8 Incredible Easter Eggs Hidden Within TV Show Intros
There's a lot to see if you don't fast forward...
When it comes to watching your favourite television programme, the last thing most people want to do is sit through a long, drawn out intro. After seeing an intro a couple times it just becomes boring, an irritating tease before the actual show begins.
Many people who aren't watching live will simply skip or fast-forward through the intro in order to get started, but sometimes it's a good idea to watch with a keen eye. Not only will it amp you up for the episode to come, you might also spot a key detail.
Occasionally showrunners manage to slip extra elements into intros, ranging from clever references and in-jokes to small hints at what's coming next, and even full-blown spoilers that give away the season's biggest mysteries.
From Game Of Thrones to Better Call Saul, here are eight incredible easter eggs hidden within TV show intros.
8. Community Hides A Reference To The Show's Turbulent History
At this point it's pretty much impossible to be a fan of Community and not be aware of the Dan Harmon conundrum. Dan Harmon is the show's creator, and for three seasons enjoyed the responsibility of being showrunner. Known for being a perfectionist, Harmon quickly gained a reputation for his persistence, writing to the very last minute and making sure every joke landed.
While this garnered Community critical acclaim and respect from many of the actors and crew, the network NBC were less enthused, especially since the show's television ratings were far from ideal. For season four, then, Harmon was fired as showrunner (causing immense fan outrage), resulting in a rather lukewarm batch of episodes. When it came to season five, the unprecedented happened – Harmon was re-hired.
This is where the intro easter egg comes in. At the close of the intro when the word “Community” is displayed on a piece of paper, there's a pencil and pen sitting on the desk alongside a few other items. For season five, however, this pencil is subtly different – there's a piece of tape around it, as if it's previously been broken. This is a rather understated way of Harmon saying he's essentially attempting to patch things up following season four. And in season six when the show moved to Yahoo!, the pencil is replaced by Annie's purple pen from the episode Cooperative Calligraphy – purple being the colour of Yahoo!'s logo.