OT: Best TV show theme intro

by roaddog on Mar 21, 2008 2:04 AM EDT

Taking into context the time when they were written and shown, given either the edge, uniqueness or that certain click that the intro music, graphics, and directing/editing added to their memorableness (nice word). The music seems to lock it in for me (cept the runner up for the 80s).

pre 60s - Rawhide, runner up Alfred Hitchcock

60s-70 - Hawaii Five-O, runner up: Star Trek (close)

70s-80 - Magnum PI (just under the wire), runner up: Shaft

80s-90 - Star Trek the Next Generation, runner up: gotta go with Baywatch

90s-00 - I can't believe I am saying it...Friends, runner up: uh...Seinfeld

00s-08 - Alias, runner up: have to be Lost right now.

Man, that's harder than I thought to pick "the Best". I dislike Friends, but that damn song stays with you and the scenery is good. That goofy Seinfeld music sticks too. Had to put Magnum there to get Baywatch in...not for the music..can't even remember what it sounded like....

I went with when the show debuted, but if you think its fits better later, that's cool. Let's let the rules be more like traffic lights in New York City...guidelines ;)

1 recs | Comment 33 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Without thinking about it too much,

I think I liked Barney Miller, Welcome Back Kotter, and Sanford and Son's themes better than Magnum.

by nwbb on Mar 21, 2008 2:24 AM EDT 0 recs

mine

50s: Twilight Zone
60s: The Munsters
70s: Barney Miller
80s: Diffrent Strokes
90s: COPS (Bad Boys, Bad Boys)
00s: Hank Williams Jr. Monday Night Football Theme

by Rev Halofan on Mar 21, 2008 5:38 AM EDT 0 recs

Mine

Prehistory: Gunsmoke
70s: M*A*S*H
80s: Magnum PI or Cheers or L&O
90s: Seinfield or Freaks and Geeks
00s: Trailor Park Boys

Actually, I vote Cheers above all. M*A*S*H comes in second.

Bonus points for identifying the source show of my user name.

by JohnnyTuttle on Mar 21, 2008 8:22 AM EDT 0 recs

#1

Sanford and Son

"You're a terrible ballplayer, but you've always been a great asshole."-salb918 on Ozzie Guillen

by gatling on Mar 21, 2008 9:05 AM EDT 0 recs

All Time #1

Sopranos ... 'nuff said.

by scstrato on Mar 21, 2008 9:29 AM EDT 0 recs

+1

though season 4 for The Wire is pretty close for me

by bleedjaxblue on Mar 21, 2008 9:53 AM EDT up 0 recs

I have to go with Season 4 of the Wire

Those kids singing were great

by andwoo on Mar 21, 2008 7:44 PM EDT up 0 recs

A bit more recent

bu the Fresh Prince opening & theme is iconic to my generation.

The Dodgers won't win a playoff series until the Cool-a-Coo returns.

by mckeeno on Mar 21, 2008 9:29 AM EDT 0 recs

+1

I still know the words.

The first version of the Law & Order: Criminal Intent theme song was pretty sick; It had this sweet breakbeat with some homicidal/psycho guitar. They changed it recently, I think when Chris Noth came back or something...

Tim Lincecum is Baseball's Chuck Norris

by Azantor on Mar 21, 2008 3:38 PM EDT up 0 recs

The best,

Talkin' Sports

by BlackOps on Mar 21, 2008 4:47 PM EDT up 0 recs

End of debate

It's Garry Shandling's Show

by fartballs on Mar 21, 2008 9:43 AM EDT 0 recs

Have to be in the discussion:

Mission Impossible, All in the Family, WKRP...don't watch much tv these days

A working class hero is something to be.

by t ball on Mar 21, 2008 10:11 AM EDT 0 recs

Television Tunes

televisiontunes.com

I'm partial to The Adventures of Pete and Pete, but the above site probably has just about every TV theme song ever....at least any song I ever bothered to look for.

by Jeteupthemiddle on Mar 21, 2008 10:27 AM EDT 0 recs

how bout

X-files? liked that show but maybe more because it was filmed locally. Still theme was pretty cool.

by bluechipper on Mar 21, 2008 11:04 AM EDT 0 recs

+1

The X-Files had a great theme. Good show too.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Mar 21, 2008 1:19 PM EDT up 0 recs

Westerns

For some reason, the oldtime westerns have stayed with me: Rawhide, The Lone Ranger ("...and a hearty Hi-Yo-Silver!"), Have Gun Will Travel, The Rebel. I can't seem to remember the Gunsmoke theme, tho. I guess I was too busy drawing against Matt Dillon at the beginning of each show (at age 10, I was faster).

