Cold open
Encyclopedia
A cold open in a television program
or movie
is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence
or opening credits
are shown. On television this is often done on the theory that involving the audience in the plot as soon as possible will reduce the likelihood of their switching away from a show during the opening commercial.
In some movies the title card does not appear until the end. In such cases one cannot refer to the entire movie as the "opening"; the term "cold open" in these instances refers to the opening moments or scenes. Likewise, in movies with excessively long pre-credits sequences, the "cold open" does not necessarily refer to the entire pre-credits sequence. For example, James Bond
films often use pre-credit sequences with little or no relation to the subsequent plot; these are not considered teasers.
(1964–68) and Star Trek
(1966–69) are examples in the United States; in the United Kingdom, it was usually series destined for the American market which utilised the format, such as The Avengers
(1961–69) and The Saint
(1962–69).
In the early 1960s, few American series used cold opens; and half-hour situation comedies almost never made use of them prior to 1965. But many American series that ran from the early 1960s through the middle years of the decade (even sitcoms) adopted cold opens in later seasons. For example, Gilligan's Island
did not use cold opens during its first two seasons, but did use them in its third and final year (1966–67); they were used on some seasons of “Mission: Impossible
” (but not all of them), likewise with “Hawaii Five-O
”. Many other long-running TV series used cold opens. Similar patterns can be seen with sitcoms, including Bewitched
and The Beverly Hillbillies
. Many cold openings in sitcoms do not set up the plot but usually involve physical comedy or bantering. Closing credits of a sitcom usually feature a scene between characters that does not have any relevance to the plot.
British producer Lew Grade
's many attempts to break into the American market meant that various of the shows which he was involved with incorporated the cold open, such as The Persuaders!
(1971) and Space: 1999
(Series One only, 1975). Later, many British action-adventure series employed the format, such as The New Avengers (1976–77) and The Professionals
(1977–81).
Toying with many television conventions, Monty Python's Flying Circus
(1969–74) played around with the concept of cold opens, sometimes having an entire episode before the starting credits, and, in two instances (The Cycling Tour, the first episode to have a full-length story, and The Golden Age of Ballooning, the first episode of series four) had no opening credits at all (the former has a brief title card with the episode's title, and the latter has no titles because Terry Gilliam
had not finished the new opening sequence).
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, daytime soap opera
s became the main user of cold opens, with most American soaps employing the format. While several soaps experimented with regular opens in the early 2000s, all are currently using cold opens. Typically, a soap opera cold open begins where the last scene of the previous episode ended, sometimes replaying the entire last scene. After several scenes, usually to set up which storylines will be featured in the episode, the opening credits are shown.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, some shows began with highlights from the previous episode.
US sitcom and drama episodes often have a traditional cold opening, which usually sets up the plot using the main cast members. Some sitcoms, however, use cold opens which have nothing to do with the plot of an episode (e.g. Malcolm in the Middle
). In the US, TV shows will occasionally forgo a standard cold open at the midway point of a two-part episode, or during a "special" episode. For example, Buffy the Vampire Slayers fourth season finale
lacked a cold open, as it was an unusual dream-centric episode. The cold open has become common if not standard for sitcoms in the 2000s, while in the 1970s
and 1980s
many traditional multi-camera sitcoms usually launched straight into the opening theme song.
The long-running NBC
sketch variety show Saturday Night Live
has always employed a cold open (except for season 7 and other rare exceptions). The cold open usually ends with someone breaking character
and proclaiming "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
Documentaries do not use cold openings as frequently as fictional shows. The World at War is one famous exception, where in a few short minutes an especially poignant moment is featured. After the title sequence, the events that explain the episode are outlined more fully.
Modern video games have included cold opens, either beginning with a lengthy opening sequence or, like the Metal Gear Solid
games, including an entire level before the titles. Both Wild Arms
and Kingdom Hearts II
went as far as including an entire subplot, often taking upwards of three hours to play through, before showing the game's logo.
Cold opens were also an occasional device in radio. Jack Benny
's weekly program would usually begin with Don Wilson
reading standard copy announcing the name of the program and introducing the stars. Sometimes however, particularly for a show at the start of a new season, the actors would launch into material without any announcement and perform a sketch written to give the audience the impression they were eavesdropping on the stars' off-microphone lives. That would be followed by the more standard Don Wilson introductions and the show would proceed as normal after that.
Cold opens are common in crime dramas, such as all Law and Order
variants and the CSI shows, with the crime being committed before the title sequence. CSI: Miami
's version of this cold open style is famous and widely parodied; generally, Horatio Caine
makes a dramatic comment on the crime (occasionally he puts on or removes his sunglasses while doing so), immediately followed by the "YEAH!" of Won't Get Fooled Again
, the show's opening theme.
