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by Lars H.
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OE&CB Table of Contents
Many pages of this web-site are devoted to discussing various aspects of the
65 magical 25-minute experiences known collectively as Clarissa Explains
It All (CEIA). Everything from plot lines and dialogue to food and
clothing that make each episode unique are described. This page, on the other
hand, will discuss the components of CEIA that are common to every episode.
These components are the opening title sequences (introducing the cast), the
commercial bumpers (the little segments that smooth the transition between the
action and the mid-show commercial break), and the endings (when the closing
credits roll). This section is divided as shown in the Openings, Endings, and
Commercial Bumpers (OE&CB) Table of Contents.
- A discussion of the openings, endings, and commercial bumpers
- A table listing the bumpers and endings for each episode
- Detailed descriptions of each opening, ending, and bumper
- Sources
- Bottom of the page
The opening title sequence, which always appears after the first scene
(Clarissa's opening monologue) introduces us to the five cast members. It also
neatly encapsulates the central themes of CEIA. It shows
Clarissa's repeated attempts to write her name up on the screen as she is
interrupted in one way or another by the other four cast members, and finally
ends with success: she is able to put her name up, and ``EXPLAINS/IT ALL'' is
added underneath to form the
title screen.
The opening is shot against a white background, notable for the seamless
transition between the floor and background vertical surface. The first two
seconds feature a number of extremely fast jump cuts, almost too fast for the
mind to register. The cuts, together with the soundtrack, serve to grab the
viewer's attention and heighten the sense of anticipation for what is to come. A
detailed description can be found in the section
``The New Opening, Shot by Shot''. The entire sequence
is about 50 seconds long.
It happens every time we watch the beginning of one of the early episodes.
There we are, commiserating with Clarissa over
intransigent parents, reminiscing over
little-known disasters, or contemplating
career possibilities. She finishes her monologue, the
opening theme music starts up, and suddenly we are confronted with images of a
young lady who appears older than the girl we saw just a few seconds ago! What
happened, we wonder. Time travel? A delay of weeks or months in the taping of
the show? No, merely a change in response to outside influences to ensure that
CEIA remained unique.
The opening title sequence that we see today is not the original one. The
original sequence was a montage of Clarissa getting out of bed and trying on
various outfits that were given to her by the other cast members . This one was
shown during the first 25 episodes. With episode #126, shown on August 15, 1992,
there appeared a new opening, the one that is seen today (1).
The decision to change the original title sequence was made after it was
imitated by the NBC sitcom
Blossom.
Nickelodeon considered suing NBC for the latter's copying of the sequence, but
cooler heads prevailed and the new opening was created for CEIA instead
(2). When CEIA went into repeats (September 1994), the
new opening was substituted for the original one in the early episodes. (It is
not known why the original opening was not retained on the early episodes. The
author theorizes that they were changed so that Nickelodeon's younger viewers,
at whom the network has always aimed CEIA, would not be confused by two
different openings.)
The remainder of this discussion will concentrate on the present-day
opening.
The clothes that Clarissa wears in the opening sequence is certainly unique,
when compared with the wide range of outfits (which seem tame by comparison)
that is seen throughout CEIA. She is wearing a black tank top, black shorts with
lots of metal loops, pink leggings, and black boots with platform heels (about 2
inches high). Platform footwear is, of course, a common device used to increase
the wearer's perceived height. This can be important when the wearer is not as
tall as her main antagonist!
While the opening title sequence of a family-oriented sitcom is not usually
a candidate for analysis, a little thought reveals that this particular opening
neatly summarizes the central themes of CEIA through the interactions between
Clarissa and the other cast members.
The first interaction we see,
between her and Ferguson, represents the never-ending
conflict that is sibling rivalry. It ends
with unfortunate results
for poor Ferguson. Clarissa neatly gets him out of the
way, never to be bothered by him again. Throughout the many episodes, we see
this struggle for domination repeated again and again, albeit verbally, with
Clarissa being victorious most of the time.
The second interaction,
between Clarissa and her parents, can be seen as a
young woman's desire for independence. At first, she appears to welcome their
arrival on the scene, even though Marshall has inadvertantly knocked away the
``C'' that she just put up. There is some cozy-looking embracing going on
between the three of them. But then, with some visible effort,
she conjures herself away; breaking free of the
restrictive bonds of Mom and Dad, who are subsequently
transported away.
The third interaction is
between Clarissa and the audience: when she reappears,
she seems pleased that we are still on the other side of the screen, awaiting
her return. From her actions and expressions, one can imagine her saying ``Oh!
There you are!'' as she turns to face us. This, of course, mirrors her frequent
asides to the viewers throughout the episodes.
The fourth interaction is
between her and Sam, whom she is evidently happy to
see, even though he, too, has clumsily collided with the ``C'' she just wrote.
This continues the theme of growing and maturing from the second interaction:
moving away from Mom and Dad and the gravitating towards the opposite sex as
part of growing up.
At the end, only when she is on her own,
unencumbered by others, is she successful in her attempt to ``write'' her name.
This presents the concept that Clarissa is a modern, liberated young woman who
is able to think and act for herself. Such a view is a radical one indeed in the
mass television market.
The ending sequence of each episode is where the closing credits are run.
