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Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

post #1 of 53
6/4/09 at 8:55am
Thread Starter 
I've always thought "Carnivale" had the most creative opening credits I've ever seen. The theme and visuals sold the show. Variety today raises a great article: what happened to TV theme songs? Ugly Betty is the shortest (12 seconds) and some shows basically forgo them altogether.

Whatever happened to TV theme music? - Entertainment News, Road to the Emmys: Creative Arts, Media - Variety
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post #2 of 53
6/4/09 at 9:01am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

I like a good theme as much as anyone but when they have a choice of using 30 to 60 seconds on story or wasting 30 to 60 seconds on a theme song, I'm glad they choose to use the time for the story.
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post #3 of 53
6/4/09 at 9:20am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

I skip the theme and intro on pretty much every show I DVR after the first time (which is exclusively how I watch TV). It's a waste of time for me. The only ones I watch are the Simpsons because of the different couch gags, and if I know ahead of time that there's a different intro (like the recent Michael Scott Paper company version for The Office). For some reason, I usually watch the 30 Rock intro all the way through because I like the theme and it's pretty short.

Incidentally, even though it's only 12 seconds, I usually skip the Ugly Betty intro anyway.
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post #4 of 53
6/4/09 at 9:29am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Think if Green Acres, Star Trek, Beverly Hillbillies and others did'nt have themes. Themes set the stage for a great viewing experience. Most shows today forgo them for added commercial time. Look at Dexter what a great Theme and visuals, it greately enhances the show to come.
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post #5 of 53
6/4/09 at 9:39am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

We DVR virtually everything we watch, and generally watch the opening credits if there are any (examples include NCIS, House, BSG--where we grew to love the pre-cap, The Unit).
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post #6 of 53
6/4/09 at 10:38am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Scarpa
Look at Dexter what a great Theme and visuals, it greately enhances the show to come.

Agreed entirely, Dexter has the best opening sequence I've seen in a long time. (Though I was a little annoyed during a certain episode when they rehashed it in the middle of it.)

But, I do think some shows don't really need one. I can't think of anything more fitting for Lost, for example, than the logo moving across the screen and the accompanying sound.
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post #7 of 53
6/4/09 at 12:19pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Most shows today forgo them for added commercial time.

Like Travis alluded to though, I'd rather see a theme song cut rather than unique episode content. I usually skip the theme unless it's a show that doesn't always cut to commercial afterwards (30 Rock or How I Met Your Mother--although you can usually tell whether they'll cut or not based on how long the intro segment lasts).

Despite all that, it always throws me off guard when they cut the Survivor intro. That's one that I'll agree really sets the mood.
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post #8 of 53
6/4/09 at 1:24pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

I've found a lot of good end title themes that are never heard on broadcast because of 'next week' previews.

For whatever reason, I never skip title sequences even if I've seen them literally thousands of times. On DVD, reruns, doesn't matter. They still help establish the world the show is bringing the viewer into, even if it's episode 152.

My favorite is one I hear daily: CBS Evening News. Though I am a bit biased in calling it my favorite.
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post #9 of 53
6/4/09 at 2:17pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

I like the opening credits to Chuck, and almost never skip them. One of the few shows today, where they have opening sequence AND show the person of the cast with their name on it. The only other ones that I can think of, are the CSIs, Law & Orders, 30 Rock.

I can remember back in the 80's, I would only watch the opening sequences of some shows (like Dallas and The Love Boat), then change the channel.
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post #10 of 53
6/4/09 at 3:50pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicholas Martin
For whatever reason, I never skip title sequences even if I've seen them literally thousands of times. On DVD, reruns, doesn't matter. They still help establish the world the show is bringing the viewer into, even if it's episode 152.
Same here.
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post #11 of 53
6/4/09 at 4:28pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Walter C

I can remember back in the 80's, I would only watch the opening sequences of some shows (like Dallas and The Love Boat), then change the channel.

I remember doing the same thing withe Welcome Back Kotter (another hit theme they didn't mention), One Day at a Time etc...
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post #12 of 53
6/4/09 at 7:10pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by TravisR
I like a good theme as much as anyone but when they have a choice of using 30 to 60 seconds on story or wasting 30 to 60 seconds on a theme song, I'm glad they choose to use the time for the story.
Only because they chopped 'story time' first in favour of ad time, and now chop 'theme time' to recover a bit back.

No surprise then that cable shows are the only ones that still have full-blown opening sequences with themes, as discussed in the article.
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post #13 of 53
6/5/09 at 8:26pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Some great theme songs that I think setup their shows.






