There might be just one.
By Joshua Tyler
| Up to date 8 seconds in the past
Greater than some other kind of tv programming, science fiction exhibits are most frequently outlined by their opening credit. Partially, it’s as a result of these exhibits are often advanced and require some type of setup to elucidate the plot, outline a setting, or no less than set up the tone of what you’re about to observe.
In bigger half, I think it’s as a result of making an excellent, bombastic, foolish, catchy, rock and roll present opens is a whole lot of enjoyable. It’s much more enjoyable whenever you’re taking part in with outer house, aliens, time vacationers, or sword-wielding immortals.
Which house sci-fi present intros are one of the best? I’ve spent the final thirty years of my life writing about and interested by science fiction. I put that data and expertise to make use of in developing with a definitive record of one of the best sci-fi present intros of all time.
Watch All The Finest Sci-Fi Present Intros
Or examine them within the full, ranked record beneath.
24. Airwolf Season 1 Intro
Within the 90s, Airwolf was like Knight Rider’s edgier, extra grown-up cousin. All the pieces about it was cool, smooth, and lethal.
The automobile didn’t discuss, as a result of that was for youths. Our hero wasn’t very pleasant; he was brooding and unfriendly. The tech wasn’t simply enjoyable, it was lethal.
All of that’s represented in Airwolf’s opening credit sequence, which, like Knight Rider, is the good factor about an already cool present. It’s the music, it’s the startup sequence, it’s all the things you need in a present a few high-tech killing machine.
Concern the howl.
23. The Orville Opening Credit
The Orville is essentially the most Star Trek factor since Star Trek. And so have been the present’s opening credit.
The Orville’s opening credit and its Star Trek-like melody are an ideal setup for what’s about to observe. Importantly, the present’s opening introduces the ship we’re about to spend all our time on.
22. Physician Who, Collection 2 Intro
When the brand new model of Physician Who launched in 2005, one of the attention-grabbing issues in regards to the present was the way in which they managed to take the earlier collection’ iconic but type of annoying theme music and never solely make it palatable, however type of enjoyable.
They didn’t change a lot, simply made it really feel higher inside your ears, and that, mixed with the movement of the TARDIS flying by means of the time vorte,x provides the entire thing a way of pleasure and movement which is totally in step with the persona of The Physician himself, with out ever really displaying us actually a lot of something.
They began updating it barely for Collection 5, and since then, it has undergone additional adjustments. The golden model is from collection 2 with David Tennant, and I want it to any of the opposite openings, that are nonetheless fairly good.
21. Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds
There will probably be different Star Trek exhibits on this record, however this one deserves particular point out for doing one thing totally different from the usual Trek, such because the ship swooping previous the digicam intro. It did one thing totally different and made it good.
Previous makes an attempt at departing from the Trek norm led to disasters, such because the opening credit of Star Trek: Enterprise. I nonetheless don’t have religion of the center and neither did anybody watching the present.
The Unusual New Worlds opening music will get higher the extra instances you hear it. My point out of it simply now seemingly bought it caught in your head. I can hear you buzzing.
20. Lexx, Seasons 3 & 4 Opening Credit
Lexx was the weirdest, most complicated, freakishly sex-obsessed collection within the historical past of tv. The present’s opening credit are additionally bizarre and complicated, that includes the present’s ugly, bug-eyed ship and an enormous jumble of pictures.
In Season 3, they added the Brunnen G combat music (used elsewhere in earlier seasons) as their opening music, and that modified all the things. It’s haunting and delightful.
The pictures nonetheless aren’t nice, however the sound of these voices singing their method into battle is so good it virtually doesn’t matter. Sing alongside: Yo A O, Hom Var Ray. Yo A Ra, Jerhume Brunnen G…
19. The Jetsons
The Jetsons’ imaginative and prescient of the longer term was a swinging ’60s factor, however the music stands the take a look at of time. So does all that loopy futuristic design the place folks dwell above the clouds and trip round in bubble automobiles. There’s by no means been anything fairly prefer it.
The closing credit, through which George will get caught on the treadmill and screams “Jane cease this loopy factor!” are most likely much more iconic, however The Jetsons intro, which units up all of the members of the Jetsons household and leaves George settled in at work the place he’s positive to get yelled at by Spacely, is almost nearly as good.
18. Battlestar Galactica, 1978 Intro
The unique opening used for traditional Battlestar Galactica, when it debuted in 1978, got here full with that insanely cool narration that makes an attempt to trace that what you’re about to observe might actually be occurring on the market someplace.
The music’s among the best tv scores of all time. The pictures, sadly, don’t fairly dwell as much as the remainder, however solely as a result of they selected to wrap them in a bubble. Contemplating the time interval, the unique Battlestar Galactica opening is unbelievably epic. Life right here started on the market…
17. Thriller Science Theater 3000 | Seasons 1 -5
In principle, Thriller Science Theater 3000 is a present about watching different exhibits, however for me, the spotlight of any episode was the bits they did between motion pictures, with the hosts partaking in shenanigans.
