The technical name is cold open. it has still been used relatively recently in shows like law and order, house and monk.
old episodes,particularly dramas, seemed to use tags. they are lighthearted or gentle scenes that occured after the conflict has been solved.
Same thing with some Saturday morning cartoons. Most of these tend to go missing when rerun on cable and when released on DVD. ~Ben
I remember from the spring/summer of 1992 when World News Tonight would lead into American Gladiators on my ABC station WLOS- the ABC News ID and voiceover from Bill Owen- "World News Tonight Saturday is a presentation of ABC NEWS. More Americans get their news from ABC NEWS than from any other source" before the WLOS ID, then Mike Adamle doing the preview for that night's episode of AG before the opening theme. That's one example of a network newscast going right into a syndie show. I heard that as well leading into Life Goes On (an ABC show too) maybe in LGO's first year, it was "This has been World News Tonight Sunday, a presentation of ABC News." before the LGO theme came in.
Same thing when he brought over his version of the Cagney & Lacey theme tune for that show's second season (1982-83) on CBS; his version would be used for the remainder of the show's run through 1988. ~Ben
Well, Norman Lear is still living at 99-years-old, and he was the genius behind those life lessons. It'll never happen again. When Norm goes, that vein will be struck from the earth. There's no amount of laughter that will assuage the pain any longer. That's too bad. Not bad for a Connecticut Jew from humble beginnings.
No, I did not say that. Nor did viewers see that when the programs aired. Nor do they see it now when the programs are restored for blu-ray.
Oh, we didn't? Why do you think I didn't see them? Which is a tiny tiny percentage of older programs shot on film. Some old shows like Combat! only exist on videotape now.
I think the 70s ABC/CBS Wonder Woman w/Lynda Carter and Lyle Waggoner was like that (at least on its first go (1976-77, the Nazi season, before it went to CBS in 1977 for the second and third gos and became far different).
Yeah, too bad STAR TREK never used Roddenberry's lyrics. STAR TREK (Lyrics by Gene Roddenberry*) Beyond The rim of the star-light My love Is wand'ring in star-flight I know He'll find in star-clustered reaches Love, Strange love a star woman teaches. I know His journey ends never His star trek Will go on forever. But tell him While he wanders his starry sea Remember, remember me. source: Star Trek Lyrics - Theme Song Lyrics
Yes, Roddenberry only wrote these words in order to claim his own 50 percent share of the song's profits, which upset Alexander Courage who saw his profits for the song be cut exactly in half. At the time, Roddenberry claimed, "I have to get some money somewhere. I'm sure not going to get it out of the profits of Star Trek." ~Ben