The Art of a Cold Open: Television shows that have mastered the first five minutes

The cold open, one of television’s most effective tactics at drawing an audience in, provoking a sense of curiosity that keeps the viewer hooked for the next 25 minutes. Heavily utilised in situation comedies, cold opens are also fundamental in establishing character traits, running jokes, and plot points throughout the series. From Jack Black cameos in Community to Kevin’s chilli in The Office (US), cold opens are the beating heart of many of our favourite TV shows. While this list cannot fully comprise all the game-changing cold openings in television history, it highlights some of the most iconic and creative cold opens that perfectly illustrate why these sitcoms are so beloved.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 5 Episode 17 ‘DFW’

To begin, cold opens have generated some of the sitcom world’s most viral moments on social media, with Brooklyn Nine-Nine being no stranger to this. The clip of protagonist Jake Peralta making murder suspects sing the Backstreet Boys’ seminal classic ‘I Want It That Way’ has amassed over 44 million views on YouTube quickly becoming one of the show’s most memorable moments. It perfectly demonstrates the type of humour showcased throughout the show, using quirky characters and quick wit in situations that would otherwise be extremely morbid. In this case, getting a woman to identify the man who murdered her brother – the perfect opportunity to sing the ’90s boyband anthem.

It remains one of the most unrivalled demonstrations of physical comedy

Broad City: Season 3 Episode 1 ‘Two Chainz’

Following on with the theme of sitcoms set in New York, Broad City is often a forgotten gem amongst many network sitcoms of the 2010s, providing an authentic and humorous view of millennial women attempting to survive the New York City ecosystem. The season three premiere greeted us with one of the most inventive cold opens I have ever witnessed. Having a split screen of the main characters’ bathrooms, Abbi’s and Ilana’s, we are taken through a year in the life. Burning through jokes at a rapid pace, we are able to see two up-and-coming comedians at their very best. In one particular section, we see both characters dressed in rainbows (assumingly having attended a Pride parade), with Abbi flushing a goldfish down a toilet, and Ilana making out with a brunette. In the next, we see Abbi reading Hillary Clinton’s memoir whilst Ilana gets back together with her ex-boyfriend, and coming full circle, we see Abbi flushing a second goldfish down the toilet, whilst Ilana reads the same memoir Abbi previously read. In this minute and a half alone, you get scenes so saturated in wittiness and alluding to stories that could fill entire seasons of television.

Abbott Elementary: Season 2 Episode 2 ‘Wrong Delivery’

It was one of Abbott Elementary’s season two cold opens that originated one of its most well-known and continually referenced jokes throughout the show. Here, it is revealed that the lovable kindergarten teacher Barbara frequently confuses celebrities with similar names. Enhancing this joke is that all of the other characters refuse to correct her when she gets it wrong. And with genius utilisation of the mockumentary format, star and writer Quinta Brunson (as Janine) corrects the audience on what Barbara means to say, such as confusing Brian Austin Green with Brian Tyree Henry. Barbara also hilariously states that: “No one has done more for Black actors than Tommy Lee Jones” with Ava quipping that she is actually referring to Darth Vader himself, James Earl Jones. Funnily enough, this cold open was inspired by cast member Sheryl Lee Ralph’s genuine mix-up of certain celebrities due to their similar-sounding names, remarking that: “When you hear the name Darren Star, tell me you don’t think of a six-foot basketball player?”

This one certainly goes down in the cold open hall of fame

The Office: Season 5 Episode 14 ‘Stress Relief Part 1’

Of course, it would be blasphemous not to mention The Office (US) when speaking of the best cold openings in television history. Probably one of the most recognisable and famous cold opens of all time comes from The Office’s 14^th episode of its fifth season. Like many of Dwight Schrute’s tests on the rest of Dunder Mifflin’s staff, his fire drill test, which he forces onto his colleagues, devolves into complete chaos, culminating in fellow employee Stanley’s heart attack. Cutting from Michael throwing a chair at the window, to Kevin raiding the vending machines, and to Angela throwing her cat, Bandit, into the ceiling, it remains one of the most unrivalled demonstrations of physical comedy. This one certainly goes down in the cold open hall of fame.

Aside from the brilliant characters and stories in these shows, the cold openings are where both the cast and writers are truly able to shine, letting the audience in on layers of inside jokes, and setting up some of the best sitcom episodes of the 21^st century.