Opening Credits

[BretEwing]

Just an observation:
I don't think I've ever seen another TV Show that changed its opening credits as muich as Dynasty did. It seems like every episode has new opening credits (new characters come, old ones leave, Sammy Jo comes back for a few...etc).

-Bret

"...I suppose that's to be expected from the illegitimate child of a ranch foreman and the stepdaughter of the town drunk."
JR to Pam (Missing Heir)

[Mickey_T]

You know Bret, I was thinking about that today. "Dallas" always showed the same vanity shots no matter who or who wasn't in the episode or who was basically slated to appear that season. "Dynasty" was very maticulous, on what they flashed up there. Kind of like "One Life to Live" in the 80's. When they would flash the montage of contract players admist the beautiful brilliance of Llanview scenery. It kept the opening fresh. I just wish they would have reshot an opening shot for Pamela Bellwood (Claudia), ho hum.
Erik

[BretEwing]

Yeah, didn't they show Clayton for almost an entire season even though he was hardly in it at all (if even that)?

-Bret

"...I suppose that's to be expected from the illegitimate child of a ranch foreman and the stepdaughter of the town drunk."
JR to Pam (Missing Heir)

[Brody]

I think somewhere in the middle, around season five, there were so many characters popping up that the credits had their own commercials.

Overlooking the crude and obvious (but quite entertaining) phallic elemenmts to alot of the credits... I'd like to see whether, for any reason, anyone here had their favourite individual character opening credit: mine would be, for no specific reasons: Caress, opposite the background of glittering, sparkling jewels; Ben, smiling develisly as the scene of an oil-rig explosion reflects his explosive character; I like Catherine Oxenberg's Amanda in front of London Bridge (even though Cellini had the same background, she never seemed to "fit" the image); and laslty... the rearing, beautiful white horse which accompanies Daniel Reece. I also want to add, that although it wasn't one of my favourites, I thought Al Corleys Steven, taring off his bow-tie, worked better than it did with Jack Coleman.

[abbylexis*]

My personal favorite is the one where Pamela Sue Martin turns herself looking at us while she's putting her earing. I also like the one with Alexis smoking the cigar with the swimming pool as a background and the one with her and Dex in the bathtub.

Spelling must have had a lot of dollars, usually if a character appears in the opening credits his salary increases a bit.
Usually the way it's set up is
The main actors (appear for the entire season and on the openning credits)
the co-starring (appear for the entire season but not on the openning credits)
the also starring (appear for the entired season but with limited # of episodes; usually recurring)
the guest starring (appears for one or two episodes only)
Special Guest Star (appears for one episode or two but is usually a famous celebrity)

On Dynasty they all appeared on the openning credits and it made it difficult in re-runs to know which season you were in caused they updated the credits every three or 4 episodes. In addition, The pics were rarely edited, only in season 2 and later in season 7 or 8 where each actor/actresses are featured in two pics.

i hated the opening credits of Dallas, too, they rarely got any editing and you would have characters like Katherine, Jaime or marylin who would play for many season and were never featured on the credits.

I think Knots Landing and Falcon Crest had the best Openning credits. Knots Landing was the most creative one, every two years, it was updated and the setting changed, we had the highway opening, the ocean opening, the paint openning, the sandcastles and later the ocean opening.

Falcon Crest kept their single pics per actor but changed it every season with new settings. and of course the openning credits of the last season was the best. For any FC fans who know what I am referring to.

I guess the Dallas and Dynasty production team were too busy with writing plots to keep the shows # 1 and had no time to edit Openning Credits than the KL and FC writers. Honestly, it all had to do with money, I read that the Dallas three pics credits cost the producers a lot of money.

Stop in the name of love!!!!
..........The Supremes 1964

"Dallas" used to have the firm policy of keeping only Ewings (or the most core characters, like Cliff) in the opening credits, which is why Katherine, and others never got in. Clayton and Donna were only added once they'd married into the family. (Miss Presley was one jarring exception. Contract demand perhaps?) But this policy changed in 1989 when the network, concerned over the show's ratings slide, demanded the infusion of younger actors into the show AND the opening credits as well, so now anybody and everybody got in.

Yes, with "Dynasty", because they tossed everybody in there, can make it hard to discern what season it is, especially given that the theme's orchestration didn't seem to change much at all after the first few seasons (unlike "Dallas").

