Pop Vultures

I am still obsessed with opening credits, but this week I’m switching the focus from the theme songs to the actual images. While most shows simply set a bunch of clips to music, a few recognize the power of an unforgettable opening, something that is visually stunning or humorous or just plain cool, all without recycling images from the show. These five openings all fit the bill in one way or another.

5. Dead Like Me. If Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey taught us anything (other than the proper technique for a Melvin), it is that an anthropomorphic Death can be really, really funny. Perhaps the creators of this title sequence spent a little too much time watching that film in their teens, but they can be forgiven if this is the result. It’s quirky, fun, and proof that Death has a killer crossover dribble. I’ve never even seen this show — a friend recommended this clip when I told her I was compiling this list — but after watching the clip below more than once and giggling all the way through each time, I want to. That has to be the best proof of a good opening.

4. Deadwood. It’s not just my bias for the show that leads me to include this one. The Deadwood credits have arguably the best cinematography of any opening sequence, ever. Who knew dirt, blood and filthy miners could look so good? The juxtaposition of the running horse with the grimier images serves as a perfect intro to the show’s theme of the quest for freedom in a harsh land. However, you don’t need to play Fun With Semiotics to still appreciate the beauty of this intro.

3. The Simpsons. Who doesn’t know each frame of this opening sequence? The exuberant blend of bright colors, Danny Elfman’s score and Matt Groening’s sensibility would easily be enough to make it a contender for this list, but the real selling point of this opening sequence is the things that change each week: Bart’s crime du jour, Lisa’s saxophone solo, and the gathering on the couch at the end. It’s always worth watching to see what they do each time. Unfortunately, Fox takes The Simpsons clips off YouTube as soon as they appear, so we must be content with this rather remarkable live action remake.

2. The Twilight Zone. This might just be THE definitive title sequence. The freaky music starts us off (think it’s not that freaky? I’m still trying to coax my cats off the ceiling after playing the clip below). Then, the voice kicks in, with its strange mix of detachment and hypnotic suggestion. Finally, random images in stark black and white drift across the screen in what feels like a psychology test for the power of association. I don’t care how old this show is; after seeing the credits, I still refuse to watch it without all the lights in the house turned on.

1. Dexter. Imagine all the creepy possibilities for the opening of a show about a serial killer. You could include dark alleys, sharpened knives, breakfast food. No, really. The opening credits don’t contain a single dead body, opting instead to show Dexter eating breakfast and getting ready for his day — and a creepier breakfast you’ve never seen. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to view fried eggs with Tabasco in quite the same light. Sure, I’m a bit obsessed with the show right now, but it’s the creativity and unexpected use of everyday objects that makes this sequence so remarkable and deserving of the number 1 spot.

Do you agree with any of these? What original, non-clip-based openings would you have included in your list?