Re: The Lost Art of TV Themes

Obveeus wrote:
"Mason Barge" <masonbarge@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
But no, you don't see many shows open with the *main* theme any more. Another reason might be the DVR/reminder stuff. They don't have any trouble with people knowing the show is starting and want to set the hook first thing.

Call it fallout from the MTV generation. People now have the TV attention span of gnats, so you better show them something quick before they touch the remote.

As a big a deal as the opening are, the show closings are also a change. Nowadays, the closiong credits go by at 60 miles an hour in the corner of the screen while the next show is being promo-ed or the local news anchor is telling you what will come on the news that night. Compare that with a show like 'I Love Lucy' (or something from early TV if that show is to new to relate to WQ) where the closing song/credits seemed to go on as long as the opening.

That's not "the attention span of gnats," that's *multitasking*.

As personal computers with graphical user interfaces have become ubiquitous, human beings have learned to absorb multiple overlapping windows or channels of information at once: One window shows your email, another window shows the local weather, a third window shows your web browser, a fourth window is open to a spreadsheet, etc.

Television has picked up on that idea, dividing the screen into multiple channels of information: One part of the screen shows the closing credits for the previous show, another part shows coming attractions for next week's show, and another part of the screen shows a promo for the news.

The cable news stations have also done this. CNN Headline News and CNBC display multiple windows all over your TV screen, each displaying something else like stock tickers and so forth.


--
Steven L.
Email: sdlitvin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me.
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