I miss the opening credits of TV shows.
Credits are very serious now.
Let's face it, TV is better than the movies these days, so opening credits are sometimes high art (did you catch Feud?), whereas in the past, opening-credits montages were very hit-or-miss, often shot when a show wasn't guaranteed to be picked up, then not necessarily refreshed (money-money-money) for a few seasons.
This slapdash approach led to some delightfully goofy moments, and it also led to some transcendently artful images.
My list of 40 memorable moments from opening-credits sequences contains a little of both, light and lovely.
History's 150 Best TV Theme Songs — My Personal List
Check out my list, and let me know which others stick out in your mind ...
*************************
Mary Tyler Moore(1970), Hats Off, Mary!
One of the most iconic moments in any opening-credits sequence had to be when Mary Tyler Moore (1936-2017), whose character has just moved to Minneapolis, joyfully spun and tossed her hat in the air ahead of Mary Tyler Moore(1970-1977). Such a perfect moment of abandon, and the precise moment she went from being a big TV star to being an icon.
*************************
Three's Company(1977), Suzanne Somers's Butt Gets Watered
Considering the angst she caused behind the scenes, it's surprising she didn't melt, but ya gotta love Suzanne Somers's (b. 1946) surprise when Joyce DeWitt (b. 1949) accidentally watered her backside in the earliest Three's Company(1977-1984) opening. You can tell from watching it now that she was still the original Chrissy Snow, before the character became a lobotomized makeup case. The actress was inadvertently setting herself up really well for a ThighMaster empire!
*************************
Golden Girls(1985), Blanche Struts Her Stuff
The earliest Golden Girls (1985-1992) opening used snippets from shows in the first season that had yet to air, and it was a while before they were updated, beating the images into our heads forever.
Golden Oldies: 100 Most Memorable Golden GirlsGuest Spots!
Always been fascinated by Blanche's cat(-in-heat)walk. Remember that Rue McClanahan (1934-2010) was just over 50 years old when she shot this.
*************************
That Girl(1966), In the Wink of an Eye
They didn't have selfies in the '60s, so the next closest thing was imagining yourself as a store mannequin and waving at yourself, then winking back at yourself. It was like narcissism having a sale!
The opening of That Girl(1966-1971) featured vivacious New Yorker Marlo Thomas (b. 1937) expressing how happy she was notto be in a fly-over state, but the best part was her odd hallucination that put her in a store window. This always freaked me out. It was a little bit like the Anne Francis (1930-2011) episode ofThe Twilight Zone(1959-1964) ... just more playful. (I also think this opening was maybe an inspiration for the opening of Mary Tyler Moore.)
*************************
M*A*S*H(1972), The Front Runner
Lots of people run their asses off in TV series opening credits, but none more famously than Kathy Denny Fradella (b. circa 1950) in the credits for M*A*S*H(1972-1983). Though she was just an extra who never worked on the show again, she was front and center in every take of the nurses because she had been a runner in high school.
*************************
The Brady Bunch(1969), The One Day When The Lady Met This Fellow
The Brady Bunch (1969-1974) is one of those shows so impossibly corny, it could never be repeated out of the context in which it was originally created without losing its magic. Already in possession of one of TV's best titles sequence overall, BBalso features one breathtakingly genuine moment — when Florence Henderson (1934-2016) and Robert Reed (1932-1992) gazed lovingly at each other, their real-life rapport lit up the screen, every time. That they weren't even looking at each other in real life when the shot was taken speaks to their acting ability as well as their personal affection.
*************************
Hawaii Five-O(1968), Blue Wave
Countless TV opening sequences make use of generic cityscapes and establishing shots — think of the Golden Gate Bridge forToo Close for Comfort(see below), the projects for Good Times(1974-1979), the Twin Towers for Barney Miller(see below) ... but Hawaii Five-O's (1968-1980) simple wall of water was instantly iconic, and instantly alerted you to the setting. (All the locals snapping their heads to stare into the camera helped, too.)
Beautiful image to this day.
*************************
The Jeffersons(1975), Fly George
From the very earliest part of the opening credits of The Jeffersons(1975-1985), George Jefferson's character was expertly established by the late Sherman Hemsley (1938-2012) — being aggressive in the cab, hustling his wife into his new, East Side digs and swinging his arms with ghetto-fabulosity. He was the first Donald Trump (b. 1946), except he would've rented to black folks.
