Lights, Camera, Action!

[The Pyramids]

What is your favorite opening, i.e. the combination of theme music, announcer, host enterance etc?

I would have to default to "The Price Is Right".

After that I would go with the great music, opening montage, camera work and all around pizazz of the last two seasons of "Hollywood Squares." The openings for both the 12/02 and 12/03 Game Show Weeks were esp. good.

After that I'm a sucker for the combination of music, lights, swinging board and Gene Wood on the Dawson and Combs 'Feud'. Today I like Richard's K's hearty greeting for both families.

I also always like hearing the theme music and seeing breifly the lighted pyramid in the othewise dark studio for the opening to the in Seventies 'Pyramid.'

For the Eighties I loved either Jack Clark, Charlie O'Donnel, Dean Goss or Bob Hilton (but sorry, not Johny Gilbert) declare 'From Televison City in Hollywood, Its the xxxxPyramid!'
More recently I grew to like 'And now here's the host of 'Pyramid,' Donny Osmond!'

Other notables are any of Jack Clark's 'Look at this studio filled with' openings on Eighties 'Wheel of Fortune' and Shadoe Steven's line 'they are the new Hollywood Squares!' followed by that versions theme.

Finally I have to metion the combination of the funny blue cards with notes & hearing the laugh track, bass line and Johnny O. on the Seventies 'Match Game.'

[Finally for non-game shows the combination announcer Bill Wendell, studio camera shots and finally Paul Shaffer's low and funky theme to "Late Night w/ David Letterman"  will always take me back to when I was in high school and college]

[Kevin Prather]

[quote name=\'PaulD\' date=\'Jan 2 2005, 12:59 PM\']What is your favorite opening, i.e. the combination of theme music, announcer, host enterance etc?

I would have to default to "The Price Is Right".[/quote]

My only gripe is that the timing isn't too great on the logo popping up. If I were them, I'd wait to bring off the light box until after Rich gets "The Price is Right" out. I would also have the logo zoom up slower, like it was done before.

More recently I grew to like 'And now here's the host of 'Pyramid,' Donny Osmond!'

Burn him!!! ;-)

[BrandonFG]

-Money Maze...the winner's clips, as well as the sweeping shot of the excited audience set the atmosphere for the show.

-$ale of the Century...loved the dramatic opening, as Jay Stewart always introduced the returning champ over the drumroll. Also loved how the camera zoomed in on the car up for grabs.

-H2 (2002-03)

-Family Feud 70s and 80s...the current intros are OK, but I miss the close-up of the FF logo, then the trilon rotating.

-PYL

-Pyramid...they were all good, but my vote goes to the 70s and 80s versions. I always liked how the celebrities walked out and escorted each other to the tables. Very classy. However, I still liked the 2002 intro.

-Millionaire (current)

[Don Howard]

The Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour.
That was positively electric.
I thought that may have been selected memory because the show is twenty years gone until I saw the episode available on wost.org and my rememberance was confirmed--absolutely rockin'.....until Jon Bauman started talking.

[The Pyramids]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jan 2 2005, 04:54 PM\']The Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour.
That was positively electric.
I thought that may have been selected memory because the show is twenty years gone until I saw the episode available on wost.org and my rememberance was confirmed--absolutely rockin'.....until Jon Bauman started talking.

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[/quote]


That was a good opening.

[TheInquisitiveOne]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Jan 2 2005, 04:13 PM\']-$ale of the Century...loved the dramatic opening, as Jay Stewart always introduced the returning champ over the drumroll. Also loved how the camera zoomed in on the car up for grabs.

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[/quote]

The frame-by-frame closeup of the car during the opening was a true example of how the game show had evolved over time. Truly good stuff. Add Jay's Stewart's reverb on the title with Jim Perry's sprint through the doors, and you stopped what you were doing to tune in (or, at least I did).

