# TV Shows where the theme song doesn't really fit **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, music\ **Created:** [June 11, 2021, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040 "2021-06-11T12:57:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/1 "2021-06-11T12:57:52Z")
One that springs to mind is the theme song to Quantum Leap. I mean, yeah it’s a mostly light hearted show, but I just don’t think a breezy 80’s light jazz piece fits with this genre. I mean, yeah I know that Mike Post is a god of writing TV themes, and I LOVE his work overall, but this seems so generic. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/2 "2021-06-11T13:35:00Z")
I find the disco-ish theme to the cartoon **Count Duckula** kind of jarring. (No offense intended to people for whom it is a cherished childhood memory.) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/g9ZVWMPuZ2c/maxresdefault.jpg "Count Duckula Intro") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9ZVWMPuZ2c) ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/3 "2021-06-11T16:49:29Z")
Which version are your talking about? There was a different arrangement the last season and I think the original version fit better. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2021, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/4 "2021-06-12T02:46:57Z")
The 70s flop “The Texas Wheelers,” about a group of kids living on their own a la “Party of Five” and what happens when that ne’er-do-well father showed up again used John Prine’s “Illegal Smile,” a song usually interpreted as being about smoking pot (Prime denied it, but [come on](https://youtu.be/MmjnQjRvPUQ)). Prine had the right sound for the show, but the song choice was strange. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2021, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/5 "2021-06-12T03:06:32Z")
The theme to _Taxi_ was kinda slow and downbeat for a comedy. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/fYGR5JtyKng/maxresdefault.jpg "Taxi Opening Credits and Theme Song") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYGR5JtyKng) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2021, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/6 "2021-06-12T03:51:02Z")
This theme music sounds like a 70s action adventure show. But it was used for the show _Angels_, about first-year nurses. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Uu0fyzu7TZE/maxresdefault.jpg "Angels - Alan Parker") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu0fyzu7TZE) ---
**Author:** ![TimfromNapa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TimfromNapa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimfromNapa)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/7 "2021-06-13T19:50:45Z")
Ok, this is an old one. The 60’s British series, “Dangerman”, was shown in the US as “Secret Agent” with the popular song “Secret Agent Man” as its theme music. Problem is the song’s repeated lyric, “They’re giving you a number and taking away your name”. The shows central character always had a name – John Drake, no number. The number with no name thing would come in Patrick McGoohan’s next series “The Prisoner”. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/8 "2021-06-13T22:10:18Z")
The opening theme song for season 1 of _Patriot_ doesn’t really mesh with the imagery or the show, but maybe it still works? The track’s title, _Train Song,_ fits, however. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8NXEEZuwD3s/hqdefault.jpg "Patriot - Season 1 opening titles") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NXEEZuwD3s) The opening for season 2 doesn’t really match the show either, except, again, in the title. (Sure Shot/The Beastie Boys) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3PKQqhGrzac/hqdefault.jpg "Patriot - Season 2 opening titles") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PKQqhGrzac) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/9 "2021-06-13T22:14:55Z")
> [@TimfromNapa](#): > > Ok, this is an old one. The 60’s British series, “Dangerman”, was shown in the US as “Secret Agent” with the popular song “Secret Agent Man” as its theme music. Problem is the song’s repeated lyric, “They’re giving you a number and taking away your name”. The shows central character always had a name – John Drake, no number. The number with no name thing would come in Patrick McGoohan’s next series “The Prisoner”. The song was probably referring to 007, (too early for 86 and 99) but it was amazingly prescient. And while the Prisoner was officially not a sequel to Danger Man (since if it was McGoohan would have to pay the creator of Daner Man gobs of money) there are plenty of connections, including Drake saying “be seeing you” and Drake being screwed over by his superiors. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/10 "2021-06-13T22:56:09Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The theme to _Taxi_ was kinda slow and downbeat for a comedy. > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYGR5JtyKng](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYGR5JtyKng) I’d call it “whimiscal,” rather than downbeat. Actually, it was never meant to be the series’ theme at all. Another tune was: > **[“Angela” set the tone for Taxi, though it wasn’t intended to](https://www.avclub.com/angela-set-the-tone-for-taxi-though-it-wasn-t-intend-1798242536)** > > “Angela” set the tone for Taxi, though it wasn’t intended to If you don’t know, “Angela” was a recurring character in the show. The first time we saw her, she was a bitter, morbidly obese woman whom Alex befriended. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/11 "2021-06-13T23:15:35Z")