*************************
Bewitched (1966), Twitchcraft
With just the twitch of her lips, the animated Elizabeth Montgomery (1933-1995) in those adorable Bewitched(1964-1972) made everyone believe in magic. How many of us thought we might be able to summon witchcraft if we tried hard enough ... back in the days when witchcraft was a harmless goof for a sitcom, and not grounds for a Christian militia to come after you.
*************************
The Addams Family(1964), Snap-Snap? Snip-Snip
One of the catchiest TV theme songs ever played over one of the most stylishly directed openings, one that still plays well today.
My fave moment — aside from the hipster snapping that's so modern you almost wonder if the characters would be comfortable talking about problematic representations of “ooky” people — has to be when Morticia, played by the great Carolyn Jones (1930-1983) — dispassionately beheaded her flowers.
If there be thorns ... all the better.
*************************
Friends(1994), Lisa Kudrow Really Selling That Water-Fountain Dance
The clever opening of Friends (1994-2004) in the first season was that high-concept, sofa-by-the-water-fountain gimmick, with everyone in the ensemble wearing black-and-white ensembles. It worked. It established the actors as a team we were rooting for, and the goofy dancing they did in the opening was funnier than most of the stuff the actors got to do early on (that changed as they loosened into their characters and the writing got edgier).
Although Matt LeBlanc (b. 1967) and David Schwimmer (b. 1966) also really went for it with the white-boy dancing, it was Lisa Kudrow's (b. 1963) modified go-go girl shimmy that always seemed to be the climax of the clip. I wonder how much she was not feeling it, even as she pretended to be feeling it more than anyone, that day?!
*************************
I Dream of Jeannie(1966), Sucks to Be Jeannie
I'm using the color version of the I Dream of Jeannie(1965-1970) opening (the series was black-and-white in its first year) because it's so saturated and '60s. The moment when our animated Barbara Eden (b. 1931) as Jeannie/genie was sucked sideways back into her bottle was slapstick, but her unbothered eyes blinking from inside? Pure burlesque.
*************************
Fantasy Island(1977), The You-Know What! The You-Know What!
If you're gonna tell me you don't know the voice-over used in conjunction with this image of Hervé Villechaize (1943-1993) in the Fantasy Island(1977-1984) opening credits, I'm going to tell you you're 40 or under. The iconic moment was more famous than the show's theme, which nobody would be able to hum today.
*************************
Petticoat Junction(1963), Don't Drink the Water
Petticoat Junction (1963-1970)had one of TV's catchiest theme songs, which was enhanced by an innocent/risqué opening sequence in which gorgeous Jeannine Riley (b. 1940), Linda Kaye Henning (b. 1944) and Pat Woodell (1944-2015) — and their unnamed dog — were shown peeking their heads out from the water tower in which they'd clearly been bathing, grabbing their clothing and disappearing again for modesty. Delicious cheesecake. Only Henning went on to stay with the series until the end, seven years later.
*************************
Laverne & Shirley(1976), Quality Control
The entire opening of Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983) was a thoroughly convincing and effortlessly quirky montage of '50s female bonding that stood in stark contrast to the hussies the girls played on the Happy Daysepisode that earned them this spin-off.
Every moment is memorable — none more so than the famous, “Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer, Incorporated!” beginning, which was more reliant on the words than the images — but my favorite was the part where Laverne nonchalantly plucked Shirley's work glove from her mitts and sticks it on a passing bottle at their assembly-line job. It perfectly summed up the girls' harmlessly antagonistic, slapstick relationship, even calling to mind Lucy & Ethel's classic candy-wrapping escapade.
*************************
Green Acres(1965), New York Is Vhere I'd Rahther Stay
The real love story of Green Acres (1965-1971) wasn't the sexless union of glam Lisa and uptight Oliver, it was the affair Lisa left behind when she was forced to leave Manhattan! Just look at her luxuriating in her penthouse — complete with Mondrian — as she, dressed like she just stepped from Mount Olympus, threw open her balcony doors to drink in the city. There isn't any other borough, dahling.
*************************
Charlie's Angels(1976), Hazardous Duties
Farrah Fawcett (1947-2009) was only on Charlie's Angels(1976-1981) for a season (plus six later appearances), but I never got over her probably offensively adorable reaction shot in the debut-season opener, showing her happily finishing some paperwork, only to receive a whole new stack of it.
