A really impressive intro sequence soon will quickly become a key, unskippable part of the ritual of sitting down to watch your favorite TV show. Some of them can contain hints at what's to come, many hide deeper meanings and some are just downright entertaining to watch in their own right — especially if they come armed with a killer theme song.
Inspired at least in part by all the chatter surrounding the punchy dance routine that opens "The Perfect Couple" on Netflix, we've looked back at some of our favorite intros ever made. While it would take age to list all the best examples, here are seven of the greatest TV title sequences that ever made it to air.
'Game of Thrones'
We all knew this was coming, so let's just get it out of the way: the title sequence for "Game of Thrones" is just that iconic.
Functioning as a guide to the places you'd be visiting each episode (and hinting at parts of Westeros' bloody past), Elastic's title sequence is fascinating; I love watching the various fantasy settlements and cities spring up as their complex clockwork parts whir and click into being. Oh, and you can't not mention Ramin Djawadi's truly excellent theme song.
It's a theme song so good that the first Game of Thrones" spinoff didn't even change things up to start with; yes, the opening credits of "House of the Dragon" used the same theme song, and largely follows a similar format, even if it later changed medium to a tapestry, rather than a blood-soaked scale model.
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'Dexter'
The morning routine sequence from "Dexter" is a genius exercise in double meaning. Rationally, it's a fairly mundane montage scored with a jaunty, bouncy theme. All we're doing is watching our lead get up and get ready to face the day... so why does the entire thing feel so ... sinister?!
Well, that'll be because we all know that this apparently mild-mannered Dexter (Michael C. Hall) is really like; he's anything but average, he's a blood spatter expert who solves and commits murders. With that context, you can read into the precision of the cuts and the tension he holds as he focuses intently on each of his jobs for the day. Then, he fixes us with a blank stare, before stepping outside to take on the world. It's all pointing to his dark secret, and it's simply brilliant.
Watch on Netflix or Paramount Plus With Showtime
'Mad Men'
Stephen Fuller's title sequence for the Emmy award-winning "Mad Men" is quite possibly my favorite; the whole thing just oozes the same slickness that the AMC drama possesses.
Scored with an impeccably jazzy instrumental from RJD2's "A Beautiful Mine", the sequence follows a male figure trapped in freefall in a crumbling facade of the ad agency world. Eye-catching art selling a very particular American Dream whizzes by; he's trapped by the very world that he's selling to willing customers, every single day.
And despite all that chaos, it concludes with that same guy lounging, cigarette in hand, on a recliner, looking like he couldn't be more in control of the situation if he tried. Is that contrast not emblematic of much of Don Draper's inner conflict?
Watch on AMC Plus
'Peacemaker'
Now, "The Perfect Couple" intro might have confused some viewers, but "Peacemaker" did the opening dance number better, earlier. A ridiculous show in its own right, "Peacemaker" found a suitably silly way to open proceedings: a campy dance set to a song sung by a Norweigan glam metal band (Wig Wam's "Do You Wanna Taste It").
Unlike some of our other choices here, this one's anything but symbolic; you wouldn't be able to glean anything about our cast if you only caught the "Peacemaker" intro on TV. But I'd bet you wouldn't be tempted to switch it off, either. The cherry on top here is that nobody cracks a smile even once. It's daft, it's fun, and it fits perfectly.
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'Shōgun'
The "Shōgun" intro just bagged an Emmy this year and, frankly, it's easy to see why: This is an evocative, beautifully-realized piece of work that's emblematic of the show's quality as a whole.
Drawing influence from design features and artistic styles contemporary to the show's period of Japanese history and, in particular, Japanese dry gardens (per Mashable) the team at Elastic (who designed the opening credits) rendered the whole of Japan (and the central conceit of the show) in miniature.
Although things start out peaceful and undisturbed, once John Blackthorne's ship disturbs that peace, things start to take a turn. The theme grows angrier, and the visuals descend into violent conflict.
Watch on Hulu
'Succession'
"Succession" might not have as much of an elaborate intro as some of the other entries on this list, but it's just as impressive, and foreshadows so much of the relationship between the Roy family.
Though things changed in between seasons, this particular sequence is mostly a montage of nostalgic home videos of the Roy siblings growing up, often looking on as their father stays out of frame or walks away. Combined with all the shots of their opulent home and offices, it's a microcosm of what the show's all about. And it's all driven along by Nicholas Britell's phenomenal score.
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'The Simpsons'
I'd wager that "The Simpsons" intro is possibly one of the most-watched TV title sequences, maybe ever. Over the show's many, many seasons, the team has iterated on the original sequence, updating the visuals and adding or changing/swapping sections.
It's densely populated with its own gags, shows off the show's changing eras, and is increasingly often home to ever-more-elaborate couch gag sequences, but the main formula has broadly stayed the same, with every member of the family finding their way home to take a seat before the real show begins.
Watch on Disney Plus
