# The all-time greatest TV show theme MUSIC?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2004, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964 "2004-01-06T06:17:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mean\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mean\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/21 "2004-01-07T02:51:35Z")
**The Simpsons**. Full orchestra. Composed by Danny Elfman. Manic, obnoxious, bold, yet urgent and wistful at the same time. Captures the tone of the series (at least during the first couple of seasons) perfectly. **Six Feet Under**. Haunting, simple melody. Bizarre Indonesian texture. Lots of creative mixing. Classic Thomas Newman of “American Beauty” fame. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/22 "2004-01-07T03:00:16Z")
the theme, composed by Angelo Badalamenti, lyrics by David Lynch, vocals by Julee Cruise for TWIN PEAKS ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_On_My_Sleeve)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/23 "2004-01-07T03:01:23Z")
**Mean Guy** , glad you finally said something. I do love the Six Feet Under theme. I also find The Family Guy theme to be very catchy. I love the trombones (maybe synthesized?) on the upbeats (It seems today _bop_ that all you see _bop_…). ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_On_My_Sleeve)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/24 "2004-01-07T03:05:13Z")
Oh, I was also trying to think of old shows, and The Andy Griffith Show show came to mind. So fun to whistle with the hubby doing harmony 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/25 "2004-01-07T03:35:01Z")
Come on. It has to be: **The Prisoner** either that, or Gilligan’s Island. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/26 "2004-01-07T04:02:36Z")
The Alfred Hitchcock TV show theme. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/27 "2004-01-07T04:32:18Z")
Fat Albert. BTW, **Lizard** , the ‘Buffy’ theme was done by ‘Nerf Herder’, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/28 "2004-01-07T05:32:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*What was that nice bit of classical music at the beginning of _Wings_? \*\* It’s Schuberts piano sonata D959 in A, 4th mvmt. Here is a [midi](http://www.kunstderfuge.com/mid/schubert/sonata_D959_4_(c)yogore.mid) ---
**Author:** ![peritrochoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peritrochoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peritrochoid)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/29 "2004-01-07T05:48:09Z")
I’ll have to throw in another vote for _MacGyver._ And I’ll cast the first vote for the theme to _Sports Night_. I’m also particularly fond of the theme for the end credits of _Dark Angel_. ---
**Author:** ![Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raymond_luxury_yacht/32/4099_2.png) [@Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raymond_Luxury_Yacht)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/30 "2004-01-07T09:15:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by I Love Me, Vol. I \* > **Sanford and Son** > > I think Quincy Jones wrote it. The best. Performed by Isaac Hayes. Ditto on **Barney Miller The Bob Newhart Show** is one that deserves mentioning. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/31 "2004-01-07T13:12:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jehovah68 \* > \*\ ***The Bob Newhart Show** is one that deserves mentioning. \*\* “Home to Emily”–composed, IIRC, by Lorenzo Music and his wife. ---
**Author:** ![bayonet1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bayonet1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bayonet1976)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/32 "2004-01-07T13:52:11Z")
Maybe not the greatest, but certainly my favorite is the theme from HBO’s Real Sex series. The theme is actually a Perez Prado mambo-like song called “Patricia”, it fits the show perfectly. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/33 "2004-01-07T14:15:37Z")
_Hawaii 5-0_ overrated? Surely you jest and, yes, I _am_ calling you Shirley. Personally, I like the _60 Minutes_ theme music. It has a nice steady beat. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/34 "2004-01-07T19:12:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mean Guy \* > **The Simpsons. Full orchestra. Composed by Danny Elfman. Manic, obnoxious, bold, yet urgent and wistful at the same time. Captures the tone of the series (at least during the first couple of seasons) perfectly.** James L. Brooks once referred to the _Simpsons_ theme as “lemmings-marching-to-their-death music.” Although, of course, lemmings don’t _really_ march to their death, I agree with him. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/35 "2004-01-07T19:51:43Z")
Mike Post’s stuff, which includes such memorable themes as: The Rockford Files, CHiPs, Magnum PI, Hill Street Blues, The A-Team, LA Law (which perfectly captured the show the 80s, the show, and the feeling - those opening saxophones), Quantam Leap, the Law and Orders, NYPD Blue, etc. Is generally great. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/36 "2004-01-07T19:56:19Z")
Of course, the iconic **Twilight Zone** theme wins hands down. Some late comers to the party: Sealab 2021, by Calamine: “If you’re looking for me / You’d better check under the sea” Harvy Birdman: Attorney at Law: “Whooooo is the man in the suit? Whooo is the cat with the wiiiiings? Harvey attorney / Habeas Corpus / Marvy Attorney!” (Legend has it that the show’s creators wrote and recorded the theme song before they had a show. Their entire pitch to Mike Lazzo [VP of programming at Cartoon Network and the driving force behind Adult Swim] consisted of “OK, here’'s the idea. Harvy Birdman: Attorney at Law” and then they played the song. Lazzo immediately said “You’re in.” The demo they recorded is still used as the theme song today.) And my personal favorite: Cowboy Bebop: “Tank!” by the Seatbelts. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/37 "2004-01-07T19:58:26Z")
And of course I left out the best line in the Harvy Birdman song: “Do you really want to feel him?” ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/38 "2004-01-07T20:29:44Z")
My favorites are instrumentals: 1- Twin Peaks 2- Perry Mason 3- Andy Griffith 4- Diagnosis Murder ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/39 "2004-01-08T01:24:11Z")
_From the OP:_ > [@](#): > > I’m talking themes (without lyrics) _Babylon 5_ had consistently rich, complex orchestral themes, changing each season to match the overall theme of that year. ---
**Author:** ![snac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@snac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snac)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/40 "2004-01-08T02:41:43Z")
Andy Griffith, and the Beverly Hillbillies “Hills, that is” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964.md?page=3)