Title-Only Opening

A television program with a Title-Only Opening has no Title Sequence. Instead, it has a title card bearing the program's name, and perhaps a creator credit. The remaining credits are superimposed over the first few minutes of program, just as is done with many theatrical films.

In some cases, the title card is shown twice, once before the Teaser, and again several minutes into the program, after the credits. Other programs omit the title card, and the program's name is superimposed over the program along with the credits.

A program's original Title Sequence may be replaced with a Title-Only Opening when it goes into syndication. It is becoming increasingly common for first-run network programs to have Title-Only Openings, as well. Their popularity probably comes from the fact that they free up a minute or more of runtime, which can be used for the rest of the episode, or for additional commercials.

It is also common for a show with a Title Sequence to go Title-Only Opening for specific episodes, namely those of a very serious nature that would have their tone thrown by a jaunty little title sequence.

Because using a Title-Only Opening usually precludes the possibility of having an opening theme song, anime programs do not use them very much: the Theme Song CD is one of the major pieces of ancillary merchandise for anime. If a Title Only Opening does appear, it will usually just be for the final episode.


 * 24 does exactly this, having the eponymous number flash on the screen digital clock-style, then segueing directly into the "Previously On..." segment (except on the first episode of a season/"day", which skips directly to "The following takes place between [time] and [time]", then reminds the viewers that "Events occur in real time").
 * Brothers and Sisters
 * Not as dramatic as Lost, but The Closer uses a simple black card with the title in white type. The credits are also displayed similarly.
 * Columbo
 * The original version of the British soap Crossroads, until partway through the 70s.
 * The first season of D!rt
 * The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (in its syndicated run; the first run episodes used Artistic Titles)
 * The newer seasons of Desperate Housewives
 * Heroes
 * Lost does not superimpose its title over a scene, but the entire title sequence is the name of the show flying toward the audience while an eerie sound effect plays. It occurs after The Teaser.
 * Numb3rs usually uses a title with Opening Narration over it, but in season 2's "Harvest" (the one with the Indian lady and the kidney-stealing stuff), the teaser ended with the titletype appearing on a blank black screen, with the credits shown over the first scene.
 * Seinfeld (originally was just "SEINFELD" set in universe; later on it was "Seinfeld" over an oval whose appearance changes every episode)
 * The first half of the ninth season of Stargate SG-1 used a considerably shortened version of the theme sequence, though not a true Title-Only Opening. The full song was restored due to fan pressure. Lampshaded later, in the Who Would Want to Watch Us? episode, "200"; at the beginning, Mitchell suggests adding a "snazzy opening sequence" to the script, only to be told, "Nobody does that anymore! It's just, 'throw up the title and be done with it!'" On cue, an extremely shortened version of the theme song is aired.
 * The last season of Stargate Atlantis had this.
 * Stargate Universe does this.
 * Supernatural
 * ER (last seasons)
 * Later seasons of Wings
 * Scrubs just shows the title X-ray when the Cold Opening runs long.
 * The new Melrose Place.
 * Third Watch's third season incorporated the 9/11 attacks into its storylines. The episodes dealing with the attacks omitted the title sequence and used a Title Only Opening.
 * The Nanny: A Cold Opening saw Fran depressed at not being pregnant, so to avoid Soundtrack Dissonance with the cheerful opening, a still from it was shown instead.
 * Two of the final three episodes of Arrested Development. In the original run, however, they were part of a four episode block, so it's understandable that the creators didn't bother to run the full Theme Tune; it's more jarring on DVD or cable reruns.
 * Revolutionary Girl Utena's opening in the last episode is reduced to a stark logo with no audio, since it was essentially a part two to the fairly shocking previous episode.
 * Likewise Fruits Basket skips its for dramatic mood during the final storyline with Kyo.
 * Ditto with Cowboy Bebop's last episode.
 * As well as My-HiME and Mai-Otome in their final episodes, instead merely superimposing the title on the footage for a few seconds.
 * Though this didn't happen in the original runs, resulting in Soundtrack Dissonance
 * Similarly, the last two episodes of Prétear have the opening sequence replaced with a static card with the show's logo. Too bad the ending sequence in episode 12 is kept, still causing some amount of Mood Dissonance.
 * The North American dub of Inuyasha had a Cold Opening followed by only a Episode Title Card before the episode started.
 * That was only the airing, though; the DVD uses the openings. There was one instance where an opening was used on the air, which made the fan community a little too optimistic.
 * Used to be, it wasn't uncommon for Cartoon Network to completely excise openings in this fashion, not to mention eyecatches and next episode teasers; ending credits typically fared only marginally better, either sped up, cut down or both. Of course, now all the anime on Cartoon Network find time to air full opening credits; Death Note is notable for also keeping its eyecatches and episode teasers for most of its run.
 * The final episode of Slings and Arrows omits the opening song in favor of this.
 * Jericho used this too, along with a morse coded couch gag (often referring to the events of the episode).
