Talk:Cold open

I have no idea where to put this question, but doesn't the movie American Beauthy not show its titles till the end of the movie? That must be quite rare. Pam, not signed in

If all that's required for a "cold open" is having new material come before the credits, then a "cold open" is not beginning in medias res. For example, Star Trek episodes begin with a "cold open," but each episode generally begins a new, standalone story. Epics are not serials. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Ccoll (talk • contribs) 2005-08-15 16:22:26.

I saw the mention of Metal Gear Solid using a cold opening. Paper Mario on the Nintendo 64 has a cold opening. Not sure if anyone cares though.

• If most live-action shows start with cold opens these days, why the need for the paragraph-long list of examples? -- nae'blis _(talk) 20:03, 15 February 2006 (UTC)Reply
  • I agree. The list is stupid long. I reccomend shorting the paragraph to a sentence with 3 or 4 examples(I say, Law and Order, Star Trek and Friends, but that's my opinion) and maybe creating a list page that has all of them. --Cookn4evar 23:11, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

I think that the listings of various Star Trek series are unneccessary. Just posting Star Trek would be enough.

Trimmed to about a half-dozen shows, including Simpsons. I perhaps could have included more of the animated shows, but there's no sense in trying to be exhaustive here, as cold opens have gotten more and more common in recent years. -- nae'blis _(talk) 01:39, 26 July 2006 (UTC)Reply

• Talking about examples, the movie "The Good, Bad and the ugly" continues to display the credits well till about 50% of the movie —Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.17.142.146 (talk) 12:21, 14 January 2008 (UTC)Reply

The article states that "virtually every soap [employs] the format". This is not true at all. In the UK at least, most of the popular soaps do not include cold opens. EastEnders, Coronation Street and Doctors (BBC soap opera) don't; Holby City and Neighbours do. Tobyink 11:50, 7 November 2006 (UTC)Reply

When did it stop being a teaser? Why? Is there any real sourcable etymology on this?

--El benito 18:51, 2 May 2006 (UTC)Reply

The article cites one source, which refers to "teaser". Where does cold open come from? 82.46.128.26 23:12, 26 September 2006 (UTC)Reply

I seem to recall many cold opens in the years prior to the 1990s. Thinking back to the 1960s, F Troop, Gilligan's Island, and Batman began with a title slide including the words "In Color" (which was new at the time), followed by a teaser, and only then going to the title sequence. I didn't watch dramas back then (other than Star Trek) so I couldn't say what they did. ShawnVW 19:24, 6 May 2006 (UTC)Reply

How is this different than the "opening gambit" of shows like MacGyver? Where the pre-credit is often only tangentally connected or unrelated to episode itself different thing entirely? -a

I remember sitcoms using this a lot starting in the early 80s. All the big 70s shows, like Laverne and Shirley, 3's Company, etc., were "credits first"; then in the 1980s, many shows--like Cheers, Night Court, Kate & Allie--all had a little bit before the credits. Night Court in particular--there would always be a big joke and then the distinctive two opening notes of the theme.

Gunsmoke opened with what was referred to in the scripts as a "roostertail".

Family Guy hardly ever begins with cold openings (I can only think of the first episode that does). There may occasionally be a throwaway gag at the start, before the opening, but the same can be held true for many animated shows (like Futurama). --DK 03:22, 26 August 2006 (UTC)Reply

You imply that there are jokes in Family Guy OTHER than throwaway gags.ZebulonNebulon 19:26, 10 November 2006 (UTC)Reply

On the commentary tracks for Futurama and Family Guy, the creators/writers of those shows very specifically refer to the pre-credit gags as cold opens Ja2ke 21:28, 4 February 2007 (UTC)Reply

Is it worth mentioning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind considering the cold opening lasted well into the 2nd reel? I (personally) found it to be quite a peculiar cold opening, as I had been settling into the story by the time it was shown. It clocks at almost 18 minutes into the film.

• In one Epsiode of Quincy M.E "Crib Job" the victim is shown in the teaser falling dead at the begining-yet this is not shown in the following episode!!

