# The TV Show Opening Credits Hall of Fame and Shame **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2007, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133 "2007-03-23T04:29:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/101 "2007-03-31T00:31:44Z")
[QUOTE=vibrotronica] [Cowboy Bebop](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6zDfxZ4NcE) [/QUOTE] Seconded. _Tank!_ is one of the best theme songs ever written. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/102 "2007-03-31T04:15:25Z")
Serious Hall of Fame: [WKRP in Cincinnati](http://radio.about.com/library/blwkrpthemeaudio.htm) Tuning through the radio dial “…weather today in the greater Cincinnati area…” [TUNING] fragment of song: “,I love you so badly I could…” [TUNING] “…They’re solid plastic, so don’t settle for imitation…” [TUNING] “…but the senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity.” [TUNING] fragment of classical music. Then into theme Baby If you’ve ever wondered, Wondered whatever became of me I’m living on the air in Cincinnati Cincinnati, WKRP and etc. Lovely stuff, particularly when the theme starts with the scratchy, heard-on-the-radio sound, which quickly swells into full studio audio. Neat tune, neat lyrics include “tired of packing and unpacking, town to town, up and down the dial.” Must also add about Green Acres. A band called The Waybacks has an instrumental medley that quotes a lot of country-flavored songs, snippets of TV themes such as The Andy Griffith Show, and then segues into Hendrix-style Purple Haze, though the lyrics sung are those to Green Acres. It’s spooky, but it works and is hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/103 "2007-03-31T15:04:06Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] Upon reviewing (the things I do for the SD _shudder_) it has a country-ish flavour–the strumming guitar, the backbeat and the folksy sound–but it’s also very reminiscent of soft-pop ballads, so I call it a draw. 🙂 [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=cochrane] “Faith of the Heart” (aka "Where My Heart Will Take Me) was originally recorded by Rod Stewart and was played over the closing credits of the motion picture **Patch Adams**. It was re-recorded for Enterprise by a British pop singer named Russell Watson. The song was composed by Diane Warren, whose other compositions include “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith, “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher, and “Not A Dry Eye In The House” by Meat Loaf. Her [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Warren) criticizes her as a “jump the shark” songwriter whose songs artists turn to when their careers are in a slump. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the info, **cochrane.** I’ve heard others say that it reminds them of “Christian Rock,” which I can sort of see. The thing that stuck with me was how closely it matched up with _Enterprise’s_ premise; mankind’s first real leap out into the stars, out innate faith (in ourselves) that we can overcome obstacles, reach our destiny, etc., etc.,. I just thought it was very fitting for the show. Now the _Firefly_ theme…now _that’s_ “Country.” And I’ll toss in my agreement with **Elza B** about the _Farscape_ later-season opening credits. Pretty cool stuff. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/104 "2007-03-31T15:16:38Z")
Two of the best campy intro songs were covered by Ted’s acapella group from _Scrubs_: > [@](#): > > There’s a new boy in the neighborhood, > Lives downstairs and it’s understood > He’s there just to take good care of me… > Like he’s part of the fa-mi-ly > Charles in charge, of our days, and our nights (Charles in charge) > Charles in charge, of our wrongs, and our rights (Charles in charge) > And I want, I want Charles in charge of me! That one’s good enough to sing in the shower, but no theme song will ever surpass the true greatness of: > [@](#): > > When criminals in this world appear > And break the laws that they should fear > And frighten all who see or hear > The cry goes up both far and near > For Underdog! (Underdog!) Underdog! (Underdog!) > Speed of lightning, roar of thunder > Fighting all who rob or plunder > Underdog. Underdog! > > When in this world the headlines read > Of those whose hearts are filled with greed > Who rob and steal from those who need > To right this wrong with blinding speed > Goes Underdog! (Underdog!) Underdog! (Underdog!) > Speed of lightning, roar of thunder > Fighting all who rob or plunder > Underdog. Underdog! > > When Polly Purebread starts to fall > From buildings 20 stories tall > She knows the hero she can call > His ears prick up when Polly hollers > Underdog! (Underdog!) Underdog! (Underdog!) > There’s no need to fear or quaver > Underdog is here to save her > Underdog. Underdog! > > And when our woeful monologue > Is how by evil we’ve been flogged > Then breaking through the clouds and fog > Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog > Comes Underdog! (Underdog!) Underdog! (Underdog!) > Now unleash the Dog of Wonder > Tearing evil’s bonds asunder > Underdog. Underdog! This may or may not be the complete song; there is debate about it. Googling for the complete lyrics will usually only uncover the first two versus. In the Scrubs cover of it, they did sing the refrain from the fourth verse, starting with “Now unleash the Dog of Wonder”. I remember being disappointed after googling the complete song and not seeing that line anywhere. It’s such a good line. It’s possible the Scrubs writers wrote it themselves. To demonstrate how rare it is to find these lyrics, do a google search (using the quotes) on “now unleash the dog of wonder”. Two lousy hits; one is a transcript of that Scrubs episode, and the other is the now defunct homepage of Ted’s band. (Cached version [here](http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:eXuaE-P2uZ4J:www.theblankswebsite.com/lyrics/underdog.htm+%22now+unleash+the+dog+of+wonder%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us).) I originally found all four verses, plus a discussion of whether or not they’re actually from Underdog, on [this blog](http://davidzrantz.diaryland.com/050227_18.html). A short and fun read for anyone who was a fan of Underdog as a child. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133/105 "2007-04-02T06:04:57Z")
[QUOTE=want2know] HoS: **George Lopez** [/QUOTE] I have to agree. When my brother and I first saw it, he took exception to the use of “Lowrider” as the theme song, and said, “What happened, was the ‘Mexican Hat Dance’ already taken?” :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tv-show-opening-credits-hall-of-fame-and-shame/397133.md?page=5)