# Are great/long TV intros/themes a gone forever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2008, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547 "2008-06-11T07:12:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/1 "2008-06-11T07:12:31Z")
Here are some great TV intros/themes, just off the top of my head, sorta chronologically: Musters Addams Family Andy Griffith Show Monkees Batman Star Trek Rockford Files Barney Miler Match Game Love Boat Taxi Hill Street Blues Three’s Company A-Team Dallas LA Law Cheers TJ Hooker It seems to taper off in the 90s, and nowadays, we have Law & Order and Lost, which have no real theme/intro to speak of. I guess CSI has one. I can’t think of modern shows with long memorable themes you can hum with the opening credits. Maybe its just me. ---
**Author:** ![Greta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@Greta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greta)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/2 "2008-06-11T07:17:24Z")
I kindof liked the Theme to Garry Shandlings Show… ---
**Author:** ![Greta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@Greta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greta)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/3 "2008-06-11T07:18:35Z")
Just read the list in your op, and you left out Bonanza and Mary Tyler Moore. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/4 "2008-06-11T08:20:48Z")
and WKRP ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/5 "2008-06-11T08:24:50Z")
[QUOTE=Bearflag70] It seems to taper off in the 90s, and nowadays, we have Law & Order and Lost, which have no real theme/intro to speak of. I guess CSI has one. [/QUOTE] All three Law & Orders have theme songs. They come right after the first scene. As for long theme songs, The Sopranos weighs in at just over a minute and a half. Personally, I dislike longer theme songs. It makes shows that are already short because of endless commercials even shorter. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/6 "2008-06-11T10:26:35Z")
With increased ad time, they try to keep title sequences and end credits short to cram in more story. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/7 "2008-06-11T10:28:49Z")
The Wire had the best intro: a scene setting up the episode and then the intro, performed each season by a different artist (Tom Waits is my favorite). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/8 "2008-06-11T12:35:28Z")
**Weeds** did something similar their second season, and did a version of “Little Boxes” as the theme song each episode. But that was on Showtime, so there was no need to cut for commercials. And the most successful show on US TV – CSI Miami uses a theme song (as to the other CSIs). ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/9 "2008-06-11T12:45:38Z")
\*\*The West Wing \*\* was the last show to have a memorable theme song that I can think of. I’m not sure if\*\* Monday Night Football \*\* counts. I don’t _like_ the Are You Ready for some Football, but it does stick in your head. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/10 "2008-06-11T13:34:57Z")
[QUOTE=Bearflag70] Here are some great TV intros/themes, just off the top of my head, sorta chronologically: Musters Addams Family Andy Griffith Show Monkees Batman Star Trek Rockford Files Barney Miler Match Game Love Boat Taxi Hill Street Blues Three’s Company A-Team Dallas LA Law Cheers TJ Hooker … [/QUOTE] Dude! Hawaii 5-0! For that matter the Miami Vice theme. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/11 "2008-06-11T13:42:50Z")
[QUOTE=Bearflag70] It seems to taper off in the 90s, and nowadays, we have Law & Order and Lost, which have no real theme/intro to speak of. I guess CSI has one. [/QUOTE] Law & Order’s theme is very short but it’s also pretty darn memorable. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/12 "2008-06-11T14:04:49Z")
According to TV programmers, it all goes to the American TV watcher’s short attention span. Let’s say you’re settling back to watch (to choose one from the list) _Taxi._ While the opening theme is playing and the cab is driving across the bridge, you idly finger the remote control. Next thing you know, you’re watching _Seinfeld_ already into his third joke before _Taxi_ has even gotten to the establishing shot in the garage. Hour-long dramas are a little better because you’ve already made a preliminary commitment to give it an hour. But compare the openings to _CSI_ or _Law & Order_ to the openings of, say, _Bonanza_ or \*Dynasty. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/13 "2008-06-11T14:10:40Z")
Actually, many HBO/Showcase series have really interesting/memorable opening credits - others have already mentioned Weeds, The Wire and Sopranos, but two of my other favourites: [Six Feet Under](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6WATB9PFdE) (clocks in at 1:42) [Dexter](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0yN3ee4oEw) (clocks in at 1:46) ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/14 "2008-06-11T14:26:22Z")
[QUOTE=dalej42] \*\*The West Wing \*\* was the last show to have a memorable theme song that I can think of. [/quote] Have you forgotten the sheer brilliance of Kim Possible? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/15 "2008-06-11T14:26:37Z")
The British show _Shameless_ has what I consider to be a particularly long and somewhat unique intro. The [original intro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dssnahZ16uU) introduced every character in the show, every week. But it changed every season because they kept gaining and losing characters. It got odd. The [last season’s intro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKge2Am7eW8) was just as long but they gave up on introducing characters and replaced it with a different monologue. The show does have a “theme song” too but it’s not played until the closing credits. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/16 "2008-06-11T14:29:42Z")
There has been a soap opera-esque thing going on in Canada over the HNIC theme song lately. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/17 "2008-06-11T14:32:50Z")
Battlestar Galactica has a long intro and theme music. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/18 "2008-06-11T14:33:49Z")
_The Nanny_ had a cool retro opening thme. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/19 "2008-06-11T14:57:09Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] With increased ad time, they try to keep title sequences and end credits short to cram in more story. [/QUOTE] I think this is the main reason themes are getting shorter. With less and less time for the actual show, burning up time with a long theme song is becoming something the writers, producers, etc. are increasingsly loath to do. Didn’t Numb3rs do away with its opening credits theme to have more time for story? ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547/20 "2008-06-11T15:15:12Z")
_Monk_. They even had an episode (with Sarah Silverman!) in which they talked about the theme song! _Psyche_ has one, too, for that matter, done by the band of the creator of the show. _Veronica Mars_ had a great theme, and they switched up for a more maudlin and spooky version of the song in season three. _Smallville_ has coasted for, what, six years on “Somebody Save Me.” _The Tudors_ has a great theme - definitely hummable. For that matter, _John Adams_ had an awesome _Last of the Mohicans_ vibe. Two great Fox themes - _House_ and _Bones_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-great-long-tv-intros-themes-a-gone-forever/452547.md?page=2)