Rss

Been & Going

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jersey Joe’s Top 100 TV Themes (31-40)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
Posted by :Jersey Joe On : July 17, 2014
0

Category: Archive, Been, Columns, Kickin' Back with Jersey Joe, Topics, Travel

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here it is!  We’ve made it to the top 50!  All summer long, I’ve been counting down my top 100 favorite TV show themes.  We’ve had everything from current hits, to kid’s shows, to obscure classics.  Let’s keep the list going and see what’s in store for the next set of 10!

 

#40 HUNTER

Airdates: 1984-1991 & 2003 (NBC)

 

 

Fred Dryer was originally a football player for both the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams, before turning to acting, and taking on his signature character Hunter.

 

Hunter was a no-nonsense cop who battled the bad guys in the mean streets of LA.  Although the show would be considered tame by today’s TV standards, Hunter was a bit violent for the 1980’s.

 

I loved this series and it blended the right amount of action and humor, plus guy vs. gal antics with his partner Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Karmer).

 

The opening credits featured another great soundtrack by composer Mike Post, who would also create the themes for a number of TV shows.  Both the credits and the theme were updated every season, giving us more then seven great cuts.

 

Here’s a look at the revised credits from season 3.  They make no secret that this is a gritty cop show.  Just look at the drug dealing, murder, and action shots they feature.

 

 

By the time we get to season 5, the rock guitar really kicks in.  Plus, we get the money shot of Hunter stopping his car just above the Hollywood sign to admire the view of his city at the end.  I don’t recall that being in any episode…

 

 

By the time we get to season 7, Stepfanie Kramer left the show to pursue a singing career.  Have you ever heard her sing?  I haven’t.  A new female lead was brought in, but she clashed with actor Fred Dryer, so she was killed off and midway through the season and he gets yet another female partner.  The end shot in this version of the credits and even hard rock guitar theme are pretty cool.

 

 

After a few successful made for TV movies, NBC decided to bring back Hunter as a regular series in 2003.  Were you watching?  You probably weren’t.  It was cancelled after airing only 3 of the 5 produced episodes.

 

 

I admit it… I did watch the revival and they made two critical mistakes.  First, they moved Hunter from LA to San Diego and secondly, they let him look old.  The grey hair just wasn’t him.  It was like watching my grandfather do the stunts.  The only thing they did right in this version was to bring back Stepfanie Kramer, which they had already done in the TV movie.

 

#39 GREEN ACRES

Airdates: 1965-1971 (CBS)

 

 

You take a rich couple and put them on a farm in the country and you’ve got Green Acres!

 

The series explored the vast difference between city and country life and with a more than memorable opening theme.

 

Arnold the pig probably became more famous than the main characters during the show’s run.  Arnold could understand English and loved to watch TV, among many of his talent’s that cranked up the slapstick value of the show.  Although, he wasn’t on every episode, Arnold guaranteed a good laugh when he appeared.  I mean, who’s not going to laugh at a pig watching TV?

 

#38 SEINFELD

Airdates: 1989-1998 (NBC)

 

 

It’s the show about nothing that became one of the greatest shows in American TV history.  Every week, we would tune in to see the misadventures of Jerry and the gang as they screwed up life and love in New York City.

 

The show really didn’t have traditional opening credits.  During the early seasons, Jerry would perform his standup act as that memorable theme played in the background.  In the later years, they pretty much dropped Jerry’s standup from the show, which I think was a big mistake.

 

Not as big of a mistake as the series finale, though… am I right?

 

I could go on and on about this one, but we’ve all seen every episode over and over.  It’s one of the greatest shows ever… enough said.

 

#37 THE LOVE BOAT

Airdates: 1977-1987 (ABC)

 

 

It’s the cruise ship that everyone wanted to be on.  That’s because you never knew which big name celebrity would be making a guest appearance!

 

The Love Boat sailed for 10 seasons and each episode gave us three or four completely unrelated stories that somehow intertwined with each other.  The only weird part of the show was the use of a laugh track when this was clearly not recorded in front of a studio audience.

 

This series was so popular that one of the episodes has been rated one of TV Guide’s 100 Greatest Episodes of all Time.

 

For the show’s ninth season, the theme and credits got a massive upgrade.  Check out the new version with the Love Boat Mermaids!  YES!

 

 

Even after the show left the air, it still made two more TV movies.

 

UPN brought back the show as Love Boat: The Next Wave for two seasons from 1998-1999, but sadly it was cancelled to do low ratings and never gained the fame of its predecessor.  I never understood why the new captain kept putting his hat on over and over in the new credits?

 

 

#36 THE ODD COUPLE

Airdates: 1970-1975 (ABC)

 

 

Based on the hit Broadway play and the hit movie, you have two completely opposite divorced husbands sharing an apartment in 1970’s New York City.  One was a clean and proper guy, while the other was a complete slob.  That’s all you needed for one of television’s classic sit-coms.

