# What are the best TV opening sequences? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212 "2010-11-10T19:59:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/41 "2010-11-11T01:47:50Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > The Enterprise episode [“In a Mirror, Darkly.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk1NK8AXepk) > > I hate you, Mr. Excellent. > > 🙂 I get that a lot. 😃 You … aren’t going to kill me and steal my woman, are you? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/42 "2010-11-11T01:56:29Z")
_The Prisoner_ and _Miami Vice_ have already been mentioned but not _The Beverly Hillbillies_. _Saturday Night Live_? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/43 "2010-11-11T02:00:32Z")
Obviously, everyone’s been waiting for someone else to list _Mission: Impossible_, so I’ll do it. Although, given how little trouble the IMF group always seemed to have carrying out the Plan of the Week, maybe they should have called it Mission: Moderately Difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/44 "2010-11-11T02:03:00Z")
And the old _Dick Van Dyke Show_. Which makes me think of _The Mary Tyler Moore Show_. Which makes me think of _All in the Family_. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/45 "2010-11-11T02:22:44Z")
Oh crap, I see **Capitaine Zombie** got there first. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/46 "2010-11-11T02:22:52Z")
It’s clearly Doctor Who, from 1963: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKg9tuSbXmk) The whole theme: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8NPJ6GMXM3E/hqdefault.jpg "Doctor Who Theme Tune 1963-1969 by Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPJ6GMXM3E) Ron Grainger gets the credit, for various reasons, but it was Delia Derbyshire and the rest of the Radiophonic Workshop, making sounds cutting up tape by hand and fannying around with home-made oscillators and filters that made it sound like it does. Might try and sneak in another Delia thing, hey, beat matching 40-odd years ago… [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NDX_CS3NsTk/hqdefault.jpg "Reel-to-Reel Beat Matching Virtuosa") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDX_CS3NsTk) and hope the audio snippet works in this one outside the UK, in case anyone doubts the above: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7512490.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7512490.stm) And of course the Police Squad intro is the best parody one ever. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/47 "2010-11-11T02:42:21Z")
Another one that came to mind is [Mannix](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyZL_3bxD68). It tells you all you need to know: there’s gonna be a lot of chasing around and fighting in the next hour. (Not to mention a pretty girl or two.) ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/48 "2010-11-11T02:52:55Z")
I nominate [Dilbert](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6k0ZfE4Gr4). Great Danny Elfman music, interesting images, lots of action, and Dogbert. Who could ask for more? ---
**Author:** ![poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poker_in_the_rear)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/49 "2010-11-11T03:14:06Z")
Small Wonder Magnum PI ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/50 "2010-11-11T03:15:25Z")
Ah, and must add some love for MST3K. Are there currently any shows that have a theme song with the premise of the show ala _The Brady Bunch_, _Beverly Hillbillies_, _Gilligan’s Island_, _The Nanny_ or _MST3K_? If not, what was the most recent? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/51 "2010-11-11T03:18:26Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > I get that a lot. 😃 > You … aren’t going to kill me and steal my woman, are you? Is she cute? Does she like short guys? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/52 "2010-11-11T03:39:33Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > In the early 90s there was a syndicated version of The Untouchables. The theme was so great that even though I probably haven’t seen the show in 18 years I still hum it from time to time. [Here you go.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9xXWTkBT4g) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/53 "2010-11-11T03:50:43Z")
The Andy Griffith Show. Puts you right in the mood to visit Mayberry for 22 minutes or so. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/54 "2010-11-11T04:36:52Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > [Here you go.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9xXWTkBT4g) Thank you! Judging by the comments, I wasn’t the only one who liked the theme. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/55 "2010-11-11T04:48:02Z")
Lost didn’t have any real title sequence to speak of, did it? But it [should have](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAGdJqaa3ag&feature=related) . . . ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/56 "2010-11-11T05:21:25Z")
_The Simpsons_? _Futurama_? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/57 "2010-11-11T05:48:16Z")
_Six Feet Under._ I like the song for _The Sopranos_ but I never felt that watching Tony drive from the City to the Jersey suburbs was all that compelling. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/58 "2010-11-11T07:19:04Z")
Twin Peaks Saving Grace The Big C Curb Your Enthusiasm The Six Million Dollar Man The Bionic Woman Freaks and Geeks Intervention ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/59 "2010-11-11T07:19:24Z")
For visual effect with a specific purpose, I don’t see how it can get better than **Dexter**. If you are talking about the music, my current favorite is the theme for **Actors’ Studio**. (It was written by the same composer as **Twin Peaks**. All time theme favorites: **Mr. Lucky** and **Peter Gunn** both by Mancini. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212/60 "2010-11-11T07:33:23Z")
\*Mr. Belvedere \*was a mediocre show on its best day but the [opening song by Leon Redbone](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IUSSrldd0U)was one of the catchiest ever. Obscure entry: there was a very shortlived sitcom called Open All Night in the early 1980s- lasted less than a season- but I used to tune in just because I liked [the opening](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwxi62JpHnA&feature=related). It’s a montage of the life of an average shmo. As far as just theme music, Sanford & Son is- imo- the best instrumental opening ever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-tv-opening-sequences/560212.md?page=4)