Top 10 best opening titles of a TV show
Some of my favorite TV shows have opening titles that are just OK. But sometimes the opening titles and the theme song are among the first things that drew me to a TV show, and that I enjoy watching every time.
This isn't just about the theme songs, but about the visuals and the song. Stay tuned for my top 10 best theme songs in a TV show, which is going to overlap a little, but not too much!
Honorary mention: The Vice, excellent UK cop drama (1999-2003) starring Ken Stott. It had relatively short, but great opening titles, with hypnotic visuals and a perfect use of "Sour Times" by Portishead. Unfortuntely, I can't find a video of it anywhere.
10. Heroes
The show itself turned to crap rather quickly, but this simple and short title sequence remained very effective...and possibly the best part of the show.
9. Six Feet Under
Great show, and a suitably morbid title sequence with a suitably inappropriate tune that's way too happy for the subject matter. Or maybe it's not.
8. The 10th Kingdom
A charming fantasy/comedy/drama miniseries (2000), starring Kimberly Williams, Scott Cohen, John Laroquette and Dianne Wiest. The title sequence sums up what happens: a father and daughter from New York find themselves in a different world, the nine kingdoms that the fairy tales are all about. The 10th kingdom is our world.
7. Millennium
Another case of the title sequence being better than the actual show. The haunting Gothic melody narrowly missed a place on my top 10 list of best theme songs. The visuals are as beautiful. They changed each of the 3 seasons. This is the title sequence for season 2.
6. Oz
One of my favorite shows. Even for HBO, it was an incredibly edgy and risky show. The guy who is getting tattooed is Tom Fontana, the creator, showrunner and writer or co-writer of every single episode (quite a rarity on US TV!).
5. Battlestar Galactica
Besides the amazing song by Bear McCreary, the shot of Cylon attack and the destruction of Earth are very effective, as is the countdown of the remaining survivors, and the dynamic montage of scenes from each episode, whose only problem is that they could spoil it... However, I never had a problem with this since the scenes go by very quickly!
4. Mad Men
The only animated title sequence on the list, it was apparently inspired by Saul Bass's opening titles for Hitchcock's North by Northwest and the poster for Vertigo. The music is a short edit of "A Beautiful Mine" by RJD2.
(Sorry but I can't find any video that allows embedding)
www.youtube.com/watch
3. Rome
Simply amazing, the images, the animation, the music, everything.
2. Carnivàle
I was really angry at HBO for cancelling this show. It didn't always fulfill its potential, but it was a very original blend of supernatural themes and gritty realism. Someone described it as a mix of John Steinbeck, Stephen King and Clive Barker. The music is beautiful, but it's the images that make it compelling - Tarot cards blending into artistic paintings, mixed with real life footage from the 1920s.
1. True Blood
I almost gave the #1 spot to Carnivale, but in the end, this title sequence that uses real life footage and different images in as compelling way as the Carnivale titles, won out because it's simply more dynamic and exciting. Not to mention the song. This is exactly the kind of title sequence that makes me want to watch a show.
This entry was originally posted at http://timetravellingbunny.dreamwidth.org/. Comment here or there, as you like.
This isn't just about the theme songs, but about the visuals and the song. Stay tuned for my top 10 best theme songs in a TV show, which is going to overlap a little, but not too much!
Honorary mention: The Vice, excellent UK cop drama (1999-2003) starring Ken Stott. It had relatively short, but great opening titles, with hypnotic visuals and a perfect use of "Sour Times" by Portishead. Unfortuntely, I can't find a video of it anywhere.
10. Heroes
The show itself turned to crap rather quickly, but this simple and short title sequence remained very effective...and possibly the best part of the show.
Click to view9. Six Feet Under
Great show, and a suitably morbid title sequence with a suitably inappropriate tune that's way too happy for the subject matter. Or maybe it's not.
8. The 10th Kingdom
A charming fantasy/comedy/drama miniseries (2000), starring Kimberly Williams, Scott Cohen, John Laroquette and Dianne Wiest. The title sequence sums up what happens: a father and daughter from New York find themselves in a different world, the nine kingdoms that the fairy tales are all about. The 10th kingdom is our world.
7. Millennium
Another case of the title sequence being better than the actual show. The haunting Gothic melody narrowly missed a place on my top 10 list of best theme songs. The visuals are as beautiful. They changed each of the 3 seasons. This is the title sequence for season 2.
6. Oz
One of my favorite shows. Even for HBO, it was an incredibly edgy and risky show. The guy who is getting tattooed is Tom Fontana, the creator, showrunner and writer or co-writer of every single episode (quite a rarity on US TV!).
5. Battlestar Galactica
Besides the amazing song by Bear McCreary, the shot of Cylon attack and the destruction of Earth are very effective, as is the countdown of the remaining survivors, and the dynamic montage of scenes from each episode, whose only problem is that they could spoil it... However, I never had a problem with this since the scenes go by very quickly!
4. Mad Men
The only animated title sequence on the list, it was apparently inspired by Saul Bass's opening titles for Hitchcock's North by Northwest and the poster for Vertigo. The music is a short edit of "A Beautiful Mine" by RJD2.
(Sorry but I can't find any video that allows embedding)
www.youtube.com/watch
3. Rome
Simply amazing, the images, the animation, the music, everything.
2. Carnivàle
I was really angry at HBO for cancelling this show. It didn't always fulfill its potential, but it was a very original blend of supernatural themes and gritty realism. Someone described it as a mix of John Steinbeck, Stephen King and Clive Barker. The music is beautiful, but it's the images that make it compelling - Tarot cards blending into artistic paintings, mixed with real life footage from the 1920s.
1. True Blood
I almost gave the #1 spot to Carnivale, but in the end, this title sequence that uses real life footage and different images in as compelling way as the Carnivale titles, won out because it's simply more dynamic and exciting. Not to mention the song. This is exactly the kind of title sequence that makes me want to watch a show.
This entry was originally posted at http://timetravellingbunny.dreamwidth.org/. Comment here or there, as you like.