The collection’ open embodies the enjoyable of these segments whereas additionally containing data necessary to your enjoyment of the present. These are primarily issues like, when you’re questioning how he eats and breathes and different science info, then repeat to your self, it’s only a present, it’s best to actually simply loosen up.
Within the not too distant future, subsequent Sunday A.D…
16. Sliders, Season 1 Opening Credit
Although they ultimately ruined the present in subsequent seasons, for the primary yr it was on the air in 1995, Sliders was an insanely cool sci-fi present with a fairly cool opening sequence to match. The intro units up the collection’ premise of a number of Earths and, although parallel worlds are a well-recognized factor to sci-fi followers, for lots of people this was the primary they’d ever heard of the idea. Sliders explains it completely in a number of seconds. “Similar Earth, totally different dimension”.
The season 1 opening is as enjoyable because the present itself was, for a number of temporary years on Fox. My favourite a part of the intro is the final two seconds or so, when the present’s title seems and pulses as a voice whispers the identify: Sliders…
15. Crimson Dwarf
The Crimson Dwarf opening credit have been virtually respectable when it debuted again in 1988. The present opened with a man portray the ship, after which pulled again for an enormous reveal of all the, huge vessel. However Crimson Dwarf just isn’t a decent present (and we wouldn’t have it some other method), so ultimately they bought it proper in season 3 by rushing up the tempo of the music and including a bunch of totally ridiculous, utterly silly, completely enjoyable clips to it which because it seems have been the proper setup to a present involving a self-loathing hologram of a useless crewman and a robotic who actually likes to iron.
I’m notably keen on the shot of Smeghead Rimmer hammering himself, utilized in Season 8. Give it up for the boys from the Dwarf!
14. The Six Million Greenback Man
Tv’s high bionic man didn’t have a lot of a theme music, however all the things else about The Six Million Greenback Man’s opening credit is insanely cool. What number of different exhibits begin by displaying you each a aircraft crash and a harmful surgical process each week?
Steve Austin. Astronaut. A person barely alive. Gents, we are able to rebuild him. Now we have the know-how. Now we have the potential to make the world’s first bionic man. Steve Austin will probably be that man. Higher than he was earlier than. Higher, stronger, quicker…
13. Star Trek: Deep House 9
Again when it first aired, Deep House 9 was the Star Trek present everybody missed. That has since modified, and on reflection, it has earned respect.
Totally totally different from each different Trek collection in practically each attainable method, the present’s opening displays that. The attractive them music is extra bombastic than adventurous, and gone is the narration. It nonetheless comprises photographs of stars, however as a substitute of thrilling flybys, it takes you on a grand tour round this place, caught in a single spot in house. DS9 takes Trek and credit sequences in a distinct route.
The present and the opening really bought even higher in later seasons with the addition of an excellent little starship referred to as the Defiant. Just like the present, this opening has weight. It’s grand.
12. Battlestar Galactica, 2006 Opening
The Battlestar Galactica opening credit underwent a whole lot of alterations throughout its time on the air. In 2004, when the present debuted, for example, the opening didn’t characteristic any of the textual content we turned used to, counting down the variety of survivor left and telling us of their seek for a brand new residence, referred to as Earth.
The BSG credit didn’t even air at the beginning of the present more often than not. Normally, the present kicked off with a 30-second “they usually have a plan” intro, telling us what the Cylons have been as much as, and it wasn’t till 8 minutes in that the precise title sequence would present up.
11. Knight Rider
The present could have been tacky, however the opening credit have been a lower above. The music is, after all, iconic, however what’s fairly underrated in regards to the opening to Knight Rider again in 1982 is the stylistic method they took to it.
It begins out with a bizarre, virtually purple shot of KITT blasting by means of the desert, which, in a darkish and edgy type of method, matches as much as the unbelievable voiceover from Richard Baseheart. That intro, greater than something that occurred within the present, gave Knight Rider an underground, outlaw really feel that few different exhibits have captured.
A shadowy flight into the harmful world of a person… who doesn’t exist
10. Star Blazers
Initially launched in Japan as House Battleship Yamato, this animated present was closely re-edited and renamed as Star Blazers for consumption in the USA. A lot of the adjustments made to Americanize the present for its 1979 airing weren’t notably good, however the one which completely works is the Star Blazers opening credit.
It helps that the photographs they use are fairly arresting, however largely, it’s the theme music that units the tone for all the things that’s about to occur completely. Listening to it’s like getting ready for battle each week, and the phrases have a tendency to stay in your head.
The Earth will survive with… our… Star… Blazers!
9. Quantum Leap, Season 4
The Quantum Leap opening credit are an ideal mix of gripping narration, a unbelievable theme music, and tons of attention-grabbing pictures. The narration modified a little bit all through the years, in season one, for example, Sam Beckett narrated it and blamed what was occurring to him on an experiment that went a little bit “caca”.
I feel the Season 4 model is one of the best, that includes a feminine narrator who recounts his journey with only a trace of unhappiness, and incorporating clips from all one of the best moments of the earlier seasons.
Watch as Dr. Sam Beckett steps into the quantum leap accelerator and vanishes.