This includes the principal cast members, some of the guest actors, and often
the crew members. The ending sequence is usually the opening title sequence run
in reverse, although other ending sequences do show up from time to time:
Clarissa wearing her opening sequence outfit and pushing the title toward the
camera, Clarissa in everyday clothing (jeans,
Keith Haring shirt, and
sweater) and pushing the title toward the camera, and even one where the credits
are rolled as the final scene continues on.
Sound for the openings is the theme song, usually with no dialogue being
heard. The exception to this is ending 114, where
Clarissa continues to recite various sports activities for several seconds into
the opening.
(Each unique ending is identified by the number of the repeat episode in which it first appears.)
Similarly, in the
ending to Episode #115, a second or two of Ferguson's
last line can barely be heard under the music. (This may have been an editing
goof, rather than a deliberate attempt to create a unique ending.)
The ending sequence seems to be the favorite place for the
running times of the various episodes to be
adjusted. The ending can be sped up, slowed down, or terminated early during the
editing process. The credits can be run fast or slow. In many instances,
precious seconds are saved by rolling only a partial list of credits, leaving
out many of the lowlier (and thus less likely to complain about the omission)
crew members or functions, such as grips, electricians, stagehands, and so on.
For example, the endings of Episodes #126 and #127 are very slow indeed: they
take nearly 60 seconds to complete (as opposed to the normal running time of
about 50 seconds). The ending of Episode #129, on the other hand, is sped up
so that it takes just under 30 seconds!
Since the majority of episodes end with the opening title sequence being run
in reverse, it is clear that the endings were also affected by the change in the
opening titles of August 15, 1992. There seems to have been four original
endings:
- the reverse of the original opening: the montage of Clarissa being
handed various outfits by the other cast members, often speeded up
(1)
- the credits being run over a white background, used if the episode ran a
bit long (1)
- Clarissa in jeans, sweater, and Haring shirt pushing the titles toward the
camera
- the continuation of the final scene of Episode #109 (``Brain Drain''), and
seen only with that episode
When the new opening was grafted on to the early episodes, then of course
the original ``reversed opening'' ending had to go as well, to be replaced by
the new ``reversed opening'' ending. Curiously, however, the other endings were
not replaced.
Two other versions of the ending did not appear until later episodes. These
endings show Clarissa pushing the title toward the camera, and are
differentiated by how they start. One of these was
probably first shown with Episode #135 when it first aired on December 26, 1992
(and then replaced the ending of Episode #112). The second
premiered at the end of Episode #131.
As noted above, Clarissa wears a relatively small number of different
outfits in the endings.
The prevalent selection is the same outfit that she wears in the opening,
thanks to the most common ending being the opening run backwards, along with the
two endings where she pushes the title towards the camera. Two of the endings
feature the same jeans, sweater, and Haring shirt seen in several of the
commercial bumpers. Finally,
ending 109 shows Clarissa and Ferguson in the yellow
rubber suits from the ``Brain Drain'' game show as they splash each other in the
pool of goop in the final scene.
The commercial bumpers provide a transition between the two halves of each
episode and the mid-show commercial break. Each bumper lasts approximately 7 to
10 seconds, which gives the viewer a chance to ``shift gears'' before and after
the commercials. (Nickelodeon provides a few more seconds of padding with their
own ``We'll be right back...'' and ``Now, back to...'' messages.)
The commercial bumpers can be categorized into two different flavors. The
first, and most prevalent, features Clarissa, and occasionally Ferguson,
interacting in some way with the title (the words ``CLARISSA/EXPLAINS/IT ALL''
superimposed on the screen). For instance, she may push it over, cause it to
rotate, pull it in from off-screen, and so on. The second flavor consists of
stills of Clarissa, also with the title superimposed. All of the bumpers are
shot against the white background.
There are two generations of bumpers, differentiated by the
styles of clothing that are worn in each. The first
generation of
bumpers was shot at the same time that the original title sequence was made,
while the second generation was shot at the same time as the new title sequence
(2). The first generation
is shown only with the episodes from the first two seasons (episodes #101 -
#130), and the second generation is run exclusively with the episodes from the
last two seasons (episodes #131 - #165).
The variety of clothing worn by Clarissa is one of the more interesting
aspects of CEIA, and this is what differentiates the two generations of bumpers.
The general style (with a few
notable exceptions) of
clothing in the first generation (shown during the first two seasons) is casual:
denim, leather, and
leggings. The style of the second generation (shown
during the last two seasons) is a bit more formal, with
skirts, blazers, and
slacks being the norm. Clarissa's favorite footwear,
Dr. Martens boots, are worn throughout, and the padlocks fastened to them can
occasionally be seen.
Studying the detailed descriptions of the bumpers
reveals some surprising similarities. Not only are there similarities between
bumpers of the same generation, but also between bumpers in the two generations.
To simplify things, each bumper has been given an identification number
in the form XXX.H, where XXX is the official
Nickelodeon episode number that the bumper first appeared in (101 through 165),
and H is the half of that episode (1: first half, 2: second half). For instance,
bumper 103.2 premieres in the second half of Episode #103. This system is the
author's own invention; it is not known if Thunder Pictures or Nickelodeon had
any way of identifying the individual bumpers.