 

I always liked the jazzy theme of the credits and the vintage shots of The Big Apple.  Even for the 1970’s their box design used here was unique and not easy to do.

 

ABC tried again with this same format and even recycled 8 scripts for its successor The New Odd Couple for one season that lasted from 1982-1983, only this time it was with two African-American guys. It never caught on and was cancelled.  Rumors are still floating around that Hollywood is planning another big budget Odd Couple film.

 

#35 THE SOPRANOS

Airdates: 1999-2007 (HBO)

 

http://youtu.be/RiDoBYu-S04

 

A show all about gangsters whacking each other off in New Jersey.  Sounds like a simple idea, but with plots and drama as complex as this show was, it was no wonder that it was must watch and much talked about TV for everyone.  It was the movie Goodfellas as a weekly TV series!

 

It’s not often that you find a show, as perfectly casted as this.  James Gandolfini was the perfect lead and everyone still talks about what happened in that final scene when Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin cranked up on the juke box.  Did he get whacked?  What do you think?

 

While the theme song stayed the same, the opening credits were altered for season 4 to remove the shot of the World Trade Center.  Living in the area, I can also tell you that if you followed the route he was driving, you would exit from the Lincoln Tunnel and end up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, but not before driving in circles around Jersey City to follow a few of the b-roll cutaway shots are not in the correct order.

 

Here’s a look at the season 5 credits, minus the World Trade Center towers.

 

 

TV Guide has listed The Sopranos opening credits as #10 of TV’s Top Ten Title Sequences.

 

#34 THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN

Airdates: 1993-present (CBS)

 

 

It’s official!  Dave is now the king of late night and I am going to be busted up when this show leaves the air next year.  I’ve been watching Dave since he started on NBC way back in 1982.  I even remember his short lived daytime show, where he got his feet wet that NBC cancelled all their game shows for even before that!

 

David Letterman has been a late night staple for many of us for decades and now I can understand how everyone would run to watch his mentor, Johnny Carson each night.  Dave is bow the Johnny of our generation.  Every big star from actor to comedian to US president has made a stop in the Ed Sullivan Theater to talk.

 

 

While Dave has kept the same brilliant jazzy show theme, the credits have changed drastically over the years.  Another show that was forced to remove images of the World Trade Center after it was destroyed (and Dave’s first show back on the air after that event will forever be TV history.)

 

By watching the evolution of Dave’s opening credits, you also get to see a glimpse of the gentrification of New York City.  In the first set, you’ll see the old cigarette billboards and dirt all over Times Square, but by the time we get to 1997, you can see how that’s all been cleaned up.

 

http://youtu.be/9HeKgjuJRZo

 

I always loved how they found unique ways to feature the band out and about in the city for their beauty shot!

 

…and here’s one final piece of TV history.  It’s their modified opening credits the night Superstorm Sandy hit New York City.  I didn’t get to see this when it was originally broadcast and I was too busy bailing water out of my flooded apartment.  I would have given anything to have been watching this in that most horrifying moment!

 

 

#33 GROWING PAINS

Airdate: 1985-1992 (ABC)

 

 

Another of the big 80’s family sit-coms, Growing Pains dealt with the Seavers as they too faced the trouble of raising three kids in the changing world.  It kind of sounds a lot like the plot of a few other 80’s sit-coms, but this show seemed to work and many of the obstacles that faced the family, seemed more true to life.

 

This series would deal with tough topics such as AIDS, sex, and even a close friend dying in a car accident, without trying to be cute like Full House was.  This was also thanks to Alan Thicke’s character, who as the father was a practicing psychologist who worked out of home and was always there to help his kids figure things out.

 

The first set of credits for this show, featured still painting meaning to depict the changing world and parenting through the years.  Thankfully, these were abandoned for glamour shots of the cast and a more upbeat theme after the first season.

 

 

I wonder if those were actually real life vintage photos of the cast?

 

#32 ONE DAY AT A TIME

Airdates: 1975-1984 (CBS)

 

 

I could call this just another sit-com, but it was actually more of a comedy-drama.  This series would tackle tough issues with life and relationships, while the main character, who was a divorcee who picks up her life and moves to Indianapolis, tackles a new world of feminism, all while raising her two daughters.

 

Each episode was set up so that you got the hard hitting plot point fairly early, then explored the resolution along with the characters for the remainder of the half hour.

 

 

While the characters took on a great deal of personal drama, cast member Mackenzie Phillips battled a very public fight with drugs that got her dismissed from the show, only to be rehired again.

 

As the series rolled on, new characters were constantly introduced to help keep the plots fresh.  Eventually, the mother (Bonnie Franklin) found a new true love, as did her younger daughter (Valerie Bertinelli) who basically grew up in front of America’s eyes.

