TV’s Best Contemporary Title Sequences

Opening credits have definitely gotten more inventive and unusual.  The standard “Perky music, cast member’s name superimposed of them doing something” has fallen by the wayside, and now we have some title sequences that almost qualify as art unto themselves.  Ideally, a title sequence informs the mood of the show; it tells you something about what you’re about to see.  It’s stylish, eye-grabbing, and sticks with you.  And the music!  The music had better be great, because that’s what memory latches on to.  I mean, I can’t hear the opening few bars of the “Game of Thrones” title sequence without my pulse quickening (DUN dun duhdun DUN dun…)

So, without further ado, let’s delve into some badass title sequences.  I’ll get the obvious ones out of the way first and then get into some dark horse candidates.  After all, there are some great title sequences for not-so-great shows…

The Gold Standard

It doesn’t get much better than this.  Just on their own, the close-up visuals of food preparation are interesting if not captivating.  Then you get into the deeper issues of the juxtaposition of a normal, benign routine with suggestions of horrific, brutal violence – signifying that to Dexter, that kind of violence is itself routine – well, doesn’t that tell you pretty much the central premise and conflict of the show without explicitly giving anything away?

 

The Stylish One

Mad Men‘s title sequence is a thing of beauty.  Not overly long, it makes its point quickly and with great aplomb.  The silhouette-style evokes shades of James Bond, the music suggests the height of 1960’s style yet with an underlying darkness and discontent.  And, obviously, the symbolism of a man’s life disintegrating around him as he falls deeper into a hell of his own making hits one of the show’s most crucial motifs.  An elegant, effective title sequence.

 

The Unsettling Mood

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Without ever showing a main character or a reference to vampires (except the brilliant little flash of the “God Hates Fangs” sign), this title sequence manages to evoke images of life and death, rebirth and decay, sin and redemption.  The song is pitch-perfect, if a little on the nose.  You know what to expect while being told little, and even for non-Southerners it conjures a very specific, very gritty, naturalistic ‘Southern’ feeling.

 

The Epic and the Useful

First of all, the music really carries this one.  The ‘living map’ devise is clever and looks great, but without the epic music it would not land so well.  Second, it’s a beautiful and especially useful series of images; for a show that’s spread over two continents and what sometimes feels like dozens of plotlines, sometimes you need a reminder where everything is.  It also pays homage to the original medium; nothing screams ‘epic fantasy novel’ like a detailed map.  And trust me, for those types of novels; Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time, Song of Ice and Fire – you’ll be flipping back to it fairly regularly.  It’s a great little nod to the show’s origins for a show that has stayed shockingly faithful to the source material.

 

The Iconic

When you hear the opening chords and see the clouds, you can’t help but be taken back.  The slapstick, wildly energetic theme (written by Danny Elfman) fits the show like a glove.  This is nostalgia and vivaciousness, all at once.  It’s information overload, things happening all at once but giving a glimpse into the dynamics of the Simpsons themselves.  It’s a classic.

 

The Dark Horse

I know, I know.  Star Trek: Voyager wasn’t exactly the most auspicious addition to the franchise.  It was uneven, and at times the writing was excruciating.  However… it had a hell of a title sequence.  The grand, ponderous music just screamed “epic space opera.”  And the visuals harkened back to one of the cornerstones of the franchise – the actual exploration of space.  “New life and new civilizations.”  Watching the premier of this (all the way back in 1995 when I was but a wee lad), it was easy to dream on how good the show could be.  The fact that it didn’t quite live up to that dream is another point altogether.  (I still contend that Voyager had moments of brilliance.  The fifth-season episode “Timeless” stands as one of the greatest Star Trek episodes ever, in my book.  It takes everything cool about sci-fi and how you can use those tropes in a narrative sense and just does them spectacularly well.  Plus it was directed by LeVar Burton!  Set phasers to love me.)