Meme answers, part one

[weewarrior]

Remember this? Yeah, me neither. These are some of my answers to the Five Favourite Whatevers Meme - you might call this the musical edition.

snopes_faith wanted to know my

I admit, these change a lot, but I tried to find some that I've liked for a longer time, as well as some that are more recent.

Babylon 5: themes for all five seasons

This one exemplifies a certain trend in my viewing habits: I do often love theme tunes or songs of shows that I otherwise don't really like or watch. The Babylon 5 theme is very driven, heroic and dramatic, which is matched by the voiceovers setting the mood for each season. I have chosen a clip with all five beginnings, since it is quite interesting to see the progression and changes both in the music, the story, and the images used.

Battlestar Galactica: The Cylons were created by man and Season 1 beginning credits

Oh, BSG. I still regard the first one and a half seasons as some of the best sci-fi I've ever seen on TV, and I wish it had lived up to that promise. Something I never stopped loving were both the epilogue and the credit sequence, the former invoking equal parts curiousity, dread and otherness, and the latter exemplifying the profound feeling of loss and defeat, but also quiet, stubborn hope the show managed to achieve in its best moments.

Carnivale: Opening

Another one I have loved and lost, although here the separation was a lot more bitter. (Seriously, if you ever feel the need to hear me rant about hateful show creators, character destruction, and dumbing down of plot lines like a shrieking harpy, ask me for my opinion on this show.) The opening is brilliant and evocative - the tarot cards and classic paintings present both the mystical elements and the carnival, the film footage sets a drastic counterpoint by grounding the show in the dreary reality of the depression era US, and the playful music gives it all a magical, otherworldly quality.

Twin Peaks: Opening

Melancholy, haunting and cheesy, the theme tune perfectly set the tone for the series.

X-Files: all tag phrases

One of the first shows that seemed to consciously invite viewer participation and fannish obsession, X-Files was one of these things I watched, but was never crazy about. I fiercely loved some of the characters - Scully, Skinner, and my own personal "But why that one? Why?", Jeffrey Spender - and was in love with roughly half of the cast (presumably the main reason why I didn't hate Bobbie Barrett on Mad Men is that she was played by the still amazingly attractive Melinda McGraw, who was also Scully's ill-fated sister). The theme tune is amazingly catchy and was, like the show, all over pop culture at that time. I was unable to find the actual credit sequence on youtube, which is probably a testament to the fleeting impact of a TV cult show.


Honourable Mentions: all of these have great credit sequences as opposed to great theme tunes. (Which in case of Wonderfalls is ironic, since I couldn't find the credits themselves. This is the music video for the song.)

Wonderfalls - it's cute, quirky and playful, like the show. Plus, Lee Pace, for all those Pushing Daisies fans!
True Blood - very dirty. Actually more so than the show itself.
Six Feet Under - quiet, dignified and slightly bizarre.
Dexter - aka Dexter Morgan murders his breakfast.
The Sopranos - I lost patience with this show rather quickly - I can stomach only so much violent masculinity - but the song is great, and the credit sequence a very clever comment on Tony Soprano, family man, returning home from work.

Comments

[snopes-faith.livejournal.com]

Seriously, if you ever feel the need to hear me rant about hateful show creators, character destruction, and dumbing down of plot lines like a shrieking harpy, ask me for my opinion on this show.

OMG that sounds so awful! I hope no show *I* ever love has that happen ;)
On a more serious note, I have never heard of this show and yet the cast looks stunning. Clea Duvall AND Clancy Brown? Wow, either of those alone would make me tune in. And the whole title sequence as well as the music is hopelessly intriguing.

Lots of cool sequences but I think of them all, the Dexter one is my favourite - I always think both the visuals and the music sum up that show just perfectly.
Thanks for playing - I enjoyed seeing all of these:)

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

OMG that sounds so awful! I hope no show *I* ever love has that happen ;)

Fortunately, it's really rare it happens!

On a more serious note, I have never heard of this show and yet the cast looks stunning. Clea Duvall AND Clancy Brown? Wow, either of those alone would make me tune in. And the whole title sequence as well as the music is hopelessly intriguing.

It is very strange, and the pacing makes a glacier look like a roadrunner, but it definitely was intriguing, and the production design was gorgeous! Such an eye for detail. The cast was rather great, too, in addition to Clea and Clancy you got Patrick Bauchau, Adrienne Barbeau, Amy Madigan and Michael Anderson in very pivotal roles. The second season, however, is really a letdown. Among other things, they tried to make the plot less complex, which led to the aforementioned dumbing down of not only the mythology, but characters, storylines and even metaphors for heaven's sake. You would usually think shows work best in the hands of their creators, but here it was clearly not the case.

Lots of cool sequences but I think of them all, the Dexter one is my favourite - I always think both the visuals and the music sum up that show just perfectly.

It really is awesome. It was so difficult to chose just five (well, ten), and this one didn't end up higher simply because I think the tune is fine, but not amazingly catchy.