The 10 Most Delightfully Goofy Television Opening Credit Sequences Of All-Time
You might not realize this, but The Amazing Spider-Man -- the Marc Webb-directed reboot of the Spidey mythology due in theaters next summer -- already exists. Sorta: The Amazing Spider-Man was actually the title of a late '70s made-for-TV movie and subsequent series. Revisiting that long-forgotten series is a peek back in time because it comes from that strange era (or, depending on your perspective, great era) of television: The late '70s to early '90s. A time which gave us some of the goofiest opening credit sequences in the history of the medium. In the spirit of the original Amazing Spider-Man, let's look at ten of the cheesiest television opening credits of all-time.
[If we missed one that you think deserves to be included, let us know in the comments.]
The Amazing Spider-Man (1978)
OK, I see an animated web graphic. Now there's the Chrysler Building, but where is... AH! There's Spider-Man! Oh, and now he's... jumping and crouching. We can only hope that Andrew Garfield's version has a sequence as great (and star a woman named Chip).
Beverly Hills 90210 (1990)
People forget the opening title sequence from the first season did not have each member of the cast doing the dramatic "turn around and look at the camera" maneuver. Instead, we get Jim Walsh on the keyboard. These opening credits also included Douglas Emerson and his Lakers hat as the ill-fated Scott Scanlon. I'm sure Emerson, whose character was killed off during the second season, was thrilled with how happy and cool (and still cheesy) the cast looked without him.
Bring 'em Back Alive (1982)
Bring 'em Back Alive reunited Bruce Boxleitner and Cindy Morgan -- who starred with each other in the original Tron -- in an Indiana Jones rip-off about a big game hunter. The opening title sequence is pure cheesy gold. It's debatable if any show in the history of television quite encapsulated the "stop what you're doing, look at the camera and smile" technique better than Bring 'em Back Alive. Now, speaking of Tron...
Comments
Man, this list could be a 100 items long! All good choices, but i would have found a way to squeeze the opening from 'Sledge Hammer' onto this list!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF6HIiWCh7k
Oh, c'mon, The Fall Guy theme was brilliant!
"Well, I'm not the kind to kiss and tell, / But I've been seen with Farrah."
How is that not all full of awesome?
What? I think everything on this list is full of awesome! Though, I prefer:
"I've never spent much time in school / but I've taught ladies plenty"
How could you miss this?
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/12/matt_houston_dvd.php
Because I am a moron. Yes, that is fantastic. I remember watching Matt Houston as a little kid and thinking that I wanted to be a Matt Houston.
Not even *CLOSE*:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNMJRFGuXL0
Oh Mighty ISIS!
Disappointing to see that a certain band of scientific outcasts are even too much of misfits for this list.
YES!! That immediately came to mind when I saw the subject line of this article.
Even my hyperlink didn't fit! (Probably because I typed it incorrectly.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRZWKfeN1u4
jesus, now that took me back. (i drew the line at '90210' and 'Blossom', though. hey, some things are just better left in the past where they belong.)
Loved those early seasons of 90210. The early 1990s... *sigh*
Put The Fall Guy down as the most awesome opening for me. As a boy in the early 1980s, seeing all those stunts was amazing... and still looks cool to this 36-year-old 🙂
Dear, Cargo-
If you're sarcastically referring to any one of the drunken sexual escapades I had in college with someone who was either: too fat, too drunk or too stupid...
Kudos to you for calling me on it.
Hands down "The Electric Company" had one of the best openings (and opening lines) ever. "HEY YOU GUUUUUUUUUYSS!!!!"
Hey everybody it's J.T. Lancer!!! / "The Big Chill"
The Fall Guy is one of the greatest tv openings ever!
Weird parallel shot Wrigley Field & Cubs tix joy for Punky Brewster and Perfect Strangers...
Ew.