This opener had plenty of classic and classy moments — who can forget the three women striding toward the camera, or Kate Jackson's (b. 1948) target practice, or a close second to Farrah's moment, Jaclyn Smith (b. 1945) whipping her hair back after removing that motorcycle helmet? Va-va-voom.
*************************
Happy Days(1974), Sit on It, Potsie — But Not Like That!
The first season of Happy Days (1974-1984) boasted an opening sequence that had almost nothing to do with the show's future opening sequences, and that vibed a lot more with American Graffiti(1973): a series of '50s-era vignettes (a girl losing her ponytail thanks to a convertible snafu; a straight-faced copper wearing a milkshake after the sociable carhop gets distracted; boys slicking back their hair in the john) interspersed with character-establishing scenes featuring the stars.
One of the cutest was a mildly gay-panic moment showing Ron Howard's (b. 1954) Richie and Anson Williams's Potsie (b. 1949) suavely putting their arms around their dates at a movie, only to find they're GASP!touching hands.
The long-running show's later openings felt a lotmore '70s than '50s.
*************************
The Bionic Woman(1976), Are You Into Crushing?
Watching Jaime Sommers/Lindsay Wagner (b. 1949) expressing shock and delight as she crushed a mighty, er, tennis ball in the Bionic Woman(1976-1978) credits — that never got old.
When Sommers had been killed off during the course of The Six Million Dollar Man(1974-1978), it was such a drag that the audience all but demanded she be revived, so ABC persuaded Wagner to come back. Even in the credits, you pick up on Wagner's sense of humor and earthiness.
*************************
The Courtship of Eddie's Father(1969), Breaking the Waves
Something about The Courtship of Eddie's Father(1969-1972) broke my heart every time I watched it. There was a solemnity to it that emanated from the California-earnest dad, played by Bill Bixby (1934-1993) and his ethereal housekeeper, played by Miyoshi Umeki (1929-2007).
Watching the incredible bond between Eddie/Brandon Cruz (b. 1962) and his dad might have made any kid question his own relationship with his father, and nowhere was their unique connection more beautifully etched than in the brief sequence of the two attempting to outrun the roaring surf in the opening season.
*************************
The Munsters(1964), Once Bitten
The Munsters(1964-1966) had a deliciously evil opening its first season, one in which Lily, played by divine Yvonne De Carlo (1922-2007), offered her hand to her father, played by devilish Al Lewis (1923-2006), only to have to yank it back when her vampiric daddy tried to open a vein. Tsk-tsk! The incestuous feel was probably not lost on the censors, as another version — in which he went for her neck — was created for overseas use.
P.S. Lewis was, in real life, younger than the woman playing his daughter.
*************************
Dynasty(1981), Puff Piece
Dynasty(1981-1989) was a whole lotta nothing until Joan Collins (b. 1933) joined in, and the difference in the opening credits was palpable, too, featuring Joan as Alexis villainously inhaling some demon nicotine. It was great, escapist fun.
*************************
Gimme a Break!(1981), Don't Try Nell
Gimme a Break! (1981-1987) brought Broadway baby Nell Carter (1948-2003) to national prominence, allowing her to show off her vocal chops and comedic talents — and also her big heart.
Here she was shaking' her stuff at the Night of 100 Stars fashion show in 1982:
In the show's original opening, I always loved her reaction to that taste of ice cream ... talk about relatable!
Sadly, Nell Carter died young, but we'll always have Nell Harper.
*************************
The Jetsons(1962), On the Money
The year before Betty Friedan (1921-2006) published her The Feminine Mystique(1963), the title sequence for The Jetsons (1962-1963 — yes, less than six months!) featured Jane Jetson demanding a cash allowance from hubby George before absconding with his whole wallet and dashing off to a mall. Women! (Of course, George came off no better, arriving at work just in time to kick up his feet and doze off, like Donald Trump at a G7 conference.)
Random note: Both of the Jetson kids were voiced by actors in their forties, one of whom just recently died at nearly 100 years old — Judy aka Janet Waldo (1920-2017).
