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The Best TV Openings of All Time, Ranked
Can you remember your favorite TV show's introduction? I'm sure you can even remember the openings of shows you didn't like because they were either catchy or flashy.
A TV show's introduction can really hook a viewer in or leave them rolling their eyes and yawning. A few shows, though, stand out because of their introduction, usually because of their catchy theme song.
To find these shows and openings, 24/7 Tempo scoured the internet in search of high-ranking and loved show intros/theme songs. We used sources like Ranker, IMDb, and Reddit posts to compile this list. The shows on this list are a mix of genres and styles.
"Phineas and Ferb" (2007 – 2015 + 2025)
- Theme Song: "Today is Gonna Be a Great Day"
- Artist: Bowling for Soup
- Cast: Vincent Martella, Ashley Tisdale, Thomas Sangster, Caroline Rhea, Richard O'Brien, and Dan Povenmire
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990–1996)
- Theme Song: "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"
- Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
- Cast: Will Smith, James Avery, Janet Hubert-Whitten, Alfonso Ribeiro, and Karyn Parsons
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1999 – Present)
- Theme Song: "The Theme of Law & Order"
- Artist: Mike Post
- Cast: Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, Richard Belzer, Dann Florek, Michelle Hurd, Stephanie March, Ice-T, and BD Wong
"The Simpsons" (1989 – Present)
- Theme Song: "The Simpsons Theme"
- Artist: Danny Elfman
- Cast: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer
"Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" (1969 – 1978)
- Theme Song: "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?"
- Artist: Larry Marks and Austin Roberts
- Cast: Don Messick, Casey Kasem, Frank Welker, Stefanianna Christopherson, Heather North, Nicole Jaffe, and Pat Stevens
"Friends" (1994 – 2004)
- Theme Song: "I'll Be There for You"
- Artist: The Rembrandts
- Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer
"The Twilight Zone" (1959 – 1964)
- Theme Song: "The Twilight Zone Theme"
- Artist: Marius Constant and Bernard Herrmann
"Bewitched" (1964 – 1972)
- Theme Song: "Bewitched Theme"
- Artist: Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller
- Cast: Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, Agnes Moorehead, Dick Sargent, and David White
"The Brady Bunch" (1969 – 1974)
- Theme Song: "The Brady Bunch"
- Artist: Frank De Vol and Sherwood Schwartz
- Cast: Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, Ann B. Davis, Maureen McCormick, Eve Plumb, Susan Olsen, Barry Williams, Christopher Knight, and Mike Lookinland
"The Tom and Jerry Show" (1975)
- Theme Song: "The Tom and Jerry Show"
- Artist: Hoyt Curtin
- Cast: John Stephenson, Henry Corden, Kathy Gori, Don Messick, and Alan Oppenheimer
"The Flintstones" (1960 – 1966)
- Theme Songs: "Rise and Shine" and "Meet the Flintstones"
- Artist: Hoyt Curtin
- Cast: Alan Reed, Jean Vander Pyl, Mel Blanc, Bea Benaderet, and Gerry Johnson
"SpongeBob SquarePants" (1999 – Present)
- Theme Song: "SpongeBob SquarePants Theme Song"
- Artists: Patrick Pinney, Devin Johnson, Sara Paxton, and Camryn Walling
- Cast: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, and Carolyn Lawrence
"I Dream of Jeannie" (1965 – 1970)
- Theme Song: "Jeannie"
- Artists: Richard Wess, Hugo Montenegro, and Buddy Kaye
- Cast: Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman, Bill Daily, Hayden Rorke, and Emmaline Henry