Title sequence

A title sequence is that part of a programme which, typically, gives the series title, theme music, serial or episode name, and may also provide the names of the principal actors involved, as well as that of the writer.

Doctor Who
Historically, the title sequence has been of great interest to Doctor Who fans, especially when it has been overhauled, as at the beginning of a new actor's tenure as the Doctor, or simply when a producer decided to do so. Changes to the title sequence can be rigorously scrutinized by fans, who may be interested in such minutiae as the font used in the title cards, or even relatively minor variations in the theme music.

Throughout most of the 1963 version of the programme, the title sequence included a shot of the current Doctor's head floating either through space or the time vortex, a popular feature which some fans would like to see resurrected in the BBC Wales version. However, the presence of the head — or in the case of Season 11, the body — of the Doctor during the Troughton, Pertwee and Tom Baker eras rendered the title sequences more abstract. John Nathan-Turner's radical redesign of the title sequence completely eliminated the time vortex, and replaced it with a representation of space that was never seen in that way within the body of episodes — mainly because the visual effect of space was far more advanced than what the production team were able to produce on a weekly basis.

By contrast, the title sequences used during the Hartnell era, the McGann telemovie, and the whole of the BBC Wales era, were not abstractions, but showed the time vortex in a way that was used within the body of stories themselves. 

1963-73
The early title sequences feature an electronic "howlround" on a plain black background.

1973-80
The late Third Doctor and almost all of the Fourth Doctor featured a "slit scan" made to look like a time vortex.

1981-86
From the Fourth Doctor's last series to the Sixth Doctor's last series features a "starfield".

1986-89
The Seventh Doctor's title sequence was computer generated.

1996
The Eighth Doctor's was similar to the Fourth's, using the "Tunnel Effect".

2005-2009
This was very similar to the Eighth's, with a red vortex and a blue vortex.

2010-?
This one was similar to the previous, but using storm cloud and lightning effects as the vortex, culminating with a fiery one with no lightning. In the fiery vortex, the TARDIS seems to move much more vigorously.

Torchwood
to be added

The Sarah Jane Adventures
to be added

K9 and Company
to be added

K9
to be added