Opening credits sequences are having a bit of a creative resurgence on television, with plenty of shows proving the value of investing some creativity (and budget) into the introduction of each episode’s credits. Below, we’ve rounded up the ones that have stood out so far in 2022.
Expect to see some of these ingenious opening main title sequences recognized when Emmy nominations are announced on July 12.
“Pachinko”
The joyous title sequence in “Pachinko,” might be the biggest mood lifter of all time. After we see historic photos of several families in this moving drama that spans generations, the stars of the show, including Oscar winner Youn Yuh-Jung, dance in a brightly lit pachinko gallery and you just wish you could jump into the TV and join them.
“Peacemaker”
In one of the most memorable and hilarious opening sequences of all time, Peacemaker (John Cena) dances with his costars (including Annie Chang and Robert Patrick) and an eagle. Eat peace!
“Our Flag Means Death”
Each episode of Taika Waititi’s endearing pirate series opens with one of these inventive variations on the title, which are as dashing and uproarious as the show itself.
“Severance”
How to set the mood for this unsettling, mind-bending series from Ben Stiller? Eerie animation mirroring (sorry!) the show’s dark themes of a divided self.
“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”
These worlds glimpsed in the opening sequence for the newest installment in the franchise are strange indeed, but also compellingly beautiful.
“Irma Vep”
The Olivier Assayas HBO series about a disillusioned actress (Alicia Vikander) starring in a remake of the silent French film “Les Vampires” opens with these elegant sketches that evoke mystery, vintage Paris and even painter Henri Matisse.
“Candy”
Titles drawn from cookbooks and sewing partterns cleverly put a sinister spin on ordinary household objects, with recipes emphasizing “cut” and “slice” and a dress template where the figure’s body parts separate and float away. And in the onscreen credit for Melanie Lynskey, who plays murder victim Betty Gore, her name ends up in a meat grinder. From the first slide of toppling dominos, everything is falling, coming apart or crashing into something else.
“The Gilded Age”
Diamonds, stocks, trains — all wealth and status symbols of the late 19th century — set up this tale of old money, new money and social climbers in New York City of 1882.
