clips of Craig.

And they added a new part to the song and made it sound a lot better.

86

In the not too distant future! Somewhere in time and space!

I think there were four or five different opening to MST3K, right?

87

Actually it’s “same damn song”, which I find a little unnecessarily sweary for a light fun show’s theme, but there ya go. And of course it’s by the same artist, it’s the… well… same damn song, just a longer version of it.

88

I’m surprised nobody mentioned the longer opening of Scrubs they used, then dumped.

Also, now that I think of it, Barney Miller had some pretty significant changes (albeit not immediately noticeable) - using freeze frames for the actor credits early and dropping them later in the run, different NYC skyline shots, different variations in the theme. Kind of borderline for this thread, but thought I’d throw it out there.

89

Or the single episode in which Kim appears at the end of the opening and turns the X-ray around, complaining that it’s been the wrong way around the whole time and it was driving her nuts.

90

The funny thing about the House intro that hasn’t changed… there are some people in that bad boy that are no longer on the show. And poor Talb and Thirteen will I guess never be in the main credits. Kutchner never got a chance.

91

Supernatural doesn’t have an opening sequence, but for an episode that spoofs a variety of genres of television, they made one that’s a parody of a sitcom opening sequence, complete with cheesy theme song and over the top antics. It’s pretty freaking funny, especially when compared to the usual bleakness and angst of the show.

92

Quite right! And the opening sequence for the musical episode, “Once More With Feeling,” was a total departure–in the style of a Big Hollywood Musical.

Then, there’s the famous episode in which a beloved character is finally added to the opening credits. Only to meet a sad end in that very episode. Bad Joss! (No names named, since we still have Buffy Newbies among us.)

93

I was surprised when “ER” changed their famous and distinctive theme music for the last season or two. After so many years of the same haunting and well-known theme to something completely different, everytime I heard it, I wondered why they would change it.

94

Not only did they change the music, they also dispensed with the credits in favor of a title card only approach. At the time, someone on another board theorized it was merely to save time (the show had been starting at 9:59 Eastern for several seasons but at that point got pushed back to 10:01 Eastern), but yeah, it sure was a sign that things had changed.

95

Judging by some of the shows cited, you people are REALLY OLD.

I love that. :slight_smile:

96

Or can only get reruns on our cable networks! Lol.

97

This was mentioned in a previous post, but come to think of it (excluding the movie)
0)KTMA experiement (all over the place)
1)Dr F & Dr. Lawrence
2)Dr F & TV’s Frank (prefaced w/ Dim Your Lights Where Applicable)
3)Same as 2, except movie name announced (reel 1)
4)Joel to Mike transition (changed from ‘Next Sunday, AD’)
5)Dr F alone (TV Frank departed for ‘Second Banana Heaven’) - Pearl F introduced.
6)Pearl F chasing after Mike & the Bots - (Now the ‘Somewhere in time and space’)
7)Pearl F in her castle, Mike & the Bots stuck in orbit. I think this was the last till series end.
There may have been a few other changes, but that’s the major ones I think.

Speaking of Mikes, moving from Mike Nelson to Mike Lowe, while Dirty Jobs uses a montage which can change over the seasons, the usual theme song ‘Faith No More’s’ ‘We care a lot’ was replaced in the second season, I guess due to rights disputes. It came back in the third season, and remains.

98

Oh, I just thought of a really obscure one which no-one else will get. For a number of years in the UK there was a fly-on-the-wall documentary series called “Airport” which followed various staff around Heathrow. (Sort of like the one in the US based around Southwest Airlines.)

For many years it had quite a forceful in-your-face opening tune, but in the last few years it changed to the same tune but played in a much more laid back way. The video montage was also changed.

While we’re in the UK, the long running police soap “The Bill” changed its opening a number of times. Not surprising since it has run since 1984 (but is due to end its run later this year).

99

If you want little details that are changed from one episode to the next, as opposed to the opening sequence being completely redone, TVTropes has a list of “Couch Gags.”

100

Star Trek: TNG changed its opening sequence dramatically after season 1. The first season showed a passage through Earth’s solar system, while later seasons used nebulae and alien planets.

(Season 5 added a “tunnel” effect to the series logo, but this was thankfully removed again in season 6.)