Hell, I loved that theme so much I bought the soundtrack.. not once, but at least three times.

Very few theme songs get the entire concept of a show in 1 minute. This does.



Could you imagine this show without the theme?



Or this one?





Along with a ton of others.
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post #14 of 53
6/5/09 at 8:28pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

On of my favorites.. ever.

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post #15 of 53
6/5/09 at 8:31pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

And of course, 80s cartoons had awesome ones:

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post #16 of 53
6/5/09 at 8:48pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

The only theme music I've consistently enjoyed is a bit old, but I really like "Star Trek: Voyager" with the opening visuals and the great music in the background.

The only thing I listen to now is "The Big Bang Theory", nothing else really stands out, so a quick fast forward to skip it.

Just switched to DISH and now have Showtime, so am looking forward to them rerunning Dexter. I've never seen it, but episodes 1-3 played earlier this week. Hopefully they'll repeat, because I ended up with a dud DVR where the hard drive failed after four days, so lost all my recordings. 4-5 are playing next week, so may be out of luck.
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post #17 of 53
6/5/09 at 9:05pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Dexter theme.. which admittedly, is my favorite currently running.

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post #18 of 53
6/6/09 at 8:31am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

The Big Bang Theory's intro is the only one I watch every time, but it's short and quick.

Lots of other good ones but I usually skip them if I've seen them more than a couple times.
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post #19 of 53
6/6/09 at 9:25am
Thread Starter 

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Yeah - for those that haven't seen the LONG form CBS promo before the show's premiere:

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post #20 of 53
6/6/09 at 1:30pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

One of my favorites. HBO really does good theme music.



And this, which is appropriate for the D-Day anniversary. I really love instrumental themes.

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post #21 of 53
6/6/09 at 4:35pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

I've never liked any of Thomas Newman's TV themes other than "Boston Public".

The "Star Trek Voyager" theme was the best part of the show. Hearing it on CD versus the TV broadcasts really does it justice because of the clarity of the recording.
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post #22 of 53
6/6/09 at 5:34pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

In my opinion, tunes from television shows of the 1950s and 1960s were very well-crafted. This may be why they remain with us and are easily recalled. That is not to say that today's themes are not good, but for me they are not as memorable. Back then, several shows had clever hooks and well-written melodic antecedents and consequences which because of their shape and contour (their 'singable' quality, if you will) seem to have left an indelible impression on many -- including me -- who remember hearing and enjoying them back in the day.

I think that even the commercials (including the now obsolete cigarette commercials) of nearly the same time period contained many catchy jingles, and I think this may account for why I can recall hundreds of them from years gone by.

(BTW, I play several of these tunes -- both from shows and commercials -- during family get-togethers, sort of in a trivia-like fashion, and people have a great time trying to identify the themes. )
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post #23 of 53
6/6/09 at 7:21pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicholas Martin
For whatever reason, I never skip title sequences even if I've seen them literally thousands of times. On DVD, reruns, doesn't matter. They still help establish the world the show is bringing the viewer into, even if it's episode 152.
I always watch the theme song on live TV, and usually watch it for the first couple episodes when watching a season set on DVD. I can't say I sit through it for every single epiosde when I'm watching a marathon, though; after the third or fourth time I start to skip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ockeghem
In my opinion, tunes from television shows of the 1950s and 1960s were very well-crafted. This may be why they remain with us and are easily recalled. That is not to say that today's themes are not good, but for me they are not as memorable.
But it's not really a fair comparison is it? You're comparing the highlights of two decades of TV theme songs with one moment in time -- now. And during those two decades, almost every show had a theme song, whereas today the shows with real theme songs are in the minority. The best from the 50's and 60's were certainly better crafted and more memorable than what we get right now. And the worst from the 50's and 60's have long since been forgotten about!
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post #24 of 53
6/6/09 at 8:16pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt
I always watch the theme song on live TV, and usually watch it for the first couple episodes when watching a season set on DVD. I can't say I sit through it for every single epiosde when I'm watching a marathon, though; after the third or fourth time I start to skip.But it's not really a fair comparison is it? You're comparing the highlights of two decades of TV theme songs with one moment in time -- now. And during those two decades, almost every show had a theme song, whereas today the shows with real theme songs are in the minority. The best from the 50's and 60's were certainly better crafted and more memorable than what we get right now. And the worst from the 50's and 60's have long since been forgotten about!
Adam,

I'm not sure where you are getting the 'one moment in time -- now' from, as I'm relying on my memory from differing periods in history for my comparison. I am comparing my experience of hearing shows from two decades of music to a plethora of shows heard since; that is to say, from approximately 1975 to the present. I've watched several hundreds of television shows since the 1970s, and the themes (for me) just don't stand the test of time.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt
And during those two decades, almost every show had a theme song, whereas today the shows with real theme songs are in the minority.
I agree with this wholeheartedly.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by 'with one moment in time'? I'm not understanding that part of what you are saying. Thanks.
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post #25 of 53
6/6/09 at 9:16pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Every era of TV and film has an overall sound and feel to it musically, and the same can be said of actors' performances. They can both define their period in time.

