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The stylish opening for Comedy Central’s Comic Remix is reminiscent of comic books and graffiti. See how EyeballNYC made this title sequence. © Comedy Central 2004. Courtesy of EyeballNYC.

Animated title sequences give live-action television shows a distinctive look. Who can forget the cartoon-style opens for the classic shows Bewitched (1964-1972) or I Love Lucy (1951-1957)? More recent examples featuring animated title sequences include the sitcoms The Nanny (1993-1999), Caroline in the City (1995-1999), and the first seasons of The Drew Carey Show (1995-2004), as well as The Rosie O’Donnell Show (1996-2002), a daytime talk program.

Animated series feature animated opens, of course, while sports shows frequently highlight motion graphics and special effects in their title sequences. In the live-action world, most animated opens are associated with primetime sitcoms. However, producers of programming from other genres also are experimenting with creating a unique branding position through animation, particularly on cable networks.

Sonny King and Creative Tool designed an all-purpose title sequence for The Drew Carey Show.

For example, the home-and-garden network HGTV has commissioned animated opens in different styles for several of its series, pilots and specials. Many of these title sequences have been created by broadcast design firm Primal Screen, including those for Fan-Tastic Homes, a show about home owners that decorate their living spaces around a particular theme (e.g., a Star Trek-style home for a Trekker); Thanksgiving Unstuffed, which features a cut-out animation style in its title sequence; Outer Spaces, a landscape-design show with a traditional cel-style open; The Dish on Dishes, which used cut-out animation in its title sequence; and Oh No, What Have I Done?, a program that never made it on air but had a cel-animated open in a style inspired by the pop art of Roy Lichtenstein, itself influenced by comic strips.

These types of shows, which are in the nonfiction/how-to/documentary genres, often lend themselves to a more sophisticated look than would an open for a sitcom. “It’s not like cartoons,” says Doug Grimmett, Primal Screen’s creative director. “It’s more about illustration and style.”

Another example of an animated open is one created by EyeballNYC for Comedy Central’s Comic Remix, a series that compiles highlights from stand-up comedy performances that have aired on the network. The 3D-animated open features a disk jockey and a master of ceremonies done in a colorful, graffiti-influenced comic book style; there are two versions, one with a male and one with a female DJ.

Doug Grimmett (right) and Primal Screen considered illustration and style when designing the open for Outer Space. © 2004 Scripps Networks, Inc.