Some of the bumpers are obviously nearly identical (made from the same
master tape), with Clarissa wearing the same clothes and much the same activity
going on, the only difference being in their running times. This was probably
done as a means of adjusting the total running time of a particular episode, a
topic which is thoroughly analyzed
elsewhere. The usual means of shortening the
bumpers is either:
- to start it a few frames after the beginning of the original one
- to end it a few frames early
``When you have a great idea, stick with it,'' says Sam in ``Sick Days''
(Episode #113). This precept was evidently followed when staging some of the
bumpers that appear in the second generation. The activity in several of the
second generation bumpers is virtually identical to first generation bumpers
except, of course, for the attire. For example, in
bumper 101.2,
Clarissa waves in the title text from off-screen, gives a thumbs-up,
and walks off-camera. And in bumper 132.1, she waves in
the title text from off-screen, gives an ``OK'' sign, and walks off-camera. The
only two differences here are in the attire and in the last two or three seconds
of activity. Similarly, in bumper 103.2, Clarissa is
standing in the middle of the shot, holding up the title. She lets it fall,
wipes her brow, waves to the camera, and exits to the left. The exact same
sequence occurs in bumper 136.1!
Go back to the OE&CB Table of Contents or the
beginning of this page.
This table lists the commercial bumpers and endings for each episode. More
detailed information on each bumper or ending can be obtained by selecting the
desired item. The bumper identifiers and
ending identifiers are explained above.
Episode First Half Second Half
Number Season Episode Title Bumper Bumper Ending
------- ------ ----------------------------------- ---------- ----------- ------
101 1 Revenge 101.1 101.2 101
102 1 School Picture 102.1 102.2 101
103 1 No T.V. 103.1 103.2 101
104 1 Urge to Drive 104.1 103.2 101
105 1 CNN 102.1 101.2 101
106 1 Haunted House 106.1 106.2 101
107 1 Bully 107.1 107.2 101
108 1 New Addition 101.1 101.2 101
109 1 Brain Drain 109.1 106.1 109
110 1 Bake a Cake 107.1 107.2 101
111 1 Parents Who Say No 102.1 101.1 101
112 1 Cool Dad 107.1 107.2 112
113 1 Sick Days 109.1 106.1 113
114 2 Crush 102.1 114.2 114
115 2 She Drives Me Crazy 109.1 101.2 101
116 2 Sam.....Darling 109.1 107.1 101
117 2 President Ferguson 109.1 107.1 101
118 2 The Return of Mafalda 118.1 101.1 114
119 2 The Great Debate 106.1 101.2 101
120 2 ME 101 101.1 114.2 101
121 2 The Understudy 107.1 107.2 101
122 2 Can't Buy Love 109.1 107.1 114
123 2 Misguidance Counselor 106.1 123.2 101
124 2 Sam In Love 101.1 102.2 101
125 2 A New Look 102.1 103.2 101
126 2 Total TV 102.1 123.2 101
127 2 Janet's Boyfriend 106.1 123.2 101
128 2 The Darling Wars 102.1 101.1 101
129 2 Poetic Justice 109.1 101.1 101
130 2 Sam's Swan Song 107.1 103.2 101
131 3 Punch the Clocks 131.1 131.2 131
132 3 The Silent Treatment 132.1 132.2 101
133 3 Involunteering 133.1 133.2 101
134 3 Take My Advice...Please 133.1 134.2 131
135 3 Marshall's Mid-Life Crisis 135.1 135.2 112
136 3 Football Fever 136.1 131.2 101
137 3 Life of Crime 137.1 137.2 101
138 3 Marshall's Parents Visit 136.1 131.1 101
139 3 Blind Date 132.2 136.1 112
140 3 The Flu 131.2 140.2 101
141 3 ESP R US 137.1 132.2 101
142 3 Commitment 132.1 135.1 101
143 3 Road Trip 132.2 140.2 101
144 3 The Bicycle Thief 136.1 132.1 131
145 3 Boy Thoughts 137.1 133.2 112
146 3 Hero Worship 146.1 132.2 101
147 3 A Little Romance 140.2 132.2 101
148 3 The Zone 148.1 133.2 112
149 3 Tale of Two Moms 135.1 133.2 101
150 3 Don't I Know You 136.1 140.2 101
151 3 Babysitting 148.1 146.1 131
152 3 Educating Janet 133.2 140.2 131
153 3 The Cycle 134.2 146.1 112
154 3 A New Mom 154.1 133.2 112
155 4 Editor-In-Chief 148.1 135.2 112
156 4 Piper Comes to Visit 154.1 136.1 112
157 4 Alter Ego 135.1 131.1 101
158 4 Sam's Dad 158.1 148.1 112
159 4 The Firm 146.1 148.1 101
160 4 Janet & Clarissa, Inc. 137.1 154.1 112
161 4 Ferguson Explains It All 161.1 135.1 131
162 4 Dear Clarissa 131.1 132.2 131
163 4 UFO 135.2 163.2 101
164 4 Clarissa Gets Arrested 132.1 131.2 101
165 4 The Final Episode 132.1 136.1 131
The following tables show how many times each bumper and ending appears in
the 65 episodes, in order of number of appearances.