I realize There's Lots Of Examples, But Isn't Saturday Night Live One Of The Most Popular - With The Whole "Live From New York..." schtick? Dslawe 05:02, 24 January 2007 (UTC)Reply

Aren't there a lot of arcane rules for where and how all the titles, credits, etc. have to be displayed. Are any special permissions needed before they can for e.g. put the title at the end of the film? Ewlyahoocom 07:02, 3 February 2007 (UTC)Reply

I'm sure that I've seen one show (possibly MacGuyver) refer to the pre-credits mini-adventure as the "Opening Gambit" in its credits. Is this another term for it, presumably taken from chess, or just an oddity of (possibly) MacGuyver? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Brickie (talk • contribs) 09:13, 5 February 2007 (UTC).Reply

I seem to recall that cold openings were a more recent phenomenon in anime adopted in large part around the mid to late 90s. In the 70s, 80s and early 90s the vast majority of anime TV shows used "warm openings" (included unedited shows direct from Japan). This would (interestingly enough) coincide to around the time where the concept became increasingly accepted on prime time US television. Perhaps the article should be changed to explain that they are "increasingly more common" in anime, or to otherwise explain how this wasn't always the case. Maybe I'm starting to show my age here, but I definitely remember being a bit thrown off guard when I started seeing more and more cold opens in anime TV shows. Prior to that I subconsciously expected an anime TV show to start with the title sequence. Kensuke Aida 07:24, 18 April 2007 (UTC)Reply

One of the best examples of the Cold Open is in the "Police Squad" TV series, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_Squad. The "special quest star" is always killed in the cold open, which has nothing to do with the rest of the episode. Slipangle 16:52, 16 June 2007 (UTC)Reply

The article seems to state that the cold opens is always a part of the story in the episode it belongs too but some shows, Cheers for example, often have a cold open that features a self-contained comedy bit unrelated to the main story of the show. Thus one could watch a Cheers episode from after the cold open without missing any of the episodes plot. Maybe this should be clarified? --Cab88 15:37, 23 October 2007 (UTC)Reply

I removed this quote: "Shows which air some form of titles before jumping into the story and then running a formal opening sequence are also considered cold opens." The reasoning is because this, when added to the rest of the definition, makes the definition far too broad, essentially saying that a cold open is any opening that does OR DOES NOT come before the opening credits -- in other words, every opening is a cold open. Surely this is inaccurate, or at the very least, misleadingly worded. Minaker (talk) 04:49, 14 May 2008 (UTC)Reply

Also, although I didn't alter anything regarding the following issue (I don't want to start any edit wars), we should be more careful in the discussion of what does or does not qualify as a cold open. For example, if the opening credits don't appear until 15 or 30 minutes into the film, the entire pre-credits sequence is not a "cold open"; by definition, by its very wording, a cold open is the opening of the narrative, and if you're a half hour into the story, it's not really the opening of the film anymore, regardless of when the credits occur. Minaker (talk) 04:49, 14 May 2008 (UTC)Reply

In which case Apocalypse Now, the version with the opening credits at the end of the film, doesn't constitute a "cold open"? Lippard (talk) 22:37, 30 June 2008 (UTC)Reply

Lippard, if the credits are at the end of a film, then they are not "opening credits." An "opening" of a film is defined as the film's first few moments (taken from the concept of the opening being the first few measures of a musical composition). If a credits sequence comes at the end of a film, they are, by definition, not opening credits. They are closing credits -- even if they're the first credits sequence. Minaker (talk) 06:14, 21 October 2008 (UTC)Reply

It's possible that there is an error in the introduction of this article: "...The Departed does not display a title card until roughly thirty minutes into the film."

I just watched the film viewed the title card only eighteen minutes into the film and strangely, just as the two examples before this sentence (although I have not verified those).

Perhaps I have a different "cut" of the film than other folks. Can anyone attest to this time as well?

You're right, the title card appears at roughly 18 and a half minutes, during a sequence with the Dropkick Murphys song playing, which shows DiCaprio's character in prison. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.141.110.185 (talk) 16:12, 16 September 2008 (UTC)Reply

I'm not sure why the claim is being made that this film displays no title card until the end. It appears after the Vlad the Impaler prologue at just under 6 minutes. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.141.110.185 (talk) 16:17, 16 September 2008 (UTC)Reply

Alright, I left it alone far too long, to avoid hurting people's feelings, but I finally had to change it. The introduction, hinting that an entire film can consist of its own cold open, and actually giving examples, was just too misleading. The term is cold open. It refers to the opening of a film. All of this nonsense about the cold opening lasting 20, 30, 120 minutes is ludicrous, and completely misconstrues the meaning of the term. A lot of the contributers of this article are confusing a cold open with a pre-credits sequence. They can be the same thing, but it's a mistake to use the terms interchangably. Minaker (talk) 06:41, 21 October 2008 (UTC)Reply

Maybe we should change the examples section to a few lines and make a new page with all the examples? I'll begin work on it and wait to hear some consensus from the crowd before putting live. Yay or Nay? --FeldBum (talk) 14:05, 17 March 2009 (UTC)Reply

I'd say "nay". Given that "cold opens have been popular on television since the 1960s" and "most American soaps" use them, I don't think we'd end up with a very useful list article if we tried to write them all down. --McGeddon (talk) 14:15, 17 March 2009 (UTC)Reply

