Remember those awesome The More You Know public service announcements? Jersey Joe takes a look back and has a few of his own!
First released in September 1989, these public service announcements replaced One to Grow On PSAs that originally targeted children and offered life lessons. The first PSA featured NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw, now each features a different NBC star or news personality. The PSA can still be seen throughout the broadcast network’s schedule. Both Presidents George W. Bush and Barak Obama have recorded their own versions as well.
THE 411
Name: The More You Know
What: public service announcements for kids
Why: offers life lessons for children while watching television
These PSA’s are great and are often parodied on late night and comedy shows, but it’s cool to see A list stars stopping for a moment to make sure the viewer has a better life. Have any of these ever made a difference in yours?
You can find a list of every celebrity who ever recorded on of these here. How many do you remember?
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.
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.
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