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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 the material without any announcement and perform a sketch written to give the audience the impression they were
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experimented with regular opens in the early 2000s, all U.S. daytime dramas 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
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are shown. In North
American 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 from a show during the opening commercial. A cold open may also be used to recap events in previous episodes or
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almost never made use of them prior to 1965. Many
American series that ran from the early 1960s through the middle years of the decade (even sitcoms) adopted cold opens in later seasons. However, beginning in the late '50s, several dramatic series, notably such Warner Bros. shows as
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Cold opens became widespread on
American 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.
701:" 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.
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use a cold open at the start of every episode which may include either a skit or off-topic conversation between its two main hosts and producer before going into the intro of the podcast. Since early 2022, the weekly
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Cold opens are occasionally used in the beginning of
Podcasts and the reason for its utilization may change depending on the genre or theme of each respective Podcast and its frequency can vary. Some podcasts such as
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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
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Cold opens are common in science fiction dramas and crime dramas. In the U.S., TV shows will occasionally forgo a standard cold open at the midway point of a two-part episode, or during a "special" episode.
309:'s many attempts to break into the American market meant that various shows he was involved with incorporated the cold open. Later, many British action-adventure series employed the format, such as
363:(1973–1974) is one famous exception, wherein a few short minutes an especially poignant moment is featured; after the title sequence, the events that explain the episode are outlined more fully.
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Many video games have included cold opens. These either begin with a lengthy opening sequence or include an entire level before the titles. It is common in
Japanese RPGs, with the original
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does not appear until the end. In such cases, one cannot refer to the entire film as the "opening", and the term "cold open" in these instances refers to the opening moments or scenes.
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storylines will be featured in the episode – the opening credits are shown. By contrast, most
British soap operas typically begin with regular opens. In Australia, soap opera
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The cold open technique is sometimes used in films. There, "cold opening" still refers to the opening moments or scenes, but not necessarily to the full duration before the
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eavesdropping on the stars' off-microphone lives. That would be followed by the more standard Don Wilson introductions and the show would proceed as usual after that.
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American sitcoms usually use cold opens for each episode, that last for at least 1–2 minutes (and 3–4 minutes at the most) before transitioning into the
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In the late 1970s and early 1980s, some shows began with highlights from the previous episode. Also throughout the 1970s and 1980s, many traditional
263:) is a narrative technique used in television and films. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the
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regularly employs cold opens, which often include the cast self-reflexively discussing the use and effectiveness of cold opens and "grabbers."
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Likewise, in films with excessively long pre-credits sequences, the "cold open" does not necessarily refer to the entire pre-credits sequence.
298:, would cold-open with an attention-grabbing scene from the middle of the episode, which would repeat when the story arrived at that point.
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used a cold open at the beginning of episodes for the majority of its run, before being phased out for its eighth and final season.
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has regularly used a cold-open sketch since its start in 1975. Many modern
American sitcoms use or used cold opens, such as
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series, describing the format of a typical episode. This quotation refers to a cold open, commonly known as a teaser:
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has been declared "Undisputed Master of the Cold Open" in multiple reviews, detailing particular episodes of
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plays a cold open before a PPV main card, to build up anticipation for the fights that will follow.
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Cold opens sometimes employ a segment known as a "teaser" or "tease". A memorandum was written by
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on May 2, 1966, as a supplement to the Writer-Director
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eras. Sitcom cold opens often present a joke that has no relation to the episode's plot.
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In film production, the section of the film before the opening credits is called the
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for example, uses the technique to set up the main conflict or plot of the episode.
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became the main users of cold opens, with most
American soaps employing the format.
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movies, which traditionally start with a cold open showing a dramatic conflict or
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In the early 1960s, few
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Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry
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storylines that will be revisited during the current episode.
815:"Vince Gilligan is the Undisputed Master of the Cold Open"
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Several American children's shows use cold opens, such as
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Most American news shows, including on channels providing
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830:"The Art Of The Tease: The Best Breaking Bad Cold Opens"
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briefly used a cold open for a few episodes in 2006.
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Cold opens were also an occasional device in radio.
704:In television series, a similar technique called a
438:One of the most well-known users of the technique,
103:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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784:Whitfield, Stephen E.; Roddenberry, Gene (1968).
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27:Narrative technique used in television and films
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717:A closing scene at the end of a show, after
651:'s weekly program would usually begin with
338:usually launched straight into the opening
66:Learn how and when to remove these messages
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243:Learn how and when to remove this message
225:Learn how and when to remove this message
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324:During the 1960s and 1970s, daytime
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637:Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone
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710:is often employed before
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788:The Making of Star Trek
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884:Television terminology
763:"What is a Cold Open?"
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530:Children's programming
348:opening title sequence
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447:Malcolm in the Middle
378:24-hour news coverage
894:Narrative techniques
828:Carp, Jesse (2014).
792:. Ballantine Books.
543:The Upside Down Show
489:Parks and Recreation
97:improve this article
721:, is known as the "
614:In some films, the
605:gun barrel sequence
505:You’ve Been Framed!
465:The Big Bang Theory
441:Saturday Night Live
670:an early example.
495:Brooklyn Nine-Nine
471:Two and a Half Men
408:McLeod's Daughters
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315:(1976–1977) and
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707:cliffhanger
660:Video games
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555:Wallykazam!
415:Soap operas
326:soap operas
283:Development
112:"Cold open"
873:Categories
748:References
735:Hot switch
653:Don Wilson
649:Jack Benny
616:title card
597:James Bond
587:Pre-credit
537:Animaniacs
523:Harry Hill
517:Lisa Riley
453:The Office
352:theme song
340:theme song
277:title card
215:April 2009
199:improve it
123:newspapers
52:improve it
685:Star Trek
307:Lew Grade
257:cold open
203:verifying
58:talk page
767:WiseGEEK
729:See also
632:TrueAnon
625:Podcasts
693:"hook".
549:Pokémon
336:sitcoms
197:Please
137:scholar
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562:Sports
552:, and
486:, and
483:Cheers
434:Comedy
384:Dramas
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697:The "
643:Radio
421:soaps
144:JSTOR
130:books
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794:ISBN
699:hook
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566:The
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399:and
372:News
116:news
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569:UFC
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