Best TV Theme Songs/Opening Credits

[Just the facts]

While not in vogue these day, TV shows historically had theme songs and opening credits at the start of each episode which explained the show. Maybe this is why the 70's and 80's were so much better. What are some of your favorites?

Here are some of mine in no particular order.

Dukes of Hazzard


Dallas


Magnum P.I.


Bosom Buddies


One Day At A Time (probably my favorite)


Fall Guy


BJ and the Bear


Simon and Simon

[stick47]

Peter Gunn

[Achilleslastand]

Heres some junkyard funk for yas.........

[Achilleslastand]

[Achilleslastand]

Opps don't know how this got in here......

[Of Sound Mind]

[Of Sound Mind]

[Of Sound Mind]

[Of Sound Mind]

[Of Sound Mind]

[SoonerDave]

Obvious choice from the 60s: Gilligan's Island. I mean, everyone knows that silly opening song, even if they didn't watch the show. (Sorry, no video) And you were instantly brought right up to date with the show if you just listened to those lyrics

Star Trek - heck, boldly splitting an infinitive is part of our vernacular now.

Brady Bunch

Kudos to the Dallas pick - great theme. The current TV reincarnation is, IMHO, fading fast.

It was only a soso soap opera, but "Falcon Crest" (right after Dallas at 9pm on Fridays) had this wonderfully over-the-top theme music.

Loved it when "Happy Days" had the original "Rock around the Clock" theme..

[Richard at Remax]

No Contest

[ErnestA]

Dallas' was great, but it's Jerrold Immel's other soap theme that's my favorite.

[SoonerDave]

A few other cool ones came to mind...

Rockford Files...can still hear that harmonica

Remington Steele

Guess I lost track of the fact that we really don't have any signature themes in TV these days. Perhaps that's in the same vein as the loss of the great musical scores/epic themes like those of John Williams for Star Wars or Jerry Goldsmith for the early Star Trek movie...

heck, for a delightfully silly, goofy theme, I remember the ol Match Game theme from the mid-70's. One of the game shows from that era that made no secret of its total silliness, embraced it, had fun with it, made no apologies for it - and the irony is that it was not intended to be an inherently comedic show - as a "reboot" of its 50's era namesake it was intended to be a straight-up game show, but once the silly questions started they realized they had something and stuck with it. Gene Rayburn was the perfect host for that.

There was a great funky theme for the original $10,000 Pyramid on CBS, very 70's, very funky, and a great theme. Also my absolutely all-time favorite game show as a kid - even got to try out for it when it was the $25,000 Pyramid out in L.A. back in 1981...made it past the first round of tryouts with no problem, but couldn't stay for the second round the following week..mom's vacation was over A great regret.

[Just the facts]

If Achilleslaststand is going to through in HR Puff and Stuff then I am putting these three in the ring.

Land of the Lost


Banana Splits


The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

[Just the facts]

heck, for a delightfully silly, goofy theme, I remember the ol Match Game theme from the mid-70's. One of the game shows from that era that made no secret of its total silliness, embraced it, had fun with it, made no apologies for it - and the irony is that it was not intended to be an inherently comedic show - as a "reboot" of its 50's era namesake it was intended to be a straight-up game show, but once the silly questions started they realized they had something and stuck with it. Gene Rayburn was the perfect host for that.

That might be the best game show ever.

[ctchandler]

Achilleslastand,
So where is the Sammy Davis theme song that belongs to the opening of Baretta?
C. T.

[okseer]

This thread would not be complete with out mentioning Bonanza. Still have that song stuck in my head!

[Of Sound Mind]

[Just the facts]

This thread would not be complete with out mentioning Bonanza. Still have that song stuck in my head!

[ErnestA]

Fun thread, Kerry. Seconds on Sopranos and Simon and Simon. Here's a fun, more recent one that's perhaps a bridge to the short-to-nonexistent themes we have today.

[Just the facts]

I don't watch much network TV these days but here is one current show that still uses a theme song, but it is still not near as long as the old shows were.

[catcherinthewry]

I'm surprised The Rembrandts' opening for Friends hasn't been mentioned. Also, although M*A*S*H theme made more sense for the movie, it was still very recognizable and a good song in itself.

[Roger S]

[OKCTalker]

Hawii Five Oh