For decades now, HBO has been one of the best networks on TV. Their studio produces quality series that attract a wide viewership, as well as the best talent in entertainment. These programs often pierce the zeitgeist and go down as some of the greatest shows in television history. Look at any HBO series, and you’ll find most of these common denominators: an incredible cast and crew, fresh and intriguing stories, generous budgets, and graphic adult content. But there’s something else many HBO shows have that often goes overlooked: a great opening credit sequence.
We had a few parameters when compiling this list. We looked for HBO shows where the opening credit sequence was consistent throughout the series. We love the opening credits of season 1 of The Leftovers, but the visuals, music, and overall concept change drastically in season 2. Likewise, the opening credits in season 1 of True Detective were amazing, but we can’t say the same for the other seasons.
A good opening credit sequence is important, especially for the pilot episode. It often sets the stage and tone for the entire series, hinting at what we’re about to watch. The opening sequence may show us key visuals that allude to the show’s characters, setting, or overarching story. It may play a score or song that becomes the theme of the show. Play that musical number for any fan of the series, and they can immediately identify where it comes from.
We may sometimes skip the opening credits or use this time to look at our phones. But the very best opening credit sequences, like the ones in these ten HBO shows, make us put down our phones and pay attention to what’s on the screen — because they’re just that damn good.
10 Boardwalk Empire (2010 – 2014)
Boardwalk Empire felt like HBO’s attempt at taking The Sopranos and placing it in the 1920s and 1930s. Set during Prohibition, this drama chronicles the rise of Atlantic City’s crime kingpin Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) and his illegal activities. The series includes historical figures, many of them real-life gangsters like Al Capone, Arnold Rothstein, and Lucky Luciano.
A Sense of the Unexpected
The opening credit sequence for Boardwalk Empire is simple and straightforward, but no less entertaining. Buscemi’s well-dressed Nucky stands on a beach in Atlantic City. He lights up a cigarette and smokes it, which feels reminiscent of the opening in The Sopranos. He looks out into the ocean, which is littered with liquor bottles. The ocean’s waves carry them to the shore, alluding to Nucky’s bootlegging operations. “Straight Up and Down” by The Brian Jonestown Massacre plays in the background. According to series creator Terence Winter, the song was chosen to create a sense of the “unexpected.”
9 Westworld (2016 – 2022)
At one point, Westworld was one of the biggest shows on HBO. Based on the 1973 film of the same name, this dystopian sci-fi series takes us into a twisted, futuristic Disney World, where human guests unleash their darkest impulses, behaviors, and desires. And they’re often targeted at Westworld’s artificially intelligent humanoids, who serve as both the theme park’s inhabitants and entertainment.
Westworld‘s first season is the most-watched first season of any HBO original series. Unfortunately, the show’s later seasons — which took a Terminator-like turn, breaking the robots out of Westworld and into the technology-dependent real-world — saw a decline in viewership, leading to its cancelation.
Westworld’s Opening Creates Artificial Life
Despite its cancelation, Westworld had one of the best and most interesting opening credit sequences on HBO. The visuals changed from season to season, but the overall concept and musical theme remained consistent throughout the show’s run. Ramin Djawadi, who composed the music for another big show on this list, serenades us with a piano melody that ties into the show’s main character, Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood).
8 The White Lotus (2021 – Present)
The White Lotus is a black comedy-drama that started out as a 6-episode limited series. Its success, however, made HBO greenlight a second season and turn it into an anthology. From what we can tell so far, each season explores different characters and storylines in a different White Lotus resort in a different exotic location. And things usually end in insanity.
The show’s cast also tends to include big names, such as Alexandra Daddario and Sydney Sweeney in season one and Michael Imperioli and Aubrey Plaza in season 2. And then of course, there’s Jennifer Coolidge, who’s played the only character to appear in both seasons. Although it has only two seasons, The White Lotus has garnered critical acclaim, becoming a fan-favorite series and the latest craze on HBO. The show’s highly anticipated third season is expected to drop in 2025.
A Hypnotic Opening
Yes, The White Lotus has only two seasons, so it may feel premature to add it to this list. But we can’t help ourselves. That opening credit sequence is just too good. Although the visuals change from season to season, the overall concept and musical theme of The White Lotus remains the same, making it feel like you’re watching the same show. At the same time, these changes tie into the show’s anthology concept. The visuals reflect the setting of the White Lotus resort that we’re traveling towards — Hawaii in season 1, Sicily in season 2, and soon Thailand in season 3. It’s like you’re looking at the wallpaper of that particular hotel.
