The Opening Credits Discussional

[Willie Oleson]

And in that very moment I'm feeling sorry for Valene but I'm also feeling happy for Abby. It's such a juxtaposition, and maybe that's why that feeling never stopped. And maybe, subconsciously, I was always waiting for those images to show up.
Surely it was in our SoapLand battle top 5 title cards?

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Surely it was in our SoapLand battle top 5 title cards?

I don't think it was, and I'd say the reason is because it wasn't crediting an actor. It wasn't part of Donna or Joan's main credits, for example. It appeared towards the end of the theme around where the producer credits are, so it's one of the "bonus" scenes to give a flavour of the series.

 

[Julia's Gun]

Another take on that scene is that at the end of season 4 both ladies were quite alone. Gary was stuck in jail, and Abby had just fired his lawyer to keep him in there! She was facing out to sea alone, with an uncertain future, just as Val was back at home after seeing Gary in jail, wondering if he would ever get out...

 

[ClassyCo]

I just started season eleven a few days back. I'm not liking the visuals of this new opening at all. It looks a little amateurish and vaguely like a daytime soap trying its hand at posing as a more prestigious nighttime drama.

Maybe I'm being a little overly critical and a tad nit-picky, but shows like Knots Landing need the pictures of the cast in the opening. It might be a little out-dated for modern TV viewers, but it's something I look forward to seeing with my older shows, especially my prime time soaps. It just strikes me as somewhat out of character for my favorite soap to bypass the pictures of the core characters and actors I'm going to be following with each passing episode. It's almost like they were trying following suit with the trend gradually taking heed in the early nineties; a lot of the shows were eliminating their openings and having the credits roll across the screen at the start of the episodes. For example, Designing Women deleted its opening almost entirely for its final season in 1992 in favor of playing just a few bars of "Georgia On My Mind" as the title card was briefly displayed and the remainder of the credits rolled across the bottom of the screen at the beginning of each episode.

The one thing I can get behind about this new new opening for Knots is the instrumentals itself. It sounds like a redone version of the show's heyday, and I like it. It's a little slower than my personal preference for the music, but I can jive with it well enough.

I'll probably fast-forward the intro quite a bit this season. And that's something I very rarely do, too.

 

[Daniel Avery]

shows like Knots Landing need the pictures of the cast in the opening. It might be a little out-dated for modern TV viewers, but it's something I look forward to seeing with my older shows, especially my prime time soaps.

It's ironic that in the late 1990s, daytime soaps started putting the actors' names on the screen alongside their images---to look more like nighttime. In the meantime, nighttime shows were moving away from images/names of the actors on screen in pre-made "opening titles" and toward just super-imposing the actors' names over the opening scenes.

 

[Brian Kinney]

I'm going with Season 1/2. I liked the idea of the stars over their respective house but of course it was impossible to continue with that once they started spreading out from the cul de sac.

This reminds me somehow of the Aussie daytime soap Neighbours that started in 1985. The opening never made much use of their cul de sac. But the end credits still use the image. And it's a bit similar to Knots Landing's.

I'm the only one who voted for the sand castles? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT REAL ART???

 

[Willie Oleson]

I just started season eleven a few days back

Not really suffering from any viewing slumps this time, or so it seems

I'm the only one who voted for the sand castles?

Oh, stop it. You're just being anarchistic

 

[Brian Kinney]

No I really like it, it's flowing (?) and the sea doves :love & peace:. Starring in alphabetical order: Tonya Crowe - first name - WOW - would never happened to the other three big soaps! And none of the outdated images with the actors. Just names. It looks the most freshest (and could have been from today with other fonts for actor's names). The colors and the title music is so friendly and lovable. Aside from Season 1 it's the only title sequence where people actually gave it thought to present something different. Excellent viewing if you're stoned, but if not it's right behind Game of Thrones and Mad Men.

The last seasons' intro is terrible with all the colored frameds around the rolling images. And the speed is irritating. I can't remember any sequence. But this kind of video graphic title design looked actually modern when it originally aired.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Excellent viewing if you're stoned, but if not it's right behind Game of Thrones and Mad Men.

You're beginning to convince me, Brian.

 

[Daniel Avery]

And the speed is irritating

Not sure if this is what you mean, but the 'speed' that irritated me in 12-14 was how the boxes seemed to speed up, slow down and occasionally overlap as they crossed the screen. The original style had them all very organized. I can see how the designer wanted to add in his/her own touches to the established model but this irked me. Oh, and yes I disliked the multicolored 'frames' around the panels. That didn't help or add to the look, IMO.

 

[Brian Kinney]

Not sure if this is what you mean, but the 'speed' that irritated me in 12-14 was how the boxes seemed to speed up, slow down and occasionally overlap as they crossed the screen.

