# Shows that stank, but had great theme music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2017, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316 "2017-10-08T18:05:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/1 "2017-10-08T18:05:11Z")
SWMBO is up front binge-watching Star Trek: Voyager. I’m kinda listening to it in the background and I realized that Voyager had so much promise…but it wound up with lousy scripts, bad acting, semi-adequate special effects, but a really good theme. They’re all about being lost and trying to get back home, and the theme music emphasizes that. Something about the horns, I guess. Anyway…what shows/movies do you think were just plain not good, but had great theme songs? I’ve got a movie in mind, but I’ll wait to post it and see if someone else comes up with it. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/2 "2017-10-08T18:18:28Z")
Star Trek: Enterprise. An awful show that only got worse in each season, but the theme music was decent. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/3 "2017-10-08T18:23:31Z")
Maybe the Star Trek folks should let the composers write the scripts. ---
**Author:** ![Rough\_Draft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rough\_Draft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rough_Draft)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/4 "2017-10-08T18:31:49Z")
Going way back, there was a 1960s western on CBS called _Cimarron Strip_. It didn’t stink, but apparently nobody but me watched it. The theme music was terrific, though; one of those rousing orchestral extravaganzas found in movies like _The Magnificent Seven_ or _The Big Country_. Watching the aerial view of Stuart Whitman galloping along on his noble steed while that theme played during the opening credits was truly epic. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/5 "2017-10-08T18:44:51Z")
DC shows may vary in quality, but they use the excellent Blake Neely. Probably the DC show with less fans is Legends of Tomorrow… but Neely’s music is still rocking the soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![Orr\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Orr\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orr_G)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/6 "2017-10-08T19:54:52Z")
Airwolf was the first one that popped into my mind. I don’t think the theme song’s aged that well, but I loved it then. The show itself was pretty horrible even by the standards of the times. [- YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8syGlAMTKA) The other show that comes to mind for me is more a matter of the theme song being so over the top excellent; the show itself actually had a lot going for it, and a lot of people praise it, but it became unwatchable for me once the little kid showed up. And the dog. Oh noes! The ‘b’ story is they’re making a mess of the kitchen! Gahh. [Tank! Cowboy Bebop (Full version) by AnimeMix - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDpm4ItLzlA) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/7 "2017-10-08T20:10:43Z")
The Greatest American Hero ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/8 "2017-10-08T20:33:18Z")
The theme song to _Makin’ It_ peaked at #5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979. The song charted for 16 weeks total. The TV show was canceled after only 9 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/9 "2017-10-08T20:56:38Z")
I always thought [The Tales of the Wizard of Oz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfqrjkhAbqA) had a very catchy theme song, but it was a pretty terrible cartoon. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/10 "2017-10-08T21:14:02Z")
The final season of Babylon 5 has faced a lot of criticism, for various reasons, many or most I won’t even contest. The [theme song, though](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXbKKhEZVVk)? Enough to buy it a quantum of absolution, in my book. > [@Clothahump](#): > > Maybe the Star Trek folks should let the composers write the scripts. You might have to be careful about Michael Giacchino, if you notice what he names his film pieces. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/11 "2017-10-08T21:35:44Z")
the ultimate, a song everyone knows although most don’t know the name. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oysMt8iL9UE/hqdefault.jpg "Peter Gunn Theme") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oysMt8iL9UE) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/12 "2017-10-08T21:49:02Z")
Most shows that had great themes were bad, maybe not at the time, but try to watch them now is all I’m saying. Lancelot Link Secret Chimp Petticoat Junction Josie and the Pussycats There’s a lot of them. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/13 "2017-10-08T22:15:18Z")
There was a short-lived Jay Mohr comedy called “Action!”, which used as its theme song ‘Even a Dog can Shake Hands’ by Warren Zevon. Caveat: the show wasn’t bad, it just didn’t find an audience. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/14 "2017-10-08T22:26:50Z")
Not theme music per se…but Space 1999 had the baddest theme/episode clip thingy ever. I’ll second Enterprise and Greatest American Hero. For just interesting/nostalgic…Salvage One. Oh, and Bosom Buddies for just a nice damn song. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/15 "2017-10-08T22:31:58Z")
I hated the show _Dallas_, and I realize I am alone in this, albeit, I think it was a guilty pleasure for most people, but I used to tune in every week for the theme song. That theme song seriously rocked. My parents must have wondered what I was up to, but all I did was play the theme song, then switch to something else. This was before YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/16 "2017-10-08T22:47:01Z")
I hated Dallas…but I must admit the theme was pretty good. What…no love for the “Love Boat?” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/17 "2017-10-08T23:10:06Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I hated the show _Dallas_, and I realize I am alone in this, albeit, I think it was a guilty pleasure for most people, but I used to tune in every week for the theme song. That theme song seriously rocked. My parents must have wondered what I was up to, but all I did was play the theme song, then switch to something else. This was before YouTube. When we were in the fifth grade, my friend Edith cracked me up by singing the Pledge of Allegience to the _Dallas_ theme song. To this day, 30 years later, the two are inextricably linked in my head. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/18 "2017-10-08T23:11:57Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/_agtNKbgSfI/hqdefault.jpg "Tv Theme Skippy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_agtNKbgSfI) Any support for “Skippy the Bush Kangaroo” ---
**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:** [October 8, 2017, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/19 "2017-10-08T23:18:53Z")
There were two shows that I’d regularly switch when I was young, to just to watch the theme songs. This isn’t exactly a comment on the quality of these shows since, admittedly, I didn’t watch them. But I did know the type and that type didn’t appeal to baby me. The themes to [Mannix](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLTb3_-pdU4) and [S.W.A.T.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFijg_Tnn7M). ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316/20 "2017-10-08T23:24:18Z")
^ _Mannix_ was a fairly decent show, Gail Fisher was a definite plus. I no need yer YouTube clip; that theme has been intaglioed on my brain since 1970-ish. _SWAT_–excellent theme, never saw the show. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-stank-but-had-great-theme-music/798316.md?page=2)