favorite tv intros

Making playlists is great fun, it has art, tech, and music therapy wrapped in one. I usually make music playlists by theme, season, or artists, and YouTube playlists by tutorial, community, or research.

Recently I made a playlist of my favorite Stephen Colbert interviews and from his upbeat theme, I was inspired to make another playlist: favorite tv intros.

I wasn’t expecting it to have any therapeutic benefit but this topic created a specific venn diagram of music and video content that struck a chord in nostalgia, self-realization, and emotional healing.

While doing the research for this playlist, my brain stretched from childhood to newly discovered shows. Originally, I included popular shows like The Office, Parks and Rec, and Fresh Prince but then I asked myself, “Are these my favorite tv intros or are they just go-to shows, or are they just popular intros?”

While curating this list, I had to mentally separate popular tv intros from the ones that are my favorite. I omitted family shows like The Simpsons, HGTV, and game shows that are always on during reunions and guilty pleasure shows that I’ve been watching for years. I learned that my preference for tv intros varies, some I haven’t seen in years, some I’ve only seen a few episodes, and some I watched as a kid but only remember the intro.

Making this playlist created a chainlink tapestry of culture throughout my life. Curating this playlist also created a cute icebreaker or conversation starter. Sharing your favorite color is not helpful, and listing your favorite tv shows can be too broad and stressful. Favorite tv intros are specific enough to cut the fat from popular opinion and get down to the intros that spark joy in relaxing and watching tv.

After I made the playlist, I watched them back to back and was prepared to dive into each show. I couldn’t help but notice the rollercoaster of serotonin. In the end, I picked the tv intro I was most drawn to, thus curing my decision fatigue.

April 21st, 2024