 

The season six opening credits keep the same song, but the editing style is quite a departure from the rest of the show.  It looks like some editor found the magic box that allows video to be placed in boxes on screen and flown around.  This version of the opening is just one big train wreck.

 

 

By the time the show entered the final season, the editing style of the credits returned to normal, but featured many new additions to the cast.

 

 

#31 THE PRICE IS RIGHT

Airdates: 1972-present (CBS), 1972-1980 & 1985-1986 & 1994-1995 (Syndicated)

 

 

Here it comes!  Television’s most exciting hour!  It’s the game show and the open that’s excited viewers for over 40 years.  It’s a simple game show, where contestants are called four at a time to the stage to bid on an item, the person closest to the actual retail price gets to play a special pricing game for more cash.  Three at a time, they face off at a wheel and the top two go to the Showcase Showdown, where only the one who is closest to the actual retail price without going over, can take home the big cash!

 

The show was originally targeted to housewives, who were expert shoppers, and were also home during the day to watch the show.

 

Most people recognize Bob Barker and current host Drew Carey from the show, but Bob was not the first to host the series.  It actually aired in black and white on both NBC and CBS in a much scaled down form during the 1950s and 1960s.  Only a modified version of the bidding round was played.  This version was hosted by game show legend Bill Cullen from Pittsburgh.

 

You can check out a full episode of the original version, here:

 

 

When the Bob Barker version hit the air in 1972, it was known as The New Price is Right for a time.  Another version aired at night for local stations hosted by Dennis James, before Barker took over that show as well after 4 seasons.  Here’s a rare look at the James night time version:

 

http://youtu.be/v6WKm3sXkgM

 

Price made it back to syndication in 1985 for a season with host Tom Kennedy.  It returned again in 1994 with major modifications with host Doug Davidson.  The Davidson version was down right awful.  The set was seriously overhauled and mostly used video screens for the prizes and the games.  This version was a serious rating flop and was gone after one embarrassing season.

 

http://youtu.be/Gw4UjWy6tRU

 

When the Barker version started in 1972, the now famous “Come on Down!” line that called contestants to play was not part of the show open.  Instead, a contestant’s name was called and told to simply “Stand Up!”  It was quickly changed to the version we now know to love.

 

The Price is Right music itself has nothing to do with grocery products or prices, but it has become such a part of the show, that after all these years, it has to get a mention.  The current Drew Carey episodes still use the same style of open and theme, although now they are in high definition.

 

 

 

THE 411

 

What: TV Theme Songs

 

Use: themes used to open a TV series or cartoon

 

Purpose: introduce main cast and introduce audience to the theme of the series

 

Numbers reviewed: 31 – 40

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

We’re now past the halfway point in my countdown and the best is still to come!  I wanted to add M*A*S*H at number 32, but couldn’t find any actual show opens posted online.  There are tons of theme links, but none of the actual credit sequences with the cast securing injured solders off of the helicopter and buses.

 

Check back next week when we take a look at numbers 21-30.  We’ve got lots more NBC, including your favorite high school class, a Saturday night staple, and the New York courtroom we all wish we could get a case in if we ever get in trouble with the law!

 

I don’t own any of the rights to these, nor did I upload them to YouTube.  This blog is presented for educational and informational purposes.

 

Image credit –Jonathan Lassoff

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jersey Joe’s Top 100 TV Themes (51-60)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Posted by :Jersey Joe On : July 3, 2014
0

Category: Archive, Been, Columns, Kickin' Back with Jersey Joe, Topics, Travel

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We’re coming up on the half way point of my top 100 TV Themes summer count down.  I’ve never done a countdown show before, maybe we should do this more often!  So far, we’ve focused mostly on oldies, now we’re going to start moving up towards the 21st century.

 

Sadly, as TV progressed into the 21st century, the new style was for shows to shorten or drop their theme songs all together to slam in more ad time.  The standard sitcom now runs only 19 minutes without commercials!

 

Anyhow, I’ve got a few police show themes on my list this week… so let’s take a look!

 

#60 THE SMURFS

Airdates: 1981-1989 (NBC)

 

 

It’s a bunch of little blue people with giant white hats that live in a mushroom village.  These little blue guys skyrocketed into popularity when they first aired on NBC Saturday mornings.  Originally from a comic strip in Belgium, the show grew so popular that the Peacock Network expanded it to 90 minutes!

 

The cartoon regularly featured magic potions and stories set more in the medieval times, that’s until the last season when they started to add more time travel stories in an attempt to boost ratings.

 

In the end, it wasn’t low ratings that killed this show, it was The Today Show.  NBC had plans to create a Saturday morning version of Today, however that didn’t happen for two more seasons after they pulled the plug on Papa Smurf.

 

Now, fans of the show can enjoy the two live action blockbuster movies, with a third planned to hit theatres next year.

