The 60 Coolest TV Show Title Sequences of All Time
By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Guides | Comments (125)
Early television didn’t focus much on a show’s main title sequence; on most networks, a longer title sequence meant less time for commercials. They were utilitarian: They presented the names of the cast members, sometimes the characters would flash a grin or wink in a blur of swipes and dissolves, and often exterior shots of the city the show took place in were presented. Frequently, the main titles were simply clips from the show itself, edited down and spliced together under a theme song.
Theme songs were where it was at back in the 80s and 90s, but now the title sequence is as important — or more important than the music: It sets the mood and, in some cases, provides backstory (although, main titles that present backstories usually are not very good, e.g., “Battlestar Galactica.”) Back in the early 90s, these title sequences became such an integral part of a television show that an Emmy Category was devoted to them (one of the first nominees was “Downtown Julie Brown” over on MTV *wubba wubba wubba*). Now, all the cable shows have lavishly produced, complicated main title sequences that combine conceptual visuals and sound and often last more than a minute (the unimpressive-but-for-the-song “Treme” title sequence clocks in at a minute and 34 seconds; the “Entourage” theme is one minute long, and when added to the “Previously On” scenes, there’s barely any time left for a 20-22 minute show).
The best title sequences not only express the concept of a show, feature the typographic logo, and present the key production and cast members, but they capture our attention and draw us in to the show’s mood. These are the 60 Coolest Main Title Sequences of All Time.
Part I: 60- 41 || Part II: 40 - 21 || Part III: 20 - 1.
60. Big Bang Theory
59. Oz
58. John from Cincinnati
57. Lie to Me
56. Twin Peaks
55. Community
54. Nurse Jackie
Imaginary Forces - Nurse Jackie from Imaginary Forces on Vimeo.
53. Southland
52. Dark Skies
51. Max Headroom
50. Lost
49. Chuck
48. Rubicon
Rubicon Main Titles from Caleb Woods on Vimeo.
47. The Walking Dead
46. The Tudors
45. Downtown Abbey
44. Pretty Little Liars
43. Freak and Geeks
42. X-Files
41. The Twilight Zone
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Comments
Posted by: Luke at October 13, 2011 12:39 PM
I always loved how Fringe changes its Title credits depending on the Universe and timeframe it's suppose to be in