Season 1 and 2 Bumper Showings
Bumper # Count
-------- -----
101.1 8
107.1 8
102.1 7
109.1 7
106.1 6
101.2 5
103.2 4
107.2 4
123.2 3
102.2 2
114.2 2
103.1 1
104.1 1
106.2 1
118.1 1
Season 3 and 4 Bumper Showings
Bumper # Count
-------- -----
132.2 7
136.1 7
133.2 6
132.1 5
135.1 5
140.2 5
148.1 5
131.1 4
131.2 4
137.1 4
146.1 4
135.2 3
154.1 3
133.1 2
134.2 2
137.2 1
158.1 1
161.1 1
163.2 1
Ending Showings
Ending # Count
-------- -----
101 41
112 11
131 8
114 3
109 1
113 1
Go back to the beginning of the summary tables or
the
OE&CB Table of Contents or the beginning
of this page.
A number of terms are used in film and TV to indicate how much of the
subject of a shot is framed by the camera, and hence seen by the viewer. These
terms are used extensively in this section to help describe each of the shots
and frame-grabs. Here are their definitions (3):
- Closeup: from the shoulders up
- Medium closeup: from the chest up
- Medium shot: from the waist up
- Medium full shot: from the knees up
- Full shot: from the feet up
- Medium long shot: framing part of the scene
- Long shot: a view of the entire scene
The reader will need to search elsewhere for a detailed description of the
original opening. However, there are a number of frame-grabs of it available for
downloading and viewing.
This section contains a detailed description of each of the 17 separate
shots that make up the new (present-day) opening titles sequence. Each entry
begins with the length of the shot in seconds (in parentheses). Note the
extremely short duration of each of the first 8 shots.
- (0.43 seconds) Begin fade-in from white, as theme song begins. Closeup
of Clarissa, left profile, eyeing camera.
- (0.40 seconds) Cut to closeup of Clarissa, right profile, eyeing camera.
- (0.43 seconds) Cut to closeup of Clarissa, frontal view, looking into
camera.
- (0.17 seconds) Cut to closeup of Clarissa upside-down, looking into camera.
- (0.13 seconds) Cut to medium closeup of Clarissa, (right-side up again),
looking at camera.
- (0.13 seconds) Cut to medium shot of Clarissa, looking to her right.
- (0.13 seconds) Cut to medium full shot of Clarissa, head down, eyes
closed, hands on hips.
- (0.73 seconds) Cut to full shot of Clarissa, head turned to her left, eyes
closed, as she takes a giant step to the right side of the screen.
- (3.93 seconds) Cut to medium shot of Clarissa. She ducks and looks up at
paintbox car rolling from left to right across the top of the screen. As it
moves, it reveals her name behind it (``Melissa/Joan Hart''). Clarissa looks at
her name, gesturing towards it. She looks back at us, then back at her name. She
strikes it with her left hand in an upward motion; it moves up out of the frame.
- (2.17 seconds) Cut to full shot of Clarissa
standing at the right side of the screen as she ``writes'' the letter ``C''.
Ferguson jumps into the shot from the left as Clarissa reacts. She ``flings''
the ``C'' at him as he begins to duck.
- (2.37 seconds) Cut to medium shot of Ferguson at left side of the screen,
getting out of the way as the ``C'' heads towards him. As it flies past, his
name ``Jason/Zimbler'' appears behind it. He straightens up, then looks at his
name, then back at the camera. He nods and smiles.
- (8.67 seconds) Cut to full shot of Clarissa and
Ferguson. He grimaces at her. Clarissa throws paintbox blobs at Ferguson, kicks
in his direction, launches more blobs, then conjures him away as he looks at
the camera. She steps back to the right side of the frame and ``writes'' another
``C''. Janet comes in to the shot from the left,
looking lost, as Clarissa reacts, stepping over to greet her and slapping
Janet's palm. Marshall backs in from the right, similarly befuddled, colliding
with the ``C'' and sending it flying to the left and out of the shot. They all
collide in the middle of the screen, then embrace.
- (7.10 seconds) Cut to medium shot of Janet,
Clarissa, and Marshall, still embracing. They separate, Janet to the left,
Marshall to the right, Clarissa in the middle. With her eyes closed, Clarissa
conjures herself away as Janet and Marshall look down, then at each other,
wondering what happened. They turn to face the camera, then Janet looks up to
see ``Elizabeth/Hess'', while Marshall looks down at ``Joe/O'Connor''. They
both look back at the camera.
- (1.87 seconds) Cut to full shot of Janet and
Marshall. Still standing, Janet is lifted up (as if on an elevator) and out of
the shot, Marshall (also standing) sinks down and out.
- (8.10 seconds) Open on empty screen. Full shot of
Clarissa backing into view. She gestures at us from mid-screen (as if to say
``Oh! There you are!''), steps to the right, and ``writes'' yet another ``C''.
Sam skateboards into the shot from the left as
Clarissa reacts. The ``C'' goes flying as Sam ``runs into'' it with his head and
Clarissa gets exasperated. He continues on out of the shot to the right. Off
camera, Sam turns around, then skateboards back in to the shot from the right
as Clarissa looks at him turning back to face her.
- (2.67 seconds) Cut to medium shot of Sam. He conjures up his name
(``Sean/O'Neal'') and looks at it, nodding.
