# TV Show theme songs that are not just "Theme from\_\_\_\_\_" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337 "2009-03-13T15:49:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/1 "2009-03-13T15:49:21Z")
I haven’t even tried to Google for it, but does the theme for Craig Ferguson’s late night show have a name? This thread is for questions and answers about such theme music. I do know that M_A_S\*H’s theme is _Suicide is Painless_, if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/2 "2009-03-13T16:05:11Z")
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv_4th9GrdY) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MF8XxVtnV0I/hqdefault.jpg "The Late, Late Show Theme Song") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF8XxVtnV0I) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/3 "2009-03-13T16:16:16Z")
And before anybody else suggests it, [TelevisionTunes.com](http://www.televisiontunes.com/index.php) and[TV Land](http://www.tvland.com/sitemap/video/themesongs.jhtml) are great resources for the old shows. Got to be many others, too. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/4 "2009-03-13T16:41:13Z")
Does anybody else get a lump in their throat from [Mannix - Long Theme Song - TelevisionTunes.com](http://www.televisiontunes.com/Mannix_-_Long.html) ? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/5 "2009-03-13T16:42:27Z")
The Benny Hill theme tune is [Yakety Sax](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakety_Sax) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/6 "2009-03-13T16:44:17Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > The Benny Hill theme tune is [Yakety Sax](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakety_Sax) Roger that. Know who recorded that first? Of course you do. Says so in the link. Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/7 "2009-03-13T16:45:27Z")
Says in the linked article, “a 1963 45 rpm single written by Boots Randolph and James Q. “Spider” Rich, and recorded by Boots Randolph.” ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/8 "2009-03-13T16:46:28Z")
“Who are You?” - CSI “Tear Drop” - House M.D. “Strict Machine” - Nip/Tuck ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/9 "2009-03-13T16:47:47Z")
The theme to the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” was called “Love is All Around.” The opening theme to “All in the Family” was called “Those Were the Days,” and the closing theme was called “Remembering You.” Is this the sort of thing you’re looking for? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/10 "2009-03-13T16:49:39Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Says in the linked article, “a 1963 45 rpm single written by Boots Randolph and James Q. “Spider” Rich, and recorded by Boots Randolph.” That’s how I remember it, too. Sorry my edit didn’t arrive in time. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/11 "2009-03-13T16:50:59Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > The theme to the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” was called “Love is All Around.” The opening theme to “All in the Family” was called “Those Were the Days,” and the closing theme was called “Remembering You.” > > Is this the sort of thing you’re looking for? Exactly. Good ones, too. I think Gunsmoke’s theme is/was “Old Trail.” (Could be wrong, though.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/12 "2009-03-13T16:55:53Z")
The Peter Gunn theme by Mancini is a classic. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/13 "2009-03-13T16:57:21Z")
And the theme for “Greatest American Hero” was “Believe it or Not.” ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/14 "2009-03-13T16:58:11Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The Peter Gunn theme by Mancini is a classic. None finer. Unless it was Mr. Lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/15 "2009-03-13T16:59:42Z")
Bosom Buddies had Billy Joel’s My Life as its theme. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/16 "2009-03-13T17:00:30Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The Peter Gunn theme by Mancini is a classic. But isn’t that just called “Peter Gunn Theme?” ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/17 "2009-03-13T17:00:45Z")
The Lone Ranger (and his faithful Indian companion Tonto) used to ride onto our TV screens to the sound of the William Tell overture by Rossini. Marvellous. CSI Miami uses the Who too (Won’t get fooled again), and so does CSI New York (Baba O’Reilly) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/18 "2009-03-13T17:02:24Z")
The theme for Welcome Back, Kotter is Welcome Back, by John Sebastian, which, in the context of the OP, is interesting - the series was just going to be called Kotter, but after Sebastian wrote the song, which he made more general, because he couldn’t come up with a rhyme for ‘Kotter’, they decided to rename the series. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/19 "2009-03-13T17:06:28Z")
The show sucked but I loved the music in [Adventures in Paradise Theme Song - TelevisionTunes.com](http://www.televisiontunes.com/Adventures_in_Paradise.html) Will there ever be one to top > **[TV Theme Music - TelevisionTunes.com](https://www.televisiontunes.com/)** > > TV Theme music and songs from 32,913 different television shows. Listen to them all in MP3 format. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337/20 "2009-03-13T17:08:26Z")
The theme for “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” was _Funeral March of a Marionette_ by French composer Charles Gounod. The story behind the piece was that two marionettes supposedly had a duel, one was killed, and the march represented the funeral procession as the other marionettes bore their friend to the graveyard. In the middle of the piece there’s a lighter part where the marionettes stop off in a tavern and get drunk. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-show-theme-songs-that-are-not-just-theme-from_____/489337.md?page=2)