, and was authored by Gene Roddenberry
, describing the format of a typical episode. This quotation refers to a cold open, commonly known as a teaser:
The "hook
" of the teaser was some unexplained plot element that was alluded to in the teaser, or cold open, which was intended to keep audiences interested enough in the show to dissuade them from changing stations while the titles and opening commercial roll. Star Trek writer David Gerrold
, to tweak William Shatner
on set, once joked he was writing a Star Trek episode in which Kirk lost his voice in the teaser (the hook), and didn't get it back until the tag
.
In television series, a similar technique called cliffhanger
is often placed before commercial breaks, to keep the audience from switching channels during the break. For instance, in Law & Order
this second hook is often the arrest of the suspected perpetrator of the crime committed in the cold open.
The teaser is sometimes referred to as the 'tease'; the companion closing-scene at the end of the show is the 'tag
'.
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
or movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence
Title sequence
A Title Sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound...
or opening credits
Opening credits
In a motion picture, television program, or video game, the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. There...
are shown. On television this is often done on the theory that involving the audience in the plot as soon as possible will reduce the likelihood of their switching away from a show during the opening commercial.
In some movies the title card does not appear until the end. In such cases one cannot refer to the entire movie as the "opening"; the term "cold open" in these instances refers to the opening moments or scenes. Likewise, in movies with excessively long pre-credits sequences, the "cold open" does not necessarily refer to the entire pre-credits sequence. For example, James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
films often use pre-credit sequences with little or no relation to the subsequent plot; these are not considered teasers.
History
Cold opens became widespread on television by the mid-1960s. Their use was an economical way of setting up a plot without having to introduce the regular characters, or even the series synopsis - which would typically be outlined in the title sequence itself. The Man from U.N.C.L.E.The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement...
(1964–68) and Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
(1966–69) are examples in the United States; in the United Kingdom, it was usually series destined for the American market which utilised the format, such as The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
(1961–69) and The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
(1962–69).
In the early 1960s, few American series used cold opens; and half-hour situation comedies almost never made use of them prior to 1965. But many American series that ran from the early 1960s through the middle years of the decade (even sitcoms) adopted cold opens in later seasons. For example, Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
did not use cold opens during its first two seasons, but did use them in its third and final year (1966–67); they were used on some seasons of “Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
” (but not all of them), likewise with “Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
”. Many other long-running TV series used cold opens. Similar patterns can be seen with sitcoms, including Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
and The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
. Many cold openings in sitcoms do not set up the plot but usually involve physical comedy or bantering. Closing credits of a sitcom usually feature a scene between characters that does not have any relevance to the plot.
British producer Lew Grade
Lew Grade
Lew Grade, Baron Grade , born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Russian-born English impresario and media mogul.-Early years:...
's many attempts to break into the American market meant that various of the shows which he was involved with incorporated the cold open, such as The Persuaders!
The Persuaders!
The Persuaders! is a 1971 action/adventure series, produced by ITC Entertainment for initial broadcast on ITV and ABC. It has been called "the last major entry in the cycle of adventure series that had begun eleven years earlier with Danger Man in 1960", as well as "the most ambitious and most...
(1971) and Space: 1999
Space: 1999
Space: 1999 is a British science-fiction television series that ran for two seasons and originally aired from 1975 to 1977. In the opening episode, nuclear waste from Earth stored on the Moon's far side explodes in a catastrophic accident on 13 September 1999, knocking the Moon out of orbit and...
(Series One only, 1975). Later, many British action-adventure series employed the format, such as The New Avengers (1976–77) and The Professionals
The Professionals (TV series)
The Professionals was a British crime-action television drama series produced by Avengers Mk1 Productions and London Weekend Television that aired on the ITV network from 1977 to 1983. In all, 57 episodes were produced, filmed between 1977 and 1981. It starred Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins and Gordon...
(1977–81).
Toying with many television conventions, Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
(1969–74) played around with the concept of cold opens, sometimes having an entire episode before the starting credits, and, in two instances (The Cycling Tour, the first episode to have a full-length story, and The Golden Age of Ballooning, the first episode of series four) had no opening credits at all (the former has a brief title card with the episode's title, and the latter has no titles because Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
had not finished the new opening sequence).
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, daytime soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s became the main user of cold opens, with most American soaps employing the format. While several soaps experimented with regular opens in the early 2000s, all are currently using cold opens. Typically, a soap opera cold open begins where the last scene of the previous episode ended, sometimes replaying the entire last scene. After several scenes, usually to set up which storylines will be featured in the episode, the opening credits are shown.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, some shows began with highlights from the previous episode.
US sitcom and drama episodes often have a traditional cold opening, which usually sets up the plot using the main cast members. Some sitcoms, however, use cold opens which have nothing to do with the plot of an episode (e.g. Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
). In the US, TV shows will occasionally forgo a standard cold open at the midway point of a two-part episode, or during a "special" episode. For example, Buffy the Vampire Slayers fourth season finale
Restless (Buffy episode)
"Restless" is the 22nd episode and season finale of season four of the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer , and the 78th episode of the series overall...
lacked a cold open, as it was an unusual dream-centric episode. The cold open has become common if not standard for sitcoms in the 2000s, while in the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
and 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
many traditional multi-camera sitcoms usually launched straight into the opening theme song.
