Loading...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