Rss

Been & Going

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jersey Joe’s Top 100 TV Themes (71-80)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Posted by :Jersey Joe On : June 19, 2014
0

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

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

For the past two weeks, we’ve counted down the bottom 20 of my 100 top TV themes of all time.  This week, we’re in the 70’s!

 

Anyhow, let’s take a look at the next group of ten.

 

#80 THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES

Airdates: 1962-1971 (CBS)

 

http://youtu.be/QtvTE3m5jpM

 

A poor, backwoods family finds oil and moves to Beverly Hills?  It happened in this sitcom that was on for so long; it started off in black and white and ended in full blown color.

 

I guess for the original opening, they weren’t able to take the cast for a real drive down Rodeo Drive, so they used some really bad rear projection.  You can see how the scene bumps up and down as the camera car hits a pot hole, but the cast shot stays steady.

 

However, when the show transitioned to color, they got it right and reshot part of the opening credits, including a real live shot driving down Rodeo Drive!  When the show becomes a hit – the budget increases!

 

 

Just about everybody who was born up until the early 1980’s knew this theme song by heart.  I think it was even played on the radio at one point.

 

The show was remade as a movie in the early 90’s with Jim Varney that was surprisingly pretty good.  Most TV shows remade into movies these days just don’t work.

 

#79 227

Airdates: 1985-1990 (NBC)

 

 

It was the apartment building where everybody knew your name and loved to hang out.  The show made Jackee Harry a TV icon with her Sandra character.  However, by the time season 4 started, tension between her and star Marla Gibbs grew to such a point on the set, that executives gave Harry her own spin-off.  Sadly, after the pilot aired the show was not picked up and Harry was off the air.

 

The show continued on, but Harry’s loss was a blow the series never recovered from.  For season 5, they brought in a whole new slew of characters, but they couldn’t save the falling ratings.  Producers brought Harry back for the last 7 episodes of the season, but it was too late and NBC canceled the show.

 

#78 AMEN

Airdates: 1986-1991 (NBC)

 

 

Another staple on NBC’s powerful Saturday night sit-com lineup, this usually aired at 8pm right before 227.  Remember when Saturday night actually had half descent original programming?

 

Set in a Philadelphia church, this sit-com dealt with the antics of the less than holy Deacon Frye.  The opening credits were recently parodied by Cleveland on Family Guy this season.  This show was absolutely hilarious and I love the old Pennsylvania license plate on his giant car!

 

And check out the bonus end credits that were attached to the video.  Did you happen to catch Cuba Gooding, Jr. as a guest star?  That had to be early in his career.

 

For the show’s entire run, these credits never changed, outside of the addition of new cast members names on screen.

 

#77 DOOGIE HOWSER, MD

Airdates: 1989-1993 (ABC)

 

 

A simple keyboard theme is all you needed for this one.

 

A super genius kid becomes a practicing doctor, before he’s even a teen!  That can really happen, right?  Not if the insurance companies have anything to say about it!  But, of course it can – thanks to the magic of television.

 

At the end of every episode, Doogie would turn on his computer, which at the time was really only a word processor (his life would have been so different had the internet existed then), and type about what he had learned that day.  It always had some witty line and always had a cut away of Doogie as he pondered what he had learned.  I wonder how many kids ended up doing journals thanks to this show?

 

This was another series where the credits changed very little over the years, just new shots of Neil Patrick Harris as he grew up.

 

#76 MR. BELVEDERE

Airdates: 1985-1990 (ABC)

 

 

I love the creative use of photographs, not only of Mr. Belvedere’s adventures, but also the multi shots of the cast.

 

Just by listening to the song, you know you’ve got a legendary butler that moves in with a family from Pittsburgh.  What more do you need?

 

Here’s a look at the opening credits from the first two seasons.  The slide show like opening from the pilot makes me sick.  Glad they only used it once!

 

 

#75 THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON

Airdates: 1962-1992 (NBC)

 

 

While the current incarnation of the show is hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Carson has long been considered the king of late night.  Only David Letterman has recently passed this show on number of episodes and number of seasons.

 

Carson was not the first host of The Tonight Show.  That was actually Steve Allen and it went on the air way back in 1954.

 

When Carson first took over as host, the show aired from 11:15pm – 1:00am.  That’s 105 minutes!  As more local stations began broadcasting 11pm news, Carson’s opening monologue was going unseen by the vast majority of the US.  NBC then decided to move the show to 11:30 and trimming it to 90 minutes.  In the 70’s, Carson grew tired of the 90 minute format and again trimmed the show to an hour.  It was finally moved to the current 11:35 time slot in 1991, to allow affiliates more commercial time in their late news.

 

The opening credits have undergone massive changes over the years.  Sadly, almost all of the pre-1971 shows have been lost.  Videotape was expensive then and NBC would simply tape over the air checks with another show.   There are years of great interviews and skits that will never again see the light of day.

 

#74 PICTURE PAGES

Airdates: in various forms 1974-1990 (CBS, Syndicated, and Nickelodeon)

 

 

I was so mad that I couldn’t have a pen that played music as you write.  I’d still like to have one now to drive my co-workers nuts!

 

Bill Cosby would teach kids reading, writing, and arithmetic using a series of puzzles that you can send away for and play along.