- (8.77 seconds) Cut to full shot of Sam and Clarissa. Sam skateboards out
of the shot to the left. Clarissa shrugs, then starts
``writing'' her name for the fourth time. We see her put up a backwards ``C'',
``L'', ``A'' (the horizontal bar of the ``A'' appears on its own), ``R'', ``I'',
``S'', another ``S'', and finally ``A'' in big pink paintbox letters that fill
the upper 1/3 of the shot. As she ``writes'' each letter, she steps across the
frame. She strikes the ``A'' and exits the shot to the left, waving to the
camera. ``CLARISSA'' spins around and towards the camera as blue paintbox
letters ``EXPLAINS/IT ALL''appear beneath. ``CLARISSA/EXPLAINS/IT ALL'' winds
up in the center of the frame. We see the title for a few more seconds, then it
fades to white.
And finally, almost 50 seconds after the initial fade-in, we return to the
episode at hand as the theme song ends.
Go back to the
beginning of the detailed opening description or the
OE&CB Table of Contents
or the beginning of this page.
This section provides a detailed description of each ending, giving the
original and repeat episodes in which the ending first appeared, what clothes
Clarissa is wearing, and what she is doing. Given that the several of the
endings show Clarissa in the same outfit as the new opening, those endings could
not originally have appeared until after the new opening made its debut on
August 15, 1992. Note that all scenes are full shots, except where noted.
- Ending: 101
- Original Premiere:
- Episode #126.
- Repeat Premiere:
- Episode #101.
- Clothing:
- Black tank top, black shorts with lots of metal loops, pink leggings,
black boots with 'platform' (c. 2-inch) heels (4).
- Activity:
- This is the opening title sequence (Clarissa's repeated attempts to write
``CLARISSA'') run in reverse. The closing credits are rolled while this is going
on.
- Ending: 109
- Original and Repeat Premiere:
- Episode #109.
- Clothing:
- Clarissa and Ferguson are both wearing the yellow ``Brain Drain'' rubber
suits.
- Activity:
- Medium long shot of Clarissa and Ferguson are splashing each other in the
``Brain Drain'' pool of goop as the credits roll. This is just the continuation
of the final scene of Episode #109.
- Ending: 112
- Original Premiere:
- Episode #135.
- Repeat Premiere:
- Episode #112.
- Clothing:
- Black tank top, black shorts with lots of metal loops, pink leggings,
black boots with 'platform' (c. 2-inch) heels (same as 101).
- Activity:
- Fade in to Clarissa standing behind the title. She looks down at the title
and pushes it toward the camera (it ends up out of view behind the camera),
wipes her hands, waves to the camera, and exits to the right, while the credits
roll.
- Ending: 113
- Original and Repeat Premiere:
- Episode #113.
- Clothing:
- Sweater, Haring shirt, jeans to calf with holes in knees, red leggings,
black socks, Dr. Martens boots (same as bumper 101.1).
- Activity:
- Fade in to Clarissa standing behind the title. She looks down at the title,
then glances up at the camera. With her hands, she pushes the title toward the
camera (it ends up out of view behind the camera), wipes her hands, waves to the
camera, and exits to the right as the credits roll.
- Ending: 114
- Original and Repeat Premiere:
- Episode #114.
- Clothing:
- Sweater, Haring shirt, jeans to calf with holes in knees, red leggings,
black socks, Dr. Martens boots (same as bumper 101.1
and
ending 113).
- Activity:
- Fade in to Clarissa walking left to right behind the title. She looks down
at the title, glances up at the camera, and shakes her head. With her hands, she
pushes the title toward the camera (it ends up out of view behind the camera),
wipes her hands, waves to the camera, and exits to the right as the credits roll
(similar to 113).
- Ending: 131
- Original and Repeat Premiere:
- Episode #131.
- Clothing:
- Black tank top, black shorts with lots of metal loops, pink leggings,
black boots with 'platform' (c. 2-inch) heels. (same as 101)
- Activity:
- Clarissa enters from the left. She looks down at the title and pushes it
toward the camera (it ends up out of view behind the camera), wipes her hands,
waves to the camera, and exits to the right, while the credits roll (similar to
112).
- Personal Observation:
- How appropriate this ending is as the ending to
the final episode, with Clarissa waving, as if in
farewell, to the audience as she leaves the set for the last time!
Go back to the
beginning of the detailed ending description or the
OE&CB Table of Contents or the
beginning of this page.
This section provides a detailed description of each commercial bumper,
giving the episode in which the bumper first appeared, what clothes Clarissa is
wearing, and what she is doing. Some entries also have links to images (frame
grabs) of the bumpers that can be downloaded and viewed.
First Generation Bumpers
- Bumper: 101.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #101, first half.
- Clothing:
- Black sweater, white Haring shirt, jeans to calf with holes in knees, red
leggings, black socks, Dr. Martens boots
- Activity:
- Clarissa is standing in the center of the shot, looking up, cowering under
the falling words ``IT'', ``ALL'', and ``EXPLAINS'' (in that order). When the
three words are in place (as in the title), she wipes her brow, gives an ``OK''
sign (thumb and forefinger), and exits to the left as ``CLARISSA'' falls down
and into the top line of the title.
- Bumper: 101.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #101, second half.
