Your Favorite TV Themes/Songs (1 Viewer)

[Richard V]

Sooooo many to choose from. I'll just start it off with some of my favorites:

The Time Tunnel
Lawman
The Rifleman
Lost in Space
Johnny Quest (Original)
Star Trek:DS9

 

[Wezzo]

Cheers
Psych
Diff'rent Strokes
Everwood
How I Met Your Mother
Friday Night Lights
ER
Twin Peaks
Mad About You

 

[Matt Hough]

For me: DR. KILDARETWELVE O'CLOCK HIGHTHE PATTY DUKE SHOWTHE ADDAMS FAMILYTHE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOWBEWITCHED

 

[JMas]

Gunsmoke
How The West Was Won
Cheyenne
The Fugitive
Harry O
Bourbon Street Beat

 

[Jeff Willis]

Here's my best narrowed-down list:

My #1 remains the Combat! S1 opening. That "pre-intro" always places this in the top spot. I'd rate the S2-5 openings after other themes though.



The rest aren't in any order, all too close to choose a #2,3,4, etc.


Westerns:

Wild Wild West S1 opening.




The Rifleman's almost immortal in my list. Memories of coming home from school to watch this one.



SItcoms:

There are 2 that are far and away my favorites, with "Donna Reed S1" being a recent discovery. It's too close to call between the iconic "Bewitched" S1 opener and Donna Reed S1.



I'm not a "phone ringer" fan but this opening changed that . By far my favorite season opener in this series.



SciFi:

No contest for #1.



A close 2nd, is TOS Season 1 intro. I'm not really a "Trekkie" by definition but S1's opening is in the immortal class, imo, in classic TV openings. Everyone's heard "Space... the final frontier..."



M:I S1 opening, the best in the series for me.



Mannix, the "piano" theme. My favorite by far of the detective shows.



Mike Hammer 50's: This one's short but I love that trumpet...played one long ago.



Animation: I'm not a big collector of cartoons so I only have a couple but they're hig on my overall theme list.

Jonny Quest. That pterodactyl sound, 60's kid cartoon timeless.



This one's on my timeless list....

[font="'Times New Roman';font-size:10pt"]♪[font="Arial;font-size:10pt"]♫[font="'Times New Roman';font-size:10pt"] [/font]Flintstones
Meet the Flintstones
They're the modern stone age family
From the town of Bedrock
They're a page right of history[/font][/font]
Let's ride with the family down the street
Through the courtesy of Fred's two feet
When you're with the Flintstones
you'll have a yabba dabba doo time
a dabba doo time
You'll have a gay old time [font="'Times New Roman';font-size:10pt"]♪[font="Arial;font-size:10pt"]♫[/font][/font]

 

[Gary OS]

I've thought about starting this type of thread dozens of times, but have never followed through because I love TV theme songs in general (I've got a massive collection) and it would probably be a venture in futility. Heck, it would be easier for me to list the themes I don't like. And no matter how I categorize them in my mind it's still just a massive list. I could never narrow it down to just a few. I'll come back later, time permitting, and list some of them.


Gary "great idea, Richard - this thread should get some nice traction" O.

 

[Kasey]

Favorite Vocal Theme:



Favorite Instrumental Theme:

 

[Gary OS]

A few instrumentals from the Detective/Mystery/Crime genre that I really like:

A longer version of the theme from Probe and Search, by the great Dominic Frontiere




The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie theme by another great, Henry Mancini




Hawaii Five-0




Gary "great responses already" O.

 

[smithbrad]

"Branded" has to appear in this list at some point, this is as good a time as any to mention it.

 

[Joel Fontenot]

Hawaii Five-O
Mission Impossible
Miami Vice
Star Trek: TNG (only because it's Goldsmith's theme from ST:TMP)
The Rockford Files
Buffy the Vampire Slayer

 

[HenryDuBrow]

Examples no particular order, some shows had slightly altered arrangements even new themes over the years. Harry O The WaltonsThe MississippiDelvecchio
The Persuaders
Tenspeed and Brown ShoeWKRP in CincinnatiMagnum, P.I.
Van der Valk
The Fall Guy
The Protectors
Simon & Simon
Bonanza
Sierra
The Invisible Man (1975)
Hill Street Blues
Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law
Greatest American Hero
Tales of the Unexpected (UK)
Thriller (UK)
Kojak
The A-Team
The Adventurer
Baretta (Sammy)
The AvengersMcCloud
M.A.S.H.

 

[Ejanss]

And in my category of "Best Forgotten 60's-70's Theme", Jerry Goldsmith's Room 222:

SciFi:

No contest for #1.

Well, Johnny Williams' Irwin Allen days have a little bit of contest--Mostly from Lost in Space S3:

Animation: I'm not a big collector of cartoons so I only have a couple but they're hig on my overall theme list.
Jonny Quest. That pterodactyl sound, 60's kid cartoon timeless.

Certainly the best vintage action-animated theme, although 80's pop-lore insists on #2:

The Avengers

Nice to see somebody finally mentioned it:

 

[Richard V]

From the world of law enforcement;

 

[JohnMor]

Going only with themes written originally for TV (so that lets out The Odd Couple, M*A*S*H and other film adaptations that used the original themes):

Bewitched
Hawaii Five-0
I Dream of Jeannie
Mannix
The Mary Tyler Moore Show

My runners-up would be The Waltons and The Wild Wild West

 

[Rob_Ray]

I miss shows with theme songs that gave first-time viewers the premise of the show in a nutshell:

GILLIGAN'S ISLAND
THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES
PETTICOAT JUNCTION
GREEN ACRES
THE BRADY BUNCH
F TROOP
THE PRUITTS OF SOUTHAMPTON
IT'S ABOUT TIME
THE REAL McCOYS
LOVE AMERICAN STYLE

Funny how the most memorable ones for me are all from the sixties.