 

The show actually started in Pittsburgh in 1974 when a local grocery store gave away the books.  The segments went national in 1978 as part of the Captain Kangaroo program on CBS.  Later, kids cable network Nickelodeon picked up the rights and aired it as a half hour show.  Here’s a look at the seriously lame song on the Nick version:

 

 

#73 DUCKTALES

Airdates: 1987-1990 (Syndicated)

 

 

Scrooge McDuck and his three nephews were always going on an adventure to score more money.  As a kid, I always thought it would be awesome to jump into Scrooge’s money pit vault.  Now that I’m older, I realize that jumping face first into a deep vault of a zillion coins probably would really hurt.  Also, money is quite filthy… who wants to swim in filth?

 

I actually won tickets to the spin-off movie DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp from a local TV station.  The same station I ended up working at a decade later!

 

Thanks to the success of this show, Disney launched a whole afternoon of other cartoons including Tale Spin, The Gummi Bears, Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, and a few more that I forget.  DuckTales was always the first and the best, though.

 

This show only lasted 100 episodes, but it seemed to go on forever!  DuckTales Woo-ooh!

 

#72 BONANZA

Airdates: 1959-1973 (NBC)

 

http://youtu.be/NP8qKiTltj0

 

A fictional ranch in Nevada back in the wild west days was the setting for this long lasting series.  Another show that started out in black and white and made the switch to color.

 

It is the second longest television western in history behind Gunsmoke.  It will probably stay that way, because people don’t seem to want TV westerns anymore.

 

I’ve seen a handful of episodes, but the cool part of the credits is how they set the map on fire and luma key to the first shot of video underneath.  Pretty great idea that was ahead of it’s time.

 

And holy moley Jeanne Cooper does not look comfortable posing for her guest star credit show!

 

#71 SIMON & SIMON

Airdates: 1981-1989 (CBS)

 

http://youtu.be/osYdKFhzzlc

 

They were two complete opposites, but they ran a successful private detective agency together.  It was basically, The Odd Couple of private eyes!  It was one of the many action drama/comedy shows of the 80’s.

 

I remember watching the show from time to time and reruns still turn up occasionally, but it was the awesome guitar sax combo of the theme song they used starting with season three that made this one memorable.  The shot of Gerald McRaney getting cold cocked through an open door is pretty priceless as well!  (He went on to star in the Army sit-com Major Dad, right after this!)

 

Take a look at how the opening credits were for the first couple of seasons and you’ll agree that the classic guitar sax combo was a hit!

 

 

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: 71 – 80

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

I hope you enjoyed the look at the next group of themes.  A few kids ones made it into the group this time. I still want a singing pen, Bill Cosby!

 

Check back next week when we take a look at numbers 61-70.  We’ve got Zordon, a fat delivery guy that loves the Mets, and a talking horse!

 

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 – James Vaughan

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jersey Joe’s Top 100 TV Themes (81-90)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Posted by :Jersey Joe On : June 12, 2014
0

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

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

Last week, we kicked off the summer by checking out the bottom ten of my 100 favorite TV show themes of all time.  This week, we’re looking at 81 – 90.

 

This is more than just a top 100 countdown list.  Each show theme has been judged by theme song, style of video presented, and effectiveness at introducing what the series is all about.

 

Without further adieu… Here’s the next ten:

 

#90 BAYWATCH

Airdates: 1989-1990 (NBC) & 1991-2001 (Syndicated)

 

http://youtu.be/qPdeDV8zCWk

 

Oh, Baywatch!  How I used to rush home from high school to watch your reruns everyday at 4pm on WJAC!  What a perfect time for this show, right before the 5pm news!

 

The real beauty of this show was the slow motion running shots.  But, most people don’t remember this actually started on NBC in 1989.  The ratings from the first season weren’t that great and the show was cancelled by the peacock network.  It was David Hasselhoff himself and the producers that kept the show alive when they pooled together their own money and took the show into syndication, where it was a hit!

 

Over the 12 seasons, the main cast of the show changed quite a bit.

 

With ratings dropping, the producers decided to move the show.  They first tried to move it to Australia, but after from protests at the local town where they wanted to shoot, they settled on Hawaii for season 11.

 

 

By this time, the show was suffering from series writers block and ratings continued to sag.  Hasselhoff left the show after a season into this format, and without the main star, it was canceled after the second Hawaii season.  Here’s the last and final series intro with a completely different song:

 

 

One of the strangest things this series ever did was the dark, detective spin-off Baywatch Nights.  The show ran for 2 seasons and had Hasselhoff battling murders and aliens!  While it’s technically a different show, I had to make a note of it!  Here’s a look at the opening credits with the song After the Sun Goes Down.

 

 

Season 1 was more of a murder/detective theme.  But, it really went sci-fi for season 2.  You now had Mitch the lifeguard battling ghosts and aliens.  It didn’t work and the series was canned.

 

 

#89 THAT ‘70S SHOW

Airdates: 1998-2006 (FOX)

 

I generally hated this sit-com, but I must be in the minority because it was a ratings hit for a long time.  I remember seeing the original FOX upfront presentation where the working show title was Hanging Around.  By the time it hit the air, it was under the name we all came to know, That ‘70s Show.

 

 

They even did a special Christmas intro for a holiday special!

 

 

For me, it was one of those shows where the kids seemed to be too old to be – kids.

