#1 New York Times Bestselling Author & TV Producer
…Andrew Dignan analyzes in minute detail the main sequence of THE WIRE, which changes every season.
The Wire‘s opening credits are not an ordinary credits sequence,
but a series of four short films that distill each season’s themes,
goals, and motifs.
I’m out-of-town, so here’s a second main title for your pleasure…action as only Robert Stack can deliiver it.
What would happen if Aaron Sorkin wrote a series about baseball? Emmy-winning writer Ken Levine gives you a brilliant example.
EXT. KAUFMAN STADIUM — NIGHT
THE
MANAGER, LEO, TROTS OUT TO THE MOUND TO TALK TO BELEAGURED PITCHER,
DANNY (THERE’S ALWAYS A DANNY). THE BASES ARE LOADED. THE CROWD IS
GOING NUTS. IT’S GAME SEVEN OF THE WORLD SERIES.LEO
You can’t get a good lobster in this town.DANNY
Last I checked we were in Kansas City.LEO
4.6 billion pork ribs sold every year and 18.9 tons of beef consumed annually since 1997 –DANNY
They like their beef, what can I tell ya?LEO
But you’d think just for variety’s sake.DANNY
I can still throw my curve.LEO
For strikes?DANNY
I’m not throwing enough?LEO
I’ve seen more lobsters.
There’s more… much much more…and it’s hilarious.
Main Titles create an emotional link between the viewer and the show. But for a writer, they are so much more. Here is an excerpt from SUCCESSFUL TELEVISION WRITING, the book I wrote with William Rabkin. The excerpt will be followed an example, along with text from the book.
Main titles are created to introduce the audience to the show they are about to see. But for the writer, there is much more information to be gleaned. It is a chance to read the mind of the executive producer. How does he perceive the show? How does he perceive the characters?
How does he perceives the tone? What kinds of stories does he want to tell? Most main title sequences will answer all those questions and more.
There are basically three different kinds of main title sequences: Format sequences, that actually tell you in narration and in writing what the show is about; Mood sequences that convey the type of feeling and tone they are going for; and Character sequences, which delineate who the characters are and how they interact. Many main titles are combinations of these three sequences.
Since TV changes so fast, we’ve chosen some examples from some established series you probably know very well and, if not, can easily find in reruns…
The rest comes after the jump…
Thanks to that scumbag William Simon, I have become a YouTube addict…and to justify my nocturnal wanderings over there, I’ve created a blog of TV main title sequences.
One of the exec producers of the reimagined BATTLESTAR GALACTICA is resurrecting another old series from the Universal vaults: THE BIONIC WOMAN, a spin-off from THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN. Variety reports that David Eick has hired screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis to tackle his latest reimagining for NBC.
"It’s a complete reconceptualization of the title," Eick told Daily Variety. "We’re using the title as a starting point, and that’s all."
"It’s going to be a meaningful departure" from
the original, he said, using words such as "nanotechnology" to hint at
what’s in store.
For many years, you could tune in to see Dr. Mark Sloan on DIAGNOSIS MURDER every Thursday night at 9 pm on CBS. You can still tune in every Thursday night at nine to see Dr. Mark Sloan… only now you’ll find him on ABC, practicing medicine on GREY’S ANATOMY, and flauting his wonderous pecs:
"Grey’s Anatomy" certainly raised the steamy quotient again. Last week,
Dr. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) walked out wearing only a towel and
displayed his chiseled body.
The characters may have the same name, but I don’t think anybody is going to mistake Dick Van Dyke for Eric Dane.