urban@spp2.UUCP (Mike Urban) (04/15/85)
In net.movies, there's an ongoing discussion of "favorite credits."
In net.singles, someone mentioned that he particularly liked
the computer-graphics titles for the TV show "Entertainment Tonight".
So...what are some of the opening titles or themes for TV shows
(past or present) that people feel are/were Truly Outstanding
and Memorable?
My vote goes to the opening titles for "Dallas". Graphically
elegant, good theme music, and really sets the stage for an
exciting show about bigger-than-life people in a sprawling
and prosperous Texas metropolis. What a shame that the show
itself isn't anything like what the titles promise!!
By the way, think carefully before you followup on this topic.
Let's try to !!AVOID!! the syndrome whereby twelve different people
post Rod Serling's opening narration for Twilight Zone (complete
with the different versions from different seasons), or whatever.
--
Mike Urban
{ucbvax|decvax}!trwrb!trwspp!spp2!urban
"You're in a maze of twisty UUCP connections, all alike"boren@randvax.UUCP (Pat Boren) (04/16/85)
> So...what are some of the opening titles or themes for TV shows > (past or present) that people feel are/were Truly Outstanding > and Memorable? I remember as a kid liking the Munsters and Addams Family openings, and closings. Let's see, the Munsters' credits were written in a ghosty style. And the look on Herman's face (when he comes thru the door) always cracked me up. As for the Addams Family, the song was great: ("They're creepy and they're spooky, mysterious and ooky, they're altogether kooky, the Addams Family. The house is a museum, when people come to see 'em, they really are a scre-am, the Addams Family...") The family "portrait" pose and the snapping fingers was funny too. And remember in the closing credits, Thing.....Itself Da da da da, Neat, da da da da, Sweet, da da da da, da da da da, da da da da, petite! -- -- decvax!randvax!boren
nyssa@abnji.UUCP (nyssa of traken) (04/17/85)
Nomination One: Initial Doctor Who credits (not shown in US), very far in advance of technology at the time Nomination Two: Police Squad (?) where the last scene froze but for one character that continued moving in a frozen world. -- James C. Armstrong, Jnr. ihnp4!abnji!nyssa In the sight of the Great Video, and of Varos, who gave his name to our planet, we pray that you accept the lives of these humble deviants, in recompense for their sins. We also pray that you look benignly upon us, and down upon your people as servants.
goodrum@unc.UUCP (Cloyd Goodrum) (04/18/85)
This is probably going to ruin my reputation, but I used to enjoy the occasional episodes of "Green Acres" when the characters would actually talk about the opening titles. You know, the opening scene would be in the Douglas's bedroom, "Produced By Paul Henning" would flash on the screen, and Lisa would sit up and shriek "Oleever, there's a name in the dark!" In another episode, Sam Drucker was trying to print the Hooterville paper and kept getting the opening credits instead. For instance, "Written By _____" would come rolling off the press and he'd look puzzled and say "but he don't write this paper!!" "Cagney And Lacey" has a great theme song. It's so good that the show itself (which is pretty good) often pales by comparison. If you don't have a lot of time to watch television, you can get 35 minutes worth of great entertainment on Monday nights by watching "Newhart" and not turning your set off until the theme song for C&L is over. The closing credits for the cartoon show "George Of The Jungle" ,with live action shots of various disasters, (car crashes,etc.) being shown while "WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!!!" is being sung in the background is rather amusing. >By the way, think carefully before you followup on this topic. >Let's try to !!AVOID!! the syndrome whereby twelve different people >post Rod Serling's opening narration for Twilight Zone (complete >with the different versions from different seasons), or whatever. >-- This is the only reason I didn't mention the theme from "Hill Street Blues".
jlt@duke.UUCP (John L. Turnley) (04/19/85)
In article <572@abnji.UUCP> nyssa@abnji.UUCP (nyssa of traken) writes: >Nomination Two: Police Squad (?) where the last scene froze but for >one character that continued moving in a frozen world. >-- >James C. Armstrong, Jnr. ihnp4!abnji!nyssa > In Police Squad the two main characters would give some typical end-of- cop-show dialogue and the action would freeze. It would be a normal freeze frame in a regular tv program, but here the actors would freeze while the camera kept filming. Of course, they couldn't hold their positions for long. Sometimes people in the background would move by mistake, flies would land on them, etc. Nice concept.
marc@pyuxd.UUCP (M Schare) (04/20/85)
Count one vote for the theme to MASH (Suicide is Painless).
--
Netnews is MORE FUN then Human Beings should be allowed to have!
Marc Schare (pyuxd!marc)broehl@wateng.UUCP (Bernie Roehl) (04/22/85)
<bug line>
After the finger snapping sequence, the final verse is:
So gather with your shawl on,
A broomstick you can crawl on,
We're going to pay a call on
The Addams Family!
--
-Bernie Roehl (University of Waterloo)
...decvax!watmath!wateng!broehlmp@allegra.UUCP (Mark Plotnick) (05/01/85)
I tend to remember theme music more than title shots (although bad title shots, such as the countdown during the third season of "Lost In Space", will live with me forever). Here are a few that I remember either as being reasonably good or as getting some radio airplay (I used to listen to the radio so much that anything played often enough began to sound good...): Hawaii Five-O (who composed this? The Ventures played it on radio) Mission: Impossible (Lalo Schifrin, I think) Hawkins (who wrote it?) Love American Style (the theme they had 1st season)(Cowsills) Laverne and Shirley (I think they stretched out the Happy Days theme and played it on the radio, too) MASH (also, try to see an older print of the movie, where the lyrics are sung over the opening credits) The Rockford Files (Post/Carpenter) The Greatest American Hero (Post/Geyer) Hardcastle&McCormick (Post/Geyer) (the one used in fall 84) Other Post or Post/Carpenter tunes that are sort of catchy are the themes from Hill Street Blues and Riptide. Mark
davidl@orca.UUCP (David Levine) (05/03/85)
I'm ashamed to admit this, but one of my favorite title sequences of all time has got to be "Wonder Woman" (only the seasons set during WWII). Pity the show didn't live up to it... (You think I'd put my real name to THAT?!?!)
rodean@hpfclo.UUCP (rodean) (05/08/85)
Of all the current TV shows, the best theme and background music goes to
"Miami Vice" hands down. Jan Hammer really gets going sometimes, and all
the other rock tunes are great and well coordinated with the video.
For defunct TV shows, the themes from "Barney Miller" and "Taxi" were
good. The latter song (an extended version) is on the "Touchdown" album
by Bob James. One more I just thought of--"Ironside" theme by Quincy
Jones, it had some neat opening electronic effects.
Bruce Rodean
{ihnp4|hplabs}!hpfcla!rodeanmike@hpfcmt.UUCP (mike) (05/12/85)
I can't think of any better theme music than Flatt and Scruggs doing the intro to 'The Beverly Hillbillies'. The show wasn't so great, but the music was worth listening to. I often switched to another program after the opening theme. Mike Forman HP Fort Collins