Now can we talk about the music? Chilean composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer created a hypnotic score that’s so much fun to listen to. The score changes slightly from season to season, capturing the feel of the new setting. Season 1’s theme was composed to evoke jungle sounds, while season 2’s theme was reworked to better fit its Italian setting. Despite these differences, the score contains the same flute-like melody that’s become synonymous with The White Lotus.
7 Entourage (2004 – 2011)
Now here’s a show that could never get made in 2024. Filled with misogyny and racism that many viewers today would find offensive, Entourage was the comedy-drama series of the early 2000s. Loosely based on Mark Wahlberg’s life, Entourage follows the budding career of Hollywood A-lister Vinny Chase (Adrian Grenier), as he and his hometown crew try to make a name for themselves in Hollywood — and have a grand, old time while doing it. There’s a lot of sex, a lot of partying, a lot of celebrity cameos, and a lot of luxuries. Entourage is lifestyle porn for the average Joe, who craves a taste of the good life.
Living the Good Life
For many viewers at the time, Entourage was a fun, cool ride through Hollywood. And that’s exactly what’s captured in the show’s opening credit sequence. Vince and his crew go cruising through the nighttime streets of Los Angeles in a sexy 1965 Lincoln Continental convertible. They roll through the Sunset Strip, lights shimmering all around them, passing by famous spots like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, The Viper Room, Whisky A Go Go, and The Roxy. “Superhero” by Jane’s Addiction blasts in the background, making this opening sequence feel like a joyride through Hollywood.
6 Six Feet Under (2001 – 2005)
Six Feet Under is a critically acclaimed show from the early 2000s. It follows the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles. It explores grief and loss, the death industry, and human mortality in a way that audiences have never really seen before. It’s led by a talented cast of actors, many of whom have gone on to have successful careers. From its beginning to its memorable final line, Six Feet Under is a consistently great drama and has become a contender for the greatest TV series of all time.
The Show Opens with Death
The show’s opening credit sequence explores death with its vivid imagery. We follow a corpse from the morgue to the mortician’s table to its eventual home in the cemetery. We catch glimpses of the embalming process, of crows (symbols of death) and gravestones, of old photographs that presumably depict lost loved ones. And of course, we see the Fisher family tree, an image that’s come to symbolize Six Feet Under. Throughout all of this, we hear composer Thomas Newman’s main theme, an iconic melody that’s won an Emmy Award and two Grammy Awards.
5 The Wire (2002 – 2008)
The Wire is often called the greatest show of all time — and for good reason. This gritty drama took a realistic look at police work and crime in Baltimore, interweaving stories and characters from different areas of the city. Although it premiered in the early 2000s, The Wire still feels relevant today. The show featured breakthrough performances by many famous actors, including Idris Elba, Michael K. Williams, Dominic West, and Michael B. Jordan.
A Tour of Baltimore’s Underbelly
The opening credit sequence of The Wire changes from season to season, though it uses the same concept and theme song. Kind of. Each season’s opening sequence features a different cover of ‘Down in the Hole’ by Tom Waits (the second season uses the original song). As the tune plays, we see flashes of drug deals, guns, police files, and wiretapping-related activity. But where things really get different is with the imagery of Baltimore.
Each season is set in a different area of Baltimore, displaying a crime that’s pertinent to that area or focus. We see snippets of these different areas in each season’s opening credit sequence, giving audiences a tour of Baltimore’s underbelly.
4 Succession (2018 – 2023)
Succession is HBO’s latest hit drama that’s already found itself in “the best show ever” conversation. Led by Brian Cox and a phenomenal cast, this black comedy focuses on the dysfunctional Roy family, the owners of a global media and entertainment conglomerate, as they vie for control of the company — and its future. It’s based on Rupert Murdoch and the giant media conglomerate that he founded, News Corp.
Hip-Hop Meets Classical
The opening credit sequence of Succession is borderline unskippable, mostly thanks to its music. The main title theme, composed by Nicholas Britell, is a uniquely awesome blend of hip-hop and classical music. Its sound captures the show’s theme of traditional media versus today’s media, old versus new, as well its dark and absurd nature. The music alone has received critical acclaim and several awards.
The visuals of the opening sequence are also great. We see shots of present-day New York City, the setting for much of the show, and different forms of media. But for the most part, we’re shown snippets of home movies from the Roys’ childhoods, footage of non-smiling faces living a lavish and wealthy lifestyle. Despite their privileged lifestyles, there’s something so cold about the Roys’ home movies, the perfect set-up for what’s to come in Succession.
