The Opening Title Sequence……
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TVholic — 14 years ago(December 24, 2011 10:39 PM)
Opening titles were a lot better in decades past. Today's producers want to maximize ad time so title sequences are often skipped. There were a lot of good ones way back when that told the backstory. Gilligan's Island. Brady Bunch. Night Stalker was one that was brilliantly moody without actually showing any of the monsters. The Odd Couple intro of the first few seasons, with the narration. Nanny and the Professor. Green Acres. Mission: Impossible had good, pulse-pounding titles. UFO also had a great theme and exciting visuals in the titles. Didn't really care for the more scattershot Bionic Woman titles, though.
Not to mention the theme songs were mostly better back then. -
426HEMI — 14 years ago(January 02, 2012 07:33 AM)
I love it when a "reply" is better than the original post- even if the OP is MINE !! Excellent points, one and all. Title sequences are largely unnecessary in an age of reality television. While the level of WRITING has drastically improved over the decades, most scripted television shows these days have rather simple premises.
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tbirdman-1 — 12 years ago(July 27, 2013 01:04 PM)
Hello 426HEMI and I agree with both of your points about this classic
sci-fi TV series having such an awesomely and cool visually
opening sequence for each episode. Now here is my personal list of
TV shows in prime time which also had memorable opening scenes and
in random order:- The Six Million Dollar Man
- The Man From UNCLE
- Mission Impossible
- Gilligan's Island
- Hogan's Heroes
- Hawaii Five-0 (classic series)
- Chips
- Magnum P.I.
- Airwolf
- Miami Vice
Lawrence Sunny California
Call me a sailor or a swabby just don't call me a squid!
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141-OKG — 12 years ago(August 17, 2013 09:42 PM)
you might add Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days, Alice, One Day at a Time, even Little House on the Prairie. Maybe Fantasy Island or Love boat? Mork& Mindy Barney Miller?
were lots of great opening themes and sort of music videos, to set the stage
My favorites of the day were Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels and S.W.A.T - maybe more for the music. But ChiPs set the mood & 6m$M was maybe my first intro to tv addiction, as a kid.
Now, check out the Walking Dead intro. Just as intense, chilling and a great prep for what is to come mystery and suspense
http://us.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=10088562
(some need to go up 1 or down 1) -
MovieKnut — 14 years ago(December 26, 2011 01:30 AM)
This is the best opening title sequence of any tv series. Within the space of a minute or so any viewers new to the series were given all the information they needed to understand the premise.
You can't palm off a second-rater on me. You gotta remember I was in the pink! -
retepnhoj — 12 years ago(April 30, 2013 07:47 PM)
The crash scene was from a test flight of a vehicle flown by NASA, I believe, called a lifting body. It had no wings but used the shape of the fuselage to generate some lift. They built at least 2 different ones I think the one in the footage was the HL 10. I believe the pilot in the footage was named Petersen and that he survived the crash. This research later helped with the design of the space shuttle.
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seldon913 — 12 years ago(May 22, 2013 08:02 PM)
From the trivia on the show's main page:
The aircraft seen crashing in the show's opening sequence was an M2-F2, a "flying body configuration" built by Northrop. The audio sound effects are from a crash that occurred on May 10, 1967, at Edwards Air Force base in California (although the dialog heard was recorded by Majors). The test pilot, Bruce Peterson, hit the ground at 250 mph, tumbling six times. He lost use of his right eye and had to stop flying, ending his career. Understandably, Peterson has said that he hated reliving his accident, week after week, courtesy of the show.
Apparently Peterson or members of his family were big enough fans of the show for him to continue tuning in to relive the accident even though he hated it. -
dlazarus6660 — 12 years ago(July 12, 2013 02:13 PM)
Your right about the M2-F2(?) crashing, but you first see the HL-10 being air dropped. It has a center rudder whereas the M2-F2(?)does not. That use to drive me crazy watching it then, I had ten year old copy of Air Progress (Feb/Mar 1965)which shows both Northrop models.
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talisencrw — 10 years ago(December 31, 2015 06:22 AM)
I loved it too, when I was growing up! As I became a jazz fan when I got older, I especially came to love Oliver Nelson's work. He died too soon. His masterpiece album, The Blues and the Abstract Truth, and his finest composition, Stolen Moments, are truly magnificent.
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BradyBraveJoel — 9 years ago(December 09, 2016 06:32 PM)
Agreed! Must also mention that the intro to Monday Night Football was very influential (behind the scenes) - and I liked to watch the Planet of the Apes, intro too was cool!!! Super killer that we now have flatscreens and blu-ray and hd - I am amazed every day!