I cut the list again to keep those examples that were actually illuminating as to the variety and intent of cold opens. I realize J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon have rabid fanbases, but this isn't a list of your favorite cold opens (I personally like those used in Chuck), but rather an explanation with notable examples. Calbaer (talk) 14:25, 14 May 2009 (UTC)Reply

I agree only notable examples should be used. I think SNL's "Live from NY" open's should be mentioned, because it is a prominent part of the show. Also, the cold opening's on House, which not only are dramatic, but since they rarely contain main characters and settings, one could easy confuse the opening for another show. thus exemplifying a technique. 67.176.160.47 (talk) 08:15, 30 January 2010 (UTC)Reply

Could a knowledgeable editor add a section about the conflict between the cold open and the Directors Guild of America? As mentioned in Opening credits#Recent trends, George Lucas famously resigned from the DGA in connection with their opening credits requirements. Tempshill (talk) 17:48, 23 July 2009 (UTC)Reply

There's been a trend away from teasers toward "recap" sequences. Can anybody date it, & explain why it's happened? TREKphiler ^{any time you're ready, Uhura} 22:05, 13 March 2010 (UTC)Reply

The James Bond reference at the top does not use the term MacGuffin properly. A MacGuffin is a plot element, not a scene or a hook. A MacGuffin drives the characters into conflict -- it does not drive the audience to their seats. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.34.180.54 (talk) 12:08, 19 April 2010 (UTC)Reply

Fixed. TREKphiler ^{any time you're ready, Uhura} 16:22, 19 April 2010 (UTC)Reply

I have added "citation needed" to the key term "cold open" since I can't find any public and/or academic source which predates the article. Perhaps the article should be changed to "teaser"?AmericanEnglish (talk) 14:29, 5 May 2011 (UTC)Reply

I know it's not exactly an academic source, but this outlines what a cold-open is. From what I can read online, cold open is the proper terminology for it, while teaser seems to be more like the viewer's name for it.JoshuaJohnLee ^{talk softly, please} 19:45, 13 August 2011 (UTC)Reply

The 1960s "Outer Limits" series (ABC-TV, 1963-1965) had an unusual "cold open" style. Many episodes led off with an unedited segment from later in the episode, without context or narration. The chosen segment was often the most dramatic of the episode. Though attention-grabbing, this technique was probably confusing to viewers. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.231.125.118 (talk) 16:02, 8 March 2012 (UTC)Reply

I am surprised the practical drawbacks of this technique are not listed here. For example, this makes it more difficult to identify a show based upon the first scene, which could lead to viewers zapping away because they do not correctly assess the type of the upcoming show (is that possibly why in some countries, tv channels have started adding an overlay indicating the title of the show right in the first scene?). Furthermore, identifying a show that has been recorded a while ago (so no appropriate tv schedules are available any more) gets essentially impossible without watching significant parts of the show right away (which may not be desirable in consecutive stories such as series episodes). 85.183.209.216 (talk) 22:16, 24 May 2014 (UTC)Reply

I regret to inform you that one section in this article is both mislabeled and misinformative. The section's title is "Current uses in television (2000s-present)", however, F.R.I.E.N.D.S., the first sitcom I ever watched, has been using it since its first season back in 1994 until its end 10 years later (2004). Don't you find that misinformative? If you let me, I'm going to change the title and wording. --Fandelasketchup (talk) 13:39, 2 April 2015 (UTC)Reply

Sir --

As you know, "cold open" is experiencing revived currency, thanks almost exclusively to its use in connection with SNL. I have to confess I wasn't sure what it meant, so I consulted your Wikipedia page. An excellent article; however, immediately conspicuous by its absence is "The Rockford Files" which often went for what seemed like 15 minutes before the first credits rolled.

BTW, I'm a Madison grad. Go Bucky!

Thanks.

Mike G. St. Paul, Minn. Mgottsacker (talk) 16:43, 20 November 2016 (UTC)Reply

I corrected the following sentence:

"For example, James Bond films often use pre-credit sequences with little or no relation to the subsequent plot; these are not considered teasers."

Aside for Octopussy, all James Bond title sequences are related to the movie's main plot.

--2001:B07:A13:D97E:6112:691C:6D53:7D20 (talk) 10:41, 30 August 2017 (UTC)Reply

I cut the declaration that this was an "American" narrative tactic. It was probably first used there, but is very common worldwide. E.g., Doctor Who and many other UK dramas use it frequently. 202.81.249.102 (talk) 17:11, 1 January 2018 (UTC)Reply

A closing scene at the end of a show, after end credits, is known as the "tag".

I've seen that word used more often for a brief scene between the last commercial break and the credits. What shows put more than a one-liner after the credits? —Tamfang (talk) 07:18, 21 July 2018 (UTC)Reply

Aren't those called post-credit scenes?