 

#59 COPS

Airdates: 1989-2013 (FOX) 2013-present (Spike TV)

 

 

COPS was another of those early shows that helped put FOX on the map.  What a simple and cheap concept to put on TV.  It was essentially, TV’s first reality show.  A camera crew rode around with police officers as they went on patrol and then edited the best action of the night down to 30 minute episodes.

 

This show was a staple of FOX Saturday night until last year, when new episodes moved to Spike TV.  This series made it to air thanks to the 1988 Writer’s Guild of America strike.  FOX needed new programming for their developing network and this reality show was it.

 

The theme song changed very little over the years with only the voice over slightly rewritten starting with season 3 to add “all suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”  As with most shows, FOX cut down the theme in the later years, dropping the entire second verse.  Here’s the intro to one of the last FOX aired episodes with the revised voice over:

 

http://youtu.be/FLvH-2d6ruY

 

#58 CRIME STORY

Airdates: 1986-1988 (NBC)

 

 

When Miami Vice became an instant hit for NBC, they wanted another big blockbuster show to follow in the footsteps and the execs came up with Crime Story.

 

Crime Story followed the a big time crime boss from Chicago, who escapes to Las Vegas, and takes over organized crime there.  This show was unique in that it changed cities from Chicago to Vegas in the first season.  Season 2 takes place almost entirely in Vegas, except for the very end, where our crime boss escapes to Mexico, had there been a season 3.

 

Here’s a look at the awesome season 2 Las Vegas intro.

 

 

The show did a great job of turning 1980’s Chicago and Vegas into their 1950’s counterparts.  If this series were on the air today, it would be all computer animation and green screens.  That couldn’t be done back then, so they brought in vintage cars, changed street signs, and shot in older parts of the cities that could easily represent their old school theme.

 

The series featured 50’s music, cool 50’s cars, and lots of guns and violence.  The show was one of the more violent on TV at the time.  One scene used the nuclear testing in the Nevada desert as a plot to knock off a bunch of gangsters.

 

This series did great in the first season, but was killed in the ratings by CBS’s Dallas and Falcon Crest on Friday nights.

 

#57 HILL STREET BLUES

Airdates: 1981-1987 (NBC)

 

http://youtu.be/bABk47MVyug

 

Another of NBC’s gritty 80’s cop shows, Hill Street Blues opening credits put you right in the middle of the action.  I love the dirty, raw shots of the city interspersed with the awesome piano theme.  You know exactly what kind of cop show you’re getting into with this.

 

And when is the last time you saw an actor smoking in the opening credits?

 

#56 FAME

Airdates: 1982-1983 (NBC) 1983-1987 (Syndicated)

 

 

As you can see with the last few themes, NBC was the powerhouse of television in the 1980’s and they tried for another hit idea with this series dealing with high school kids in a performing arts school. However, a tough Sunday night time slot killed it on the network.  When the show was sold into syndication for local stations – it became a hit.

 

Fame showed the lives to high school kids in a New York City performing arts school as they tried to make big names for themselves in show business.  Looking back on these credits now, I don’t think many of them actually did!

 

#55 CSI: NY

Airdates: 2004-2013 (CBS)

 

 

Gary Sinise was the prefect choice to star in the third CSI spinoff, CSI:NY.  I work in Manhattan and wish my office was as cool as the lab CSI was!

 

Over the years, the series survived a number of cast changes, including the departure of the show’s second star Melinda Kanakaredes.  When CBS moved this show to Friday nights, I knew the end was near, but somehow it still managed to survive for several more seasons.

 

I actually like this series better than the original CSI or the first spin-off CSI: Miami.  The streets of New York gave this series more drama and mystery as our detectives tried to piece together the weekly list of murders.  Sadly, the show wasn’t always shot in the Big Apple and at times it was obvious to see when Los Angeles streets were being used, instead.

 

Baba O’Reilly really rocks here, though.  Don’t you think?

 

Here’s a look at one of the final show opens and the cast changes are obvious.

 

 

#54 I LOVE LUCY

Airdates: 1951-1957 (CBS)

 

 

It was TV’s first mega-hit and it probably the most well known TV theme of them all.  Everybody tuned in each week for Lucy’s next sit-com misadventure.  The show made Lucy and Desi millionaires and has been on the air in reruns, ever since the original broadcast.

 

#53 FAMILY TIES

Airdates: 1982-1989 (NBC)

 

 

Another of NBC’s powerful 80’s sitcoms, Family Ties dealt with two 1960’s hippies that went on to raise a family, while tackling politics and liberal/conservative government debate on a weekly basis.

 

I always thought the second version of the opening credits with an artist painting a family portrait was cooler.  No other show that I can think of has ever tried this style of credits, since.

 

 

As the kids grew up over the years, producers added another kid, as most do when they try to keep a show relevant in the later years.