THIS exactly! And it appears almost as if the various boxes crossed with different speed in addition to speed it up or down for all boxes. Too much of everything. And I'm a fan of Anne, best character from the last seasons - but if I'm unable to remind a classic shot (to me) of Michelle Phillips as with those mentioned about Abby, Val etc. it's a complete failure.

BTW: I always liked how Abby comes from the right and walks left toward the jacuzzi. That fitted very well to the smooth movements of the credits. I wish they had more scenes like that to get away from this strange browsing-through-a-photo-album feeling.

 

[Seaviewer]

just super-imposing the actors' names over the opening scenes.

Most of the time I have know idea which is which.

I'm the only one who voted for the sand castles? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT REAL ART???

I didn't dislike the sandcastles but they got old very fast.

Starring in alphabetical order: Tonya Crowe

I always thought it was a shame that Tonya's only stint in the opening credits came the only year there were no cast pictures.

I disliked the multicolored 'frames' around the panels. That didn't help or add to the look, IMO.

I didn't like or dislike them but they were an unnecessary distraction.

 

[ClassyCo]

Not really suffering from any viewing slumps this time, or so it seems

Oh, stop it. You're just being anarchistic

No viewing slumps this time. I'm determined to get through these final seasons. I'm anxiously awaiting some of those characters that come in those last seasons.

 

[Alexis Colby Carrington]

Season One and Two, there's just something about the very first few seconds that you don't get in the later seasons.

 

[ClassyCo]

I must rectify what I said in an earlier post. Unlike what I predicted, I have not been fast-forwarding the opening for season eleven. It's not that I can necessarily say that I like the visuals this season, but I do like that it's different. That might be splitting hairs, but I do enjoy watching it because I know this is the only season I'll get to see it. I do like the instrumentals, too.

 

[ClassyCo]

I notice that not too many fans are especially fond of the intro used for the final three years. Some have said that the pictures and names move much too fast and they don't like how all the frames are different colors.

I have a different take on it. I've always read that the producers designed the new opening, starting in the twelfth season, to make the intro "safe" for the 1990s. Now, I've always been a little uncertain exactly what was meant by "safe", but I must say that I'm on-board with their decision to turn things back to mimic the classic theme from the show's heyday.

While I can agree that the pictures and names do move a little fast, I must say that I personally liked how the picture frames were all in different colors. I understand that some might find them a little amateurish, but I think it gives those openings a little homey feeling. Not only does it keep the openings from looking too bland, some people occasionally have different colored picture frames hanging on their living room wall. It just makes the openings look like a stroll down memory lane all the while why pictures are hanging on a memory wall, or our TV screens in this case.

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[bmasters9]

I notice that not too many fans are especially fond of the intro used for the final three years. Some have said that the pictures and names move much too fast and they don't like how all the frames are different colors.

I have a different take on it. I've always read that the producers designed the new opening, starting in the twelfth season, to make the intro "safe" for the 1990s. Now, I've always been a little uncertain exactly what was meant by "safe", but I must say that I'm on-board with their decision to turn things back to mimic the classic theme from the show's heyday.

While I can agree that the pictures and names do move a little fast, I must say that I personally liked how the picture frames were all in different colors. I understand that some might find them a little amateurish, but I think it gives those openings a little homey feeling. Not only does it keep the openings from looking too bland, some people occasionally have different colored picture frames hanging on their living room wall. It just makes the openings look like a stroll down memory lane all the while why pictures are hanging on a memory wall, or our TV screens in this case.

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And oddly enough, a version of the scroll of cast members and characters was used w/two of the logos of NBC; the original one (the one we know and love) was used while NBC had the Proud N and peacock (even though the Jamaican-sounding one of 1986-87 [that's seemingly what it sounds like to me] was used w/today's bird), and this newer picture-frame version that you have captured a title shot from (the last opening that KL ever used) was used with the peacock we know today.

 

[WeldonBallou]

Craig Huxley spoilt the series for me. I found his electronic music very distracting. After several seasons of a full orchestral arrangement, it sounded very cheap to me. Like it was knocked up in his parents' basement. So I guess his take on the theme summed up what was happening with the underscore that year.

Completely on board with you on that note!

 

[Ray&Donna]

I like the artsiness of the Dvore titles but the scrolling pictures seem to fit the show's tone the most

 

[Chris2]

Loved the scrolling pictures, especially when they brought them back and updated them for season 12. Hated the cheap-sounding synthesized season 8 theme.

Another thing I hated: the final shot of the neighbors staring into the camera for the closing picture of the season 3 intro. Bizarre.