 * Gerry Anderson's UFO had a variation on this. Each episode began with an opening sequence that only incorporated brief flashes of the title. This was followed by a teaser, which would end with an animated version of the title being superimposed.
 * Some (But not all) episodes of Season 3 of The Venture Brothers has a quick title-wipe between early scenes instead of the full titles. At least one episode used both (at different times in the episode) however.
 * Sports Night
 * Similar idea: The very first episode of Storm Hawks had a short stab with just the titletype instead of the full opening.
 * Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy both lost their opening theme songs (although Grey's seems to have lost the title card, too.)
 * Kyle XY.
 * Glee
 * 8 Simple Rules used both variants: during the first season, a short scene of the family staring one by one at someone at the front door, the pan to the doormat with the show's title. Sometimes, just the doormat. The cast is then listed during the first scene following the title sequence. During the remaining two seasons, there is no opening sequence at all, and the show's title appears in the first scene following the teaser, just before the cast is listed.
 * Metal Gear Solid's title sequence is popped up during a playable segment.
 * Extras
 * Radio example: During certain episodes of Adventures in Odyssey, the introduction is pared down to Chris saying, "And now, Adventures in Odyssey!" over light music.
 * Better Off Ted.
 * Recent seasons of Home and Away did this.
 * Used in Kamen Rider Den-O in its final episode.
 * Also the first episode of Samurai Sentai Shinkenger (to avoid spoilers - the credits and theme song played over a fight scene) and the finale of Tensou Sentai Goseiger.
 * The Thick of It (so as to add to the realistic In Medias Res feel) and The Movie In the Loop.
 * The last episode of the Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Hachiyou Shou anime omits the opening sequence, only having the show's logo briefly appearing over an early scene. (The DVD version makes up for this by having the theme song accompany the series' ending credits, though.)
 * Exactly the same thing happens in the related La Corda d'Oro - Primo Passo.
 * And, apparently, in Neo Angelique - Abyss: Second Age as well. Seems to be one of the common tropes for the NeoRomance franchise...
 * Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann did this with the final episode. However, this was used in-context with the show, as major mecha that are featured had their descriptions and names show up during their introduction. Guess which mech showed up when the title card popped up?
 * It also happens with episode 15, replacing the title theme with a Cold Opening showing the Dekabutsu awakening.
 * Subverted with That '70s Show. Each episode begins by a Title-Only Opening accompanied by the final chord of the theme song, then follows the teaser, and then goes another opening, this time with everything but the title. In some episodes (for instance, the series finale), the trope is played straight through.
 * The German dub of Cardcaptor Sakura where the title was cued over the episode card. And it's opening music? The episode card sting.
 * CSI has done it on a few occasions, including the episode after Warrick's death and the 200th episode.
 * My Wife and Kids
 * This had been done as early as the 80s with Murphy Brown.
 * The Larry Sanders Show, however the Show Within a Show has a full opening.
 * Occasionally done on Malcolm in the Middle, depending on the length of the episode.
 * UK comedy-drama Gavin & Stacey simply shows a black title card with the series name and the creators listed.
 * Eureka abbreviated it's opening theme starting at Season 3, showing just Sheriff Carter in the street, buildings rising around him, then panning to the sky showing the title.
 * In a rare Western Animation example, Regular Show opens with its title card over a one-second synth sting. No theme song or anything.
 * Another Western Animation example is Home Movies. Two of the first season episodes had a short opening but it was quickly abandoned in favor of this.
 * Dan Vs. is yet another Western Animation example.
 * The House episode Bombshells has this, though it appears to be a one time thing.
 * The pilot of The X-Files has this, presumably because the theme song had not been finished yet.
 * Frasier
 * Black Hawk Down opens with several title cards describing the situation all building to the title card. Credits are saved for the end after a memorial roll of the soldiers who died during and after the mission and other post script information. This also includes the studio logos of Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Revelation Studios and Scott Free Productions.
 * As of Season 4, The Venture Bros dropped it's opening in favour of this.
 * The 1990s Casper cartoon just had the logo and a musical sting, and lampshaded this in an episode where Casper sits down with network executives trying to negotiate a new theme song. In the end, they decide to stick with the old one.
 * After a while, season 2 of The Sarah Connor Chronicles fell into this, abandoning its expository background info for the title and repeated 5-note theme.
 * Malcolm in the Middle more and more frequently started using a very short version of its title sequence (only a few seconds long: title card and "life is unfair"), even on network premiere airings.
 * Community makes infrequent use of one, the episode "Cooperative Calligraphy" is the only episode it is used in for the second season.
 * Breaking Bad has one of these that's accompanied by a brief theme as seen here.
 * The Middle. The two words come together from opposite sides of the screen over a still of a road by a cornfield. Then the action begins and the credits play over it.
 * Thundercats 2011 does this, which is ironic considering the original had one of the most memorable opening sequences in Western animation.