On my pick, nods go to the 1985-1991 opening to Jeopardy! (love the ornate letters blinking in the background) as well as 1987-1989 opening to Wheel of Fortune (even more so when Charlie O' Donnell was given his own reverb effect, as well.)

The Inquisitive One

[ChuckNet]

Let's see...

$otC
MG/HS
TPiR
HS (Davidson)
NYSI
Pitfall

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[ITSBRY]

HR 87 had one of the coolest most high energy openings ever.  MGHS hour ranks right up there with it, I think.  The awesome sets had a lot to do with that.

ITSBRY
itsbry@juno.com

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Jan 2 2005, 07:08 PM\']HS (Davidson)
[/quote]
I admit, I always enjoyed the open to this as well.

Which was convenient, because then, :30 into the show, it made it convenient to change the channel to something that DIDN'T suck for the rest of the half-hour.

[JayC]

TPiR, the original Jeopardy opening, 87-89 Wheel, original WWTBAM

[Steve Gavazzi]

Gotta go with Price...I often find myself grinning like an idiot at the way Rich intros Bob.  (And yes, I know how fanboyish that sounds.  Doesn't make it untrue.)

I also remember really liking the '89-'90 season's Wheel opening when I saw it on GSN...probably partly because I remembered seeing it eleven years earlier.

[SRIV94]

Now for a few openings not yet mentioned:

1.  I liked the J!78 opening (the "march in" music was very cool).

2.  I'd give GONG props for various and sundry ways to get Chuckie out (either via someone other than Johnny Jacobs doing the standard "Here's the host and star of the show. . ." or having Chuckie come out to different musical interludes).

3.  Surprised nobody's mentioned Marshall HSq yet (sometimes the celebrities mugging for the camera getting Kenny Williams to break up was just as much fun as the rest of the show to follow).

4.  I liked HIT MAN's opening, too (good combo of Rod's announcing and a good music cue).

So every show I mentioned was on NBC.  Sue me.  

Doug -- and the countdown to 900 continues

[The Pyramids]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' date=\'Jan 2 2005, 10:46 PM\']Gotta go with Price...I often find myself grinning like an idiot at the way Rich intros Bob.  (And yes, I know how fanboyish that sounds.  Doesn't make it untrue.)
 [/quote]

Absolutely

[Winkfan]

For the Eighties I loved either Jack Clark, Charlie O'Donnell, Dean Goss or Bob Hilton (but sorry, not Johnny Gilbert) declare 'From Televison City in Hollywood, Its the xxxxPyramid!'

You say 'Johnny Gilbert stinks?' For shame!!!!!

I have to metion the combination of the funny blue cards with notes & hearing the laugh track, bass line and Johnny O. on the Seventies 'Match Game.'

Ditto; but leave us not forget Geno's entrances!

Here are my other choices:
Card Sharks (1978-81)
Password (A bit refined, but that 1963-67 theme--CHICOREE!)
To Tell the Truth; 1990-91 version (The brassy arrangement of the '69-78 theme kicks rear end!)
Those shows with 'opening montages' (Press Your Luck, Big Showdown, to name a few)

Cordially,
Tammy Warner--the 'Joan Rivers of the Big Board!'

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Winkfan\' date=\'Jan 2 2005, 10:42 PM\'][quote name=\'PaulD\' date=\'Jan 2 2005, 01:59 PM\'] For the Eighties I loved either Jack Clark, Charlie O'Donnell, Dean Goss or Bob Hilton (but sorry, not Johnny Gilbert) declare 'From Televison City in Hollywood, Its the xxxxPyramid!'[/quote]

You say 'Johnny Gilbert stinks?' For shame!!!!!
[/quote]
While I share your sentiment that the OP is full of what makes the grass grow green with his assessment of Gilbert's abilities on Pyramid, I'd be careful about using quotes when you are in fact not quoting. He didn't say "Johnny Gilbert stinks," he said that he didn't care for his performance. I can recognize quality work without enjoying a performance.