*************************
Too Close for Comfort(1980), Henry Bends Over Backwards
Too Close for Comfort's (1980-1987) Ted Knight (1923-1986) was only 56 (the white hair made him read older) when he filmed the scene in which he, a stuffy dad, sat on his daughters' newfangled, structureless couch and did a backflip, but it always impressed me how well he did such a potentially injurious stunt. He died just six years later, of cancer, meaning that both of his TV daughters — Deborah Van Valkenburgh (b. 1952) and Lydia Cornell (b. 1953) — are now older than Knight when he died.
BTW, a close second to this moment is the one in which the faboosh Nancy Dussault (b. 1936) lowered her newspaper and acts surprised that the camera is focusing on her. This kind of awkward breaking of the fourth wall/mimicking of reality TV now reminds me of later shows like The Office(2005-2013) and Modern Family(2009-).
*************************
Gilligan's Island (1964), High Drama on the High Seas
The original, black-and-white Gilligan's Island (1964-1967) opening, as was the case with later versions, was dominated by portraits of the stars (minus the Professor and Mary Ann!), but one part that never failed to make me laugh was the cringeworthy re-creation of the storm, showing Gilligan and the Skipper struggling to navigate. It's no wonder the Minnow was almost lost.
The other moment in the Gilligan's Island opening that will live forever was the introduction of Tina Louise (b. 1934) as the Movie Star, sung with gay reverence by a group called the Eligibles. (The Wellingtons had sung the song in Season 1, with more of a folk, golly-gee-whiz vibe.) How Tina didn't get an Emmy just for that flicker of Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) OOMPH, I'll never know.
*************************
Murder, She Wrote(1985), Driving Miss Fletcher Crazy
Angela Lansbury (b. 1925) never won an Emmy in all the time she slummed on Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996), but maybe it was because of her ... broad? ... approach to the role. Of course, it was charming as hell, and we all love her, but her silent-movie-level portrayal of being startled in the credits always reminded me not to expect anything too genuinely spine-tingling. I still watched every episode. Every. One.
*************************
The Love Boat(1979), Outta-Sight Isaac
C'mon, you can't tell me Ted Lange's (b. 1948) Isaac wasn't the most fun crewmember onThe Love Boat (1977-1986), not when he kicked off the show with a modified James Brown (1933-2006) dance move. The entire opening sequence, stuffing regulars and guest stars into those disco portholes, was the original IMDb, but Lange stole the show from his co-workers.
*************************
Cheers(1982), Smug Drunken Bitch
I love this bitch! Well, considering the era from which she was conjured by her illustrator — specifically, Olden Days — she wouldn't like being called a bitch. But I say it affectionately, because she looked like a self-possessed pre-feminist out getting her drink on with the boys, of whom she had her pick. She had zero to do with the show Cheers(1982-1993); she and her cohorts existed merely to conjure up an image of a bar that had been around a long time, and to conjure up the spirit of togetherness that imbibing spirits can imbue.
Drink up!
*************************
Valerie(1986), Jason Bateman Always Plays Adorable Pricks
Loved this moment from the eventful Valerieopening (lots of canned, persona-establishing moments), in which Jason Bateman (b. 1969), a high school basketball player, was so engrossed in himself he couldn't help stopping after a good shot to encourage the few on-lookers there to cheer him on. Yeah, that's right, good job! Good job! P.S. I've been in love with his characters since Silver Spoons(1982-1986) and It's Your Move (1984-1985), revealing my poor taste in men.
*************************
The Greatest American Hero(1981), Flyaway Hair
While The Greatest American Hero didn't last long (1981-1983), I'd argue it prefigured comedic superheroes like Deadpool (born 1991). I'd argue it and probably lose if I was up against a comic geek, but I'd argue it.
The opening of the show — and the content — was so low-tech it was almost like those old gags showing a dude squatting inside a broken TV pretending to be the current program so the owner wouldn't find out. The best had to be that not-so-special effect of William Katt (b. 1951) flying through the air like a human loogie.
P.S. The theme song went to #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 ... believe it or not.
*************************
Barney Miller(1974), Glass Feeling
I'm not sure that creative inspiration is something one should be seeking when one is a detective filing a case report, but then again, when one is a writer on the side ...
The moment in the Barney Miller(1974-1982) opening where Ron Glass (1945-2016) seems to conquer his writer's block was definitely a case of playing against typewriter.