 

 

Besides the sha-la-la-la at the end of the credits, most will remember the production company’s title card after the end credits that featured the famous dog, Ubu.

 

http://youtu.be/b21JjtknZ-Q

 

#52 EMPTY NEST

Airdates: 1988-1995 (NBC)

 

 

A spin-off of The Golden Girls and aired immediately after on Saturday night’s, Empty Nest told the story of Harry Weston, a pediatrician that lived across the street with his giant dog, Dreyfus.  The characters from both shows crossed over so much that in the final seasons after The Golden Girls was cancelled, Sophia was brought in as a main cast member.

 

This show was freaking hilarious and was a great companion to The Golden Girls and it showed with big ratings!  Remember when people watched TV on Saturday nights?  NBC had such strong Saturday shows, people would tune in starting at 8pm and stay on through the local 11pm news.

 

In the earlier seasons, Harry worked in a Miami hospital as a pediatrician, but in later years, he was reassigned to a local clinic.  The first concept was better, as it allowed him to interact with more kids, which added to the comedy.

 

In the later seasons, a more upbeat version of the main theme was introduced, which in my opinion was a great upgrade!

 

http://youtu.be/tazTm3e98ew

 

#51 TWO & A HALF MEN

Airdates: 2003-present (CBS)

 

 

I never really watched this show and I didn’t care for the premise or (worse) Ashton Kutcher, but for all the trouble behind the scenes, this show has a great theme.

 

While the credits really don’t introduce anything about the show, the barber shop singing theme is unique.  It’s a popular show and I know I’m missing the bus on this one, somehow.

 

http://youtu.be/65_W6vezUx4

 

THE 411

 

What: TV Theme Songs

 

Use: themes used to open a TV series or cartoon

 

Purpose: introduce main cast and introduce audience to the theme of the series

 

Numbers reviewed: 51 – 60

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

We’re nearly half way done with the summer count down.  I hope you’re enjoying this trip down TV memory lane as much as I am!

 

Check back next week when we take a look at numbers 41-50.  Next week we’re going back to the 60’s, the most awesome car ever, and the scariest show I’ve ever watched on network TV!

 

I don’t own any of the rights to these, nor did I upload them to YouTube.  This blog is presented for educational and informational purposes.

Image credit – Draconiansleet

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jersey Joe’s Top 100 TV Themes (61-70)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Posted by :Jersey Joe On : June 26, 2014
0

Category: Archive, Been, Columns, Kickin' Back with Jersey Joe, Topics, Travel

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I hope you’re enjoying counting down my top 100 TV themes!  For the past three weeks, we’ve been having a blast!  Now, it’s time to continue our summer countdown with numbers 61 – 70!

 

#70 MR. ED

Airdates: 1961 (Syndication) 1961-1966 (CBS)

 

 

A talking horse?  That was the premise for this 60’s sitcom that was later be re-run over and over on Nick at Nite in the 80’s, giving a whole new generation a look at a real talking horse.

 

The show was first tried out on local stations for 8 months, before being picked up by CBS.

 

Ed was taken care of by clumsy architect Wilbur and would only speak to him.  That added to the comedy as Wilbur would often be seen as psycho for talking to his horse.  What’s wrong with that?  I used to talk to my cat all the time and she’d usually meow to answer…

 

There were a few different theories on how they made the horse talk, including having Ed lick peanut butter, but it was revealed by the never credited off screen voice of Ed, that the horse was trained to lip read when a trainer would touch his hoof.

 

An Ohio preacher once claimed that Mr. Ed’s theme contains Satanic messages if played backward.  Uh, huh…

 

#69 MARRIED WITH CHILDREN

Airdates: 1987-1997 (FOX)

 

 

You know you’re going to make a top 100 list, when Frank Sinatra sings your theme song!

 

The first sit-com that showed America the trashy side of life, this show was panned by critics for being too sleazy, but it put the FOX network on the map.

 

The opening credits changed a bit over the seasons, first because Ted McGinley joined the cast and secondly, because the kids grew up, so new shots were recorded each season.

 

 

The fun part of the intro is where Al Bundy give all his money away.  First to the kids, then to the wife, and what’s left goes to the dog!

 

Here’s a bonus, would you like to see what Married with Children looked like in Brazil? Here’s their intro… notice the similarities?

 

 

#68 MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS

Airdates: 1993-1995 (FOX Kids)

 

 

Go! Go! Power Rangers!  Every kid in the 90’s was singing this.  The show was so bad, it was good!

 

It was a group of average teenagers, who had expert martial arts skills that transferred into a tight spandex costume to fought alien invaders.  That’s what happened when you were a teen, right?

 

The series was loved for its use of over the top alien model footage from some other Japanese kids show.

 

The three seasons were rerun over and over about a zillion times and spawned a number of spin-offs.  I just learned that several of the cast members walked off the set during season 2 and several episodes were completed using existing footage and stock shots.  After a few episodes, three new teens were brought into replace them.  This started the series tradition of introducing a new cast each season.