By the way: why would "Dallas" three-split screen credits cost so much? That doesn't make any sense. That doesn't cost anything to do, physically.

I know...I'm amused w/ the little turtle plopping into the pond.......LOL.

[Mickey_T]

That little turtle's name is Jeffrey. Kirby Anders named him after Jeff Colby, because she had a crush on him. It is nice that they continued to pay homage to him. He must be the richest turtle ever!
Erik

Don't forget about Linda Evans background in the opening credits for seasons 1 and 2, a white jet flying overhead. Loved Pamela Sue Martin's scene, Emma Samms had the same one, but didn't work, too stiff and smiled too much, not like Fallon.

Also very true about Dynasty's theme. From season 6 through season 9, it stayed basically the same, it became dull and also slowed up in pace, even slower in the reunion movie. Season 1-5, every year the theme changed and was very noticeable, with even 2 themes for season 1 and 4, the theme was also much faster, big difference !!!!!

Dallas did have a couple of exceptions though. In season 7, for the first seven episodes, before Donna Reed came on, no Miss Ellie was on the opening credits, starting with episode 8, the theme was extended and Donna Reed appeared on the opening credits. Also in season 11, when Steve Kanaly, aka Ray Krebbs, visited Southfork for 6 or so episodes, he was added to the opening credits and the theme extended as well. When he left again, the theme went back to the original season 11 opening.

Dallas did include just about everyone on the season 12 and 13 opening credits, I used to think, why is SHE or He on it???? Liked the main characters only. Season 13 never changed, even though April was killed off early and remained on the opening credits until the end, and Clayton was on all the credits even though he only appeared in a handful of episodes because of Barbara Bel Geddes leaving the show after season 12.

As most people can attest to, fans watch the show for the quality and entertainment of the storylines. A good theme is great, but hardly anyone watches the opening theme and then turns off the show. Many people don't even notice the theme changes from year to year, a good theme sure helps though !!!!!

Not at all !!!! LOVED how they redid the Dynasty theme every year (the theme music), actually got mad when it stayed the same slow theme for seasons 6-9.

The people on the credits were fine, I love theme songs, so was more interested in that. Thought seasons 3 and 5 were the best, like the extended season 5.

[gregorysumner]

Speaking of names in credits, I was thinking of Teri Austin's name which kept appearing in the 1988 season even though her character was killed off (by her own doing). Her name stayed through until the end of 1989. When the new credits rolled around in September of '89, her name was finally removed.

Someone mentioned that Aaron Spelling gave extra money for characters who had special guest star status...I always wondered why Heather Locklear's character wasn't shifted to the end just like Alexis'? You always wondered if she was staying or going...I guess the same held true for Luke Perry who came back to 90210? No offense but what did he do at the end of 90210's run to deserve special guest star status.

Joe

I loved the opening credits from Dallas the most, because evey season they changed the pictures, and when there was a new cast member on the show, they put it also on the opening credit.

I did not like the opening credits from Dynasty at all, because the most cast members pictures, where the same for years, for Krystal exemple
her opening credits changed only in the second season and somewhere in the 6 season.
So Dallas is my favorite Soep for the opening credits

My favirite opening credits top 5

1. Dallas
2. Falcon Crest
3. Knots Landing
4. Dynasty
5. Melrose Place

[alanbeam]

One glaring difference for me is how Dallas and Dynasty handled "also starring". On Dallas, the credits would run at the very beginning of the opening scene, except for someone like Fern Fitzgerald "Marilee Stone", who was relegated to the end credits for her entire eight years in recurring status. On Dynasty, also starring would usually be in the end credits, although, for season one, Katy Kurtzman "Lindsay Blaisdel" was in the opening credits, but was never a major character.

i think the dynasty opening credits and theme tune were beautiful and the theme suited the show perfectly -

as for the 'also starring' credits being at the end unlike 'dallas' - remember 'dynasty' was produced by a different company on a rival network, they are not gonna do everything the same -

plus it was great on how most episodes the opening credits climaxed with 'and Joan Collins as Alexis' as the theme reached a dramatic high point shortly before it ended - it suited the character perfectly and was very appropriate as Ms Collins was the highest paid star of the show