I've never cared much for what's been memorable to the masses over time, though. I just like what I like, be it Tom Scott's "Starsky and Hutch" theme or the second version of Mike Post's "Doogie Howser" theme, the one with the soft guitar/drum accompaniment.

I love Goldsmith's "Star Trek" movie theme in all five of its big screen variants, but I still hate how cheesy the "Next Generation" arrangements of it are in comparison.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the endless list of those Steve Dorff or Jesse Frederick sitcom themes of the 80s and 90s?
They always had three elements: A sentimental vocal, an electric guitar open and a sax for the end credits.

Those are also skipped over nowadays as well, for better or for worse.
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post #26 of 53
6/6/09 at 9:37pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Okay, I think I understand what you are saying.

I think that contour does play an important role in memory, however. For example, I have an easier time recalling melodies in a J. S. Bach fugue than I do melodies in an Arnold Schoenberg chamber symphony, and I appreciate both genres equally. The function of memory in this case has to do with the conjunct vs. disjunct movement in several of the lines, as well as the repeated figures in a fugue, vs. the serialization techniques employed in the Schoenberg work. The themes from the 1950s and 1960s shows, while not as complex as either of my examples, fit more comfortably within the former than the latter scheme, because to my ears and as a result of my experience the melodic movement of the majority of the tunes is catchy, memorable, and easily replicated.

In any event, I am obviously speaking for myself here, as this is how I perceive what it is I am hearing, and to a large extent, recalling.
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post #27 of 53
6/6/09 at 10:14pm

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ockeghem
Can you elaborate on what you mean by 'with one moment in time'? I'm not understanding that part of what you are saying. Thanks.
I read your original post as comparing the TV theme songs of the 50's and 60's with those of today as in what's on the air right now. That didn't see like a fair comparison. Based on your reply, it sounds like you meant the theme songs of the 50's and 60's as compared with everything since the 60's, which is a considerably more fair comparison. I would argue with you on that, though.

All in the Family, The Dukes of Hazzard, Gilligans Island, The Jeffersons, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Cheers and Golden Girls all had theme songs that have stood the test of time and would be easily recognizable even to kids who weren't around when they originally aired. There were some iconic intrumental theme songs too, like The A*Team, M*A*S*H and Miami Vice too.
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post #28 of 53
6/7/09 at 2:36am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Ockeghem, I think you have to open your mind beyond network television. That's where the good theme music is now.
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post #29 of 53
6/7/09 at 5:57am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt
I read your original post as comparing the TV theme songs of the 50's and 60's with those of today as in what's on the air right now. That didn't see like a fair comparison. Based on your reply, it sounds like you meant the theme songs of the 50's and 60's as compared with everything since the 60's, which is a considerably more fair comparison. I would argue with you on that, though.

All in the Family, The Dukes of Hazzard, Gilligans Island, The Jeffersons, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Cheers and Golden Girls all had theme songs that have stood the test of time and would be easily recognizable even to kids who weren't around when they originally aired. There were some iconic intrumental theme songs too, like The A*Team, M*A*S*H and Miami Vice too.
Adam,

Yes, you are correct regarding what my comparison was about in the first place. It's certainly fine to have a difference of opinion on the matter. BTW, isn't Gilligan's Island from the 1960s?

I also wrote "That is not to say that today's themes are not good, but for me they are not as memorable." I think that's a fair statement from my perspective.

Kevin,

When it comes to music, I know of no one with a more open mind than I. Of course, there is much music that is still beyond my experience. But I usually listen to, compose, perform, and/or write about music about six or seven hours a day, and have been doing this for nearly thirty years with very few exceptions (part of my job and all).

Thanks for the advice, though. Can you list a few examples? I'd like to check them out.
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post #30 of 53
6/7/09 at 5:59am

Re: Whatever happened to Theme Show Music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Walter C
I like the opening credits to Chuck, and almost never skip them.

Ditto, except I never skip it. Love the opening credits from the show.

Recommend getting the song, 'Short Skirt, Long Jacket,' by Cake. The lyrics totally fit in with the show.
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