 

As the years went on, the stars made bigger names for themselves.  For the last season Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher left to become movie stars.  The show just wasn’t the same and could only last one more season.  It’s hard to keep a show on the air when you lose two of the main cast members.  Here’s a look at the opening from the final season:

 

http://youtu.be/acaixw3ckYQ

 

The show was supposed to start in the 70s and end in the 80s, but the FOX programming bosses decided to create a spin-off That 80’s Show.  It was awful and lasted less than a season.  Remember this?  (the show open was as bad as the series and it doesn’t count for our top 100 list… just mentioning it here for the sake of bringing it up.)

 

http://youtu.be/vcX8GULcYDc

 

#88 MACGUYVER

Airdates: 1985-1992 (ABC)

 

This guy could get out of any situation with a pocket knife and duct tape!  It was amazing to see what invention MacGyver would come up with to get of a life threatening situation week after week.

 

http://youtu.be/Y6_1bNYpMmM

 

Whether it was a big explosion, government corruption, or a murder spree – it was great to see MacGyver figure his way out and beat the bad guy.  Too bad he never came up with a how to book!

 

#87 THE PEOPLE’S COURT

Airdates: 1981 – 1993 & 1997 – present (Syndicated)

 

What you are about to witness is real.  These are not actors; they are actual litigants with a case pending in Civil Court.  Both parties have agreed to drop their claims and have their cases settled here, in our forum, The People’s Court.

 

 

The People’s Court is television’s first ever dive into bringing court cases to the airwaves.  While a similar show aired briefly in the 1960’s, the latest version helped spawn all the court show wannabe’s the dot daytime TV.

 

The original series was hosted by Judge Wapner and taped in Los Angeles.  The latest series was first overseen by Judge Ed Koch, who passed away last year.  The second judge was Judge Judy’s husband, Judge Jerry Sheindlin.  He was too busy trying to copy the angry attitude of his wife and was replaced by the current judge, Judge Milian.

 

The latest version was taped in New York City, but last year production moved to Stamford, Connecticut.

 

http://youtu.be/DEvm4gN26pE

 

Even over all these years, that da-da-dah three note theme is one of the best.  You know it’s time for court when you hear that music and the bongos kick in!  It’s also great that the set has remained basically the same for over 30 years!  Why mess with a winning formula?

 

#86 OUT OF THIS WORLD

Airdates: 1987-1991 (Syndicated)

 

How would you like to freeze time by just pressing your two index fingers together?  Who wouldn’t, right?

 

 

This show was one of a package of sit-coms that were available for local stations to air, usually on the weekends in the late 80’s.  This series dealt with a woman, who unknowingly marries a space alien and has a daughter who inherits her father’s alien powers.  She is also able to talk to him, once per episode, by a diamond shaped device voiced by Burt Reynolds.  The sit-com dealt with her growing up without a father and maturing into a woman, all while trying to hide her special powers to fit-in their California neighborhood.

 

#85 ANIMANIACS

Airdates: 1993-1995 (FOX) 1996-1998 (WB)

 

They just don’t make cartoons like this, anymore.  The Animaniacs were both for kids and parents, alike.  Many of the jokes were either topical, political, or classic TV satire that was way over some kid’s heads!

 

 

This series was basically a spin-off of Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes and Tiny Toon Adventures.  These three characters had been created decades ago; then locked up in the studio water tower for being so hilariously out of control.  Although, we’re still not sure if they are cats, dogs, or just weird.

 

Most of the episodes where three short stories, just like the old Looney Tunes did.  This may be the funniest cartoon show ever created!  My favorite was their running gag that mocked William Shatner.  That was pure gold!

 

One of their greatest bits was when Wakko sang every nation of the world!  Pure genius!

 

 

This show should have run for a long, long time.  But instead, the network wanted to take two of the genius mice characters, Pinky & the Brain and give them their own show.

 

#84 IT’S GARRY SHANDLING’S SHOW

Airdates: 1986-1990 (SHOWTIME)

 

If I ever had an intro to my own TV show – I would want a song like this!

 

 

The premise of this series was great.  Garry was the host of a late night talk show.  This series gave viewers a behind the scenes look at this home life and setting up for the show.  He would also frequently break TV’s fourth wall by talking directly to the audience.

 

#83 EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND

Airdates: 1996-2005 (CBS)

 

The simple piano theme really didn’t fit in with the show’s material, but somehow it did work.

 

 

The early seasons of the show would have some kind of set up intro like this, but sadly as the seasons went on, they would drop any opening songs and roll the credits during the first few minutes of the show.  It was another victim of shows ditching their opening credits for more ad time.  I don’t know, maybe I’m a sucker for that soft jazz piano?

 

#82 FALCON CREST

Airdates: 1981-1990 (CBS)

 

I have to admit… I never watched this show.  I remember the opening credits from when my grandmother would watch this every Friday night.  It came on right after Dallas and we only had a couple of channels to choose from.  (Who remembers having to turn the antenna and actually tune in a station?)

 

 

The show dealt with a rich family that owned a California winery.  It was part of CBS’s Friday night soap operas full of money, crime, and power.  Even after all these years, that powerful orchestral opening still stands out to me.

 

#81 BEVERLY HILLS 90210

Airdates: 1990-2000 (FOX)

 

Here’s another show that I never really watched, but everyone recognizes that opening theme!