- Clothing:
- Black sweater, white Haring shirt, jeans to calf with holes in knees, red
leggings, black socks, Dr. Martens boots (same as 101.1)
- Activity:
- Clarissa backs into the shot from the right, waving in ``CLARISSA'' from
the right. She watches ``CLARISSA'' come in as it moves to the middle of the
screen. Tapping her right foot impatiently, she looks around, then she waves in
``EXPLAINS/IT ALL'' from left, watches it come in and line itself up with
``CLARISSA'', as in the title. She looks up at the camera, nods, gives a
``thumbs up'', and exits to the left.
- Image:
- Here's a frame-grab of
Clarissa giving the ``thumbs up''.
- Bumper: 102.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #102, first half.
- Clothing:
- Hat, pink with black polka-dot shirt, jeans to knee, red leggings, Dr.
Martens boots
- Activity:
- Clarissa enters the shot from the right. She looks down at the title, which
is reversed (mirror-image). She nudges it with her hips, sending it spinning
toward the camera (it ends up normally), then she exits to the left.
- Bumper: 102.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #102, second half.
- Clothing:
- Black sweater, white Haring shirt, jeans to calf with holes in knees, red
leggings, black socks, Dr. Martens boots (same as 101.1)
- Activity:
- Clarissa enters the shot from the left. She looks down at the title,
glances up at camera, and shakes her head. With her hands, she pushes the title
toward the camera (it ends up out of view behind the camera). She wipes her
hands, waves to the camera, and exits to the right.
- Bumper: 103.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #103, first half.
- Clothing:
- Hat, pink with black polka-dot shirt, jeans to knee, red leggings, Dr.
Martens boots (same as 102.1)
- Activity:
- Fade in to Clarissa standing in the middle of the shot. She looks down at
the title, which is reversed (mirror-image). She nudges it with her hips,
sending it spinning toward the camera (it ends up normally), then she exits to
the left (similar to 102.1).
- Bumper: 103.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #103, second half.
- Clothing:
- Hat, pink with black polka-dot shirt, jeans to knee, red leggings, Dr.
Martens boots (same as 102.1)
- Activity:
- Clarissa is standing in the middle of the shot, holding up the title. She
lets it fall, then looks up at camera, wiping her brow. She waves to the camera,
then exits to the left.
- Bumper: 104.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #104, first half.
- Clothing:
- Black sweater, white Haring shirt, jeans to calf with holes in knees, red
leggings, black socks, Dr. Martens boots (same as 101.1)
- Activity:
- Fade in to Clarissa standing behind the title. She looks down at the title,
glances up at the camera, and shakes her head. With her hands, she pushes the
title toward the camera (it ends up out of view behind the camera), wipes her
hands, waves to the camera, and exits to the right (similar to
102.2).
- Bumper: 106.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #106, first half.
- Clothing:
- Hat, pink with black polka-dot shirt, jeans to knee, red leggings, Dr.
Martens boots (same as 102.1)
- Activity:
- Still. Clarissa is standing to the right of the title, holding the hat on
her head.
- Image:
- Here's a
frame grab of this bumper.
- Bumper: 106.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #106, second half.
- Clothing:
- Pink ballet outfit (tutu, stockings, flat-toed shoes)
- Activity:
- Still. Clarissa is en pointe (balanced on the end of the toes) to
the right of the title.
- Bumper: 107.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #107, first half.
- Clothing:
- Black sweater, white Haring shirt, jeans to calf with holes in knees, red
leggings, black socks, Dr. Martens boots (same as 101.1)
- Activity:
- Still. Clarissa is standing to left of the title, giving ``OK'' sign with
her left hand.
- Bumper: 107.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #107, second half.
- Clothing:
- Black leather jacket, orange shirt, blue shorts to mid-thigh, black/white
polka-dot leggings, yellow socks, Dr. Martens boots
- Activity:
- Still. Clarissa is standing to the left of the title with her hands clasped
under her chin, elbows out, thighs/knees together, feet out and pointing in.
This shot of Clarissa was obviously culled from
one of the shots from the original opening.
- Bumper: 109.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #109, first half.
- Clothing:
- Black leather jacket, orange shirt, blue shorts to mid-thigh, black/white
polka-dot leggings, yellow socks, Dr. Martens boots (same as
107.2)
- Activity:
- Still. Clarissa is seated with her right leg extended, the other leg bent.
She is leaning on one arm, her other arm on her raised knee. The title is in the
upper right area of the screen.
- Bumper: 114.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #114, second half.
- Clothing:
- Black sweater, white Haring shirt, jeans to calf with holes in knees, red
leggings, black socks, Dr. Martens boots (same as 101.1)
- Activity:
- Clarissa enters the shot from the left. She looks down at the title,
glances up at camera, and shakes her head. With her hands, she pushes the title
(it falls to the floor, toward the camera). She wipes her hands, waves to the
camera, and exits to the right (similar to 102.2).
- Bumper: 118.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #118, first half.
- Clothing:
- Blue ``Panthers'' basketball jersey, blue gym shorts, white socks,red
high-tops.
- Activity:
- Still. Clarissa is standing to the left of the title, looking at it. A
basketball rests in the lower right corner of the screen.
- Image:
- Here's a
video
capture of this bumper.
- Bumper: 123.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #123, second half.
