Top Ten Opening TV Credit Sequences

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posted: 49 DAYS 1 HOUR AGO

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Now that a third of American households use a DVR, fewer and fewer of us are held hostage by time-wasters like commercials and bad sitcom theme songs. The fact that we can fast-forward through our favorite shows' opening credits makes it all the more remarkable when we make the choice to watch, week after week. Watching the season two premiere of 'True Blood' reminded us of those opening sequences that capture the tone of a show, that blend great style with a perfect song - the ones that make us forget we're allowed to press the FF button - and here are the top ten on TV today. Check back tomorrow for the next installment of the best TV themes of all time.

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10. 'Grey's Anatomy'
This stylish opener got right to the theme of the hospital drama - equals parts sex, relationships and medicine. Yet, the creators don't run it anymore. Bring it back (along with Izzie, please).

9. 'Friday Night Lights'
The melancholy song and sweeping, muted shots of Texas make it clear that this show about football is not simply a show about football.

8. 'Desperate Housewives'
There are times we've thought that the artistic credits that pay homage to some of history's greats - while setting up the sly, wicked tone of the show - might have captured a cleverness the show itself can't even match.

7. 'Nip/Tuck'
The creepy, vapid visuals literally representing plastic surgery patients as soulless mannequins are the perfect, unsettling compliment to a show that often emotionally represents plastic surgery patients as soulless mannequins.

6. 'Chuck'
The 'Incredibles'-esque graphics mixed with some super-nerd imagery and a great theme song by Cake make for a dorky James Bond vibe that explains the show perfectly - and we love it.

5. 'Rescue Me'
The movie-quality cinematography and the frenetic Von Bondies song in the 'Rescue Me' credits make this one tough to skip through.

4. 'Mad Men'
We're not always deep, but we think we can wrap our brains around the symbolism of a mute-featured figure falling to his presumable doom, surrounded by vintage advertising. Complete with classy tune, it gets right to the heart of this amazing period program. And that bass-and-drum break at the end is always worth the wait.

3. 'Dexter'
It's disgusting, it's creepy, it's evocative, it's an opening to a show about a sympathetic serial killer, so we think they got it exactly right.

2. 'True Blood'
The opening credits that inspired this feature are a retro-feeling look at the dirty South, with a little vampire thrown in. They're stylish, intriguing, a little racy, and very cool.

1. 'Simpsons'
Our hands-down winner- not only are they fast-faced and fun to watch, with Danny Elfman's famous theme song, each opening has a few seconds of original content and a different ending. Those Simpsons never fail to amuse.