# What was the first TV show to have a "Simpsons Couch Gag" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 2, 2014, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246 "2014-09-02T12:35:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/41 "2014-09-04T02:59:31Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The cars were mostly affordable-level sports cars, as befit Smart’s status as something of a low-rent James Bond; they were a Sunbeam Alpine, a Volkswage Karmann Ghia, and an Opel GT. It was actually a [Sunbeam Tiger](http://www.allpar.com/cars/adopted/sunbeam/tiger.html), which was the higher performance version of the Alpine with a fat Ford V8 rather than a 1600 Hillman engine. Beautiful cars. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/42 "2014-09-04T03:04:18Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > It was actually a [Sunbeam Tiger](http://www.allpar.com/cars/adopted/sunbeam/tiger.html), which was the higher performance version of the Alpine with a fat Ford V8 rather than a 1600 Hillman engine. Beautiful cars. My mistake, yes, it was a Tiger. Or at least, it was supposed to be seen as one on the show. But according to Wikipedia, it was an Alpine under the skin because the smaller engine gave them more room to mount gadgets. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/43 "2014-09-04T07:58:35Z")
Before the Gonzo trumpet gags, the first season of the Muppets had a completely different opening sequence and the variable gag was [Gonzo gonging the letter O in “Show”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6crBhAANRg). The DVDs and syndicated episodes have all been replaced with the newer opening. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/44 "2014-09-04T11:40:31Z")
Not a particularly early example, but a good one; the second series of Blackadder had themed credits at the start, and different annoying themed lyrics sung by the annoying minstrel during the closing credits. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/45 "2014-11-22T18:03:42Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > The color of the word “Frasier” changed from season to season, but whatever happened to the Seattle skyline was different every episode (for the most part, they had about 10 or 15 go-to sights gags that they recycled) More than that. I’ve started re-watching Frasier from the beginning. Something I noticed watching episodes back to back is the music at the beginning changes from episode to episode. There’s about 25 different ones. I don’t recall noticing that first time around. I’d guess that in between the different animations, the different music, and the different colour letters, no two openings are the same… probably. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/46 "2014-11-22T18:37:20Z")
Probably not the oldest, but every Garfield and Friends had Garfield saying a different thing at the end of the opening credits. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/47 "2014-11-22T19:27:28Z")
Not exactly the same as a new gag for each episode, but didn’t All in the Family feature Archie and Edith singing the theme live in front of the studio audience before each episode? ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/48 "2014-11-22T21:21:43Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Not exactly the same as a new gag for each episode, but didn’t All in the Family feature Archie and Edith singing the theme live in front of the studio audience before each episode? They didn’t perform it live for every episode, but they did record multiple versions as the series progressed. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/49 "2014-11-22T21:59:10Z")
How about _SOAP_ ?? Loved that show. It may not have changed every episode, but first they all posed for the portrait, then ceiling comes down, later added more family members, even later added them fighting each other when the picture snapped and then added the ceiling come down crashing on them when they fought. [One Opening.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgzgR2bpqF4) Bonus: My favorite scene: [Bob & Chuck Mindreading](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwDbd4jQpkA) ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/50 "2014-11-23T18:04:02Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Mission: Impossible** ’s opening credits featured a hand striking a match and lighting the animated fuse, which burned across a series of smash cuts from that evening’s episode, all to Lalo Schifrin’s jazz score. The opening of the first season of _Space 1999_ also did “This Episode…” smash cuts highlighting exciting scenes coming up. Different production company from MI, but maybe Bain and Landau liked that kind of intro. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/51 "2014-11-23T18:20:27Z")
Also [Thunderbirds](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfIAKj3Gl1E) ---
**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:** [November 23, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/52 "2014-11-23T21:01:15Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > My memory’s a bit foggy on this but didn’t _Get Smart_ have a few different gags during its opening and closing credits? Or did they only change the credit sequence at the beginning of each season? Just changes from one season to the next. In the earliest NBC episodes, you see him round a corner in his car; in the later ones, you see him in a longer-range shot drive up to it; in the last season, which was on CBS (and the theme song and credits changed), it starts with shots of DC landmarks. ---
**Author:** ![MakeSweetPassionateSenseToMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@MakeSweetPassionateSenseToMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MakeSweetPassionateSenseToMe)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246/53 "2014-12-01T04:14:33Z")
In the opening to _The Critic_, Jay would wake up to a different news story on the radio and the very same opening ended with a short film parody to which Jay Sherman would announce “It Stinks!”. Not the earliest, by a long shot, but the thread got the theme song stuck in my head, so I can only hope to do the same to some of you fine folks. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-tv-show-to-have-a-simpsons-couch-gag/697246.md?page=2)