These ten TV show opening credits are the most influential in TV history, inspiring homages, copycats, and styles that can be seen in hundreds of series that have come after. It’s important to note that this is not a list of the best TV intros of all time, though many would certainly find themselves on such a list.
This is a list of the TV intros that changed the form forever afterward. TV intros are not just there to give viewers time to grab a snack or check their phone; they are (or should be) deliberately designed invitations into the show. The form has changed over time, and these ten series can serve as historical moments in the history of opening credits.
Howdy Doody (1947-1960)
Howdy Doody is a children’s television program from the late-40s that stars the freckle-faced boy marionette as he entertains an audience of kids. It was a pioneering program for children’s series, and its intro theme is one of the most memorable of the early color TV era, though radio shows and even plays had intros before Howdy Doody.
The opening credits of Howdy Doody sees Buffalo Bob (Robert Schmidt) leading an audience of children in the simple, but catchy, song. It’s an intro that proved the power of an earworm to start your series. Fans of SpongeBob should notice how similar Patchy the Pirate’s “Are you ready, kids?” is to Buffalo Bob’s “Say kids, what time is it?”
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s intro is one of the first successful series, along with The Brady Bunch, to utilize the opening credits as an exposition dump. In the intro, the theme “Love Is All Around” by Sonny Curtis plays over scenes of Mary Tyler Moore walking around her new Minneapolis neighborhood.
The theme song describes who Mary Tyler Moore is, describing her as a loving, charming, determined woman who’s going to make it in this new endeavor. The scenes in the middle of the theme song would often change throughout the season, but the final shot was always the iconic one of Moore throwing up her hat in the air.
The Simpsons (1989-Present)
The Simpsons is a series packed with so many jokes that you probably miss a few quotes while laughing at the first one. This mentality extends even into the title sequence, which is famous for its numerous chalkboard and couch gags. Almost every episode, you get two new jokes where other shows would just play the same thing.
Each episode opens with either a long or a short version of the intro with the iconic theme song, leading to the family sitting on the couch, where something funny, unusual, and even weird happens. Few shows have tried to replicate this style of constantly changing intros, a testament to The Simpsons’ attention to detail.
The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air (1990-1996)
It feels like the 1990s are next in line to receive a retrospective on its art, clothing, culture, and TV shows. There’s no denying that a lot of what came out of the ’90s was positively corny, but there’s something charming about that goofiness, exemplified by opening credits like those of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
The intro features a theme song, “Yo Home to Bel-Air”, so memorable and catchy that I defy anyone reading this to say they didn’t start humming, “In West Philadelphia”, the moment they read the title of this entry. This is a theme song steeped in the decade that spawned it, making it both outdated and totally authentic.
The Sopranos (1999-2007)
The Sopranos is indulgent in all aspects: in its violence, its length, its dream sequences, and its language. David Chase does not “briefly” touch on things. That goes for The Sopranos intro, which is about a minute and a half of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) driving from NYC to his home in Jersey.
The song “Woke Up This Morning (Chosen One Mix)” by Alabama 3 plays over the scene, perfectly setting the mood of the series. It’s violent, cool, exciting, and dark, matching perfectly with Tony’s scowl and the run-down neighborhoods he terrorizes. Every TV show afterward that uses the intro to set the tone owes The Sopranos a thank you.
Even Stevens (2000-2003)
Even Stevens is a bit of a footnote in the history of Disney Channel TV shows aimed at tweens, but it’s one of the stronger ones, thanks in large part to Shia LaBeouf and Christy Carlson Romano’s starring roles. The opening credits for the series are certainly worth paying attention to, however.
Filmed in a claymation style that is never recreated within the show, Even Stevens’ opening credits are a reminder that the intro of a show just has to get people’s attention; it doesn’t have to be accurate to the show. Check out Rick and Morty as another example of a show where not everything in the intro comes to pass.
The O.C. (2003-2007)
The O.C. proved how a popular opening credits sequence could skyrocket a song to fame or remind people how good it was in the first place. The opening credits are instantly recognizable thanks to the opening piano notes of Phantom Planet’s “California”, which plays over cross-cut scenes of characters and Newport Beach, California.
It’s not an intro that’s memorable for the images, but that theme song is so critical. It was never a particularly popular song before the show, but it just fits so well with the rest of the series. The O.C. intro is a reminder that any song can be elevated and elevate if it shares an atmosphere with the show.
Lost (2004-2010)
Around 2004, the opening credits for TV shows were getting a bit too long and self-indulgent. Not every series needs two minutes to set the mood. Lost gave us an intro that flipped the script. This intro lasts a little over ten seconds and just sees the letters “Lost” float to the screen out of the darkness.
It’s simple and not flashy, and it tells you all you need to know about the dark and mysterious show. The Lost intro also suggests a certain amount of confidence from the showrunners. They have such a great story to tell that they don’t want to waste any time with a drawn-out intro.
The Real Housewives (2006-Present)
Love them or hate them, you can’t ignore The Real Housewives, and the intro for most of the franchises is surprisingly influential in the reality TV space. Most seasons of the show, whether they’re set near the Potomac or the Parthenon, begin the same way, with clips of the housewives delivering a “tagline”.
I could be entertained by simply listening to a compilation of the litany of ridiculous and occasionally accidentally insightful things these women say. It is a brilliant way to immediately tell any viewer what they’re in for if they stick around for the episode. Though it’s been parodied to death, the intro isn’t going anywhere.
Game Of Thrones (2011-2019)
Even as the later seasons of Game of Thrones were floundering, fans could always count on the fantastic opening intro sequence to remind them of more sensible times. As long as the intro is, it’s almost impossible to skip. The series’ epic orchestral music plays as we sail over a map of Westeros and Essos.
Every intro is different, with the camera going to whatever location will be featured in the following episode. It makes for a thrilling sequence as you sit in anticipation, hoping that your favorite storyline will be featured in the next episode. The Last of Us, True Detective, and more owe their flowing artsy TV opening credits to Game of Thrones​​​​​​.