History Main / UniquePilotTitleSequence

Often a pilot episode will have a different title credit sequence than the resulting show. This can be the result of many factors - Sometimes a pilot is presented as a TV movie with movie style credits, sometimes an element that will become common knowledge during the show is kept hidden to keep the surprise; sometimes an actor will be replaced between filming of the pilot and the series.

* The first episode of ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTimeFionnaAndCake'' has a "Fionna Campbell" intro parodying 90's sitcoms as the episode is set in the world without magic that Fionna lived in. The regular opening debuts in episode 2.

* The pilot for ''Series/FamilyMatters'' was very different from the standard first season opening. The credit segment for Kellie Shanygne Williams was longer; the [=IDs=] for several other cast members were slightly longer than the final cut. There's a shot of Carl greeting a colleague upon his arrival at work. The ID for Rosetta [=LeNoire=] saw her wearing a different dress, and after Jaimee Foxworth was cast as Judy, most of the scenes featuring her predecessor, Valerie Jones, were reshot. The title sequence also opens with a clip of UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} at sunrise, and the whole thing is set to "What a Wonderful World" by
Music/LouisArmstrong.

* The pilot for ''Series/FamilyMatters'' was very different from the standard first season opening. The credit segment for Kellie Shanygne Williams was longer; the [=IDs=] for several other cast members were slightly longer than the final cut. There's a shot of Carl greeting a colleague upon his arrival at work. The ID for Rosetta [=LeNoire=] saw her wearing a different dress, and after Jaimee Foxworth was cast as Judy, most of the scenes featuring her predecessor, Valerie Jones, were reshot. The title sequence also opens with a clip of UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} at sunrise, and the whole thing is set to "What a Wonderful World" by Music/LouisArmstrong.

* ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'''s title sequence for its pilot episode omits the footage of the girls using their powers so as not to spoil it for first time viewers as to what exact abilities each of them has. The pilot was also the only episode in which ''only'' the original set of Charmed Ones / Halliwell Sisters appear in the episode opening.
* ''Series/TheWestWing'' : The Pilot features a long single-take of Leo arriving at work in the morning, introducing most of the rest of the cast.

* The first episode of the 1990s ''WesternAnimation/IronMan'' animated series lacked the green wire bits in the beginning seen in the other episodes of the first season.

* The pilot for ''Series/FamilyMatters'' was very different from the standard first season opening. The credit segment for Kellie Shanygne Williams was longer; the [=IDs=] for several other cast members were slightly longer than the final cut. There's a should of Carl greeting a colleague upon his arrival at work. The ID for Rosetta [=LeNoire=] saw her wearing a different dress, and after Jaimee Foxworth was cast as Judy, most of the scenes featuring her predecessor, Valerie Jones, were reshot. The title sequence also opens with a clip of UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} at sunrise, and the whole thing is set to "What a Wonderful World" by Music/LouisArmstrong.

* ''Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero'' shows the murder of Bill's partner by skinheads, then leads into the credits over a number of night shots of (presumably) UsefulNotes/LosAngeles.

* While every Episode of ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' begins with a preview montage; for the Pilot Episode; "Trapped In The Sky", the sound from those Scenes (such as Kyrano's Screams or the Tire Sounds of the Elevator Cars) are audible too.

* While every Episode of ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' begins with a preview montage; for the Pilot Episode; "Trapped In The Sky", the sound from those Scenes (such as Kyran's Screams or the Tire Sounds of the Elevator Cars) are audible too, unlike the other Episodes of the Show?

* ''Series/TheOA'': The title sequence doesn't start until 45 minutes into the pilot. All the other episodes begin with a title sequence.

* The opening credits of the first ''Series/ThirtyRock'' episode feature Liz in a ''Series/ThatGirl''[=/=]''Series/TheMaryTylerMooreShow''-type opening, but this ends up as a LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn gag and actually they're singing about the ShowWithinTheShow character "Pam, the Overly-Confident Morbidly Obese Woman". The second episode introduces the regular opening credits.
** Oddly enough, an instrumental version of the song from the pilot is occasionally used as a {{Leitmotif}} for Liz.

* ''Series/{{Elementary}}'s'' pilot uses a splashscreen and a few bars from the theme song. The rest of the series goes with a RubeGoldbergDevice that ends with dropping a cage on a figurine.

* ''Series/{{Charmed}}'s'' title sequence for its pilot episode omits the footage of the girls using their powers so as not to spoil it for first time viewers as to what exact abilities each of them has. The pilot was also the only episode in which ''only'' the original set of Charmed Ones / Halliwell Sisters appear in the episode opening.

* In the first 5 episodes (which come together into one storyline) of ''WesternAnimation / GIJoeARealAmericanHero'', the song mentioned that G.I. Joe is against Cobra and Destro (The BigBad and TheDragon of the series). In the episodes after that, they just say "Cobra, the enemy".

* In the first 5 episodes (which come together into one storyline) of Western Animation / G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero|GIJoe, the song mentioned that G.I. Joe is against Cobra and Destro (The BigBad and TheDragon of the series). In the episodes after that, they just say "Cobra, the enemy".

* In the first 5 episodes (which come together into one storyline) of GIJoe, the song mentioned that G.I. Joe is against Cobra and Destro (The BigBad and TheDragon of the series). In the episodes after that, they just say "Cobra, the enemy".