*************************
The Beverly Hillbillies(1962), Once You've Got Black Gold, You'll Never Go Back
Buddy Ebsen (1908-2003) cluelessly shooting his way to an oil strike at the beginning of each episode of The Beverly Hillbillies(1962-1971) reminded us how much suspension of disbelief would be required any time we sat down to watch this inexplicably beloved show.
The image of the oil oozing out of the earth was strangely sensual, and the (initially) black-and-white treatment made it look like the stuff gushing out of Janet Leigh (1927-2004) in Psycho(1960).
*************************
Bosom Buddies(1980), Oh, Henry!
Bosom Buddies(1980-1982) is one of those fabled comedy quasi-classics that got away — gone too soon, or more to the point, canceled too fast.
The opening credits benefited from featuring the Billy Joel (b. 1949) #3 hit from 1979, “My Life,” but I loved them for their combination of Some Like It Hot(1959)-style drag clips and shameless shots of Kip/Tom Hanks (b. 1956) and Henry/Peter Scolari (b. 1955) in skimpy shorts and no shirts.
Their singing of “Macho Man” (#25 in 1978) by the Village People appeared in an episode, but I believe the great shot of Henry catching a ball behind his baby-got-back and the scene of the boys soaking up some rays in a parking space — my official choice for this list — were both shot exclusively for the intro.
Henry, of course, grew up to be Hannah Helene Horvath/Lena Dunham's (b. 1986) daddy on Girls(2012-2017).
*************************
Police Woman(1974), A.D. Hooker
First of all, can we agree that Angie Dickinson (b. 1931) is one of the most beautiful creatures ever to grace the small screen? No? Really? Try this on for size:
As far as the credits for her groundbreaking, zipper-challenging Police Woman(1974-1978), my choice moment — her legs slinking down the stairs is a close runner-up — has to be when Pepper, dressed as a hooker, slowly rises from her seat, flaunting her sweaty '70s cleavage. The woman was 43 at the time, which always caused my mom to declare that Vaseline was used on the lens. (I kidded her at the time, but it was!) Still, not half bad for a woman approximately halfway through her life already.
Best of all, the four credited actors — Dickinson, the sexy-as-hell Earl Holliman (b. 1928), Ed Bernard (b. 1939) and Charles Dierkop (b. 1936) — are all still with us!
*************************
One Day at a Time(1975), Having a Ball
It's shocking, but Valerie Bertinelli (b. 1960) has been entertaining TV viewers for OVER FORTY YEARS now, beginning with the likable turn as Barbara on One Day at a Time(1975-1984). Loved how in the opening credits, her Barbara was a little tomboy who couldn't want to get at her basketball after her family's big move.
*************************
77 Sunset Strip(1958), Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb
That moment in the 77 Sunset Strip(1958-1964) credits when Edd Byrnes (b. 1933) toys with his hair was enough to send millions of girls into puberty, even if looking back — he wasn't all that. All the other dudes on that show were cuter!
Still, the hair and the comb persuaded young girls that Byrnes was the ginchiest, and he became a gigantic teen idol.
******************************
Alice(1976), Straw-Inspiring
Beth Howland (1941-2015) was such a private person she asked that her death, on December 31, 2015, not be announced for six months. You'd never know it from her performance as outgoing dreamer — and dingy chick — Vera on Alice(1976-1985). In the opening credits, she revealed how the struggle (at least with straws) was real.
*************************
Land of the Lost(1974), I Think We've Been Spotted
Last of the Lost(1974-1976) had to be one of the most cheaply budgeted shows in the history of TV. Either that, or it was shot by school kids doing the work for extra credit. The opening credits are so poorly done, all you can do is ask, “Wait, when was the Golden Age of Television again?!” Answer: Not 1974!
But once you see them, you never forget them, and how hilarious is it that the villain, a T-Rex named Spot, does a to-the-camera grin just like so many series regulars have been forced to do in opening sequences?
*************************
Maude(1972), Who's at the Door — George McGovern?
God'll get me for placing the dinosaur's reaction shot so close to Maude's.
It would have to be someone like George McGovern to get such a broad smile out of Maude's (1972-1978) star aka Bea Arthur (1922-2009), whose character was a liberal firebrand. Right after seeing Maude open her door in such a welcoming way, we got to see a hysterical montage of less-warm faces from Edith Bunker's terminally strident cousin.
Hope you enjoyed my list! Please share it on social media far and wide — and comment below with some of your favorite moments from other TV opening-titles sequences!
