# TV shows that use theme songs from other TV shows
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 10, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013 "2019-09-10T22:29:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/1 "2019-09-10T22:29:41Z")
_The Leftovers_ made extensive use of the theme from _Perfect Strangers_. An episode of _Adventure Time_ [uses the theme from _Mr. Belvedere_](https://adventuretime.fandom.com/wiki/According_to_Our_New_Arrival). Any other examples? I’m especially interested in examples so old or obscure that the primary target audience of the newer show may not get the reference at all.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/2 "2019-09-10T22:38:18Z")
The show Newhart used Schubert’s Piano sonata No. 20 as it’s theme song. The show Wings used the same piece for their theme song. Both shows took place New England. Wings gives full credit to Franz Schubert for the music while on Newhart the credit is given to Henry Mancini, pretty shabby treatment of a righteous dude like The Franz.
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### Author:  [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/3 "2019-09-10T22:39:50Z")
Zillions of shows have made use of the theme from The Lone Ranger whenever there is a race. Two and a Half Men frequently played a portion of the William Tell Overture as well (although not the Lone Ranger part).
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### Author:  [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/4 "2019-09-10T22:45:08Z")
George uses a parody of the theme song from _Greatest American Hero_ as his answering machine message on _Seinfeld._
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2019, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/5 "2019-09-11T05:38:14Z")
From How I Met Your Mother -
[Wait for it…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD0AD5xSfsw)
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2019, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/6 "2019-09-11T15:57:47Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#):
>
> _The Leftovers_ made extensive use of the theme from _Perfect Strangers_.
Perfect Strangers, itself, had Balki humming the theme of I Dream of Jeannie in one episode - I can’t remember the context, but I remember the image of him dancing down the stairs at work as he did so, vividly.
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### Author:  [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/7 "2019-09-11T16:28:08Z")
Another episode of _Adventure Time_ featured Simon singing the theme song from Cheers.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/8 "2019-09-11T17:12:04Z")
[_The Simpsons_ pay homage to an earlier animated series](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuWiTiduomM)
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/9 "2019-09-11T17:13:11Z")
> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> The show Newhart used Schubert’s Piano sonata No. 20 as it’s theme song. The show Wings used the same piece for their theme song. Both shows took place New England. Wings gives full credit to Franz Schubert for the music while on Newhart the credit is given to Henry Mancini, pretty shabby treatment of a righteous dude like The Franz.
I don’t hear it, but then I don’t hear the plagiarism in “Sussudio,” either.
[Newhart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsP-dLguOMk)
[Wings](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdWMNe_B3ak)
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2019, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/10 "2019-09-11T17:38:12Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#):
>
> I don’t hear it, but then I don’t hear the plagiarism in “Sussudio,” either.
>
> [Newhart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsP-dLguOMk)
>
> [Wings](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdWMNe_B3ak)
Well it could be me, I have tin ears. The two versions are played with different instruments and don’t start the same way. Maybe that is confusing me, but the underlying melody sounds very much the same to me.
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### Author:  [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/11 "2019-09-11T18:06:56Z")
In the Bonanza episode “Bank Run”, they used a riff similar to Dragnet’s (DA-da-da-Dum) a couple of times when Hoss was standing guard outside of a bank.
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### Author:  [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2019, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/12 "2019-09-11T18:13:40Z")
Speaking of Bonanza
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX5Z40N_bHo)
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### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2019, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/13 "2019-09-11T18:57:17Z")
_Star Trek: The Next Generation_ stole their theme song from _Star Trek: The Motion Picture_. Does that count?
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### Author:  [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2019, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/14 "2019-09-11T19:33:25Z")
\*Friends \*used the _Odd Couple_ theme (and a short piece of _I Dream of Jeannie_) in one of the[cold opens](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTyhsuP7n1Y).
There’s also a scene in London in which a homesick Joey finds _Cheers_ on TV.
I can’t think of any obscure examples, however.
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### Author:  [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2019, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/15 "2019-09-11T19:50:47Z")
Here’s an old school one: _Card Sharks_ used the same theme as the original 1970s CBS version (not the one with the obstacle courses) of _Double Dare_.
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### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2019, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/16 "2019-09-11T21:39:55Z")
On _Scrubs_, Ted’s group The Blanks went thru a theme song phase. They covered _Facts of Life_, _Charles in Charge_, and _Underdog_. (Maybe others?)
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### Author:  [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2019, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/17 "2019-09-12T02:03:02Z")
[The Greatest Event in Television History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greatest_Event_in_Television_History) recreates the openings of 4 TV series. In particular, there’s a scene where Adam Scott and Paul Rudd are correcting Billy Joel on the words to “My Life” (the theme to “Bosom Buddies”).
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2019, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/18 "2019-09-12T03:40:14Z")
The BBC radio series _Cabin Pressure_ and the CBS sitcom _Mom_ both use Mikhail Glinka’s _Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila_ as their theme music. It’s not obvious if you watch the opening of _Mom_; the piece is five minutes long and the two shows use different snippets in their openings. The closing credits of _Mom_ use the same section of music as _Cabin Pressure_.
While googling this, I found an interview asking Chuck Lorre why he chose to use classical music for _Mom_ and he doesn’t mention _Cabin Pressure_, so it may have just been a coincidence.
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### Author:  [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2019, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/19 "2019-09-12T04:20:44Z")
In the Seinfeld episode “The Cigar Store Indian”, a crazy guy ends up with a copy of TV Guide he thinks belongs to Elaine and he hums the theme to “I Love Lucy” to himself as he turns it into a bouquet of paper flowers.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2019, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-that-use-theme-songs-from-other-tv-shows/840013/20 "2019-09-12T14:17:43Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#):
>
> _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ stole their theme song from _Star Trek: The Motion Picture_. Does that count?
I’d say yes, but I’d also point out that you’d be more correct in pointing out that TNG combines the themes from TOS and TMP.
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