When I was in Brazil, for whatever reason, they broadcast _Magnum P.I., Hill Street Blues_ and _Simon and Simon_ but mixed up the theme songs between the three. It was just plain weird for me. Oh, and _Hill Street_ was called _Chumo Grosso_ (or something like that, it’s been a verrrry long time), which roughly translates to “Heavy Lead” (as far as I ever learned) And the dubbing of the voices on all the shows really blew my mind. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/12 "2021-06-13T23:29:36Z")
Some syndicated episodes of _ **Married … With Children** _ had (still have) an alternate opening theme that really sucks. From IMDb: _Due to music licensing issues, the opening theme song “Love and Marriage” sung by Frank Sinatra is omitted from episodes released by Sony in North America beginning with the third season onward. A generic instrumental piece of music replaces it. In 2013, Mill Creek Entertainment acquired the DVD rights from Sony and beginning with season three, “Love and Marriage” has been restored to the opening and closing._ _ **Three’s Company** _ originally had another version of its theme. Thank God they changed it after the series was bought! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UxFg9IOXpCg/maxresdefault.jpg "CLASSIC TV THEME - Original Theme to "Three's Company" Pilot with no lyrics (1976)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxFg9IOXpCg) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/13 "2021-06-13T23:40:55Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > _ **Three’s Company** _ originally had another version of its theme. Thank God they changed it after the series was bought! Using dummy lyrics is pretty common for songs as they’re being written. I don’t think that was meant to be the final, it was temporary, ready enough to show to Execs. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/14 "2021-06-13T23:42:33Z")
Regardless, it sounds really bad. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/15 "2021-06-13T23:51:14Z")
There was an interesting British series called _Star Cops_; it was a combination of near-future science-fiction police detectives. The theme was by Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/y8wDsrwV_k0/hqdefault.jpg "star cops theme") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8wDsrwV_k0) ---
**Author:** ![TimfromNapa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TimfromNapa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimfromNapa)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/16 "2021-06-14T00:33:50Z")
True, Johnny River’s hit song probably referred to the, then, new Bond world. As such, though, it was not really pertinent to the world of Dangerman. Lew Grade, the producer of Dangerman, gave McGoohan the greenlight to do The Prisoner as long he agreed to stretch the new series from the intended 6 episodes to 16 and that he make a couple more Dangerman episodes in color. McGoohan always maintained that The Prisoner was not a sequel and Number 6 was not intended to be John Drake. Given the way McGoohan wrapped up The Prisoner, with the much loved/hated finale’ I have long believed the show was more about the creator himself. In the end, he, himself was Number 1. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/17 "2021-06-14T12:39:43Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > > [@TimfromNapa](#): > > > > Ok, this is an old one. The 60’s British series, “Dangerman”, was shown in the US as “Secret Agent” with the popular song “Secret Agent Man” as its theme music. Problem is the song’s repeated lyric, “They’re giving you a number and taking away your name”. The shows central character always had a name – John Drake, no number. The number with no name thing would come in Patrick McGoohan’s next series “The Prisoner”. > > The song was probably referring to 007, (too early for 86 and 99) but it was amazingly prescient. > And while the Prisoner was officially not a sequel to Danger Man (since if it was McGoohan would have to pay the creator of Daner Man gobs of money) there are plenty of connections, including Drake saying “be seeing you” and Drake being screwed over by his superiors. Not to mention that the first episode of _Danger Man_ was filmed at the Hotel Portmeirion. > **[The Danger Man Website](http://danger-man.co.uk/portmeirionDM.asp)** > > Welcome to my website dedicated to the sixties television series Danger Man also known as Secret Agent Man in America, and Destination Danger in France. Staring Patrick McGoohan as John Drake. This website contains vast information on the series... ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/18 "2021-06-14T13:20:13Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Regardless, it sounds really bad It sounds like a fake “original title song” to me. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/19 "2021-06-14T13:21:31Z")
Gary Shandlings Show ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040/20 "2021-06-14T13:44:45Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Which version are your talking about? There was a different arrangement the last season and I think the original version fit better. This one. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VwZ6tfwiMzo/maxresdefault.jpg "REUPLOAD - Quantum Leap (1989 - 1993) TV Series Intro (Seasons 1 - 5)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwZ6tfwiMzo) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-where-the-theme-song-doesnt-really-fit/944040.md?page=2)