I have a few questions:

Do you all know what was the first show to not have any main titles? I think it was Murphy Brown in 1988, but i'm not sure.

Which show had no closing credits but rather had either outtakes or a tag scene while the credits rolled over them instead of traditional ending with theme music/creidts. I'm guessing Roseanne in 1988. Again not sure.

What was the first show to have neither. Family Matters had both an opening and closing at first but by about year 7 (I think) they had neither. Designing Women did away with both too (I think) in its last year in 1992.

Also, what was the most recent show (sitcom or drama) to begin with main titles (music, crediting the actors and then breaking for a commercial befre Act 1) rather than some type of tease or prologue scene?

Did Head of the Class have opening titles when it premiered in 1986???

On one episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, it shows Mary and Murray having a conversation during the closing credits. That was way ahead of its time.

Personally, I think that a show should have an opening and closing theme song, otherwise it's too generic. The theme songs are the one thing that everyone remembers, even if the show is awful.

Originally posted by jamesanthony
Also, what was the most recent show (sitcom or drama) to begin with main titles (music, crediting the actors and then breaking for a commercial befre Act 1) rather than some type of tease or prologue scene?

I seem to recall some episodes of Malcolm in the Middle starting off with the opening credits and not a teaser. I can't be sure. I know that show has cut down the opening credits to simple a few seconds. If you want to talk primetime cartoons, both Futurama and Family Guy started with the opening credits, although both shows occasionally had teasers. And The Simpsons always has the opening credits first.

As long as we're on the subject, I think it is regrettable that shows today are cutting out opening credits and letting closing credits get bogged down with promos. Voiceovers are one thing, they've been around forever, but scrunching up the credits so you can't even read them? One questions the legality of that...if you can't read the credits why even have them?

Head of the class had a full theme song for its first 2 or 3 seasons. The first show I remember without a regular theme was Kate And Allie back in 1984. I agree with everybody that the theme song should remain.

Originally posted by jamesanthony
I have a few questions:

Do you all know what was the first show to not have any main titles? I think it was Murphy Brown in 1988, but i'm not sure.

Which show had no closing credits but rather had either outtakes or a tag scene while the credits rolled over them instead of traditional ending with theme music/creidts. I'm guessing Roseanne in 1988. Again not sure.

What was the first show to have neither. Family Matters had both an opening and closing at first but by about year 7 (I think) they had neither. Designing Women did away with both too (I think) in its last year in 1992.

Also, what was the most recent show (sitcom or drama) to begin with main titles (music, crediting the actors and then breaking for a commercial befre Act 1) rather than some type of tease or prologue scene?

It's probably not the first, but Boy Meets World had a few seasons where they only had a tag scene at the end while the credits rolled.

Okay, I just checked and Blondie, the version from the Fifties, began with the opening credits and then went into the show. Of course, it is hard to compare shows from the 1950s and before to shows from the 1960s forward (or, really, the mid 1960s and the spread of color when the television landscape seemed to change). I'm not sure if this little tidbit of information is helpful but I thought I'd share it nonetheless.

Like mr roper said, "Kate and Allie" never had a real opening. Each episode began with the first 15 seconds of the full theme song (which was never used on the show) playing over a shot of New York with the logo, followed by two seperate 'Starring' credits for both Susan Saint James and Jane Curtin. Then the shot would dissolve into the first act, which was usually a scene with only two characters (K&A mostly, of course, but sometimes a kid/parent or two of the kids). The different scenes were ALWAYS shot on location in NYC. As the scene played, the credits for Ari Meyers, Fred Koehler and Allison Smith would being shown over it. I think the Director/Writer credits were shown then too. One quick note: even though they used a variety of different shots for the Logo and Starring credits, they used one particular overhead shot of NYC skyscrapers in at least 75 of the 122 episodes.

Oh yes, JT I do remember Kate and Allie. They usually had Jane Curtain and Susan St James walking somewhere and chit chatting about something that had nothing to do with the episode itself. Then they went to a commercial. I guess this was a kind of transition to the era of the 90s-present where the opening credits are very often flashed over the screen while the tease plays and in some cases we then have a brief theme opening with the cast shown but not like the older shows.

I guess with all the competition for veiwers from other channels some things about classic TV are gone for good.

Originally posted by tvobscurities


As long as we're on the subject, I think it is regrettable that shows today are cutting out opening credits and letting closing credits get bogged down with promos. Voiceovers are one thing, they've been around forever, but scrunching up the credits so you can't even read them? One questions the legality of that...if you can't read the credits why even have them?

So do I. I think the opening credits and theme song are a major part of the whole sitcom watching experience. I also like watching closing credits unscrunched.

I heard this CD COuch Potatoes that has 10 jazzy recordings of classic TV themes: Taxi, Mary Tyler Moore, Sanford and Son and 7 others. The music stands up on its own. There isn't anything on now that I can immediately think of that has a really distinct, original and memorable theme song. Stuff like CSI use old Who records for the theme music. It would be nice to have original themes for shows. Friends has a conventional opening with an original theme song but not much else does now.