by Jihan1 on Mar 21, 2008 11:09 AM EDT 0 recs

80s

The first 3 I think of are the A-Team (who can't do the dah-dah-dah-dah, duh-duh-duh) thing in their heads right now? C'mon, hum it out loud in your fofice right now:) Also Knight Rider and Dukes of Hazzard were catchy.

by killa on Mar 21, 2008 12:28 PM EDT 0 recs

Airwolf

Perfect Strangers
Punky Brewster

by Galt on Mar 21, 2008 1:42 PM EDT 0 recs

Rockford Files

Gotta go with the Rockford Files, the theme version with the twangy 70s guitar solo in the middle.

by John Sickels on Mar 21, 2008 1:56 PM EDT 0 recs

Love the Rockford Files

I have it as a ringer on my phone, great theme song, great show.

"You're a terrible ballplayer, but you've always been a great asshole."-salb918 on Ozzie Guillen

by gatling on Mar 21, 2008 11:18 PM EDT up 0 recs

Forgetting something?

The Simpsons. Theme songs don't get much more iconic than that.

go tribe

by matt k on Mar 21, 2008 3:12 PM EDT 0 recs

Addams Family

It had a song that was pretty easy to remember and stuck around for awhile

by The Gottfather on Mar 22, 2008 3:35 AM EDT 0 recs

#1 All-Time

George of the Jungle

The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."

by WalrusMan on Mar 22, 2008 11:17 AM EDT 0 recs

I can't believe that there haven't been more Cheers' Posts

It was just an amazing theme.

Relax, all right? Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.
Crash Davis

by Terry Ryan Jr on Mar 22, 2008 7:50 PM EDT 0 recs

+1

I actually thought I posted that earlier today saying the same thing, but I have to get used to this "preview" and then "post" thing. I hit the preview but forgot to post.

Others I gave props to were Golden Girls (I still love that song), Welcome Back Kotter, M.A.S.H. (even though I prefer the movie version with the lyrics), and The Incredible Hulk. As for newer shows I like The Office and Scrubs (even though it's been cut to just a line or two in the opening credits now).

Oh, and as King Billy saus below, Night Court rocked too. Sweet sweet sax.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Mar 23, 2008 2:11 AM EDT up 0 recs

Choices

Here are some solid choices:

Batman (Adam West version)
The Apprentice
Oz
Night Court

by King Billy Royal on Mar 22, 2008 8:18 PM EDT 0 recs

A few more not mentioned

The Greatest American Hero (If you don't remember the show, I promise you remember the theme song)
The Heights (how the heck does a theme song do better than the show itself?)
Married...With Children (Set the tone perfectly for the show)
Charles in Charge
The Prisoner (no song really, but a great intro)
Dragnet

I'll second The A-Team, Cheers, Fresh Prince, Simpsons, Mission Impossible

Worst intro of all time: Mindfreak

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Mar 23, 2008 2:26 AM EDT 0 recs

GAH

I was going to add Greatest American Hero to the mix.

"Happiness is a warm pistol". Robert Culp was awesome!

"Dying is no big deal. The least of us will manage that. Living is the trick." - Red Smith

by finman on Mar 25, 2008 12:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

I would like to add

MacGyver, my personal all-time favorite.

FJM, down in the trenches doing the Lord's work.

by zdavis2512 on Mar 23, 2008 12:36 PM EDT 0 recs

one i haven't seen

These are all great and that website with all the songs is awesome...but somehow "Cops" has to make the list somewhere. I think that song might be one of the most important to the popularity, recognition and survival of the show for any show ever.

by IHateMitchMustain on Mar 23, 2008 1:21 PM EDT 0 recs

couple brought up

make me maybe rethink some.

Cops (I wonder if there is anyone in the U.S. that doesn't know that song...even old folks know it), M*A*S*H*, Dragnet and Rockford Files. I debated on Gunsmoke the Adams Family for my picks, but went with the others.

I was thinking of the entirety of the intro, including the cinematography. That is if you can picture what was on screen with the song. That makes me put A-Team in there as well I think. Those silly gunshots along the jeep. Classic. Also the Simpsons and Fresh Prince.

Great lists everyone.

Its kinda interesting in that all these shows are cult classics. Makes you wonder how much was material in the show and how much was tag line to get you to watch. Enjoying all the posts.

by roaddog on Mar 23, 2008 2:37 PM EDT 0 recs