 

[BobO'Link]

I'm pretty much in the same boat with Gary OS in that it'd be easier to list those I don't much care for. I like theme songs on shows I don't even like (the Lear sitcoms are some). Like Rob_Ray I also very much like those which set up the show premis. So... that said, here are a few in no particular order:

The Bob Newhart Show
Newhart
Batman
The Long Ranger
Bewitched
I Dream of Jeannie
The Flintstones
Jonny Quest
The Adventures of Superman
F Troop
The Munsters
The Addams Family
Star Trek: TOS
Star Trek: TNG
All in the Family
The Jeffersons
The Time Tunnel
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Wild Wild West
The Rat Patrol
Fawlty Towers
Soap
Hogan's Heroes
The Beverly Hillbillies
Green Acres
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Dick VanDyke Show
Murder She Wrote
Maverick
The Rockford Files
I Love Lucy
Perry Mason
Rawhide
Peter Gunn
In Search Of
Bonanza
Lost in Space
The Twilight Zone
The Outer Limits
Leave it to Beaver
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
Cheers
Get Smart
Only Fools and Horses
'Allo, 'Allo
Two's Company
Moonlighting
The Monkees
The Partridge Family
Lovejoy
Nightcourt
Rawhide
The Bugs Bunny Show
George of the Jungle
The Jetsons
Super Chicken
Dudley Dooright of the Mounties
Fractured Fairy Tales
The Patty Duke Show
Get Smart
Mission Impossible
The Carol Burnet Show
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Mister Ed
The Avengers
Car 54 Where Are You?
Danger Man
Danger Mouse
I Spy
The Invaders
Pinky and the Brain

And many, many more!

 

[LeoA]

Little House on the Prairie is my favorite. For about 10 years, the intro theme has been the startup tune on my PC and the end credits play when I shut it down.

 

[Gary OS]

Wow, Howie gets my vote for most devoted theme song enthusiast with that list! Great job.

Here's some that I've got on my computer and Ipod:

Adventures of Gulliver
The Alvin Show
American Bandstand
Angie ("Different Worlds")
Batman (60's)
Batman TAS (a fantastic theme and score that hit the mood of the Dark Knight perfectly, imho)
Barnaby Jones
Beverly Hillbillies
Buck Rogers
Daniel Boone (especially the 6th season jazzy version)
Dick Van Dyke Show (1st season was my favorite)
Doctor Who (many different versions - I like them all)
Ducktales (okay, don't make fun - it's a neat theme)
Fall Guy
Family Ties
Father Knows Best
Flintstones (1st season in particular)
The Fugitive
Great Space Coaster
Greatest American Hero (how can that not be on everyone's list?)
Green Acres
Green Hornet
Growing Pains
Gunsmoke
Happy Days (S1 in particular)
Harlem Globetrotters (HB cartoon - excellent songs throughout the episodes as well)
Hello Larry
Herculoids
Hey Dude
In the Heat of the Night
It's Your Move (this needs to be released on dvd)
Jonny Quest (I've got all the incidental music from the series)
Justice League & Justice League Unlimited
King of the Hill
Knight Rider
Kojak
Land of the Lost (ending credits are even better)
Lassie (can cause me to tear up quick for some reason)
Leave it to Beaver (the last season's jazzy theme was the best)
Little House on the Prairie
Lobo
Logan's Run
Lost Saucer
Lost in Space (I too prefer the 3rd season opener)
Love American Style (love the ending instrumental theme)
Mickey Mouse Club (both the 50's and 70's versions)
Munsters
Odd Couple
Partridge Family
Patty Duke Show
Quincy
6 Million Dollar Man
7th Heaven (both opening and closing themes are nice)
Sigmund and the Seamonsters
Smallville
Space Ghost
Speed Buggy
SpiderMan (60's cartoon)
Star Trek
Star Trek: Enterprise
Still the Beaver
S.W.A.T.
Switch (the later theme, not the first one)
Tarzan (Ron Ely series)
Tennessee Tuxedo
That Girl (last season jazzy theme the best)
Underdog
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Wonder Years
Wild Kingdom

Okay, I've got stop. That's just a sampling and I've still left off a ton of favorites.


Gary "too vast a topic - but I love it" O.

 

[cherisland]

Bionic Woman
Bewitched
Get Smart
Dynasty
Dallas
McMillan & Wife
Brand New Life
Resurrection
Working The Engels
Less Than Kind
Grand
Haven
Maybe It's Me (both versions)
The Big Valley
Brotherly Love
Life Goes On
The Munsters
Once And Again
Cher - 2nd season theme
Peaceable Kingdom
Petticoat Junction
Sabrina The Teenage Witch - seasons 4, 5 & 6 themes
7th Heaven
Year In The Life - both versions
Space 1990 - season 2
Young Riders
Awakening Land miniseries theme
Fresno (1985) miniseries theme



Family
Hart To Hart

 

[DisneySwan1990]

Sabrina, The Teenage Witch (S4)Sweet Valley HighNYPD BlueInspector GadgetSpider-Man (1994-98)New York UndercoverThe Parent'HoodElectra-Woman and Dyna-GyrlParty of FiveThe PracticeDharma and GregMad About YouThe Fresh-Prince of Bel-AirBaywatchThe Puzzle PlaceHome ImprovementBoy Meets WorldSaved By The BellCity GuysHang TimeOne World PopularBeverly Hills, 90210Models Inc.BarneyThe TickX-Men: TASPecola