- Clothing:
- Black sweater, white Haring shirt, jeans to calf with holes in knees, red
leggings, black socks, Dr. Martens boots (same as 101.1)
- Activity:
- Fade in to Clarissa taking a step backwards into the middle of the shot,
waving in ``CLARISSA'' from the right. She watches ``CLARISSA'' come in as it
moves to the middle of the screen. Tapping her right foot impatiently, she looks
around, then she waves in ``EXPLAINS/IT ALL'' from left, watches it come in and
line itself up with ``CLARISSA'', as in the title. She looks up at the camera,
nods, gives a ``thumbs up'', and exits to the left (similar to
101.2).
Second Generation Bumpers
- Bumper: 131.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #131, first half.
- Clothing:
- Red tartan cap, green jacket with silver medallions, black skirt, dark knee
socks, green Dr. Martens boots
- Activity:
- Clarissa is standing in the center of the shot, looking around impatiently,
tapping her right foot. She looks up, cowering under the falling words ``IT'',
``ALL'', ``EXPLAINS'' and ``CLARISSA'' (in that order). When the words are in
place (as in the title), she wipes her brow and exits to the left (similar to
101.1).
- Bumper: 131.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #131, second half.
- Clothing:
- Red tartan jacket, dark blouse, white skirt with red spots, dark socks, red
Dr. Martens boots.
- Activity:
- Clarissa enters the shot from the right. She looks down at the title, which
is reversed (mirror-image). She glances up at the camera, then nudges the title
with her hips, sending it spinning toward the camera (it ends up normally). She
waves, then exits to the left (similar to 102.1).
- Bumper: 132.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #132, first half.
- Clothing:
- Red tartan cap, green jacket with silver medallions, black skirt, dark knee
socks, green Dr. Martens boots (same as 131.1)
- Activity:
- Clarissa backs into the shot from the right, waving in ``CLARISSA'' from
the right. She watches ``CLARISSA'' come in as it moves to the middle of the
screen. Tapping her right foot impatiently, she looks around, then she waves in
``EXPLAINS/IT ALL'' from the left, watches it come in and line itself up with
``CLARISSA'', as in the title. She looks up at the camera, gives us a BIG smile
and an ``OK'' sign with her right hand, and exits to the left (similar to
101.2).
- Bumper: 132.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #132, second half.
- Clothing:
- Pink jacket, white blouse, black pants, black Dr. Martens boots.
- Activity:
- With the camera upside down and the title right side up, Clarissa enters
from the right. She looks ``down'' at the title, then pushes down on ``ALL''.
The camera rotates 180 degrees, so that Clarissa is right side up and the title
is upside down. She pushes down on ``CLARISSA'', and the title rotates 180
degrees (it is now right side up). She wipes her hands, waves to the camera, and
exits to the left.
- Bumper: 133.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #133, first half.
- Clothing:
- Nobody appears in this one.
- Activity:
- Title on white background.
- Bumper: 133.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #133, second half.
- Clothing:
- Red tartan cap, green jacket with silver medallions, black skirt, dark knee
socks, green Dr. Martens boots (same as 131.1)
- Activity:
- Fade in to Clarissa standing in the center of the shot, looking up,
cowering under the falling words ``IT'', ``ALL'', ``EXPLAINS'', and ``CLARISSA''
(in that order). When all of the words are in place (as in the title), she
wipes her brow and exits to the left (similar to 131.1).
- Bumper: 134.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #134, second half.
- Clothing:
- Pink jacket, white blouse, black pants, black Dr. Martens boots (same as
132.2).
- Activity:
- Clarissa is standing to the left of screen behind the title, which is
upside down. She pushes down on ``CLARISSA'', causing the title to rotate 180
degrees. She wipes her hands, then fade to white. This bumper is the last third
(more or less) of 132.2, except for the final fadeout.
- Bumper: 135.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #135, first half.
- Clothing:
- Clarissa: Blue hat, red long-sleeved top, blue dress with straps and white
spots and white stripe, pink socks, blue Dr. Martens boots. Ferguson: Dark blue
blazer and slacks, pink shirt, black and white socks, black loafers.
- Activity:
- Ferguson enters the shot from the left, with the words ``EXPLAINS/IT ALL''
on the screen. He looks up, ``catches'' ``FERGUSON''; it falls into place.
Clarissa enters from the right and snaps her fingers, causing Ferguson to
vanish. She pushes ``FERGUSON'' off the screen to the left, snaps her fingers
again, and ``CLARISSA'' appears on the screen above ``EXPLAINS/IT ALL'', then
fade to white as she stands admiring her handiwork with her hands on her hips.
- Bumper: 135.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #135, second half.
- Clothing:
- Blue hat, red long-sleeved top, blue dress with straps and white spots and
white stripe, pink socks, blue Dr. Martens boots (same as 135.1)
- Activity:
- Clarissa is standing in the middle of the shot. She snaps the fingers of
her left hand, and ``CLARISSA'' appears on the screen. She snaps her fingers
again (both hands at once), and ``EXPLAINS/IT ALL'' appears under ``CLARISSA''.
She smiles and nods, folding her arms; fade to white.
- Bumper: 136.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #136, first half.
- Clothing:
- Blue hat, red long-sleeved top, blue dress with straps and white spots and
white stripe, pink socks, blue Dr. Martens boots (same as 135.1)
- Activity:
- Clarissa is standing in the middle of the shot, holding up the title. She
lets it fall, wipes her brow, waves to the camera, and exits to the left
(similar to 103.2).
