It’s been a great summer counting down my top 100 TV themes.  It was a task that was harder than it looked!  I chose my top 100 based on theme, style, and if the credits properly demonstrated to viewers what the series was about.  There were many more than 100 that I wanted to feature, so here’s a few honorable mentions that came close to making my list.

ENTOURAGE

The Entourage opening credits featured a great theme and cool shots of the actor’s names as neon store front signs in LA.  The final overhead car shot was pretty neat, too!

WILL & GRACE

Will & Grace get bonus points for having one of the most unique opening credits sequences I’ve ever seen.  Whoever designed this did a great job of interspersing a few funny clips inside layers of the show’s logo, something no one else has really done.  The piano theme is pretty cool, too!

MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD

http://youtu.be/nDjU-BTUY1Q

Everyone who was a kid in the 70s – 90s can probably sing this theme song!  When I was a kid, I always wanted that traffic light in Mr. Rogers’ house!

Only people from Western Pennsylvania have probably ridden the Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood trolley at Idlewild Park in Ligonier, PA.  Sadly, that ride has closed and will be re-themed as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and will reopen in 2015.

SESAME STREET

Sesame Street is really much more hi-tech now then when we were all kids, right?

ER

Man this was a big show back in the day… and George Clooney, wonder whatever happened to him?

CAGNEY & LACEY

The saxophone solos in the second version of the Cagney & Lacey credits was the best!  Much better than the jazzy theme from the forgetful first season with Meg Foster!

TJ HOOKER

I am so glad they are rerunning this on Universal HD… William Shatner jumping over the hood of cars, YES PLEASE!

THE BRADY BUNCH

Here’s another song that everybody knows.  This was taken from an early second season episode.  They would have to reshoot the opening each season as the kids grew older.

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE

The second version of the opening credits to this series was the best!  I love how they added all the little ships and activity going on around the space station.

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: Honorable mentions

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

So, here are a few that I wish I could have squeezed into my top 100 list.  There are loads more that we could have gone over and everybody has their opinion, but these few really needed to be added to the list.

I hope through my top 100 and these bonus additions, that I was able to help you take a walk down TV memory lane.  I also hope that I got a few of your favorites on my list!  If there’s any you think I missed – I’d love to hear about it!

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 – Howard Walfish