This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Drop Dead Gorgias: Is there an article for the tropes where there is a spot in the credits that is different in every episode? Seen on The Simpsons (couch gag), Futurama (classic cartoon on billboard), Animaniacs ("here's the show's name-y" line), The Critic (movie trailers) and American Dad (fake news headline). If not, I would think Couch Gag would be a good name, but it might be a little confusing, because of the ubiquitous The Couch. Any other good ideas?
Gus: I think it may be a subset of Lead In.
Tzintzuntzan: IIUC, Drop Dead Gorgias is talking about one-liners (or one-screeners for visual gags) in the credits, and the article on Lead In refers to much longer things that are part of the episode itself, not credits. So it seems worthy of an entry in itself IMHO.
Gus: Good point. It is certainly its own thing. How about Teaser Tag
Tzintzuntzan: That sounds pretty good. Do you or DDG want to write it up, or should I?
Gus: Grab it and growl! ;) (might be nice to add a credit in the discussion page for DDG, though) ... Actually, this discussion will be moved into the discussion page after it exists, so that base is touched.
Tzintzuntzan: Just one more nitpick: "Teaser Tag" sounds good, but is misleading, since the trope has nothing to do with teasers. However, "Credits Tag" sounds ugly and doesn't explain itself. Any other names?
Drop Dead Gorgias: I think I still like Couch Gag, since The Simpsons is probably the most prominent and memorable example of this that I can think of.
Looney Toons: Works for me.
Drop Dead Gorgias: Blam.
Red Shoe: Does this only cover the Running Gag? There are other examples I can think of where the change is either one-time-only or not-a-joke.
Drop Dead Gorgias: I dunno, I was talking with someone else about how a Special Edition Credits might be significant enough to be different, i.e. the Jonathan intro to BTVS, the French Animaniacs Credits, the Treehouse Simpsons intros, the "Arquette" intro to Friends. Basically, any credits change that is one time only to commemerate a special event either in real life or in the show.
Red Shoe: There seem to be several distinct styles of title sequence, and variations thereupon. Blanket trope and subtropes time?
Seth: There is also the scrubs intro where JD's girlfriend swaps the x-ray the right way round. Special Edition Titles works.
Red Shoe: Tonight's (12/18) episode of The Simpsons ended their opening credits with a Spinning Paper showing the Worst News Judgment Ever in the headline "Couch Gag Thrills Nation". Did we just get a Shout-Out?
Janitor: Magic 8-Ball sez: "All signs indicate 'Yes'" Pretty cool!
Gus: Red Shoe, any chance you have an mpg of that? I could set it up as our first "clip" page...
Red Shoe: Damn. If I'd know, I'd have kept it. I'll be sure to snag one next time it's on.
L: Actually, if my memory serves me correctly, the phrase "Couch Gag" previously appeared in a years-old opening sequence, on a clapper-board.
Paul A: "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", 1993. (No, I didn't know that. I looked it up on the internet.)
MG: Too many of the Couch Gags listed are actually Credits Gags and appear on both pages. Should they be combined, or do we need to weed out the erroneous examples?