 

 

A show about a bunch of rich kids in California ended up as a ratings blockbuster for FOX and just about every teen in the country was watching.  As the series went on there were a few cast changes, but they always kept the theme generally the same.  Every season they would do a new shoot with the cast laughing and carrying on in front of a white cyc.  We all do that with our friends, too… Right?

 

 

In later seasons, the parents would be dropped from the series and from the opening credits.

 

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: 81 – 90

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

I hope you enjoyed the look at these second nine themes.  Sorry that I wasn’t a fan of all the shows, but I am a fan of all the themes!

 

Check back next week when we take a look at numbers 71-89.  We’ve got a talking horse, a pen that sings, and the king of late night!

 

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.

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jersey Joe’s Top 100 TV Themes (91-100)

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

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

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

Quentin Tarantino once said in an interview that opening credits in movies are the only mood time a film really gives itself.  That can also be said for the opening credits to TV series.  Along with the actors’ names, you also get a feel for the show thanks to the visuals and the theme song.  Sadly, as TV continues to look for more ways to jam in more ad time, TV themes have mostly gone by the wayside.  I long for the days, when you would watch a show and after many weeks, you would have that theme song stuck in your head.

 

This summer, I’ve decided to list my top 100 favorite TV themes.  This started off as a great idea, but turned out to be a much harder task.  In fact, I had more than 100 on the list.  There were lots that I had to leave behind.

 

To make my top 100, the show opens had to meet several factors.  First, the theme song: if it’s not a catchy tune, then it’s no good.  It doesn’t necessarily something you sing along to, but it has to be something that sets the mood of the series.  Second, it would have to be the visuals.  There’s no sense having an awesome song if you’re going to play it over a black background.  I need to know what the show is about and the theme is the perfect fit.  Lastly, the theme has to accurately reflect the show.  If the show is a comedy, then it needs to have a light and happy theme.

 

Hopefully, you will enjoy this look back at some of your favorite shows and a few that you’ve probably forgotten about.  Along with the showing you the show open, I’ll discuss why I liked the theme, and offer my own insights into the show.  In some cases, I will also present alternate versions as well.  For better or worse, some shows would change up their themes during the series run.

 

So, like Casey Casem’s old radio show, here are my top 100 themes.  This week, we’re counting down numbers 100 to 91.

 

#100 MAMA’S FAMILY

Airdates: 1983-1984 (NBC) & 1986-1990 (Syndicated)

 

 

That was a look at the season 1 opening when the show aired on NBC.  When the series was canceled, a year later in entered syndication, where some of the best episodes took place.  When the brought the show back, they dropped the two kids and introduced Bubba, Thelma’s juvenile delinquent grandson.

 

 

I had no idea this is a thing, but apparently there’s a Mama’s Family challenge that was going on YouTube.  The object is to stare directly at the screen while the Mama’s Family theme played and try not to smile.  I don’t know – did this guy succeed?

 

 

#99 MAUDE

Airdates: 1972-1978 (CBS)

 

 

A spin off of All in the Family, Maude gave America our first look at Bea Arthur.  Her priceless facial reactions made her the perfect choice to lead her next, more successful show The Golden Girls less than a decade later.

 

I love how this open give you a look at a 1970’s New York City.  You get to see the now demolished West Side Highway, which I am ever so thankful that I never had to drive on!

 

One of the craziest things I’ve ever done was to memorize this song after my friend Mike’s 30th birthday party.  It seemed like a good idea at the time and I stayed up for hours doing so… in full disclosure, I got talked into it after a few too many libations in a Hoboken bar.  Hey, I blew his mind when I came to work the following Monday and sang it word for word!  Still, that story’s not as funny as what The Family Guy did to the Maude credits…

 

http://youtu.be/fjWhDLbr3MA

 

#98 THE HOGAN FAMILY

Airdates: 1986-1990 (NBC) 1990-1991 (CBS)

 

http://youtu.be/kjtGXztRJuc

 

It’s the show that had three different titles and the main star walk off the show.

 

When it first aired on NBC, the series was known as Valerie starring Valerie Harper.  Yes, Rhoda from Mary Tyler Moore.  She got into a dispute with the producers and walked off the show at the end of season two.  She obviously ticked off the NBC executives as well, so they killed her off!

 

For season three, they brought in Sandy Duncan to take care of her mourning family and re-titled the show first as Valerie’s Family: The Hogans and then simply to The Hogan Family.

 

The expression on Sandy Duncan’s face after she catches that ball in the second shot drives me nuts.  What would she have looked like if it had bounced off of her head?

 

Here’s a look at the same show open during the first season Valerie Harper year.  Enjoy the bonus commercial for Chic jeans!

 

 

#97 AMERICAN GLADIATORS

Airdates: 1989-1996 (Syndicated)

 

 

How about those original American Gladiators?  I would have given anything to sit in the audience of this show back in the day.  I’m sure I would have died running around in those giant spheres or the final Eliminator, but it would have been fun to shoot Nerf balls at the Gladiator for points.

 

NBC tried to bring this show back in 2008 during the WGA Writer’s Strike, because there’s no script to write.  That version, with Hulk Hogan, had very little resemblance of this fun original and flat out stunk.  It was only on the air for a few disappointing episodes.

 

At one point, they tried to bring this as a live show to the Las Vegas Strip, but it got tied up in legal matters.  There was a dinner show, similar to Medieval Times, featuring many of the original Gladiators that ran for less than a year in Orlando, Florida during 1996.

