Great TV intros

[Lord Ash]

Howdy all,

Okay, I have to admit, I was contemplating a "Best HBO show ever" off-season poll, but the best sitcom sort of took that role...

I was, however, reflecting tonight on great TV intros. The wife and I have started "Treme," which has a wonderfully catchy title song, as well as a fantastic collection of shots of water damage from walls of homes in New Orleans... really great stuff. Made me think of other shows with great intros... we were always partial to the intro for Rome, and of course The Sopranos. I love the intro music for Band of Brothers, and The Pacific. My wife, of course, swears by the Sex and the City intro...

Any particular intros that you really enjoy?

[rfaison]

Great question! ... definitely agree with Band of Brothers & Sex and the City. My nominees include:

Cheers ... Mary Tyler Moore ... Miami Vice ... Hawaii Five-O ... Cagney & Lacey ... Star Trek (most all of the various iterations) ... M*A*S*H ... Hill Street Blues ... LA Law ...

I'll be pondering further I'm sure. And yes, I do actually watch TV currently, but no intro's come to mind. ... though, just remembered ... The Office

[mph]

Another HBO miniseries with great intro music was John Adams. I agree with Band of Brothers, Hawaii Five-O, Miami Vice, Cheers, and LA Law. I also liked Dallas, The A-Team, Green Acres, The Fresh Prince, The Beverly Hillbillies, Dukes of Hazzard, Happy Days, Welcome Back Kotter, and maybe my favorite, The Andy Griffith Show.

[rfaison]

Oh yeah ... Andy Griffith rules! Dallas, Welcome Back Kotter, and Happy Days too.

This reminds me of when I was the House H RA in the late 70's and one spring evening a bunch of us were outside the dorm in the quad and somehow got into a TV theme song identification game. Isn't it amazing how they stick with you?

Bonanza
Greatest American Hero
Magnum P.I.
Mission Impossible
Laverne & Shirley
All in the Family
Sesame Street

And then in the memorable but not necessarily great category (at least for me):
Adams Family
Brady Bunch
Gilligan's Island
Mr. Ed
I Love Lucy
Love Boat

[A-Tex Devil]

The show itself is kinda "Eh" but the intro to "How to Make it In America" on HBO is really, really cool. Basicallly a NYC cityscape set to "I Need a Dollar" by Aloe Blacc.. awesome.

[Lord Ash]

Another HBO miniseries with great intro music was John Adams. I agree with Band of Brothers, Hawaii Five-O, Miami Vice, Cheers, and LA Law. I also liked Dallas, The A-Team, Green Acres, The Fresh Prince, The Beverly Hillbillies, Dukes of Hazzard, Happy Days, Welcome Back Kotter, and maybe my favorite, The Andy Griffith Show.

Ohhh, John Adams had beautiful music... made me feel like standing up and giving some rousing "Into the breach we go, for Freedom and American and Stephen Colbert!" speech. Good call there. Plus, as a diehard military history guy, I loved all the flags:)

I loved the intro to The Wire, especially since it was the same song five different ways, but I do wonder how much of that love was directly linked to the show itself being so awesome.

I didn't watch enough TV when I was young to have any of their intros stick in my head:( I really did like the intro to Mad About You, though... I felt like it really captured the young married folks in NYC, although I have to admit that I watched it mainly when I was a young married guy in NYC:)

[Lid]

WKRP in Cincinnati

Nothing else comes close for me. (That said, I can't get the Weeds song out of my head lately...)

Babeeee, if you ever wondered...

[hc5duke]

Futurama (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEeH6v2b6h8)

Parks and Rec's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI7f4CgATiE) and 30 Rock (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsNELO2rNIY) also have really catchy opening theme songs.

[theAlaskanBear]

You guys are only forgetting the greatest opener EVER:

FRESH PRINCE

[sue71]

The Sopranos

[JohnGalt]

You guys are only forgetting the greatest opener EVER:

FRESH PRINCE

Just so everyone remembers why ABear is right:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBe0VCso0qs

And a close 2nd:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBe0VCso0qs

[amat1129]

The Sopranos

without a doubt, that will always be my favorite intro, for shows right now i find myself growing more and more fond of the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia intro. I can't hear that song now without thinking of the show

[weezie]

This far along and no mention of "The Simpsons" yet?

[Deslok]

Well lets see, since its where I take my name from... have to throw in a plug for Star Blazers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5oniErmeuE)

Can't believe no one has mentioned Cheers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-flz3dZUQrE)

Already mentioned, with good reason, Greatest American Hero (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Q3orQhEcA)

Going way way back of course(with a nod to the Blue Brothers of course)... Rawhide (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl2fONPgIJE)

And a personal fave(starring future coach Doherty...) the Muppet Show (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9THwnQg-vEw&feature=related)

Just not the same anymore...

[Reddevil]

MNF from the 70's (before the "Are You Ready for Some Football" took over). The original music with highlights was awesome.

Hawaii Five-0 has been mentioned and should be in the HOF for this category.

Fantasy Island was silly, but memorable ("The plane, the plane!"):rolleyes:

Oh, and anyone remember S.W.A.T.? Cool intro music.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Most of the good ones have been mentioned, but how about Diff'rent Strokes, Family Ties and How I Met Your Mother?

[dcarp23]

My two favorites from childhood (note I didn't say best):

Perfect Strangers--truly inspiring lyrics, plus you've got a Wrigley Field Cameo and some nice harmonica http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vbnLYROCj8

Charles in Charge--how a woman with this sexy a voice never found a career is beyond me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1PuZFWdKYo

[ohioguy2]

I cast my vote for Cheers and WKRP---:)

[Rich]

These go back a few years, and maybe the theme songs are more memorable than the intros, but I would add:

Courtship of Eddie's Father (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/sounds/courtship.wav)

with honorable mentions to:

The Facts of Life: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/sounds/folseason2-6.wav

Gilligan's Island: http://www.televisiontunes.com/Gilligans_Island.html

[Channing]

I like the intro to Burn Notice - largely because of the crazy narrative.

[ohioguy2]

I like the intro to Burn Notice - largely because of the crazy narrative.

"Can we shoot him?" Something like that--one of my favorite intro lines,even though the entire thing would not make my top five.

[sue71]

And a personal fave(starring future coach Doherty...) the Muppet Show (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9THwnQg-vEw&feature=related)




Oooooh good one. :)

[Lord Ash]

Oh, you know another one? Mad Men. LOVE that intro... great music, and really cool visuals.

[cato]

The Simpsons, as noted above. I think that the blackboard, sax, grocery store read out and grand family entrance to the couch bits helped cultivate the cult following.

The South Park intro is another one of my favorites. I love the theme song by Primus, and the show does a great job of keeping the montage fresh.

[Reddevil]

The greatest intro of all time imo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxIuIxqo2So

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

The A-Team still gets me pumped.

The Prisoner has a pretty slick intro too.