Your Favorite TV Themes/Songs (1 Viewer)

[JohnMor]

My favorite version of the I Dream of Jeannie theme, due to the drums and the brass.



But I also love this version with the pizzicato strings

 

[MishaLauenstein]

Bay City Blues
Tattingers
Get Smart
Mama Malone
Best of the West
Paper Dolls
Land of the Lost
Big John, Little John
Wonder Woman
The Six Million Dollar Man
Dallas
Dynasty
Falcon Crest
Mad Men
The Dukes of Hazzard
BJ and the Bear
The Fall Guy

Frank's Place
Crime Story

 

[Vic Pardo]

"All but one man died -- there at Bitter Creek /
And they said he ran awaaaaaaayyyyyy /
Branded -- scorned as the one who ran /
What do you do when you're Branded /
And you know you're a man?
Wherever you go, for the rest of your lifeYou must prove, you're a man."


"Hercules, hero of song and story /
Hercules, winner of ancient glory /
Fighting for the right, fighting with his might /
With the strength of ten ordinary men /
Hercules, people are safe when near him /
Hercules, only the evil fear him /
Softness in his eyes, iron in his thighs,
Virtue in his heart, fire in every part of the Mighty Herculeeeeeees"


"I want to be the very best, the best there ever was /
To catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause /
I will travel across the land, searching far and wide /
Each Pokémon to understand the power that's inside /
Pokémon! It's you and me /
Pokémon! I know it's my destiny /
Pokémon! You're my best friend /
In a world we must defend /
Pokémon! Our hearts so true /
Our courage will see us through /
You teach me and I'll teach you -- Po-ke-maaaaahhhnnnn /
Gotta catch 'em all, gotta catch 'em aaaaalllll - Pokémon!"

 

[Bob_S.]

Just my opinion but I think The Six Million Dollar Man has THE best opening ever.

I remember when I was a kid I had a Six Million Dollar Man movie viewer. I loved that thing. I'd spend hours playing the tv opening forwards and backwards. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1970s-The-Six-Million-Dollar-Man-Movie-Viewer-Extra-Film-Cartridge-/121352207801?pt=TV_Movie_Character_Toys_US&hash=item1c4127bdb9

 

[Rick Thompson]

For coordination between picture and music, some of the best included

Mannix
Mary Tyler Moore
Harry O (third version)
The Equalizer
Amazing Stories

But above them all:

Hawaii Five-O (original)

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

Two pages in, and nobody has mentioned the Mr. Belvedere theme, as sung by Leon Redbone. 55 second of pure earworm.

 

[LeoA]

Surprised to see that F Troop has only been mentioned twice. The black & white season 1 opening is one of the best in my opinion.

And while I love all of the Dick Van Dyke Show, my favorite is the very first opening with the pictures. They cut that down later in season 1 to shorten it and then switched to what everyone most remembers starting with season 2 (Which had two main variations of course plus a rarely seen 3rd variation that was mixed in a few times for a short while).

When I pop one of the DVD's in, it loads with that first introduction playing in the background. I usually let that play through to completion before starting an episode.

 

[Vic Pardo]

In terms of theme music, Jerry Goldsmith's theme for the first season opening of "Man from U.N.C.L.E." was one of the best pieces of theme music I'd heard up to that point and basically solidified my already budding interest in movie themes. (Because Goldsmith was primarily a film music composer, in my mind I always group his "U.N.C.L.E." theme with his film music.) I bought an "U.N.C.L.E." soundtrack album and was appalled to find that the theme was played on it with an all-new arrangement by Hugo Montenegro and not the arrangement from the TV show.

 

[Rick Thompson]

In terms of theme music, Jerry Goldsmith's theme for the first season opening of "Man from U.N.C.L.E." was one of the best pieces of theme music I'd heard up to that point and basically solidified my already budding interest in movie themes. (Because Goldsmith was primarily a film music composer, in my mind I always group his "U.N.C.L.E." theme with his film music.) I bought an "U.N.C.L.E." soundtrack album and was appalled to find that the theme was played on it with an all-new arrangement by Hugo Montenegro and not the arrangement from the TV show.