 

#96 HOME IMPROVEMENT

Airdates: 1991-1999 (ABC)

 

 

This was a look at the season two and three opening credits for Home Improvement.  This was the longest version, before they started cutting back as well to shove more ad time in.

 

The open changed several times over the years as the kids got older, but generally kept the same basic theme.

 

Remember when Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson got her start at Tim’s first assistant on Tool Time?  No wonder he grunted!

 

#95 SEAQUEST DSV

Airdates: 1993-1996 (NBC)

 

 

It was Star Trek under the sea and NBC was looking to cash in.  This show had a ton of potential, but sadly was a victim of constant network tinkering.  Like why did they blow up the ship at the end of the first season?

 

For the third and final season, they picked the whole ship up and put it on an alien planet to add even more sci-fi adventure that just didn’t work.  The show got so bad, that the captain Roy Scheider quit after season 2.

 

#94 NEW GIRL

Airdates: 2011-present (FOX)

 

 

This second version of the New Girl theme is 100% better than the first.  While the song is still sung by Zooey Deschanel, the original opening had the cast sitting on a coach over a white cyc, while Zooey just kind of danced around.

 

This is one of the few sit-coms on TV right now that still has a show open.  Occasionally, they will cut it short or not use it at all, when an episode runs a little long.

 

The original working title for the show was Chicks & Dicks.  I can see why that didn’t clear the FOX censors.

 

#93 THE OC

Airdates: 2003-2007 (FOX)

 

 

While I was not a regular viewer of this show, I really liked the opening credits.  The show used a great deal of indie rock songs and did the same for the opening.  Phantom Planet’s California, still gets an occasional play on the radio and at sporting events regarding California teams.

 

The graphics, cast shots, and b-roll almost make you feel as though you are sitting on a West Coast beach!

 

The credits changed only very slightly throughout the four seasons.

 

#92 PUNKY BREWESTER

Airdates: 1984-1986 (NBC) 1986-1987 (Syndication)

 

 

As a kid, a remember watching this show, and thinking how cool Punky was with all of her adventures.  Now, as an adult, I realize some of the episodes have some very dark tones such as the fight over adoption, drug use, and even sex!

 

I haven’t seen an episode of this series in decades, but that theme song is still stuck in my head.  At least this song does the trick.  By the time you get to the end, you completely understand that an old single guy adopts a rag tag orphan girl.  That’s a sure recipe for 80’s sitcom success!

 

#91 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Airdates: 1987 (pilot only, Syndication) 1998-1993 (Syndication) 1990-1996 (CBS)

 

 

Heroes in a half shell – turtle power!

 

They were actually singing this theme one night last year on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and it instantly brought back memories.  As a kid, this show was on weekday afternoons and also Saturday mornings!  That’s a lot of turtle power!

 

Another great theme song with another great show open.  You knew exactly what you were getting into seeing the start of this show.

 

I always wanted to dress up as one of the turtles for Halloween, but sadly never have.

 

I did learn in doing research for this blog that when the show aired in Europe, it had to be retitled Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles due to controversy over some of the weapons used on the show.  Check out the altered open and really bad editing.

 

http://youtu.be/iaNc-fLwXhQ

 

But, with all of their fighting skills, why couldn’t they ever defeat Shredder?

 

A new version of this series showed up on FOX, CW, and Nickelodeon a decade later and was only vaguely related to this series.

 

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: 91 – 100

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

I hope you enjoyed the look at these first nine themes.  I had to disqualify one of my original picks, The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  It seems copies of this open have been taken down from YouTube over a copyright issue with the composer.  I’ve found many episodes uploaded to the site, but without the opening credits.

 

Kick back again with me next week when we take a look at numbers 81-99.  We’ll have girls in bikinis, a guy who can do anything with duct tape, and the theme song for a judge!

 

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 – James Vaughn

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Does Anyone Pay Attention to Those TV Rating Icons?

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Posted by :Jersey Joe On : March 27, 2014
0

Category: Columns, Kickin' Back with Jersey Joe

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

Recently, I posted a question on Twitter asking if anyone paid attention to those rating icons that appear on the corner of the screen during TV programs and promos in the United States…and nobody responded.  Do you?  Do you even know what they all mean?  With 44 different icons that are used, the system gets a little confusing.

 

The TV parental guidelines system was established by the United States Congress and went into effect on January 1, 1997.  The ratings were developed after concern about the amount of violence and sex on TV and how easy it was for children to watch.  Congress gave broadcasters a year to develop the system under an Act passed in 1996.  The ratings were created jointly by the National Association of Broadcasters, The National Cable & Telecommunications Association, and the Motion Picture Association of America.  The system was set up similar to the MPAA movie rating system.

TV PG letterman

A TV-PG rating icon appears during the opening of the Late Show with David Letterman.

Although the rating system is voluntary, most broadcast, cable, and pay TV networks jumped on board.  Several online services including Hulu, Netflix, ITunes store, and Google Play also use it.

 

When first created, all programming was classified under 6 general ratings:

 

tv y smallTV-Y kids programming not expected to frighten young kids.

