Can You Name the TV Show by Its Narrated Intro?

Becky Stigall

Image: NBC

About This Quiz

Do you remember which TV series opened with a tale about a man from "West Philadelphia, born and raised," or which series revealed that "the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups?" Know which show opened with a narration about a man named Jed, or a man named David Banner? Any idea which took viewers into "the dangerous world of a man who does not exist?" If you remember the opening narrations to classic TV series, test your knowledge with this quiz!

Viewers have been tuning into their favorite shows week after week since the 1940s. Of course, back then they were switching on the radio, not the TV. With no visual to let fans know their favorite series was on, radio shows turned to opening narrations that served as a cue that a program was starting. Even as radio shows became a thing of the past and TV took over, the use of narration has continued on many programs. 

This opening narration not only lets regular viewers know the program is beginning, but also clues new fans into what the series is all about, allowing them to better follow along with the episode. With many popular series running for years or even a decade or more, hearing the same narrated opening hundreds of times can ingrain it into memory as well as any theme song.

Think you can match the narration to the show? Take this quiz to find out!

Which sitcom had an opening rap featuring the words, "In west Philadelphia born and raised/On the playground is where I spent most of my days/Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool/And all shooting some b-ball outside of the school"?

"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" first aired in 1990. The show featured Will Smith.

What television show began with “In the year 1987, NASA launched the last of America’s deep space probes”?

"Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" first aired in 1979. The show starred Gil Gerard and Erin Gray.

"And so Doctor Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home" ushered in what television show?

"Quantum Leap" first aired in 1989. The show starred Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell.

What intro sequence featured the words, “Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?”

"The Odd Couple" first aired in 1970. Weren't Oscar and Felix a match made in heaven?

What show begins with the lines, "If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire..."?

"The A-Team" first aired in 1983. It made Mr. T a household name.

What hugely popular television show featured the following words in the intro - “the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups”?

"Law and Order" first aired in 1990. The franchise includes "SVU" and "Criminal Intent."

What television show began with "Space: the final frontier..."?

"Star Trek," the series, first aired in 1966. The series spawned a successful movie franchise and other TV series.

What television series included the words, "Better than he was before. Better... stronger... faster"?

"The Six Million Dollar Man" first aired in 1974. The show spun off "The Bionic Woman."

"This is a story about a man named Jed..." was heard at the beginning of every episode of what show?

"The Beverly Hillbillies" aired its first episode in 1962. The series was revived as a film in 1993.

Rod Serling spoke the words, "You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind," during the intro of what television series?

"The Twilight Zone" first aired in 1959. The show ran for five seasons.

"That's when I realized that I had to change, so I made a list of everything bad I've ever done and one by one I'm gonna make up for all my mistakes" was spoken at the beginning of what television series?

"My Name is Earl" premiered in 2005. Bonus points if you remember Earl's last name was Hickey.

"And now, when David Banner grows angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs" was the intro to what television series?

"The Incredible Hulk" first aired in 1978. The show was based on a 1962 Marvel Comics character.

"A shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist" was in the intro for what television series?

"Knight Rider" first aired in 1982. The series starred David Hasselhoff.

"Earth got used up, so we terraformed a whole new galaxy of Earths" was featured at the beginning of what television series?

Firefly premiered in 2002. The show was set in the year 2517.

Which television show began each episode with "My name is John Crichton, an astronaut. A radiation wave hit and I got shot through a wormhole"?

"Farscape" first aired in 1999. The show aired on the Sci-Fi channel, since changed to Syfy.

"Once upon a time there were three very different little girls who grew up to be three very different women with three things in common: they're brilliant, they're beautiful, and they work for me" was the intro to what TV series?

"Charlie's Angels" first aired in 1976. The original set of Angels were played by Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith.

The words "My name is Barry Allen. And I am the fastest man alive" began episodes of what show?

This is a tricky one. "The Flash" first aired in 1990, but only the 2014 reboot features the quote above. The show was based on a DC comics character.

"This is Mrs. H – she’s gorgeous. What a terrific lady" could be heard at the beginning of each episode of what show?

"Hart to Hart" first aired in 1979. The show starred Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers.

"My name is Mary Alice Young..." was the intro to what television series?

"Desperate Housewives" started in 2004. The show ran for eight seasons.

"Man lives in the sunlit world of what he believes to be reality. But... there is, unseen by most, an underworld, a place that is just as real, but not as brightly lit..." was the intro to what show?

"Tales From the Darkside" premiered in 1983. The show was created by George A. Romero.

"Richard Kimble has been tried and convicted for the murder of his wife. But laws are made by men, carried out by men. And men are imperfect" began each episode of what show?

"The Fugitive" first aired in 1963. The show starred David Janssen and Barry Morse.

Which television show was "the story of two sisters – Jessica Tate and Mary Campbell"?

"Soap" first aired in 1977. It ran for four seasons.

What show began with "There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture"?

"The Outer Limits" first aired in 1963. The show was revived in 1995 for seven seasons.

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" appeared at the beginning of what TV series?

Ok, so "The Shadow" was actually a radio program, but that's still a killer intro. It first aired in 1930.

"My name is Victoria Winters" started out what TV show?

"Dark Shadows" first aired in 1966. The show ran for a whopping 1,248 episodes.

What TV show began with the words "Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny, the last battlestar... leads a rag-tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest... a shining planet known as Earth"?

"Battlestar Galactica" first aired in 1978. The show was rebooted in 2004.

What show began with "My name is Sydney Bristow. Seven years ago I was recruited by a secret branch of the CIA called SD-6"?

"Alias" first aired in 2001. The show starred Jennifer Garner.

The words, "He was a cop, and good at his job. But he committed the ultimate sin—and testified against other cops gone bad" were spoken at the beginning of what show?

"Renegade" first aired in 1992. The show starred Lorenzo Lamas.

The words "Their ends are just, but their means are ruthless. If I don’t play by their rules… I die" were spoken in the intro of what TV series?

"La Femme Nikita" premiered in 1997. It ran for five seasons.

What show began with "... the story you are about to see is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent"?

Dragnet first aired in 1951, featuring Sgt. Joe Friday. It ran for 276 episodes.

"At the dawn of the 20th century, a band of adventurers set out to prove the impossible..." heralded in what show?

"The Lost World" first aired in 1999. The series was based on the 1912 book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

What television show told us, "We all use math every day, to predict weather, to tell time, to handle money"?

"Numb3rs" first aired in 2005. The show ran for six seasons.

What television show began with "... Captain Nelson landed on an island in the South Pacific where he found a bottle. At least it looked like a bottle. But it didn't act like a bottle... because in it was a genie. Oh, not your average, everyday genie. But a beautiful genie... who could grant any wish"?

"I Dream of Jeannie" first aired in 1965. The show starred Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman.

What television show occasionally began with these words "Hi, I'm Ray, and I live here in Long Island with my wife Debra. She's great with the kids, the house, everything. I don't know how she does it"?

"Everybody Loves Raymond" debuted in 1996. The show starred Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton.

"Now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything..." began each episode of what show?

"Arrested Development" first aired in 2003. Kudos to you if you know that Ron Howard spoke the opening.

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