# Best TV Themes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 5, 2004, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731 "2004-01-05T01:18:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/21 "2004-01-05T09:19:08Z")
Oh, and Sesame Street. “Sunny day …” ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/22 "2004-01-05T10:34:15Z")
You woke up this morning Got yourself a gun, Mama always said you’d be The Chosen One. She said: You’re one in a million You’ve got to burn to shine, But you were born under a bad sign, With a blue moon in your eyes The Sopranos theme. I only started watching when I caught the credits by accident. ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/23 "2004-01-05T11:26:38Z")
60 Minutes. Great beat. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/24 "2004-01-05T11:38:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Small Clanger \* > \*\* > Stingray - Anything can happen in the next half-hour! > > The theme tune for UFO is pretty cool too but it’s probably too obscure, anyone else remember it? \*\* Both Gerry Anderson productions, music by the inimitable Barry Gray, who was also responsible for the classic _Thunderbirds_ march … a damn good light music composer, IMHO. So was Dudley Simpson, who did the theme tunes for _The Tomorrow People_ and _Blake’s Seven_ … both good ones. I think the prize for “most memorable” TV theme, though, has to go to “Eye Level”, the insidious little earworm that introduced the Seventies detective series _Van Der Valk_ … once heard, never forgotten … ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/25 "2004-01-05T11:52:22Z")
It Takes a Thief - excellent stuff, courtesy of Dave Grusin. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/26 "2004-01-05T11:55:43Z")
_Night Court Barney Miller St. Elsewhere Third Watch_ (which is a Crystal Method track called _Keep Hope Alive_) ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/27 "2004-01-05T12:27:19Z")
A few more UK ones: Blockbusters had a great theme too, but it’s not on anymore. Challenge Anneka Enterprise - Yeuch! Awful. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/28 "2004-01-05T12:43:36Z")
My favorites: Hawaii 5-O The Prisoner UFO Mission Impossible Go-Go Gophers Jonny Quest Rawhide! Room 222 I Spy! Car 54 Where are you? Spiderman (1960’s cartoon) Space Ghost (in fact, dang near all the 1960’s Hanna-Barberra super-hero cartoons had cool themes) Monty Python’s Flying Circus (has anyone noticed that the greatest British comedy show ever has a theme that’s an _American_ piece of music?) ---
**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:** [January 5, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/29 "2004-01-05T13:02:20Z")
Chorlton and the Wheelies Jamie and the Magic Torch Thomas the Tank Engine Alias the Jester DangerMouse Doctor Who (esp Fifth Doctor era) The Tomorrow People (the original series, naturally) Thunderbirds (and Joe 90 too) Monkey (magic) Tales of Beatrix Potter Grange Hill Robin’s Nest The Banana Splits Sigmund the Sea Monster Battlestar Galactica ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/30 "2004-01-05T17:10:13Z")
Call me crazy, but I think **M_A_S_H_** has a very haunting, sad and lovely theme song. I mean, for a theme song. Other than that, I’ll have to go with… **Scrubs** **He-Man** **Party of Five** ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/31 "2004-01-05T18:14:42Z")
Malcolm in the Middle “You’re not the boss of me, now” HR Puffenstuff Seconds to: 60’s Spider-Man “Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can” Hawaii Five-0 Go Go Gophers! Barney Miller The Banana Splits Several TV themes charted, I think Hawaii Five-0, Hill Street Blues, Barney Miller, and Friends all did. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![CaptEgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@CaptEgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptEgo)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/32 "2004-01-05T18:27:02Z")
I’m with **Tengu** on this one: I’ve always had a soft spot for the theme from _Greatest American Hero_\* an example of how to use a catchy Pop ditty in the right place. What? No _SWAT_? That theme ruled the world (and I get the sense might have been about 75% of the reason the movie was made!). Here’s one for the Canadian Content…back near the dawn of time there was a show with a great catchy ditty, _The Forest Rangers_. Of course it helped alot being like, 10 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/33 "2004-01-05T18:35:19Z")
Homicide Star Trek, TOS (Roddenberry’s lyrics are pretty lousy, though) Action (even a dog can shake hands) Carnivale Sopranos (yes, they took the WTC shot out of s4) Sex and the City and Six Feet Under (both of which I stopped watching in frustration, but great themes) Monk (Randy Newman!!) Hill Street Blues Barney Miller Blackadder, with a special nod to the s3 and s4 ones ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Matrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@Red\_Matrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Matrix)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/34 "2004-01-05T19:17:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tengu \* > \*\*…Greatest American Hero… > \*\* I’m all with you man! ---
**Author:** ![hypnoboth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bb73d2/32.png) [@hypnoboth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hypnoboth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/35 "2004-01-05T19:29:43Z")
Most of mine have been mentioned. I’ll second: Hawaii 5-0 and Mission: Impossible, which are both classic, as well as Peter Gunn. Several that I have not seen: Law and Order (why has no one mentioned this? It’s current, and it’s great!) A classic: T.H.E. Cat. It was on one season, and I can see why no one remembers it, but it was fantastic. I think Dave Grusin did it, but it was tremendous. Tremendous bass crash, then an amazing clarinet, jazzy theme. The Name of the Game. Dominic Frontiere, I think. Search. I also think Dominic Frontiere, but I’m not sure on that one. Hugh O’Brian, Tony Franciosa, Doug McClure, and Burgess Meridith to tie it all together. God, I was in heaven. Geek heaven. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/36 "2004-01-05T19:33:38Z")
I’m shocked no one mentioned my favorites… [Angel](http://groups.msn.com/that70sshowtwoguysandagirlandmore/multimedia.msnw). Sexiest violin ever (in a US TV theme). [url=http://www.vidiot.com/EFC/]Earth: Final Conflict. I’m also a big fan of talky themes, like later seasons of Babylon 5 and Farscape. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/37 "2004-01-05T19:50:16Z")
For all the fans of “Walking on Air” (the _Greatest American Hero_ theme), make sure you catch the full-length extended version. Much better than the 30-second snippet most folks are familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/38 "2004-01-05T21:23:27Z")
I like the theme music from “The Waltons”, but the repeated episodes currently in play (TBS?) seem to have it going very fast. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/39 "2004-01-05T21:37:01Z")
Hawaii Five-O has still got to be the #1 best TV Theme of all time, hands down. Of more recent vintage, I really liked the Firefly theme. Sigh … ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731/40 "2004-01-05T21:46:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rysler \* > \*\*Angel. Sexiest violin ever (in a US TV theme). > \*\* Sorry to nitpick, but I think that’s a cello. I tried google but failed miserably. And am I the only one that who now has the Hawaii- 5 0 theme stuck in her head? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-themes/222731.md?page=3)