The long-running NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sketch variety show Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
has always employed a cold open (except for season 7 and other rare exceptions). The cold open usually ends with someone breaking character
Breaking character
Breaking character, "to break character", is a theatrical term used to describe when an actor, while actively performing in character, slips out of character and behaves as his or her actual self...
and proclaiming "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
Documentaries do not use cold openings as frequently as fictional shows. The World at War is one famous exception, where in a few short minutes an especially poignant moment is featured. After the title sequence, the events that explain the episode are outlined more fully.
Modern video games have included cold opens, either beginning with a lengthy opening sequence or, like the Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear (series)
is a series of stealth video games created by Hideo Kojima and developed and published by Konami. The first game, Metal Gear, was released in 1987 for the MSX2. The player takes control of a special forces operative Solid Snake who is assigned to find the eponymous superweapon "Metal Gear", a...
games, including an entire level before the titles. Both Wild Arms
Wild Arms
is a role-playing game developed by software company Media.Vision and originally released in Japan in 1996 for the Sony PlayStation video game console and was later translated and released in North America in 1997 and Europe in 1998 by Sony Computer Entertainment...
and Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
went as far as including an entire subplot, often taking upwards of three hours to play through, before showing the game's logo.
Cold opens were also an occasional device in radio. Jack Benny
Jack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
's weekly program would usually begin with Don Wilson
Don Wilson (announcer)
Don Wilson was an American announcer and occasional actor in radio and television, with a Falstaffian vocal presence, remembered best as the rotund announcer and comic foil to the star of The Jack Benny Program.-Career:...
reading standard copy announcing the name of the program and introducing the stars. Sometimes however, particularly for a show at the start of a new season, the actors would launch into material without any announcement and perform a sketch written to give the audience the impression they were eavesdropping on the stars' off-microphone lives. That would be followed by the more standard Don Wilson introductions and the show would proceed as normal after that.
Cold opens are common in crime dramas, such as all Law and Order
Law and Order
Law and Order may refer to:In politics:*Law and order , a term common in political debate and discussion, generally indicating support of a strict criminal justice system*Law and Order Offensive Party, a minor German political party...
variants and the CSI shows, with the crime being committed before the title sequence. CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
's version of this cold open style is famous and widely parodied; generally, Horatio Caine
Horatio Caine
Horatio Caine is a fictional character and the protagonist in the CBS crime drama CSI: Miami, portrayed by David Caruso. He is currently head of the crime lab, under the rank of Lieutenant of the MDPD.-Fictional character biography:...
makes a dramatic comment on the crime (occasionally he puts on or removes his sunglasses while doing so), immediately followed by the "YEAH!" of Won't Get Fooled Again
Won't Get Fooled Again
"Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the rock band The Who which was written by Pete Townshend The original version of the song appears as the final track on the album Who's Next...
, the show's opening theme.
Nomenclature
Cold opens sometimes employ a segment known as a "teaser". The following memorandum was written on May 2, 1966 as a supplement to the Writer-Director Information Guide for Star TrekStar Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
, and was authored by Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
, describing the format of a typical episode. This quotation refers to a cold open, commonly known as a teaser:
- a. Teaser, preferably three pages or less. Captain Kirk's voice over opens the show, briefly setting where we are and what's going on. This is usually followed by a short playing scene which ends with the Teaser "hook."
The "hook
Narrative hook
A narrative hook is a literary technique in the opening of a story that "hooks" the reader's attention so that he or she will keep on reading...
" of the teaser was some unexplained plot element that was alluded to in the teaser, or cold open, which was intended to keep audiences interested enough in the show to dissuade them from changing stations while the titles and opening commercial roll. Star Trek writer David Gerrold
David Gerrold
Jerrold David Friedman , better known by his pen name David Gerrold, is an American science fiction author who started his career in 1966 while a college student by submitting an unsolicited story outline for the television series Star Trek. He was invited to submit several premises, and the one...
, to tweak William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
on set, once joked he was writing a Star Trek episode in which Kirk lost his voice in the teaser (the hook), and didn't get it back until the tag
Post-credits scene
A post-credits scene is a short clip that appears after some or all of the closing credits of a film have run...
.
In television series, a similar technique called cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
is often placed before commercial breaks, to keep the audience from switching channels during the break. For instance, in Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
this second hook is often the arrest of the suspected perpetrator of the crime committed in the cold open.
The teaser is sometimes referred to as the 'tease'; the companion closing-scene at the end of the show is the 'tag
Post-credits scene
A post-credits scene is a short clip that appears after some or all of the closing credits of a film have run...
'.