 

Here are the revamped credits from season 2:

 

 

Same song, but we get completely different cast shots for season 3.  This time, it looks like they simply wheeled the camera out to the parking lot.

 

 

After three seasons in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers format, the show shifted gears to become Power Rangers Zeo.  This version of the credits only used a portion of the original theme.  And for some reason, the Rangers themselves changed colors.

 

 

Sadly, we lose the theme completely for Power Rangers Turbo.  The show shift gears and themes each and every season from this point.  Here’s a look at a few different openings and themes, none are as good as the original.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#67 WKRP IN CINCINNATI

Airdates: 1978-1982 (CBS) 1991-1993 (Syndication)

 

Fast forward to 2:54 for the season 2 opening credits.

 

 

WKRP was the show that made being a radio DJ cool.  Back in the 70s, DJ’s made big bucks and you could call them up a make a request.  Now, most of the radio stations are automated, but this series gave you a glimpse into their rock star lives.

 

One cool note was that the lyrics on the closing credits are completely made up.  They were initially ad-libbed as a placeholder to be written later, but the producers loved the melody, so they went with it as is.  Meaning, the lyrics that make absolutely no sense were used through the entire series run.  Take a listen; see if you can figure out what’s being said.

 

 

This is one of the rare shows that were successfully brought back from the dead.  Almost a decade after being canceled by CBS, it was brought back into syndication with new episodes for local stations to air.  Many of the original cast returned, the theme was given an update and was known as The New WKRP in Cincinnati.

 

 

By the way, there is no real radio station known as WKRP.

 

#66 TINY TOON ADVENTURES

Airdates: 1990 (CBS, pilot only) 1990-1992 (Syndicated) 1992-1994 (FOX Kids)

 

 

We’ve already talked a little about Tiny Toon Adventures as being a spin-off from the popular Looney Tunes cartoon shorts.  (see #85 Animaniacs).  The original pilot aired as a one time only special on CBS, before heading to syndication.  FOX Kids picked up the last two seasons for a total of 100 episodes.

 

This was another series that spawned a ton of spin-offs, but this was the first, and the best!  Another Warner Bros. series where many of the jokes were aimed more at adults.  FOX even aired several episodes and specials in prime time!

 

I really wish they would have never gone to the spin-offs and kept this series on the air.  It could have lasted as long as the original Looney Tunes.  There was a large cast of characters, so the story development was nearly endless.  WB should take another look and bring this series back.

 

#65 MIAMI VICE

Airdates: 1984-1989 (NBC)

 

http://youtu.be/itU19NopUJY

 

Miami Vice was everybody’s must see TV – even on a Friday night!  It showed the cool side of being a tough detective in the hot streets of Miami.  Every week, the detectives took on drug traffickers and prostitutes. It also featured luxury cars, fast boats, and lots of gun fire!

 

This show started an 80’s fashion craze, where everyone was wearing sport coats and rolling up their sleeves.  And don’t you love that strategically placed bouncing boob shot in the first few seconds of the open?

 

The original working title of the series was Gold Coast.  I think they made the right choice!

 

#64 THE KING OF QUEENS

Airdates: 1998-2007 (CBS)

 

http://youtu.be/Oq5acVuQUo8

 

Thanks Kevin James, but I’ve been stuck in traffic on the Queensboro Bridge (now Ed Koch Bridge) too!

 

This sit-com was freaking hilarious and I once read online that many of the zany plot points came from the writer’s room, who were absolutely stoned out of their mind on drugs and drunk on scotch.  That’s according to co-star Patton Oswalt.  Who knows if that’s true or not, but some of the more funnier moments is Doug beating up a fast food drive thru order box, his best friend falling in love with a giant ice cream cone mascot, and Doug’s father getting taken for walks by a dog walker on a daily basis.

 

I don’t know how Doug kept his sanity, to be honest.  If he wasn’t fighting with his wife, he was arguing with this father, or just ticking off his boss.  Doug made it funny to be a fat, blue collar worker that most of us can relate to.

 

The first and second versions of the credits, showed a shot of the original World Trade Center that was edited out with a shot of the elevated 7 train after 9-11.

 

Later seasons used a condensed version of the theme and some shows only had a quick 5 second title card open.

 

Here’s a fun bonus – a short version of the opening credits from Croatia!

 

 

#63 ST. ELSEWHERE

Airdates: 1982-1988 (NBC)

 

 

It’s the show that brought Howie Mandel to television!  No, it’s not really known for that, but the series was one of the bigger medical dramas to ever air.  One of the more zany plots included a man that got pregnant!  There was no medical matter off limits!  It was basically, House for the 80’s… a decaying teaching hospital, where doctors always pull off some zany diagnosis in the closing minutes of the episode.  Each episode took on a serious subject and injected moments of dark comedy.

