The Coolest Opening Credit Sequence In TV History
@arthurchappell (44941)
Preston, England
April 13, 2016 5:25pm CST
My vote for the best opening credits and theme music combination has to go to the 1960’s surreal Kafkaesque TV series, The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan.
The theme music, starting with the ominous thunder, was the work of Ron Grainer who also did the original Dr Who theme.
The visuals recap events from the opening episode, and though the sequnce dialogue never changes, the actor playing Number Two changed every week, as each was replaced by a new one for failing to break McGoohan’s Number Six’s) defiant spirit each episode.
The opening recaps his resignation as an MI5 agent, and immediate abduction to the village where his house is replicated but the village itself, (Portmerion in Wales was the location) is never identified. Number 6’s fabulous highly iconic home-made kit car, the KAR 120C, is actually a Lotus 7 Mark 2.
Seeing these credits unfold still gives me a thrill whenever I see them or hear the music starting up.
The credit sequence on Youtube
Arthur Chappell – Prisoner badge number 7680378006269641407053390753196494987764325-9
Pure Cinema; music: Ron Grainer; reframed from 1.66 to 1.85 digital from the HD restored/remastered NETWORK UK DVD; The US A&E DVD set is crap; after episode...
15 people like this
15 responses
@Dragonairy1 (1722)
• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
13 Apr 16
The only opening sequences I remember are from James Bond films 
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
13 Apr 16
McGoohan would have made a great Bond @Dragonairy1 he did a TV spy series called Dangerman that was great too
2 people like this
@Dragonairy1 (1722)
• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
14 Apr 16
@arthurchappell Ive never heard of it, I'll have to have a look for it.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
14 Apr 16
@Dragonairy1 most episodes are on Youtube in full, but watch all 17 in sequence
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
14 Apr 16
@arthurchappell The whole storyline was a shambles and the show was cancelled early as a result. I remember reading that the final episode was due to be shown, so I watched to see how they would explain the series.
That final episode was totally surreal, obviously because they had no idea how to explain the storyline.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
14 Apr 16
@Asylum I like surrealism that isn't always easily decoded
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
14 Apr 16
@Asylum I loved the series - still my all time favourite
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
13 Apr 16
That was one of my favorite shows as a kid.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (86703)
• United States
14 Apr 16
Absolutely one of the greatest shows ever. I also loved the fact that they had whoever was playing #2 in that episode did the answers to the questions. I loved Peter Wyngarde's laugh at the end of his episode ("Checkmate") -- incredibly diabolical.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
14 Apr 16
Wyngarde was great in everything - watched him this afternoon in the notorious Avengers Hellfire Club episode
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
15 Apr 16
@FourWalls he was fun in the Flash Gordon movie too
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86703)
• United States
14 Apr 16
@arthurchappell -- I first saw him when I was a teenager and a local independent TV station aired all of the ITC shows made in the mid-late 60s (including The Prisoner). He was the star in Department S, which is probably my favorite of those shows (although my favorite at the time was Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)). I think he is a much, much better villain (such as his role in the aforementioned "A Touch of Brimstone" episode of The Avengers and the episode "The Invisible Man" of The Chammpions).
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
14 Apr 16
This is a cult classic that has puzzled viewers for years. It ranks as the strangest TV sequel as it followed Secret Agent which also spawned Johnny River's hit song.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
14 Apr 16
@JohnRoberts We knew secret agent as Dangerman in the UK
@celticeagle (189833)
• Boise, Idaho
14 Apr 16
I used to really like this show. The intro was very enthralling, especially for that time period.
1 person likes this
@nonersays (3344)
• United States
14 Apr 16
Everything about that show made me make the o_O face when I was watching it with my husband. He has the series on DVD and watched the whole thing not too long ago.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
15 Apr 16
I always liked the one to the last Star Trek, it was so, different and yet fit.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
14 Apr 16
This was a great series which I have watched twice.
1 person likes this
