Cold Open

[Lorimar Television]

Just wondering, was there ever a cold open after season 1?

['80sSitcoms]

I don't think there organically were every any after season 1, no. But, I noticed when Hallmark syndicated the show in the early 2000s, they created cold openings! It was startling at first.

In fact, I don't even remember any cold openings in season 1, either. I wonder if they were there in the first run, or added in later?

[RetroGuy2000]

'80s, there were some cold opens in Season One. The Baryshnikov cold open and the Dan Rather cold open come to my mind. There may be others I'm forgetting. And they are original to the show, rather than edits.

['80sSitcoms]

Yeah, that's odd they only did those couple. My memories of seeing it as a little boy in syndication are no cold openings. So I wouldn't surprised if they only did 2 or so.

[Lorimar Television]

I'm sure they edited them out in syndication as they had no relevance to the plot. Full House did the same.

[Smartboy]

I am not clear on what a Cold Open is. Could someone please help me out?

['80sSitcoms]

As most sitcoms used to start with the theme song intro, a "cold open" is a scene that starts the show before the theme song intro plays. It's also known as a "teaser" (and an ending scene played during the end credits is the "tag").

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

I'm sure they edited them out in syndication as they had no relevance to the plot. Full House did the same.

Good point, that could be why I have no memory of them from childhood (that, or I didn't retain them, since there were only a couple or so).

But yes, Hallmark edited the show by creating cold openings for every episode in seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4, maybe beyond ("creating" them by taking the first scene of the show, playing it, and then inserting the theme song at some point during that first scene).

[RetroGuy2000]

Cold opens became popular in the late 1960s; remember the short intros Bewitched would have, before the animated theme song? That's a cold open.

Their purpose is to "hook" the viewer into watching, before the viewer sees the credits and switches to another channel.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

But yes, Hallmark edited the show by creating cold openings for every episode in seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4, maybe beyond ("creating" them by taking the first scene of the show, playing it, and then inserting the theme song at some point during that first scene).

I never got Hallmark Channel, so I never saw that. That is highly interesting!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I never got Hallmark Channel, so I never saw that. That is highly interesting!

Yes! I vividly remember "Gossip" starting out with a cold open on The Hallmark Channel. I was like "Whaaa--- " and then they did it for the next show, and the next, and I was like "Whoa, they cut into the show and split the first scene by inserting the theme intro a couple minutes in to make a teaser"! I was stunned they "messed" with the shows by doing that!

[RetroGuy2000]

Yeah, I would have been shocked, too!