The Secret Service: The Vault

15. Opening/closing titles

Since Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Gerry Anderson didn't want the opening titles for the next series to be a Crash, Bang, Wallop! because he felt it was the same old show that would be a predictable show again. Captain Scarlet had the cold opening entrance with a prologue about the Mysterons, Joe 90 had a piece of upbeat theme music with Joe in the Rat Trap. As for The Secret Service, the show simply had shots of the church that was used for the series (St. Micheal and All Angles Church in Buckinghamshire) and the bell. This is what came after the iconic Thunderbirds launch countdown. The music also reflected the backdrop of the church and fields, which was the cover for Father Unwin and Matthew. The Century 21, like the previous two shows, was still present obviously. The opening almost draws upon ideas about angels descending from the Heavens. 

The factor that because this is set on a hill with a church - not many people will be interested in a series featuring a church, especially the groundbreaking successes of the past. When film historian Ian Fryer was interviewed in FAB Magazine in 2011, he described the series as "Breaking with the tradition of having a thrilling or suspenseful promise of what was to come and made the series look suspiciously like it might be about the life and work of an elderly vicar. The younger me would have run a mile from any series which sounded like that". It simply looked much poorer as an opening in comparison to the shows before. It is rather basic, just the church gongs with shots nearby and around the area. To be fair though, Joe 90 had this as well - but shots of the incredible BIG RAT and the shots of the panels and spinning spherical cage added to a much-faster paced entrance for a television show. In fact, it could be viewed as damaging the series' reputation and putting an end to the show so early.