TV Poll: Best New Title Sequence?

Chuck has a title sequence that reminds me of "Catch Me if You Can." Bionic Woman has the worst title sequence, with a shadow woman behind a wall, which makes no sense. The show is generally getting worse. It does not know what to do with OBW (Original Bionic...)so we don't really care what happens to her or really to Jaimie. Is Ms. Sackoff coming back to BSG? (Please provide your answer as a nonspoiler since I have not seen the last season.)

One more thing. You know who is the new Bionic Man? Yep, Al Gore.

I like the graphical style of the "Mad Men" titles. Particularly how the cuff of the man's shirt is imaged at the end.

Last night I also actually watched the titles to "Chuck" while catching up with Tivo and they made me smile. Mostly because it has a ninja and the music is by Cake.

One show whose titles I don't like is "Californication". They just don't really seem to fit with show. And I always end up wondering what is the significance of the name that is on the front of the copy of "Book Critic" Ducovny holds over face at the beginning.

Alex, why ask a spoiler-filled question if you don't want spoilers?
Here's your answer: [snip]

@ Answer to Alex: I deleted your response (which gave away more than Alex asked for) because while I totally agree with you that five months after the finale is well past the spoiler-free window, there's no need to spoil it for somebody on purpose. Sorry, I try not to be too much of a hall monitor here. That said, yes, I don't see how anyone can possibly answer Alex's question, even yes or no, without spoiling something. Alex, do you really want a yes or no? --JP

I enjoy the song used for the Damages opening credits, except that it's the same line sung twice: Little girl / when I get through with you / there won't be anything left.

It's a great one-line summation of the series, but it kind of leaves you wanting just a little bit more -- rather than a repeat of the same verse.

I'm with John: it's all about the Mad Men titles, with their expert blend of Saul Bass style and ad-agency product placement. Generally I enjoy the new trend of title economy, but that show offers as good an example as any of how a masterful title sequence can complement the program.

Months later, and I still miss the opening credits to John from Cincinnati. Some of the best HBO has ever shown.

Haven't seen Chuck's opening credits, but I do like Pushing Daises and Mad Men. Both really good cases of credits building on the look and feel of the show proper.

Have to agree with Carl on Damages - I love the song, even if the sequence itself doesn't to too much for me visually. I also second what John said about Californication; I can't for the life of me see what the point is. Although, it hasn't bothered me as much in the last few episodes, but that might be the spectacular quality of the rest of the show rubbing off on the tepid titles.
I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about Journeyman's titles that appeals to me.

Chuck's opening titles are pretty well done (the AOL avatar has a new lease on life), but as much as I really like "Pushing Daisies," the brief title card leaves me wanting. The show has such a quique style, I think it deserves a more fitting opening sequence. Perhaps the artists/producers were sinking all of their creativity (and budget) into the actual show, so the opening credits were an afterthought. At least, it definitely appears that way.

Mad Men, hands down! The music is awesome.

I like the Chuck theme a lot - very vintage spy seeming (what an awful sentence that was!). Dexter, Weeds, and Eureka are also really cool. Still love the one from The Office.

Usually I don't like big theme-song-title-sequences, what with all the time spent on commercials anyway I'd just as soon have them get straight to the story, or sum things up with a Previously On segment. Like Lost. And 24. And Heroes and Supernatural. I like the Ugly Betty, Gossip Girl, and HIMYM themes, short, sweet, you get the point without wasting a lot of time.

I've never liked the theme to Bones at all. Not crazy about the one from Prison Break either.

You can really see how far title sequences have gone when you realize that most of the title songs we can sing from memory (Gilligan's Island, Beverly Hillbillies, Brady Bunch, etc.) come from the 70's.

Dexter by far has the best opening sequence.

Even though I don't really like the show, The Big Bang Theory has a pretty great song performed by the Bare Naked Ladies ("It all started with a big bang..").

I also like Journeyman's title sequence, which features birds flying backwards.

If I remember correctly, Reaper's is just basically the logo real quick.

The Office really needs a new title sequence, featuring the rest of the cast (Angela Kinsey definately deserves top billing over B.J. Novak, who is still shown as a temp). The song is great though.

I like HIMYM's, which is an actual song, but the theme part is at the very end of the song (I was really confused when I first downloaded the song, and it didn't sound like the theme, until the end).

@ Robert: Good point. However, shows these days are much shorter than they were in the 70s due to the constantly intrusive commercials.

I've been watching The Office season 3 on DVD and noticed the episodes are a little over 20 minutes long... which means that its 30-minute time slot is 1/3-filled with commercials.

I'd rather have no theme song/titles and more show, than have more theme song/titles and even less show. Eventually, most of us wind up fast-forwarding through the titles anyway, even the cool ones.

I hated the show but loved John From Cincinnati's opening credits. I also think Battlestar Galactica's are great, especially with the flashes of the episode incorparated into them. But The Wire has my favorite. Using a different version of Way Down in the Hole every season was brilliant and the images are incredible.

Worth noting that the Tell Me You Love me titles device---white letters on black, no music, at the end---is identical to how the titles were done for the interesting-failed-underappreciated HBO series K Street.

I'm a little surprised The Office hasn't changed its titles yet, though I'm a little spoiled by years of wondering what credits changes each new season of Buffy would bring. But it's true that the opening music was one area where it had the British version beat from the start.

30 Rock - the opening credits immediately get you in the mood for the zaniness to ensue.

I'm glad the white man took time off from injecting AIDS into our chicken mcnuggets to write that little ditty.

I like "Supernatural"'s opening title page because they change it every year to go along with the overarching theme of the season.

Oh, and "60 Minutes" - "I'm Steve Croft, I'm Lesley Stahl, those stories and Andy Rooney, tonight on '60 Minutes'" - a classic!

I just started watching Ghost Whisperer this season (mostly as background while I catch up on work or clean the house on Sunday) and while I'm woefully unimpressed by the show (other than JLH who is still as perky and cute as I remember from my High School IKWYDLS days) is the credits. Very nice cutout animation although I wished they didn't have her face in the end.

I really don't like the Dirty Sexy Money title card. First, it appears about 12 minutes into the episode and second, the colors look like some crazy printing mistake where the designer used the wrong Pantone.

I agree about The Office, time for a new sequence already.

The DEXTER opening titles are incredibly smart, visually breathtaking, one of the best I've ever seen. Probably the most written about and analyzed of any TV titles as well. I can't remember the last time a title sequence was reviewed as being integral to the show. A strong narrative component as all titles should be. As long as whoever directed it is still making titles, TV titles will not be a dying art. Bravo to you!