# Great TV theme songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 19, 2011, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939 "2011-04-19T08:11:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/21 "2011-04-19T15:55:45Z")
[The Odd Couple](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDrfHj3j398). [The Andy Griffith Show](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzQXeC5O01Y). ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/22 "2011-04-19T17:43:12Z")
> [@DivineComedienne](#): > > Quantum Leap. :dubious: The Wonder Years. It’s not a great song, but the theme from Miami Vice is my ring tone, just because I think it’s funny. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/23 "2011-04-20T00:25:01Z")
Mission: Impossible. ---
**Author:** ![poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poker_in_the_rear)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/24 "2011-04-20T01:13:24Z")
Barney Miller ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/25 "2011-04-20T01:13:57Z")
Duck Tales. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/26 "2011-04-20T01:37:29Z")
I still think the short lived Caprica had the best opening theme song. [See the credits and hear them here.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BYxWWQKFs8&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/27 "2011-04-20T01:42:37Z")
Mannix has alread been mentioned. [Lost In Space](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llNnlE6Hbuc) [S.W.A.T.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Iwp1d7eKbA) ---
**Author:** ![I-VI-ii-V](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@I-VI-ii-V](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I-VI-ii-V)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/28 "2011-04-20T01:55:29Z")
[CHiPs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci8Ga-gCqno) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/29 "2011-04-20T02:04:04Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Sorry, but you cannot beat the \*Magnum PI \*theme song. \*Hawaii Five-O \*comes close, though (new and old versions). Nothing beats [the whole Hawaii 5-O theme.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LnK8b_jk8w) Maybe Mannix. Maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/30 "2011-04-20T02:16:13Z")
_60 Minutes_. It’s got a good beat. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/31 "2011-04-20T02:55:46Z")
[Mission: Impossible](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI9KhPJ-utE) [The Virginian](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWet2qgieVc) [The Name of the Game](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-xExiIxS48) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/32 "2011-04-20T02:58:25Z")
Just thought of another: [Rawhide](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl2fONPgIJE) ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/33 "2011-04-20T04:33:39Z")
I’ve been catching up on _House_ online. My two-year-old always comes over when he hears the music. He likes _Chuck_’s music too. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/34 "2011-04-20T05:28:01Z")
Also, I’m suffering from vampire-fatigue, so I don’t actually watch it, but I like _True Blood_’s theme music. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/35 "2011-04-20T08:44:45Z")
The “Huntley-Brinkley” report after the terse “Good night Chet. Good night David. And good night from NBC news” played the opening of the second movement of Beethoven’s 9th symphony. You don’t get much better than Ludwig van. “Quentin’s Theme” (Shadows of Love) was an instrumental from “Dark Shadows” that reach number 13 on the Hot 100 and number 3 on the easy listening charts. Theme from “Victory at Sea” documentary series in the 1950s. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/36 "2011-04-20T10:11:29Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > For sheer ridiculousness, nothing beats the theme to [_It’s Garry Shandling’s Show_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac8cQuEzDCQ). I always wondered if that was Randy Newman. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/37 "2011-04-20T10:26:16Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > That 70’s Show If we’re using real song theme tunes, _House_ uses (parts of) “Teardrop” by Massive Attack and that’s well above average. (“In The Street” by Big Star, but they use the Cheap Trick cover.) I always thought the _M_A_S_H\* theme was interesting. Practically defined ‘lyrical dissonance’ when you consider the new musical reworking and what the show turned into on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Chilon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Chilon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chilon)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/38 "2011-04-20T10:38:11Z")
[Carnivale](http://www.televisiontunes.com/Carnivale_-_Begining.html) ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/39 "2011-04-20T10:57:24Z")
…all of the ones mentioned here are fantastic. I’ve got a personal love for all things Mike Post (And of course, the late Pete Carpenter.) I remember in an interview once Mike Post said something along the lines of he wrote theme songs that would stick in your brain and remind you of the programme… Some of my favourites: [Wiseguy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcpWqf6k3ds&feature=related) and [Tales of the Gold Monkey.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdFN6agkNnQ) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939/40 "2011-04-21T00:03:38Z")
Keep going thread! How 'bout [Josie and the Pussycats as sung by Juliana Hatfield](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvH23b0E64c&playnext=1&list=PLFD61740247C5332F). The album version is faster. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-tv-theme-songs/578939.md?page=3)