Four versions, actually. The first season originally had a series of still photos of the characters, which did change as the season went on. It also showed Van Dyke holding up a box of detergent (the sponsor)
The two old guys in the box seat said something different every episode as well right (during the opening sequence)
I think in the Wild Wild West opening, some of the little picture boxes had scenes from that episode. That may have been just for the commercial breaks, but I think it was done at the beginning also. Anyone else remember that?
Yes, but while there were minor variations from season to season, they didn’t change with each episode.
It didn’t show scenes from that particular episode?
Yes, right before the final tag in the theme song:
[ul]
[li]The audience calls out the performers “WHY DON’T YOU GET THINGS STARTED?”[/li][li]Statler and Waldorf (the “old guys in the box seats”) yell out a heckle[/li][li]Cast sings the final tag of the song (extended to “Most sensational inspiration celebrational Muppetational . . .”)[/li][li]Then Gonzo appears in the “O” of the Muppet Show banner and is subjected to some destructive gag[/li][/ul]
But, as an added extra bonus, Statler and Waldorf also have a difference joke during the CLOSING CREDITS of every episode!
(in the tacet right before the final bar of the instrumental version of the theme song ending with Zoot’s final toot on his sax)
After looking at it on YouTube, I think you’re right.
The final scene of the preceding act was freeze-framed at each commercial break, replacing the animated gags from the show’s opening until all four of the peripheral frames were filled (the central frame contained the title “The Wild, Wild, West”). I think the freeze-frames were originally done in Daguerreotype style, and then became less “period” in seasons 2–4.
And each episode ended with a different freeze frame gag, usually with Frank and Ed freezing in place while the camera continued to roll with action continuing to take place around them. One time for example, they froze while a chimpanzee was wreaking havoc scattering papers around. Another time they froze while Ed was pouring Frank a cup of coffee. The coffee continued to pour into Frank’s cup, overflowing it.
I was only counting variants of the ottoman gag.
Also in Police Squad, after the opening credits and the first commercial break, the scene always started with Drebbin parking his car and knocking over some garbage cans. In episode one, he knocked over one can; in episode two, he knocked over two, etc. It’s too bad the show only lasted six episodes.
My favorite freeze-frame gag was the one where the guy they just arrested notices that all the cops are suddenly frozen, so he tries to use the opportunity to escape. Unfortunately the door is blocked by a large frozen cop, and the only other exit is blocked by the glass of your TV screen.
How about Dragnet? Joe Friday would talk about different parts of Los Angeles before each episode.
that was also done on radio to set the scene.
However I Spy with Culp and Cosby, did something similar. The screen was cut into horizontal strips and Culp’s eyes, on the top, watched scenes from the show being shown in the middle. And reacted to them, especially when his character was getting beat up.
Green Acres often had credit gags. In one episode Lisa was picking up eggs, each of which had a credit under it, which she saw. But it didn’t happen every episode.
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.
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?
Matt Groening actually cites this as his direct inspiration for the couch gags, if I recall correctly from the DVD commentaries.
So then we’re going with the Mickey Mouse club as the earliest? And all these examples are great, I didn’t realize just how prevalent it was
Post #5.
The car changed over the seasons, and I think later seasons showed some of the monuments around D.C., but it didn’t change from one episode to the next.
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.