This morning, our friends over at For Starters — a site devoted to TV’s credit sequences — posted a fan-made GOSSIP GIRL opening so good we were blown away. More importantly, we were inspired to shine the light on some openings made by fans that not only blow the real ones away, but prove that there are a whole lotta people out there who — like us — love a good intro.
GOSSIP GIRL
While there’s no denying that that the words “You know you love me, XOXO” have become this show’s signature, this fan-made opening does a far better job of welcoming you to the world of Manhattan’s elite. Plus, bonus points for the Blake Lively hair-flip. Every truly-classic opening needs at least one amazing hair-flip. (This is, in fact, a little known law, known in many circles as SSFC, as it was named after Susan Sullivan’s toss-your-hair-as-you-whip-around-to-face-the-camera moment in the FALCON CREST credits.)
Is anybody else surprised by the quality of shows being tossed out by the networks this summer? Last night, ABC offered up not one but two fantastic little warm-weather treats that would be considered great viewing even during the normal season. First up was SCOUNDRELS and, to be honest, I wasn’t intending to watch. But with an hour to kill before THE GATES, which I’d been looking forward to for some time, I figured, “Why not?” Well, forgive me, West clan, because your exploits made this a criminally entertaining hour of television. Featuring an entire cast of “Oh-my-God-I-loved-him/her-in-fill-in-the-blank” actors and a script that zipped along at a breakneck pace, SCOUNDRELS has moved to the front of my summer hit list. Standouts? Leven Rambin, whom soap fans labeled a star-to-watch during her stint as ALL MY CHILDREN’s Lily; David James Elliott, who has gone from pretty boy to rugged since first we swooned over him back on the original MELROSE PLACE; and Patrick John Flueger — whom most remember from THE 4400, but I’ll never forget for his star-making turn as an accidental commiter of incest on LAW & ORDER: SVU — as twins Cal and Logan. While I’m not sure why this was relegated to summer, when viewers traditionally eschew new programming, here’s hoping that ABC’s efforts to bring us shows worth actually watching pays off.
DARK SHADOWS
Good Moves: After countless seasons that culminated with the inexplicable cancelation of some of our favorite shows (R.I.P: PRIVILEGED and JACK & BOBBY), the CW network finally threw fans of quality television a bone by renewing the critically adored LIFE UNEXPECTED for a second season. Not so unexpected was the audiences seemingly insatiable appetite for all things Vampire, resulting in the fledgling network’s first bonafide breakout hit in THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (Note: By CW standards, “bonafide breakout hit” translates to about 4 million viewers). Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the rest of the CW’s new offerings, which brings us to the…