A two-CD set of sound track selections (NOT re-recordings) from various episodes of the show was released in a limited edition of 1,000 from Film Score Monthly/Screen Archives Entertainment. It includes the first season main title (like you, I think it's great stuff) and various re-arrangements of it for main and end titles. It's still listed, so it seems you can still get it. Here's the link:

http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm/CDID/245/Man-From-U.N.C.L.E.-The/

 

[potnoodle]

Route 66
The Avengers
Newhart
Dark Shadows
Peter Gunn

 

[kingfish]

AIRWOLF
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
SPACE 1999 SEASON 1
VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
BUCK ROGERS SEASON 1
MIAMI VICE
MAGNUM P.I.

 

[bretmaverick2]

I think it goes overboard when we are asked about our FAVORITE themes, that 20+ themes are listed. I would think 5 or less would really be favorites, the rest would be just ones you 'like'.

That said, my favorites would be:

MAVERICK
CHEERS
LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT
BEWITCHED

 

[Gary OS]

I think it goes overboard when we are asked about our FAVORITE themes, that 20+ themes are listed. I would think 5 or less would really be favorites, the rest would be just ones you 'like'.

Sorry, teacher. Bring out the ruler.


Gary "I honestly can't narrow my list down to five, but if the thread starter had requested a specific number I would have" O.

 

[Ockeghem]

I can't list only five either, which is why I haven't participated until now. I love all of my volumes of Television's Greatest Hits and play them often. Here are a couple of the volumes I own.

 

[Wvtvguy]

Tough question. There were SO many great themes years ago. It used to be so important. I hear a theme & I think of the show. DRAGNET. THE FUGITIVE. GILLIGAN'S ISLAND. I was fortunate to grow up in the 70's & 80's so saw the last great period of the tv theme. Far fewer memorable ones in the 90's & today I'd strain to think of more than a few. SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN definitely one of my favorite intros. Honestly, the show had trouble living up to the promise of the intro. So dramatic!HAWAII FIVE - OSTREETS OF SAN FRANCISCOREMINGTON STEELE closing theme. Classy. MIAMI VICEMANNIXINCREDIBLE HULKDALLASI have a soft spot for the 70's themes which were so funky. I mean THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN didn't run long but had like 3 really catchy themes!

 

[Wvtvguy]

Forgot SWAT!!! I do like the theme to 24.

 

[Rick Thompson]

That said, my favorites would be:

MAVERICK
CHEERS
LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT
BEWITCHED

Which L&O: CI version -- the first or the second, which is actually from the short-lived Law & Order: Trial by Jury? Of course, all of them are just different arrangements of the same Law & Order theme.

 

[Neil Brock]

In terms of theme music, Jerry Goldsmith's theme for the first season opening of "Man from U.N.C.L.E." was one of the best pieces of theme music I'd heard up to that point and basically solidified my already budding interest in movie themes. (Because Goldsmith was primarily a film music composer, in my mind I always group his "U.N.C.L.E." theme with his film music.) I bought an "U.N.C.L.E." soundtrack album and was appalled to find that the theme was played on it with an all-new arrangement by Hugo Montenegro and not the arrangement from the TV show.

I disagree. I love the UNCLE theme, but season two is my favorite, although I don't mind seasons 3 & 4. First season doesn't do it for me as I find it kind of too slow and boring. Maybe because I started watching the show as kid in second season and never saw the first season shows until syndication.

 

[Neil Brock]

I can't list only five either, which is why I haven't participated until now. I love all of my volumes of Television's Greatest Hits and play them often. Here are a couple of the volumes I own.

Unfortunately, the early volumes are loaded with recreations, many abysmal like Petticoat Junction and The Rebel, and contain very few of the original themes from the shows. The first two volumes are about 90% recreations and then became fewer as the series wore on.

The definitive guide for this stuff is the book, TV Theme Soundtrack Directory and Discography with Cover Versions by Craig Pattillo, which came out in 1990. Lists virtually every show up to that point, telling who did the actual version on the show, whether it was ever released on vinyl or not, and every recorded version that did come out. Must have book for anyone who loves TV Themes. Unfortunately its long out of print and copies now go for big bucks.

 

[Neil Brock]

Some of my favorites that I haven't seen mentioned yet:T.H.E. CatThe DefendersCoronet BlueStorefront LawyersGarrison's GorillasKaren (1964) by The Beach BoysHeadmaster by Linda RonstadtAdam's RibThe Little People by Alan O'DayNancyJudd for the DefenseM SquadRoom 222The EvergladesDouble Life Of Henry PhyfeIt's funny but some of the worst shows in TV history had some of the greatest themes. Sherwood Schwartz's shows sucked but his theme songs were great.It's About TimeGilligan's IslandMy Mother The CarUgliest Girl In TownRango