 

Howie Mandel is not the only big name you’ll recognize from the credits!

 

#62 THE FLINTSTONES

Airdates: 1960-1966 (ABC)

 

 

Let’s all sing along together, now!

 

It’s The King of Queens in the form of a 1960’s cartoon!  Each week, Fred and Barney would end up on another wacky adventure, whether it was battling the boss, looking for a get rich quick scheme, or just trying to escape the wives at The Loyal Order of Water Buffalos.

 

This show was only on the air 6 seasons, but the reruns are still on today.  It also spawned 2 live action movies and even a cereal and vitamin line for kids.  Everybody knows who Fred Flintstone is and he just had to make my list!

 

In the early days of the show, commercials were made with Fred and Barney selling Winston cigarettes.  No wonder everybody smoked back then…

 

 

…and beer!

 

 

#61 FULL HOUSE

Airdates: 1987-1995 (ABC)

 

 

When you think of a family sit-com, Full House is it!  You had everything, a widowed dad, his two best friends as room mates, and three girls that they’re helping him to raise.

 

Each week, we got a life lesson, a lot of laughs, and so many cutesy – cutesy moments.

 

As the series went on, the opening credits would get shorter and shorter, even though the cast would get larger.  By the time we got to season 8, Michelle was not the cute little girl anymore and only got in the way of the shows plots, so Uncle Jessie got married and had two more kids of his own, adding at least three more names to the intro.

 

 

In an earlier blog, I looked at the original pilot open without Bob Saget in his now legendary role.  Take a look… same song, same shots, different guy!

 

 

THE 411

 

What: TV Theme Songs

 

Use: themes used to open a TV series or cartoon

 

Purpose: introduce main cast and introduce audience to the theme of the series

 

Numbers reviewed: 61 – 70

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

Another great set of good old shows we got to review this week, but a few more recent series have now made it into the countdown.  I’m still shocked at how they used the Flintstones to sell cigarettes and alcohol.  Parents would throw a fit seeing SpongeBob selling those products!

 

Check back next week when we take a look at numbers 51-60.  Next week we’ve got cops, cops, and more cops!

 

I don’t own any of the rights to these, nor did I upload them to YouTube.  This blog is presented for educational and informational purposes.

 

Image credit – Adrian Patino

Cookie Wisdom

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
Posted by :Lauren Sims On : July 30, 2008
0

Category: Archive

On my office wall, somewhere between the picture of the Eiffel Tower, a postcard someone sent me from Homer, Alaska, my Italy wall calendar which is currently sporting a picture of Castel Sant’ Angelo, and my company’s Mission Statement is my own little personal Mission Statement. It came to me in a fortune cookie. I don’t remember exactly when I cracked open this cookie or from which Chinese restaurant it came. It’s been on my wall for a long time and I look at it at least once a day, think about what it means to me that day, and move on.

Almost ThereIt says: YOU ARE ALMOST THERE

Sometimes, during my pessimistic moments, it’s taunting me. I’m almost there, I’ll always be almost there, I’ll never just be there.

Sometimes, in my “get me the hell out of here” moments, it’s reassuring. That little piece of paper gets me, it’s telling me to hold on, keep going, the end is in sight.

Sometimes, in my metaphysical moments, it’s questioning me. Where is “there?” When will you know when you’re “there?” If you do reach “there” will there be another “there?”

I like to think about what “there” is. Some days it’s just the end of this chapter, the day I pack up my desk and walk out the door. Some days it’s an actual “there”–a place, like the Tel Aviv airport with my luggage trying to adjust to the smell of a new place. Some days it’s my mind, it’s the little place where I’m not questioning or over-analyzing and over thinking and making myself nuts. Some days it’s nowhere– a long dirt road that I can’t see the end of.

It’s the perfect fortune for me, evocative and changing, perfect for my overactive brain. I can think it to death and never have an answer. I’ll just want to keep thinking some more. Maybe someday I’ll have the answer- maybe I’m almost there. I hope not.

Foggy Head Me

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
Posted by :Lauren Sims On : July 25, 2008
0

Category: Archive

This morning my head is foggier than the Venice airport on a Sunday morning in February. I feel like all the things that I need to think about have congealed into a big green jell-o mold in the center of my brain. It’s wiggling a little, but no pieces of pineapple are springing through.

I’m having selling my car anxiety this morning. The timing is what’s worrisome. How long do I give myself to sell it? Will it go fast? If so, how can I get around without a car? I don’t even have a happy safe place to park my thoughts right now–everything seems “Ack” worthy. Plane tickets- ACK! Laptop buying- ACK! Should I buy new shoes- ACK! I should be coughing up a fur-ball by now. I think I’ll hide under my desk for a few hours.

Happy Friday!

