» Worst Opening (And Closing) Credits Options

[ConnieVandelay]

I looked through every page of the TV Potluck forum before I made this topic. I even looked in the stuff from 2004.

I'm surprised there hasn't been a recent thread on this.

My votes for worst opening credits will have to go to 2 shows in the soap opera genre -- Young and The Restless and One Life To Life. First, One Life To Life:

The last time I watched this show was in 2003 and I remember in the credits they would show the actor/actresss and the kyron (sp?) it would have the characters name (I stress, not the actor/actress real name, but their chracter's name, and just the first name of the character) . I thought that was so cheesy, I had never seen that before in a soap, usually its just the actor/actress and their real name.

The 2nd goes to Young And The Restless for its dated credits. Now I know the show uses revolving credits, some characters are shown, some are not some days. In the credits they always show Lauralee Bell (aka, Christine/Cricket/TheBug) and she's only on the show once a month, if that. And the ancient shots of Ashley (back when she was wearing wigs due to Ashley having cancer and what not) in the opening credits too. The credits don't even include characters that have been on the show for a year or longer such as Gloria or (I think) the new Mackenzie but I think she's leaving the show anyway, so. I don't even think Neil (Kristoff Saint John?) is in the opening credits and he's been on the show forever.

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My other vote would have to go to the shortlived Jason Alexander show Listen Up. I don't remember what it looked like but I still have it stuck in my head. It was the kids voices and the wifes voices, and Malcom Jamal Warner's chracter saying "mom", "dad", "(Jason's characters name)", and at the end Jason would go, "LISTEN UP!". That was just ... stupid.

[Brightblue]

This is sort of a generic response to the topic. I hate it when they don’t update them as the years go by like Little House and Step by Step for a long time – LHOP’s were terrible when they did too, just floating ovals in the frame. Gag.

More specifically I hated Surfaces credits. How boring, and worse the credits were in the middle of the show, shoot you watched 10 minutes before they were done playing them, I hate that!

[jonnypaul12]

Word on not updating the credits. Not every show has to update them three times a year like Friends did, but at least every other year they should do something different. It doesn't make sense--the women on Golden Girls all look older in the credits than in the epsiodes themselves in the latter seasons, making some of their cosmetic surgery EXTREMELY obvious.

I don't like the opening credits on Desperate Housewives. The theme song does nothing for me, either. The credits for The Practice were nausea-inducing.

This post has been edited by jonnypaul12: Mar 20, 2006 @ 3:04 pm.

[Winged Nike]

The credit sequence I've hated the most was The Cosby Show's calypso dance sequence one. The music drove me crazy, and the dancing, waving arms thing annoyed me.

[leebeasy]

don't like the opening credits on Desperate Housewives. The theme song does nothing for me, either.

ITA. It goes on far too long, I'm glad they have shorten it. Also call me superficial but I prefer to see shots of the person with their name.

[bluejaylove]

Re: One Life to Live

"I remember in the credits they would show the actor/actresss and the kyron (sp?) it would have the characters name (I stress, not the actor/actress real name, but their chracter's name, and just the first name of the character) . I thought that was so cheesy, I had never seen that before in a soap, usually its just the actor/actress and their real name."

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Ditto on OLTL...that was some cheesy (bleep)! But most soap opening are really cheesy anyway. Speaking of which, I HATE the Days of our Lives closing deal where at the end, the characters freeze and zooms in and it's always some incredibly cheesy and over-the-top effect, usually fire in the background. Ohh, God, one of the reasons I hardly watch that show anymore.

I also hated the opening credits of Saved by the Beel: The College Years. It was just blah..."Standing at the edge of tomorrow...."

[isiscloud]

The song playing during the end of Charmed. Ugh. The opening song is great (even though it's not original to witches), it great. How they could choose this pablum to end the show is unforgivable. Kind of an indicator of the quality of the show over the last few years.

[Rwrap257]

The Big Love credits are much too cheesy and use waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much symbolism...or at least they try to make it seem like they are.

[Ms Chicklet]

General Hospital's opening credits are really bad. From opening with the greasy midget mobster Napoleon Bone A Tart, aka Sonny Corinthos, to the closing pan shot of all the male actors. Nothing like that of the women. It's so symbolic of the head writers' misogyny.

[lilxprincess]

I really hate the Grey's Anatomy credits. They just don't seem to fit with the show for me.

[LibbySarah]

LOST's "credit" has creeped me out since Day 1, and continues to do so.

[jayseyfield]

I really hate the Grey's Anatomy credits.

Ditto.

Smallville's season 5 credits are horrible. They use to have decent credits then they had to revamp it for season 5, now it's horrible.

[Meaghan Edwards]

Don't care much for the GA either. It's just too meh for me.

This post has been edited by Meaghan Edwards: Mar 20, 2006 @ 8:38 pm.

[Anyone Bueller]

I fucking hated The Rosie O'Donnell Show's opening and theme. It was way too cute, and the last lyric would always change to give a shout-out to that particular episode's guest star. For instance, "She's precious and she's rare, it's the fabulous Cher! It's The Rosie O'Donnell Show!" Gag.

I also hated when Knots Landing changed its opening credits to a mess of watercolors and black and white portraits of the cast that made them all look pretentious. Fortunately, all the viewers hated it and they were forced to change it after only one season.

And the ancient shots of Ashley (back when she was wearing wigs due to Ashley having cancer and what not) in the opening credits too. The credits don't even include characters that have been on the show for a year or longer such as Gloria or (I think) the new Mackenzie

ConnieVandelay, I once read an article where a soap producer said that it costs thousands of dollars to change just one image in the opening credits of a show. And because soaps are on such strict budgets, that's why the opening credits are rarely updated. Now, I have no idea why it costs so much or where the expense would come in...

This post has been edited by Anyone Bueller: Mar 20, 2006 @ 5:08 pm.

[labprincess]

I really hate the Grey's Anatomy credits.

Word. I think the song is annoying; and last season when they had the eyelash curler on the tray with the surgical instruments... yuck. At least now they've shortened it.