And so Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to place proper what as soon as went fallacious, and hoping every time that his subsequent leap, would be the leap residence.
8. The Twilight Zone
The theme music is iconic. You most likely hear it in your head each time somebody mentions the present’s identify. Rod Serling’s narration is epic. It’s the type of factor that haunts your goals.
The shortage of colour, in some way makes it even higher.
You unlock this door with the important thing of creativeness. Past it’s one other dimension. A dimension of sound. A dimension of sight. A dimension of thoughts. You’re transferring right into a land of each shadow and substance, of issues and concepts. You’ve simply crossed over into… the Twilight Zone…
7. Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology
The opening credit for Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology took all the things nice in regards to the unique Star Trek opening and elevated it to a different degree. I think about this credit sequence does all the things the unique collection one would have carried out, if it had the know-how obtainable to make it occur.
For that purpose, as a lot as anything, I’m really rating The Subsequent Technology opening right here as a substitute of the unique. I want Shatner’s narration, however the music is an unlimited enchancment, and the sweeping photographs of planets and the lengthy, sluggish photographs of the ship actually convey the sense of house and alienness in a method that the unique, nice although it was, simply couldn’t.
These are the voyagers of the starship Enterprise…
6. Cowboy Bebop
Along with being a jazzy bop of its very personal, Cowboy Bebop’s opening music completely places us into the mindset of collection protagonist Spike Spiegel, and we have been already dreaming of pulling off heists and discovering our fortune within the stars by the point the primary episode began.
Due to the present’s theme music by Tank, there’s nothing else prefer it, on this or some other record.
5. Assault on Titan, First Intro
Assault on Titan modified openings regularly, relying on the tone of the slate of episodes the viewer was about to embark on. Typically the present modified openings a number of episodes right into a season, typically it caught with the identical opening for an extended stretch.
Every opening is so totally different in fashion and tone that selecting one of the best of them is nearly unattainable. The openings grow to be progressively darker and angrier because the collection goes on, reflecting the rising horror of the present.
At first, they’re hopeful and excited, although, and if I needed to choose which Assault on Titan opening is one of the best, I’d need to go together with the present’s first intro in season one.
4. Babylon 5, Season 3 Intro
It was the daybreak of the third age of mankind. Babylon 5 arrived on tv with these phrases again in 1994 and, for 5 seasons, these phrases modified with the launch of every new yr.
The music swells and the narration, irrespective of who does it (it adjustments yearly) units the tone for the extreme story and characters that are about to observe. It’s stirring and made much more emotional by the way in which they’re in a position to utterly change it, constructing stress each time, but preserve it feeling precisely the identical for 5 totally different openings.
I’d choose Babylon 5’s season 3 opening, narrated by Ivanova, as one of the best.
The present, nonetheless, started with the next phrases…
That is the story of the final of the Babylon stations. The yr is 2258. The identify of the place is Babylon 5…
3. Westworld, Season 1 Intro
For one season, Westworld was one of the best collection on tv. It went on to spawn different seasons, however the present by no means got here near matching the success of season one.
The identical is true of the Westworld season one opening credit. One season of intro perfection utilizing a rating in a musical class of their very own.
2. Farscape, Season 3 Opening Credit
Farscape made a few minor tweaks to its opening credit over the course of its 4-season run on tv from 1999 – 2003, but it surely was in Season 3 that they lastly bought the music proper. The primary two seasons performed a lot the identical tune, however with a extra alien high quality to it, which ended up sounding shrill.
By firming that down in Season 3 they matched that now eerily cool music to Ben Browder’s pitch good, echoing narration and a collection of beautiful, gripping pictures to create on of the best science fiction present openings of all time.
In the event you can hear me, beware. If I make it again, will they observe? If I open the door, are you prepared? Earth is unprepared, helpless, for the nightmares I’ve seen…
1. Highlander: The Collection, Season 4
Throughout its run from 1992 to 1998, Highlander: The Collection employed a number of totally different opening sequences; nonetheless, the one utilized in Season 3 was halficularly efficient.
It begins in a foggy alley, with Duncan in a trench coat stalking a foe. Whereas he strikes, we hear good narration from Jim Byrnes, who performs a watcher named Joe Dawson. Dawson’s gravelly voice explains who Duncan is and the battle he’s about to combat. Duncan walks in the direction of the digicam, pulls out his sword… strikes… after which Queen blasts out of your audio system.
You may’t beat a Queen music utilized in your opening credit. Whereas Queen completely owns, varied highlights from the present rip throughout the display screen and largely contain a whole lot of completely timed sword combating, decapitating, and the occasional explosion of lightning. It’s rock and roll.
It’s one of the best opening credit sequence not simply in science fiction, however perhaps in all the historical past of tv.
He’s immortal. Born within the Highlands of Scotland 400 years in the past, he isn’t alone. There are others like him. Some good. Some evil. For hundreds of years he has battled the forces of darkness, with Holy Floor his solely refuge. He can’t die, until you are taking his head, and with it his energy. Ultimately, there might be just one. He’s Duncan MacLeod, the Highlander…