 

tv y7 smallTV-Y7 designed for kids 7 and over, more comedic, and may have scenes that could be frightening to youngsters

 

tv g smallTV-G suitable for all ages

 

tv pg smallTV-PG may contain scenes that parents will not find suitable for younger children

 

tv 14 smallTV-14 not suitable for children under 14 years of age

 

tv ma smallTV-MA originally labeled as TV-M, basically sex and violence on TV

 

A fairly simple system that’s quite easy to understand and something similar is currently in use in Canada and several other foreign countries.  But, unfortunately that wasn’t good enough. And in August 1997, the powers that be in our government had to make it harder by adding 5 more subcategories:

 

The more advanced rating icon with subcategories.

The more advanced rating icon with subcategories.

D – suggestive dialogue

L – course language

S – sexual content

V- violence

FV – fantasy violence, only used in kids programming

 

These 5 subcategories appear under the main rating while the icon is displayed on screen.  (Only FV is used in kids programming.)  While the original system was just fine, the addition of these 5 subcategories makes it confusing to the viewer.  Does anybody really understand the difference between “suggestive dialogue” and “sexual content”?  Couldn’t they mean the same thing?  The system worked just fine with the 6 main categories.  They don’t use a ton of subcategories for movie trailers, right?

 

The simplified Canadian TV ratings system.

The simplified Canadian TV ratings system.

The guidelines affect all programming except news, sports, and commercials.

 

While most rating icons are similar in appearance to the original set issued in 1997, some networks have created their own font style, shape, and color although they retain the general feel of what was already established.

 

THE 411

 

What:  TV parental guidelines ratings system

 

Debut:  January 1, 1997

 

Number of different rating combinations: 44

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

A TV-PG icon appears at the beginning of this NBC promo for The Office.

A TV-PG L icon appears at the beginning of this NBC promo for The Office.

The six basic icons are good enough.  The six subcategories just add to the confusion.  If they were so needed, the MPAA would have required this system to be adapted to feature films shown on the big screen.  Even the video game rating system is simpler.

 

Ask your friends, parents, and neighbors – can anyone fully explain what the meaning of each of these?

 

Broadcasters also need to be aware of the first few minutes of a show and where appropriate placement on the screen is.  There are times, where large icons will cover up the action of a show.  There’s enough junk intruding on screen during a show, with the rating, the logo bug, twitter hash tag, and those giant animated lower third promos that overlap everything.

 

I agree, TV does need a rating system.  It’s great that the studios and networks have taken it upon themselves to warn parents about sex and violence that is showing up more and more on the airwaves.  While most broadcast networks, generally stay away from TV-MA shows, its good to have a system that will allow parents to block the shows or watch when the kids are away.  The system just needs to be simplified.  There are 44 different ratings icons in use today, wouldn’t 6 be easier to grasp?  Simple is better!

 

So, do the rating icons affect what you watch?

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] When Earthquakes Rock Live TV

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Posted by :Jersey Joe On : March 20, 2014
0

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

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

Monday morning, people in the Los Angeles area were shaken awake by a 4.4 earthquake.  While earthquakes are nothing new to California residents it still took some of the local news anchors by surprise on live TV.  From the local news, to baseball games, to Judge Judy – let’s check out some awesome earthquakes caught on the air.

 

The greatest reaction to Monday’s earthquake had to be by the KTLA Morning News anchors.  While a quake can be starting, should these two have kept a little calmer?  You decide in this video that has gone viral…

 

http://youtu.be/SCJihgO5gmg

 

In Japan, broadcasters have earthquake warnings down to a science.  The second the earth starts shaking, all shows are automatically interrupted by a series of audio chimes and a map, showing the location of the quake, and a computer voice giving viewers instructions.

 

This video was taken from the day of the big 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.  What’s interesting is not only do we get to see the first warnings about the quake (with live shots of their parliament meeting being shook up) but also at 1:32 we see the local news report as it interrupts the programming and then the quake strikes the studio.  Listen carefully to the studio crew’s reactions as well.  (It’s subtitled in English).

 

But it’s not over yet, stay tuned for the most shocking part.  At 3:30 the emergency computer kicks off the local news for a tsunami warning.  Listen how the alert tone and graphics take a much more serious tone.  The computers give viewers an estimate as to where the wave will hit, how high, and how much time they have to evacuate.  This tsunami caused massive devastation, including the near meltdown of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant that has left numerous towns abandoned.  The live news coverage of the whole event is shocking.

 

 

Back in 2010, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake was centered in Virginia, but the effects were felt up and down the east coast.  First, it interrupts a live streaming news show in Washington DC…

 

 

…and then strikes a live mlb.com webcast from New York.  At first, the guy on the right is so focused on baseball stats; he won’t stop talking and really becomes a bigger bonehead with what he says at the end of the event…

 

 

One of the most famous earthquakes caught on live TV was during ABC’s coverage of the 1989 World Series from San Francisco.  Here’s what viewers saw (including me) from coast to coast as the quake strikes during pregame.

 

 

Lastly, only an earthquake can silence Judge Judy in her court.  Here’s what happened when a quake strikes as she’s taping an episode.  She is so out of there!

 

 

While we still can’t predict an earthquake, with everyone now armed with mobile devices, social media, and 24 hour news; video and news of the events go out to the masses seconds after it happens.

 

THE 411

 

What: earthquakes caught on TV

 

Where: mostly West Coast and Japan – but, pretty much anywhere

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

Having been through the New York earthquake, you almost don’t realize one is happening until it’s already half way over.  I’m sure my friends in California who have been through bigger quakes will have a different viewpoint.  I’ve only ever been through one and that’s good enough!