The Token Blog About Blogging and Other Stuff, Too.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
Posted by :Eric Sims On : July 24, 2008
0

Category: Archive

OK, I admit it. Blogging still feels weird to me. For someone who likes to keep his plans pretty close to his chest and is so constantly pessimistic that he doesn’t like to reveal too much lest the evil eye glare upon him, posting updates about major life plans on the Internet still seems a little unnatural. When I mentioned to the intern today that I never use Facebook, because I don’t like putting lots of info about myself online, he looked at me like I just pulled out a Victrola and started playing the Greatest Hits of Mario Lanza. At any rate, it’s a little weird, but, nevertheless, it is the way of the world and, I find that once I start writing, I can get really into rambling through the thicket of verbal woods in my overcrowded skull and sharing my inner babble with the world. That is to say, the tiny part of the world that might actually give a crap.

Anyhow- it’s nuts. Everyday, a new exciting and sometimes terrifying facet of what we are about to do reveals itself. As I walk to Baja Fresh, I think- in four months I’ll be getting falafel in Tel Aviv. I flip channels late at night and think, I wonder what’s on in Morocco. I walk by Disney Hall and realize that before too long, I’ll be seeing the Pyramids. It’s like waiting in line for the biggest roller coaster in the park. You can’t quite believe that pretty soon, it’s going to be your turn to strap in and turn your life upside-down and every agonizingly slow step brings you closer and closer to hurtling over the edge into the wonderful madness of the world.

I have some Reservations

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
Posted by :Lauren Sims On : July 23, 2008
0

Category: Archive

I had several Anthony Bourdain themed dreams last night. I don’t remember the substance of them, just that his buck-toothed smirk was in them. I shouldn’t have watched back-to-back episodes of No Reservations before I went to bed. I’m a recent watcher of the show and thanks to my DVR was able to collect some past episodes. What I like best about him is that he conveys the idea that who we are doesn’t really change when we are travelling. If he’s lazy and a smoker who avoids physical activity, he’s not going to suddenly relish climbing 274 stairs just because he’s entering a holy Hindu cave in Malaysia. He’s going to pant and complain. However, despite that, he’s very open to the various experiences presented to him and is very honest about his reactions. I aspire (rather skeptically) to be that open. It’s refreshing from a travel host and show. And the fact that they are willing to film him while he’s drunk is a definite plus.

That being said, he’s not welcome in my dreams anymore.

A Client!

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
Posted by :Lauren Sims On : July 22, 2008
0

Category: Archive

I have my first client! Yay! OK, it’s Eric’s sister but she’s an actual paying customer who needs me to do some HR-related work for her. I say it counts. At any rate it’s all forward progress, no matter how small, in the direction of people paying me to do things I know how to do.

Eric has also made some fantastic contacts in the Israel theatre world. Someone he has worked with here in LA produces a lot of theatre over there and knows a lot of people. Someone wants to meet with him when we get to Tel Aviv. Weee!

At some point I was complaining about how much harder it is to leave the country for several months at 35 as opposed to 22 (the last time I did it). One advantage about being 35 is that we know more people, have more experience and have a much broader network that we can try and tap if we need to.

The Thinner the Pancake the Thicker the Yearning

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
Posted by :Lauren Sims On : July 16, 2008
1

Category: Archive

It’s funny how emotions work. I mean you’re cruising along thinking that you’re pretty confident in your feelings about something and then things change, suddenly you start to get all wistful over a place you were pretty sure you didn’t like. OK, let me now substitute “I” for “you” in those sentences above. Let me own my contradictions.

When we moved to LA in October 2001, I had never been here. Well, I had been to Disneyland when I was 4, but I don’t really think Tomorrowland counts. There are things I like about LA. The quality of life here is better than NY, it was easier to carve out a nice little existence for ourselves in this sprawling mega-urb than we ever could on the tiny island of Manhattan. And that’s nice. Professionally, who can complain? Six years ago I got a temp job in an HR department in a bank and now I’m an HR Manager making 3x my salary when I left NY. OK, so what’s the problem?

I don’t like it here, don’t like the people, don’t like the game. It’s complicated and I even wrote a novel about it, maybe it’ll even be published one day. And yet, when my brother came out to visit us for my birthday last month I found myself getting all nostalgic. We drove up to Solvang to wine taste and I was getting misty eyed over Danish pancakes. I tried to employ my Venice Italy strategy: never think that you’re never coming back. But wait, do I really care if I never come back? What’s going on?

And now, my college roommate is coming to visit at the end of August and the best thing I can come up with to do is go to San Francisco. So maybe I don’t really like LA after all. I suppose now is the time to close that Danish pancake eating chapter of my life. There are many other kinds of pancakes out there. Did it matter that these pancakes happen to be near LA? Could they be anywhere and I’m just missing the tradition? That’s probably it. I’m sure that’s it. It most definitely can’t be LA I’m missing.