TV’s Spoken Prologues: An Homage
Series’ intros have waxed and waned, but one type remains a rarity
Today’s network television landscape nixes traditional opening credit sequences, introductions, and theme songs for at least two reasons: to make room for commercial breaks and to dissuade viewers from turning the channel.
Think about the 5-second title-flasher of ABC’s Scandal, for example, or the 18-second theme “song” for Two and a Half Men. Both are a far cry from the lengthy and (arguably) much catchier introductions of programs like The Brady Bunch, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and The Golden Girls.
Frankly, I think eliminating such introductions is a mistake because, in many ways, they help solidify a show’s identity with audiences. In his 1992 study, Jeffrey Alan Hicks writes similarly that TV theme songs function not only as an important area of artifactual research, but also as “miniature representations of a program,” possibly helping to unify social collectiveness and teach societal norms.
So this avid television watcher has been thrilled to see the return of extended opening credits and theme songs (or pop songs as themes) in non-network programming like Grace and Frankie (Netflix), Killjoys (SyFy), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix), and Stranger Things (Netflix).
Still, while opening credits are experiencing somewhat of a resurgence, one programming element remains a rarity: the spoken prologue.
These prologues, while never as ubiquitous as opening credits or theme songs, are integral parts of the series that have them. Their narration can be beneficial to viewers by helping set the premise, tone, and thematic framework of a series.
Interestingly, spoken prologues or opening credits have been most popular with shows based in science fiction and fantasy. Unlike police and legal procedurals, medical shows, or family dramas, which often mimic reality, genre series are set in worlds with fantastical elements. To this end, the use of well-conceived prologues provides tantalizing overviews of the universe and the mythology of the genre series in which audiences are being asked to invest.
Although it’s unlikely we’ll see a grand revival of these, here are eight spoken prologues (in no particular order) from some of the most iconic sci-fi and fantasy series ever put on the small screen.
The Six Million Dollar Man (1973–78)
In The Six Million Dollar Man, astronaut Steve Austin’s (Lee Majors) body is critically injured during an experimental test flight. Using bionics, the U.S. government rebuilds him to serve as a covert intelligence operative. Most of this, we learn from the show’s spoken prologue.
In Hollyweird Science, Kevin R. Grazier and Stephen Cass describe The Six Million Dollar Man’s title sequence — with its “archival NASA launch video, high-tech medical graphics of cyborgian surgeries, and the dulcet tones of Oscar Goldman’s” as a “near-perfect introduction to the concept of the show.”
Yes, via only nine words, the series’ opening credits dramatically underscore Steve Austin’s transformation: “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology.”
Battlestar Galactica (1978–79)
The original Battlestar Galactica premiered in the fall of 1978. This ambitious drama, about a near-extinct race of space-faring humans seeking a fabled sanctuary known as Earth, was the inspiration for the SyFy channel’s 2009 reboot.
A hallmark from the original series (but lacking in the reboot) is a stirring prologue narrated by late British actor Patrick Macnee: “There are those who believe that life here began out there.”
SeaQuest DSV (1993–96)
This futuristic series produced by Steven Spielberg imagines that by the twenty-first century, humanity will have colonized the other final frontier — the depths of the world’s oceans.
Late actor Roy Scheider not only starred in the series, but also lent his voice to narrate the aspirational prologue of the show’s first season: “For beneath the surface lies the future.”
Xena: Warrior Princess (1995–2001)
This network TV series about a formidable warrior woman seeking redemption became an international hit and a pop culture phenomenon due to its charismatic lead (Lucy Lawless), provocative blend of drama, action, camp, and unapologetic feminism.
Oh, it also features a rousing opening sequence complete with an appropriately epic spoken prologue: “She was Xena, a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle.”
Babylon 5 (1994–98)
Set in the the mid twenty-third century, Babylon 5 is a sweeping science-fiction space opera about a space station populated by humans and members of several alien civilizations.
Though it features different prologues for each season of its five-year run, one theme remains in place — the Babylon 5 station was built to be a place that facilitated peace and diplomacy among the denizens of the galaxy: “It can be a dangerous place, but it’s our last, best hope for peace.”
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–08)
This award winning Nickelodean animated series is set on an ancient world comprised of four nations demarcated by the four elements: Air, Earth, Water and Fire. Certain people are able to manipulate or “bend” telekinetically the element symbolic of their nation.
The protagonist of the series is a 12-year-old boy named Aang, who is also the Avatar — a special individual reincarnated each generation with the unique ability to control all four of the elements. Aang, along with his friends and allies, must bring unity and peace to his world that is being torn apart by war.
The prologue for Avatar alludes to the grand and majestic scope of this acclaimed animated series: “I believe Aang can save the world.”
Farscape (1999–2003)
Farscape is the story of American astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder) who gets sucked into a wormhole during a test flight, and is flung far into the cosmos. Desperate to return home, Crichton finds himself aboard a living starship, crewed by alien beings who consider him as strange and unfathomable as he thinks of them.
The show’s intense prologue is narrated by Browder: “I’m lost in some distant part of the universe on a ship, a living ship full of strange alien lifeforms.”
Star Trek (1966–1969)
The most popular and celebrated science fiction series of all time, Star Trek, remains a powerful and influential force in our cultural zeitgeist fifty years after it debuted on television.
Almost every aspect of Gene Roddenberry’s visionary space western is iconic, including the original prologue narrated by series star William Shatner: “Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.”
A proud blerd, Rod is a sci-fi/fantasy fan — and writes a lot about it. He is also the author of 200 Best Online Sci-Fi Short Films — a behemoth compilation of over 30 hours of terrific SF&F shorts. Explore more of his work by subscribing to his monthly newsletter here.