 

That live newscast from Japan during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami is really powerful.  It captures the whole event as it happened and I applaud whoever uploaded it for giving us a glimpse of that terrible day.  I’m not sure why we don’t have an earthquake warning system here in the US, like they do there.  Along with the tsunami warning system, it certainly saved many lives that day.  We have Amber alerts, Silver alerts, and the Emergency Alert System, so why not one for earthquakes?

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Judge Joe Brown: Retired & Liquored Up

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Posted by :Jersey Joe On : February 27, 2014
0

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

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

For 15 seasons, Judge Joe Brown’s court kept law and order on daytime television.  His clean cut, down home approach had zero tolerance for thugs and low lifes.  After decades holding court both on and off television, Judge Joe has retired and a video you’re about to see is quite the change from his clean cut image.

 

Judge Joe Brown was born in 1947 and is a retired Shelby County, Tennessee judge.  After years of holding court, he was thrown into the national spotlight after presiding over James Earl Ray’s last appeal in the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.  He was removed from the case after making comments about the murder weapon to a local congresswoman.  It was then; he caught the eye of producers of the hottest court show on television, Judge Judy.

 

http://youtu.be/z-xEgySJiUg

 

Judy’s producers noticed the unique way Joe operated his court room. He would listen intently for the facts of the case, picking up on subtitle facts, facial expressions, and mannerisms from the litigants.  Once he was sure he found the guilty party, he would zero in with his down home, no-nonsense approach, and often try to instruct them on where they’ve gone wrong and what to do to put economy in the community instead of being, what he would often say, “a damn fool.”

 

 

Judge Joe Brown’s television series was launched as a companion show to Judge Judy on September 14, 1998.  His main tagline: “protecting womanhood and promoting manhood.”  The show was a ratings success and was recorded in the same studio, with a set located directly behind the back wall of Judge Judy’s, at the Sunset-Bronson Studios in Hollywood.

 

While Judge Joe scored moderate ratings in daytime syndicated television, during the 15th season, his ratings took a slide, and he was informed by CBS, the show’s distribution company, that he would be taking a pay cut.  (He was the second highest paid TV judge, earning $20 million per year.)

 

Judge Joe was not satisfied with this (and reported pay cut down to $5 million per year) and his show was cancelled in spring 2012, with new episodes airing until June and reruns until September.

 

Since leaving TV, it looks like Judge Joe has been living the good life and enjoying his much deserved retirement.  But, in the day of cell phone cameras, people still know his as a celebrity and a video that’s turned up on YouTube, shows a much different version of the clean cut Judge.

 

Take a look at him having one too many double Bombay Sapphires resulting in some slurred speech, posing for photos with women, and having a few foul mouth words about his former TV show.  Note: Viewer discretion advised.

 

http://youtu.be/QCyHSEj0W94

 

Is Judge Joe done being on television.  “I don’t do that bullshit, anymore…” seems to answer that question.

 

THE 411

 

Who: Judge Joe Brown

 

What: former television judge

 

Number of seasons on television: 15

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

As long as he’s not getting behind the wheel drinking and driving, let him enjoy his retirement.  Everyone loses control when they’ve had a few too many (I’m not judging), just most of us are not on national television.  Video like that is gold to the paparazzi.  But hey, Judge Joe Brown is retired and doesn’t seem to care!

 

I also got a laugh at this parody of the Judge Joe video:

 

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Before Bob Sagat: The Other Guy in the Full House Pilot

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Posted by :Jersey Joe On : February 6, 2014
0

Category: Columns, Kickin' Back with Jersey Joe, Topics

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

Full House – the 90’s sit-com that redefined the word cute.  Three guys under one roof raising three kids.  That was the premise that led ABC to sit-com gold!  Like it or hate it, anyone who had a TV in that decade knew of the show and the three lead stars: John Stamos, Dave Coulier, and Bob Sagat.  But, the show very nearly went to air without Bob’s leading father figure, Danny Tanner.

 

The family sit-com was all the rage with the TV networks in the 1990’s.  Blockbuster hits such as Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Growing Pains, and more dotted the prime time schedules and all led to big ratings which scored big advertiser dollars, but all of these shows were starting to age.  The American Broadcasting Company was on the hunt for another rating hit.

 

Screenwriter Jeff Franklin, who had already worked on hit sit-coms such as Laverne & Shirley and Bosom Buddies was hungry to get a TV show of his own and came up with a dozen proposed ideas, all of which were shot down.  After writing a couple successful movie screenplays, he again developed a pitch for TV that idea became House of Comics, with three stand up comedians sharing a house together.

 

ABC took a look at the script and asked Franklin to redevelop it as a family show.  He changed the title to Full House, tweaked his script to add three kids, make Danny a widower, and change the guy’s professions to sportscaster, rock star, and only one comedian.  He hoped ABC would love the idea of three guys trying to act as one mom.  Turns out – they did!

 

John Stamos and Dave Coulier were quickly cast as Uncle Jesse and Uncle Joey.  The cast of kids were quickly signed on including Candace Cameron as oldest daughter DJ, Jodie Sweeten as Stephanie, and Mary Kate and Ashley Olson to double in the role of infant Michelle.

