I started the fifth season of Orange is the New Black yesterday. I've already heard that this season will take place almost exclusively in the immediate aftermath of the prison riot that ended last season, an interesting conceit that has worked out spectularly bad in past (HIMYM's last season), but may just work here. Anyway, I wasn't too excited to start the season - until I heard this.....
Yeah, that is a pretty perfect TV show theme. Unique, memorable, with those flashing haunting close-up of women's faces of all colors and types. It was a perfect entry-point to the show when it started all the way back in 2013, and I'm so happy that they haven't touched it at all in the years since. It got me thinking about my favorite TV show themes and intros. Not just the music, but the accompanying images. Below is just a brief list of my favorites
True Classics:
The Wire
I love this intro so much. Just like basically everything The Wire did, the intro was close to perfect. The images and quick scenes flashing, few actually taken from the episodes, but each showing themes so central to that season. From the many homages to drugs and 'wires' in Season 1, to ports and foreign passports in Season 2, to government in 3 and schoolkids in 4. Accompanying that was the slightly different take of 'Way Down in the Hole' each year. My personal favorite was Season 3's with The Neville Brothers, or Season 2's redirection to Tom Waits. The intro was just a perfect mashup of imagery and music.
Game of Thrones
There is probably no more famous intro than this one in modern TV history and for good reason. There are a couple just incredible aspects to GoT's intro. First is the music itself, iconic, mesmerizing, brilliant. I truly could hum it for hours on end. Second, of course, is the changing cast of locations the intro would flow past. There are the constants in King's Landing, Winterfell, The Wall, and something over in Essos (though it changed), but the additions of Harrenhall, Dorne, The Twins, Braavos, and so many others over the years. The technology used to create it was perfect. Game of Thrones is one of the few HBO shows over the years to use a cold open, and why not? There is no better entry point into an episode than this.
Arrested Development
Quick, funny, witty. It did well to encapsulate the irreverance of the show to follow it. Ron Howard's narration is the most underrated part of the show, a critical ingredient that made it swim, and it is used well here. One line for each person, giving a quick overview of how each is connected to each other. The show rarely if ever holded your hand except for this, a 10-second lesson and reminder on the relationship each of these bizarrely brilliant characters had with each other.
Personal Favorites:
Bojack Horseman
I fear that Bojack Horseman will never become as popular as it should, lost under the mountain of brilliant content NETFLIX has developed over the years. It really should be more notable, and not least of all because of how perfect that intro is. The dour sound of the music, the laissez-faire way it shows Bojack, the small touches that show the creator's attention to detail (ex: when Todd created his start-up from Bojack's house where the Stripper Orca's ran a cab service, there were Orcas filling Bojack's house when it cut in). It ends so well with a lazy sax over a lazy Bojack lounging in his pool overlooking Hollywoo(d). The depressed nature of the show is its best feature and that starts right at the top.
Silicon Valley
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
For 12 seasons, with limited exceptions, Always Sunny has followed the same formula to open a show. Someone says something. It cuts to black. A title card appears with the title itself often being a joke (ex: Dee, "I am not dating a retarded person.".... Title Card: "Sweet Dee Dates a Retarded Person") and then that randomly sweet melody with cut-scenes of famous Philadelphia landmarks. I have no idea why this intro touches me so much. Couple theories; first being how disparate the melody is with the sick nature of the show, and second of how low-grade it looks. Black title card, seemingly self-shot camera footage (particularly in the old non-HD version of the show from like Season 1-4). Overtime Always Sunny lost its full outsider, "we do this on a $500 budget", mindset, and in many ways for the better, but the title sequence always spoke so well to its humble, garage-band beginnings.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Veronica Mars
I basically consider these shows together in my mind, as they were built off such similar structures. Their theme songs are different, with Buffy's highlighting the strength of the 'family' its titular character built, with separate moments highlighting each of the Scoobies, and Veronica's mostly showing her and how generally isolated Veronica was, but they were catchy, strong and showcased each shows central character so well. Both shows (moreso Veronica Mars) were built off of the strength of their main leads (SMG and Kristen Bell were born to play these roles), and the action scenes highlighted these. The musical choices were great also - especially Veronica Mars' use of 'We Used to be Friends' a great mantra for the show itself.
Quick Hit Favorites
Shameless
Again, the best intros perfectly encapsulate their show and introduce viewers perfectly. Shameless is so good at this. The rapturous music. The lewd setting. The traipsing of various members of the Gallagher clan entering, using, pilfering and messing up their bathroom. It's barely changed over the years, and it gets me every time.
Nathan For You
I've mostly highlighted shows where the intro scenes and music highlighted what is great about the show. In some cases, it is the dichotomy that makes the intro brilliant. Nathan For You is one of those cases. They've used a memorable Orchestral music often seen in YouTube sports highlight videos to play up the strong, brilliant bonafides of the fake consultant underneath them. The narration is perfect too, no moment better than when Nathan says that he graduated a top school with great grades with a report card shown with perfectly scattered average grades. Even the two examples of his brilliance, changing a shoe display and changing 'And' to 'N'' on a store sign, or so well picked.
Totally Random Shout-Out
Inside the NBA
Let's give a quick shout out to the best pre/post-game show intro in sports out there. The NBA on TNT theme may never match the NBC one (Roundball Rock), but its impressive longevity is coming close. They changed to the current one back in the early-00's, and ever since it has been such a welcome sound every Thursday (and sometimes Monday and nightly in April/May). I still can't imagine a world when Charles, Kenny or Ernie are gone, and this song is such a great intro to that.
