# 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:** 3
**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, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/41 "2004-01-08T02:43:22Z")
“With or without the lyrics, that is” ---
**Author:** ![jeanster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@jeanster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeanster)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/42 "2004-01-08T03:11:49Z")
The Avengers Due South King of the Hill Rockford Files The Bob Newhart Show The Odd Couple 3rd Rock from the Sun Simon and Simon Prisoner Mission Impossible ---
**Author:** ![jeanster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@jeanster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeanster)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/43 "2004-01-08T03:14:56Z")
I’ll second Hogan’s Heroes and Barney Miller. Taxi. ---
**Author:** ![jeanster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@jeanster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeanster)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/44 "2004-01-08T03:21:03Z")
Room 222 Justice League Gunsmoke Bonanza ---
**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:** [January 8, 2004, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/45 "2004-01-08T05:15:20Z")
Here in Canada we have a show called ‘W-5’, and its theme music is **Fool’s Overture** by **Supertramp**. I nominate it - the song sounded even better as the theme of a TV show than it did as a song, and it’s a great song. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/46 "2004-01-08T05:41:13Z")
Also a fan of the _Doctor Who_ theme, as well as the original _Space:1999_ score. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/47 "2004-01-08T05:54:16Z")
I like: Mystery Vision On Sanford and Son Alfred Hitchcock ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/48 "2004-01-08T07:10:40Z")
Sorry, you’re all wrong. [Maude](http://www.melaman2.com/tvshows/mp3/Maude.mp3). By Dave Grusin. ---
**Author:** ![CadburyAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@CadburyAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CadburyAngel)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/49 "2004-01-08T08:17:57Z")
“The Ballad of Serenity,” which was the theme for Firefly, performed by Sonny Rhodes. It manages to capture at once the major themes of the show: Chinese and American West hybridization, having everything taken away from you, the importance of independence, and so forth, while also serving as a beautiful song about the show itself and the trials it went through before its eventual (hopefully temporary) cancellation. \*Take me out into the black, Tell them I ain’t comin’ back I don’t care, I’m still free You can’t take the sky from me. \* ---
**Author:** ![TERRA\_Rising](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TERRA\_Rising](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TERRA_Rising)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/50 "2004-01-08T12:16:48Z")
I’ll list some of my favorites (In no particular order): “Dragnet” “Cowboy Bebop” “The Greatest American Hero” “Knight Rider” “CSI” ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/51 "2004-01-08T12:26:03Z")
How come nobody has yet mentioned “The Magic Roundabout”? A link to a media player file is on [http://www.rsc.co.uk/zebidee/history.htm](http://www.rsc.co.uk/zebidee/history.htm) I wonder if the original French broadcast used the same time? ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/52 "2004-01-08T14:26:26Z")
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Closing themes that rock: Powerpuff Girls & Spongebob. ---
**Author:** ![Labor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Labor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labor)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/53 "2004-01-08T15:45:55Z")
In the late 1980’s I would watch th enew MightyMouse on Saturday mornings. Of course the original song was there ("Here I come to save the day!), but there was also an amazing male chorus version of the sone that was atonal. It was just amazing. I would love to have a recording of that music and would be forever in t debt to the person who provided it to me. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/54 "2004-01-08T17:08:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amarinth \* > \*\*Mike Post’s stuff…Is generally great. \*\* As is Pete Carpenter’s. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![nameless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/779978/32.png) [@nameless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nameless)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/55 "2004-01-08T17:19:16Z")
Aqua Teen Hunger Force is quite awesome. Cowboy Bebop, also already mentioned, rules. But my all-time favorite is the Clone High theme. You may remember the extremely-short-lived-but-hilarious animated series on MTV. I think Abandoned Pools did it. Fire up Kazaa and give it a listen, it’s excellent. ---
**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, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/56 "2004-01-08T18:20:54Z")
“Police Woman” with Angie Dickinson had a good theme. The opening of that show gave my teenaged self funny feelings belowstairs. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/57 "2004-01-08T19:00:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bup \* > I’m amazed each time this topic comes up that a mod doesn’t just post **Peter Gunn** , announce that this is a General Question, move it, note that s/he has answered it, and close the thread. > > Since that doesn’t happen, **Peter Gunn**. _Peter Gunn_ easily takes second on my list, but I have to agree with **vibrotronica** –_Tank!_ from Cowboy Bebop is better. It’s almost too close to call, though. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/58 "2004-01-08T20:44:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Aqua Teen Hunger Force is quite awesome. “Number one in the hood, G” ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/59 "2004-01-08T21:38:08Z")
Funny that there is a deep rap hatred in SD, yet the theme to “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” gets mad props, as well as it should. But the all time best is “The Jeffersons”. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964/60 "2004-01-08T22:34:37Z")
The theme music from **The Huntley-Brinkley News Report**. It was the 2nd (3rd?) movement of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Second choice: **Peter Gunn** , Henry Mancini Third: **Route 66** Fourth: **Six Feet Under** Fifth: **Mission Impossible** or **Twilight Zone** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-all-time-greatest-tv-show-theme-music/222964.md?page=4)