 

Franklin had written the role of the Danny Tanner, the father of the family, with Bob Sagat in mind.  The two had worked together in the past, as Sagat was the audience warm up guy for Bosom Buddies, but was unavailable having just signed on to be an on-air contributor to The Morning Show for CBS.  The Morning Show was an early version of the current CBS This Morning news program, but featured an odd mix of comedy, news, and entertainment.

 

With Sagat unavailable, actor Paul Reiser was approached to play Danny, but he turned it down to star in a similar show for NBC, My Two Dads. (Guess he wanted to go with one dad, less?)

 

Franklin began open auditions and eventually went with unknown actor John Posey and the pilot was shot.  Here’s a look at the first few minutes of the unaired pilot:

 

http://youtu.be/aJNWdbzoewU

 

The show tested well and ABC ordered a 9 episode first season.

 

Just as the show was picked up, Sagat was fired from The Morning Show.  That show’s ratings had tanked was on the verge of once again being reformatted.  Sagat contacted Franklin an expressed interest in the Full House job.

 

Franklin persuaded ABC to pony up more money to reshoot the pilot, here is the exact same episode and script with Sagat, which do you think is better?

 

http://youtu.be/8hmHHL_o_Pg

 

As you can see, only a handful of shots from the original show open remained (including the horrible rear projection scene of San Francisco, where I think they run a red light.)  Fortunately, the right choice was made with Sagat and the series went on to become part of TV history running for 8 seasons and 192 episodes.

 

Check this out, here’s a side by side comparison of the two episodes!

 

http://youtu.be/Bu7FNYqhkow

 

 

I always though the early years were the better shows.  Once Michelle grew up and they tried to continue the whole cutsey-cutsey theme by giving Uncle Jesse a wife and twins just didn’t work.  Plus, producers still tried to portray Michelle as the cute little kid, while she was well on her way to womanhood.

 

While I was never a big fan of the show, I did catch Bob Saget, John Stamos, and Dave Coulier when they reunited last week for a sketch on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and I remembered hearing about this unaired pilot.  They also appeared in character for an Oikos yogurt commercial on Super Bowl Sunday.

 

Seasons 1-4 of Full House have been released on DVD as well as an entire series box set.  The John Posey pilot appears as a bonus feature in the season one set.

 

To get a show on network TV, most networks order a pilot episode to get the feel for the series they are about to pay big bucks for.  Often times, the tone of the show, sets, and even cast members will change from what will be in the official broadcast series.  Some famous changes include the gay live in cook on The Golden Girls pilot, a different captain on the original Star Trek pilot, and a Macintosh computer inspired set for the Alex Trebek Jeopardy! pilot.

 

An unrelated series with the same name aired in Korea in 2004.

 

You can check out the entire unaired John Posey Full House pilot for yourself, here:

 

 

THE 411

 

What: original Full House pilot episode

 

Starring: John Posey as Danny Tanner

 

Network: ABC

 

Recorded: 1987

 

Status: unaired, released as a bonus feature on Full House season 1 DVD

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS

 

The entire original pilot with Posey appears from time to time on Youtube, but is often removed for copyright violations.  The link provided above is active as of the time of this posting.

 

The producers were absolutely correct in replacing Posey with Bob Sagat.  Posey just simply didn’t work in this pilot and I can’t imagine this series lasting as long without him.  He is too quiet and too closed in his performance.

 

Posey has made a great deal of TV appearances however.  He’s guest starred on everything from Dallas to Seinfeld to Bones.  But, this is an example why it’s a good idea for networks to order a pilot and to test a new show.

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Thanksgiving with the Swedish Chef

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Posted by :Jersey Joe On : November 28, 2013
0

Category: Columns, Kickin' Back with Jersey Joe

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

swedishchef2Happy Thanksgiving!  While we all digest our turkey feast and before the tryptophan kicks in, I thought it would be great to take a minute and kick back and salute all of the chefs who slaved in the kitchen today to make our turkey dinners, great!  So, let’s all have a laugh with the greatest chef of them all – The Swedish Chef!

 

 

This clip is from season 4 of The Muppet Show that originally aired for 120 episodes from September 5, 1976 – March 15, 1981 in the United Kingdom.  Reruns would eventually make their way to the United States where they were first shown in syndication on local television stations, before moving to cable where they continue to air today.

 

The Swedish Chef character was performed by Muppets creator Jim Henson and Frank Oz at the same time.  Oz would improvise by throwing objects with the character’s hands that Henson would have to ad-lib from.  After Henson’s death, veteran Muppet performer Bill Barretta has taken over the role.

 

The Swedish Chef has appeared in the Muppets spin-off TV series and films.  He most recently appeared in a 2013 ESPN commercial with New York Rangers’ goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

 

Here it is as a free bonus:

 

 

The Swedish Chef from The Muppets on display at the American History Museum.

The Swedish Chef from The Muppets on display at the American History Museum.

THE 411

 

Name: The Swedish Chef

 

From: The Muppets TV series and movies

 

First appearance: Season 1, 1976

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

I freaking love The Swedish Chef!  He is absolutely my favorite Muppet character.  One of the greatest pieces of film ever recorded is his concession stand cameo in The Muppets Take Manhattan.

 

Check out the scene and enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving!

 

 

Image credits – Jeremy Shields and Andrew Kuchling