Yeah, that is a pretty perfect TV show theme. Unique, memorable, with those flashing haunting close-up of women's faces of all colors and types. It was a perfect entry-point to the show when it started all the way back in 2013, and I'm so happy that they haven't touched it at all in the years since. It got me thinking about my favorite TV show themes and intros. Not just the music, but the accompanying images. Below is just a brief list of my favorites
True Classics:
The Wire
I love this intro so much. Just like basically everything The Wire did, the intro was close to perfect. The images and quick scenes flashing, few actually taken from the episodes, but each showing themes so central to that season. From the many homages to drugs and 'wires' in Season 1, to ports and foreign passports in Season 2, to government in 3 and schoolkids in 4. Accompanying that was the slightly different take of 'Way Down in the Hole' each year. My personal favorite was Season 3's with The Neville Brothers, or Season 2's redirection to Tom Waits. The intro was just a perfect mashup of imagery and music.
Game of Thrones
There is probably no more famous intro than this one in modern TV history and for good reason. There are a couple just incredible aspects to GoT's intro. First is the music itself, iconic, mesmerizing, brilliant. I truly could hum it for hours on end. Second, of course, is the changing cast of locations the intro would flow past. There are the constants in King's Landing, Winterfell, The Wall, and something over in Essos (though it changed), but the additions of Harrenhall, Dorne, The Twins, Braavos, and so many others over the years. The technology used to create it was perfect. Game of Thrones is one of the few HBO shows over the years to use a cold open, and why not? There is no better entry point into an episode than this.
Arrested Development
Quick, funny, witty. It did well to encapsulate the irreverance of the show to follow it. Ron Howard's narration is the most underrated part of the show, a critical ingredient that made it swim, and it is used well here. One line for each person, giving a quick overview of how each is connected to each other. The show rarely if ever holded your hand except for this, a 10-second lesson and reminder on the relationship each of these bizarrely brilliant characters had with each other.
Personal Favorites:
Bojack Horseman
I fear that Bojack Horseman will never become as popular as it should, lost under the mountain of brilliant content NETFLIX has developed over the years. It really should be more notable, and not least of all because of how perfect that intro is. The dour sound of the music, the laissez-faire way it shows Bojack, the small touches that show the creator's attention to detail (ex: when Todd created his start-up from Bojack's house where the Stripper Orca's ran a cab service, there were Orcas filling Bojack's house when it cut in). It ends so well with a lazy sax over a lazy Bojack lounging in his pool overlooking Hollywoo(d). The depressed nature of the show is its best feature and that starts right at the top.
Silicon Valley
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
For 12 seasons, with limited exceptions, Always Sunny has followed the same formula to open a show. Someone says something. It cuts to black. A title card appears with the title itself often being a joke (ex: Dee, "I am not dating a retarded person.".... Title Card: "Sweet Dee Dates a Retarded Person") and then that randomly sweet melody with cut-scenes of famous Philadelphia landmarks. I have no idea why this intro touches me so much. Couple theories; first being how disparate the melody is with the sick nature of the show, and second of how low-grade it looks. Black title card, seemingly self-shot camera footage (particularly in the old non-HD version of the show from like Season 1-4). Overtime Always Sunny lost its full outsider, "we do this on a $500 budget", mindset, and in many ways for the better, but the title sequence always spoke so well to its humble, garage-band beginnings.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Veronica Mars
I basically consider these shows together in my mind, as they were built off such similar structures. Their theme songs are different, with Buffy's highlighting the strength of the 'family' its titular character built, with separate moments highlighting each of the Scoobies, and Veronica's mostly showing her and how generally isolated Veronica was, but they were catchy, strong and showcased each shows central character so well. Both shows (moreso Veronica Mars) were built off of the strength of their main leads (SMG and Kristen Bell were born to play these roles), and the action scenes highlighted these. The musical choices were great also - especially Veronica Mars' use of 'We Used to be Friends' a great mantra for the show itself.
Quick Hit Favorites
Shameless
Again, the best intros perfectly encapsulate their show and introduce viewers perfectly. Shameless is so good at this. The rapturous music. The lewd setting. The traipsing of various members of the Gallagher clan entering, using, pilfering and messing up their bathroom. It's barely changed over the years, and it gets me every time.
Nathan For You
I've mostly highlighted shows where the intro scenes and music highlighted what is great about the show. In some cases, it is the dichotomy that makes the intro brilliant. Nathan For You is one of those cases. They've used a memorable Orchestral music often seen in YouTube sports highlight videos to play up the strong, brilliant bonafides of the fake consultant underneath them. The narration is perfect too, no moment better than when Nathan says that he graduated a top school with great grades with a report card shown with perfectly scattered average grades. Even the two examples of his brilliance, changing a shoe display and changing 'And' to 'N'' on a store sign, or so well picked.
Totally Random Shout-Out
Inside the NBA
Let's give a quick shout out to the best pre/post-game show intro in sports out there. The NBA on TNT theme may never match the NBC one (Roundball Rock), but its impressive longevity is coming close. They changed to the current one back in the early-00's, and ever since it has been such a welcome sound every Thursday (and sometimes Monday and nightly in April/May). I still can't imagine a world when Charles, Kenny or Ernie are gone, and this song is such a great intro to that.
