We had a B&W TV about 1954. I know because I scanned pictures of the inside of our house showing the TV (not on), plus some outside photos.
Agreed–Mighty Mouse and Pink Panther.
Mickey Mouse Club (ran 2 yrs?).
Rocky and Bullwinkle.
Rockford Files.
All the Merry Melodies cartoons (Sat AM).
Lassie.
Roy Rogers.
Batman (etc).
Superman.
Tarzan.
Ramar of the Jungle (1950s)
Burns and Allen
Lots more at link:
There are many great TV show themes, the instrumentals that convey the ethos of the show are worth a mention, and many already have in this thread.
The others, the ones with lyrics have a different job to do: Cheers, All In The Family, Mary Tyler Moore depend on “setting the stage”, but there is no better lyric than the theme to “Gilligan’s Island” for its unlikely plot. We are told how they started, how they got there, who they are (one at a time), and with its jaunty music that this will be a silly comedy. I never cared for the show, but I give kudos to the writer of the theme song.
I think those sorts of themes were far more common in the early days of television, when a lot of shows started with a “here’s the set-up” song for new viewers. The Brady Bunch, Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres - almost an elevator pitch for the show.
I can’t think of any modern examples - the most recent that comes to mind is The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Like @albaby1 I wasn’t gonna post, but 43 posts later and y’all need to know that
I can whistle the Andy of Mayberry theme.
ralph
There’s a holdup in the Bronx,
Brooklyn’s broken out in fights.
There’s a traffic jam in Harlem
That’s backed up to Jackson Heights.
There’s a scout troop short a child,
Khrushchev’s due at Idlewild
Car 54, Where Are You?
Jeff
Car 54, Where Are You was my introduction to Fred Gwynne as an actor. Later when I was teaching figures of speech I was reintroduced to him and introduced my students to him with the books The King Who Rained, Chocolate Moose for Diner, and A Little Pigeon Toad.
#1 of 2: Cheesy drama that needed 2010’s CGI to be effective, 40 years too early: (Six Million Dollar Man)
#2: another great dramatic clip from TNG, “The Best of Both Worlds” final scene -
Happened to be listening to a Schubert piano sonata the other day, and remembered that it was used for the “Wings” theme. Not necessarily my favorite, but a pretty piece.
Something else sent me off on a Dr. Who theme hunt.
This is how the BBC Radiolab built the first theme.
This one is how the 1982 iteration was recorded.
The historical recording technology in both of these videos is great.
Well, once I got to thinking about the TV stuff of my youth and themes, I remembered this. The Avengers. I mentioned this series…in the context of judo and two younger versions of Honor Blackman and Diana Rigg…
Another series that embraced changing technology, switching from black and white, single camera angle etc to colour and on location filming. I have the boxed set of the series with Honor and then Diana
If you have never heard the mashup of Stairway to Heaven and the theme to Gilligan’s Island, this might be entertaining.
Alrightly, two can play at that. Weird Al version of “The Ballad of Jed Clampett”
