Most creative appearances of the show's title

[ActualRetailMike]

Which shows had the most innovative appearance of the title at the opening of the show?

Not necessarily referring to the opening sequence here, but rather, how the name of the show appears.  Non-game-show examples might be The Partridge Family (the title "hatches" out of an egg) or the original Ultraman (appears in paint swirls, film run backwards).

Game show examples

• Concentration! (Bob Clayton era) -- The title letters "dance" around to some creepy music, before settling into the show title.
• Split Second -- The word "split" splits, and the word "second" races into the gap, as though it only took a split second.
• What's My Line? (1970s) -- Name is on those animated tri-panels that mixed-and-matched people with different professions.
• Match Game '7x -- against a dark background, the word "Match" fades in, followed by "Game", then "7x".  This was unique where the physical sign was hauled up out of camera range, not to be seen again on that show (except on that end-of-the-year special where they said good-bye to the old sign and introduced the new one).  Most shows just focus on the show title where it's part of the set, if they don't just superimpose the title onscreen.
• The Joker's Wild -- The three words appear sequentially on the same 3 displays used in the game, as if someone was playing.  Exactly once, right after a certain contestant won what might have been an unprecedented number of games, I noticed that when Jack Barry called him to the center of the set to congratulate him, the show title was on the game displays, same as the beginning of the show.  (They also played upbeat music that I'd never heard any other time on the show until then.  His name was something like "Bob Chichola", and went on to win 2 cars.  IIRC he lost the last game that would have won him his third one.  A few weeks later there was another contestant who was also a longtime champion, and he might have actually won all 3.  This was circa 1973.)

[Bryce L.]

The Joker's Wild -- The three words appear sequentially on the same 3 displays used in the game, as if someone was playing.  Exactly once, right after a certain contestant won what might have been an unprecedented number of games, I noticed that when Jack Barry called him to the center of the set to congratulate him, the show title was on the game displays, same as the beginning of the show.  (They also played upbeat music that I'd never heard any other time on the show until then.  His name was something like "Bob Chichola", and went on to win 2 cars.  IIRC he lost the last game that would have won him his third one.  A few weeks later there was another contestant who was also a longtime champion, and he might have actually won all 3.  This was circa 1973.)

Would this contestant's run have been among the episodes GSN aired?

[WhammyPower]

Whew! certainly comes to mind, with the cartoon lady saying "Whew!" in the form of a speech bubble, which grows and transforms into the logo.

[BrandonFG]

"And they're here to play...Hot......(ssssssss)(smoke rises).....Potato!" This blew my mind as a 6-year-old.

I like how the current Pyramid intro starts with a shot of the set, which is then enclosed in a flipping trilon, rotating to reveal the logo. I also love how the Winners Circle trilons rotate from top to bottom once the logo swoops away. Probably one of the slickest game show effects I've seen in quite some time!

TPiR's current animation, with the Big Wheel and/or familiar pricing game props flying towards center of the screen, creating the logo, is a pretty cool one. It's even cooler during milestone seasons, when "40/45 Years" spins into place a la the Wheel.

The 80s Scrabble intro, with the tiles scattering across the screen, seemed pretty snazzy for 1984.

The Wheel of Fortune intro from 1992-94, with the wedges marching down the staircase.

Finally, the Scanimate effects used on Play the Percentages and Bullseye.

[Brian44]

IMHO, in Wink's High Rollers, the warp-speed spinning of the dice to form "ROLLERS" in the intro graphic was a perfect match for Dean Goss's over-the-top announcing style.

[chrisholland03]

Finally, the Scanimate effects used on Play the Percentages and Bullseye.

As additional information - the animations seen on Baffle, Trebek High Rollers, and the intro backdrop on Battlestars (and in general any animation seen in the 70s-early 80s) was Scanimate.  I have an exhaustive list somewhere that I'll have to dig up and share.

[TimK2003]

Two that I'll bring up for their uniqueness factor:

1) Now You See It:  Having the title hidden among other words on the board. 

2) (Trebek's) Double Dare:  Specifically the appearance of the logo at the end of the game on the clue board, and how the two DD logos would merge into one  -- definitely state of the art for it's time.

Also giving a nod to the original TPIR lighted box which revealed the title at the start of the show.  Not too fancy, but seeing the actual contraption that was used to make that opening sequence -- how small and simple it really was.

[BrandonFG]

Finally, the Scanimate effects used on Play the Percentages and Bullseye.

As additional information - the animations seen on Baffle, Trebek High Rollers, and the intro backdrop on Battlestars (and in general any animation seen in the 70s-early 80s) was Scanimate.  I have an exhaustive list somewhere that I'll have to dig up and share.

I've been fascinated by the technology for a few years now, and I wondered were any of those three shows Scanimate, Battlestars in particular. Not to derail this topic, but I started a thread on this a few years ago.

[chrisholland03]

Battlestars was definitely Scanimate - the pilot intro is in one of the demo reels I picked up along the way.  Two main differences I noted in the pilot intro: the font used - same font as the Mike Darrow Jackpot! logo; longer pauses (empty starfield) between celebrity headshots.  The intro felt like it went on forever in the pilot version, but it may have been intentional to demonstrate the effect.

The 'Sandy Frank Presents' portion of Face the Music was definitely Scanimate, however the flippy effects may or may not have been

The Joker's Wild used an interesting blend of mechanical and Scanimate effects for one of their tournament of champions.  Supposedly that was where B&E were introduced to Image West (one of the few Scanimate proprietors).

PM me sometime and I'll be glad to share what I know offline

[CeleTheRef]

Prendere O Lasciare (Take or Leave) from Italy:

One toon hand drags the "take" word onto the screen, another hand drops the "leave" word as it was rolling dice.

[Winkfan]

My picks:
1.) Music Bingo; with the opening shot of the flashing game board. If that does not count as "creative," I don't know what does.....
2.) Child's Play; the title looking like it was written on a blackboard. Sometimes the "s" would be reversed.
3.) Bumper Stumpers; dual license plates, you get the idea...
4.) Name That Tune (1950s version); the title was on musical notes.
5.) What's This Song; also "Dunne-up*" in a musical vein.

Cordially,
Tammy

*Reference to announcer Steve Dunne.....

[tomobrien]

• What's My Line? (1970s) -- Name is on those animated tri-panels that mixed-and-matched people with different professions.

I admit there aren't going to be many of us who remember this, but isn't that the way the title on "Make a Face" showed up, except on the actual spinning wheels rather than in animation?

[Chief-O]

The 'Sandy Frank Presents' portion of Face the Music was definitely Scanimate, however the flippy effects may or may not have been

The flippy effects would've been done with a DVE box.....also referred to as (depending on brand) ADO, Quantel, Squeezoom, DPM, etc.

My vote (at least one that hasn't been mentioned) would have to be the @1989 WoF title (as seen on the recently-posted Goen eps), with the wheel forming wedge by wedge, then morphing into the title. There may be childhood sentimentality here, as I was raised on this era of the show..... I want to say Pacific Data Images produced it; their stuff *ruled* my childhood.

[aaron sica]

1) Now You See It:  Having the title hidden among other words on the board. 

I'll take that and raise you - having the title hidden among other words from game shows on the board. PRICE, MATCH, PASSWORD...

[BrandonFG]

PM me sometime and I'll be glad to share what I know offline

Done (I think)