- Bumper: 137.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #137, first half.
- Clothing:
- Clarissa: Blue hat, red long-sleeved top, blue dress with straps and white
spots and white stripe, pink socks, blue Dr. Martens boots. Ferguson: Dark blue
blazer and slacks, pink shirt, black and white socks, black loafers (same as
135.1).
- Activity:
- Ferguson enters the shot from the left. He looks up and waves in
``FERGUSON/EXPLAINS/IT ALL'' from above into place. Clarissa enters from the
right and snaps her fingers, causing Ferguson to vanish. She pushes ``FERGUSON''
off the screen to the left, snaps her fingers again, and ``CLARISSA'' appears on
the screen above ``EXPLAINS/IT ALL'', then fade to white as she stands admiring
her handiwork with her hands on her hips (similar to 135.1).
- Bumper: 137.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #137, second half.
- Clothing:
- Red tartan cap, green jacket with silver medallions, black skirt, dark knee
socks, green Dr. Martens boots (same as 131.1)
- Activity:
- Clarissa backs into the shot from the right, waving in ``CLARISSA'' from
the right. She watches ``CLARISSA'' come in as it moves to the middle of the
screen. Tapping her right foot impatiently, she looks around, then she waves in
``EXPLAINS/IT ALL'' from left, watches it come in and line itself up with
``CLARISSA'', as in the title. She looks up at the camera, gives us a BIG smile
and an ``OK'' sign with her right hand, then fade to white (similar to
132.1).
- Bumper: 140.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #140, second half.
- Clothing:
- Blue hat, red long-sleeved top, blue dress with straps and white spots and
white stripe, pink socks, blue Dr. Martens boots (same as 135.1)
- Activity:
- Clarissa appears out of nowhere in the middle of the shot after snapping
the fingers of her right hand. She snaps the fingers of her left hand, and
``CLARISSA'' appears on the screen. She snaps her fingers again (both hands at
once), and ``EXPLAINS/IT ALL'' appears under ``CLARISSA''. She smiles and nods,
folding her arms, then fade to white (similar to 135.2).
- Bumper: 146.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #146, first half.
- Clothing:
- Red tartan jacket, dark blouse, white skirt with red spots, dark socks, red
Dr. Martens boots (same as 131.2).
- Activity:
- Fade in to Clarissa looking down at the title, which is reversed
(mirror-image). She glances up at the camera, then nudges the title with her
hips, sending it spinning toward the camera (it ends up normally). She waves,
then exits to the left (similar to 131.2).
- Bumper: 148.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #148, first half.
- Clothing:
- Red tartan cap, green jacket with silver medallions, black skirt, dark knee
socks, green Dr. Martens boots (same as 131.1)
- Activity:
- Fade in to Clarissa standing behind ``CLARISSA''. She waves in
``EXPLAINS/IT ALL'' from the left, watches it come in and line itself up with
``CLARISSA'', as in the title. She looks up at the camera, gives us a BIG smile
and an ``OK'' sign with her right hand, and exits to the left (similar to
132.1).
- Bumper: 154.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #154, first half.
- Clothing:
- Pink jacket, white blouse, black pants, black Dr. Martens boots (same as
132.2).
- Activity:
- Clarissa is standing in the left half of the shot behind the upside-down
title. She pushes down on ``CLARISSA'', and the title rotates 180 degrees (it is
now right side up). She wipes her hands, waves to the camera, and exits to the
left (similar to 134.2).
- Bumper: 158.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #158, first half.
- Clothing:
- Pink jacket, white blouse, black pants, black Dr. Martens boots (same as
132.2).
- Activity:
- Clarissa is standing in the center of the shot behind the title. She waves
to the camera and exits to the left.
- Bumper: 161.1
- Premiere:
- Episode #161, first half.
- Clothing:
- Ferguson: Dark blue blazer and slacks, pink shirt, black and white socks,
black loafers (same as 135.1). (Clarissa is not in this
bumper).
- Activity:
- Same as opening: Ferguson is writing ``FERGUSON'' as in the opening for
this episode; he falls out of the shot just as he finishes. The title (with
``EXPLAINS/IT ALL'' added below ``FERGUSON'') spins to the foreground.
- Bumper: 163.2
- Premiere:
- Episode #163, second half.
- Clothing:
- Red tartan cap, green jacket with silver medallions, black skirt, dark knee
socks, green Dr. Martens boots (same as 131.1).
- Activity:
- Clarissa is standing in the center of the shot, looking around impatiently,
tapping her right foot. She looks up, cowering under the falling words ``IT'',
``ALL'', ``EXPLAINS'' and ``CLARISSA'' (in that order). When the words are in
place (as in the title), she wipes her brow. Fade to white. (similar to
131.1).
Go back to the beginning of the detailed bumper description
or the
OE&CB Table of Contents or the beginning
of this page.
-
Bevis
King's CEIA Pages (The TV Series)
- From an
``interview'' with Mitchell Kriegman
- Penney, Edmund F. The Facts on File Dictionary of Film and Broadcast
Terms. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1991.
- Description from Donald Lancon's original version of this page.
jump to...
jump to
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Info Archives /
Clarissa
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