Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Summer Replacements

Summer.

When I was a kid, TV shows went on summer vacation, too. So just when I didn't have school the next morning and could maybe talk my parents into letting me stay up late to watch some cool adult show... those shows were not on!

But summer wasn't all test patterns or screen snow, they had these things called "Summer Replacement Shows". They were whatever the network could get cheap that was in english, and usually that meant British shows. These were the TV shows I fell in love with, because they were the only adult shows I ever saw (until I was old enough to stay up later). So my childhood was all about SECRET AGENT MAN and THE AVENGERS and THE CHAMPIONS and several others.

Here's the opening for THE AVENGERS, with it's great Laurie Johnson score:



The awful movie version seemed to miss why the show worked in the first place, and traded class for crass.

Other AVENGERS Opening titles:







And while we're here, THE CHAMPIONS opening titles...

- Bill

1 comment:

Cunningham said...

On a side note: look at how simple and yet how cool those opening titles are. Simple stills with integrated text graphics. Each pic gives you mood and character and gets you revved up for the episode.

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