Voltron: Defender of the Universe
1984–1985SyndicationAnimation
Five lions forming a robot, explained by narration because the animation alone could not carry it — and the sequence is better for the commitment.
Voltron: Defender of the Universe opens with a main title sequence of 87 seconds.
At 87 seconds, it opens well above the 58-second median for animation sequences in this catalogue.
It arrived on Syndication in 1984, when Romper Room, Truth or Consequences and Soul Train were also on the network.
The opening titles
Season 1
87sThe opening theme, from Universal Kids.
More animation opening titles from the 1980s
2 sequences
The Simpsons
The only main title in television built to be different every week: the chalkboard, the saxophone solo and the couch gag all change, so the sequence is a format rather than a film.
- Seasons 1–20
- Season 21
1 sequencePingu
A Swiss claymation penguin speaking an invented language, so it needed no dubbing to sell anywhere.
- Season 1
1 sequenceDuckTales
One of the most durable theme songs ever written for television, over a minute of ducks solving problems with money.
- Season 1
1 sequencePostman Pat
A rural postman and his black and white cat, stop-motion, with a theme everyone in Britain can finish.
- Season 1
1 sequenceInspector Gadget
A Peter Sellers impression with helicopter arms, and a theme that is In the Hall of the Mountain King with the serial numbers filed off.
- Season 1
1 sequenceFireman Sam
A Welsh fire station in stop-motion, made in Welsh first and dubbed into English second.
- Season 1