3 Sex and the City (1998 – 2004)
Sex and the City is the romantic comedy-drama series that became a pop culture hit in the late ’90s, taking women everywhere into the next millennium. Set in New York City, it follows newspaper columnist Carrie Bradshaw (played famously by Sarah Jessica Parker) and her three friends, as they navigate their adult lives and try to find love in the big city.
It was adapted from a real-life newspaper column in the New York Observer, titled “Sex and the City, by journalist Candace Bushnell. Sex and the City was deemed revolutionary for addressing, at the time, touchy subjects like sex, sexuality, and feminity. Along with another major show on this list, Sex and the City is credited for putting HBO on the map and continues to be one of the most iconic and popular shows on the network.
Carrie Bradshaw and New York City
One of the best things about Sex and the City’s opening credit sequence is its length. It only lasts for about 40 seconds — short and sweet. And yet, despite its short length, Sex and the City has one of the most memorable introductions of any TV series.
The music, composed by Douglas J. Cuomo and Tom Findlay, spices up the show with a quirky yet sexy kind of salsa music. Its star, the iconic Carrie Bradshaw, confidently struts the streets of New York City in an equally iconic outfit: a pink tank top with a white tutu. That is, until she’s soaked by a bus that’s labeled with her own advertisement. This opening is everything that Sex and the City is: it’s funny, it’s confident, it’s sexy, and it’s messy.
2 Game of Thrones (2011 – 2019)
HBO’s fantasy epic Game of Thrones was a global phenomenon that dominated pop culture and TV ratings between 2011 and 2019. Its sprawling narrative juggles multiple characters and storylines across the fictional world of Westeros, gradually intertwining them as a threat to humanity approaches from the North. Based on the still incomplete book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones has been praised for its talented ensemble cast, its high-quality production, its unexpected plot twists, and its epic battle sequences. But another favorite piece of the show? Its iconic opening sequence.
An Epic Trek Through Westeros, Past and Present
As soon as Ramin Djawadi’s main title theme comes on — a cello playing melancholy notes while drums boom in the background — you know you’re in for an hour of epicness. While the theme plays, we catch glimpses of computer-animated spheres, which we’d learn later reflected the Citadel — a place where scholars studied in Westeros. We also see computer-animated depictions of world history, such as Aegon’s Conquest and the rise of House Baratheon, as well as computer-animated animals that represent the key players in the series.
More notably, the sequence guides us through a large, computer-animated map of Westeros, pinpointing key locations in the story. The visuals unfold like a board game, the playing pieces coming together to assemble the world’s physical landscape. These locations change slightly from season to season as new settings are introduced. For this reason, the opening credits were often unskippable; fans kept their eyes on the opening sequence to see if there’d be a new location in the forthcoming episodes.
Despite these small changes, the sequence’s general look and concept remained the same throughout the show’s eight seasons. House of the Dragon, the new Game of Thrones spin-off, tried to recapture the magic by crafting a similar opening sequence, even going so far as to reuse Djawadi’s main title theme. But it doesn’t come close to matching the original.
1 The Sopranos (1999 – 2007)
The Sopranos is another series that’s often regarded as the greatest show in television history. Its tremendous success turned HBO into a must-have network and revolutionized modern television, which saw a shift to flawed, anti-heroic main characters. Acclaimed shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Peaky Blinders, and Narcos all owe a little something to The Sopranos.
Created by David Chase, this ground-breaking series follows Tony Soprano (played to perfection by James Gandolfini), as he tries to balance his family life with his role as New Jersey’s crime boss. And one of the things that people remember most about The Sopranos, aside from its series finale, is the show’s iconic opening credit sequence.
Riding the New Jersey Turnpike with Tony Soprano
Millions of viewers became hooked as they rode the New Jersey Turnpike with Tony Soprano. As we watch Tony drive — one hand on the wheel, the other on a smoking cigar — we immediately get the sense that we’re watching a tough guy. We catch flashes of famous New York City sights — the skyline, the Twin Towers, the Statue of Liberty.
But as Tony drives through industrial New Jersey, these sights melt into his suburban neighborhood, until he finally arrives at his beautiful home. All the while, the show’s famous opening theme song, “Woke Up This Morning” by Alabama 3, plays in the background. There’s a gritty, rough-around-the-edges feel to this opening sequence, a vibe that perfectly captures The Sopranos and makes this one of the best opening sequences not just on HBO but on television.
