# TV theme song tourney **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381 "2007-12-09T15:05:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mikeargo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@mikeargo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikeargo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/21 "2007-12-09T20:20:58Z")
Miami Vice Odd Couple Dark Shadows Hill Street Blues Bonanza ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/22 "2007-12-09T20:34:24Z")
Here we go: Alfred Hitchcock Presents Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Perry Mason Laverne & Shirley Gumby ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/23 "2007-12-09T20:47:53Z")
Mary Tyler Moore Rockford Files Magnum, PI St. Elsewhere Frasier (closing …“tossed salad and scrambled eggs”) You know it’d be easier if this were broken into theme songs with and without lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/24 "2007-12-09T20:55:06Z")
The Andy Griffith Show Peter Gunn Monk Alfred Hitchcock Presents The Odd Couple ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/25 "2007-12-09T21:43:46Z")
Space 1999 Mash Taxi St. Elswhere Hill Street Blues ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/26 "2007-12-09T21:59:38Z")
Monk - the current Randy Newman theme, “It’s A Jungle Out There” The Addams Family The Simpsons The Twilight Zone St. Elsewhere ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/27 "2007-12-09T22:10:15Z")
Twin Peaks M_A_S\*H Mission: Impossible The Simpsons ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/28 "2007-12-09T22:23:47Z")
**Darth** loses his _Friends_ vote. No fair voting six times. NYAH! 1. **Mr. Lucky** by Henry Mancini (best piece evah) 2. **Moon River** by Mancini from the **Andy Williams Show** 3. **Peter Gunn** by Hank Mancini 4. **The Pink Panther** by H. Mancini (the film became a TV cartoon) 5. **People’s Court** ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/29 "2007-12-09T22:31:54Z")
1. Greatest American Hero 2. The Addams Family 3. WKRP in Cincinatti 4. Cheers 5. The X-Files ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/30 "2007-12-09T23:08:29Z")
(Not necessarily in order) 1. Peter Gunn 2. Mission: Impossible 3. The Rockford Files 4. The Addams Family 5. The Gary Shandling Show ---
**Author:** ![Paladud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Paladud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paladud)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/31 "2007-12-09T23:28:23Z")
The X-Files Tales From the Crypt MASH Jeopardy! Exosquad ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/32 "2007-12-09T23:40:40Z")
I prefer the themes that explain the show to someone who’s never seen an episode, so: _Green Acres Petticoat Junction The Beverly Hillbillies The Brady Bunch Gilligan’s Island_ For anyone who doesn’t know: The _Route 66_ song made famous by Nat “King” Cole was not the theme of the _Route 66_ show. The former was composed by Bobby Troup, while the latter was a Nelson Riddle instumental which was commissioned [in order to avoid paying royalties to Troup.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_%28song%29) ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/33 "2007-12-10T00:36:45Z")
[QUOTE=Sternvogel] For anyone who doesn’t know: The _Route 66_ song made famous by Nat “King” Cole was not the theme of the _Route 66_ show. The former was composed by Bobby Troup, while the latter was a Nelson Riddle instumental [/QUOTE] I was voting for the Nelson Riddle tune. If anyone wants to refresh their memory, [this YouTube video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44pnaIHDSIo) uses the Nelson Riddle tune used by the series. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/34 "2007-12-10T00:44:58Z")
[QUOTE=Sternvogel] I prefer the themes that explain the show to someone who’s never seen an episode, so: _Green Acres Petticoat Junction The Beverly Hillbillies The Brady Bunch Gilligan’s Island_ \ [/QUOTE] Oh, man. I’ve already named my five, but the theme from “Pinky and the Brain” so fits into this category. \* They’re Pinky and the Brain. Yes, Pinky and the Brain. One is a genius. The other one’s insane…\* ---
**Author:** ![coffinjumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@coffinjumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffinjumper)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/35 "2007-12-10T00:47:13Z")
In no particular order, Buffy Addams Family MST3K Super Chicken Angel ---
**Author:** ![coffinjumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@coffinjumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffinjumper)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/36 "2007-12-10T00:52:33Z")
Can I change Super Chicken for Fraggle Rock or is it too late? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/37 "2007-12-10T00:55:09Z")
The Jeffersons Malcolm in the Middle The Addams Family The Weird Al Show Wonderfalls ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/38 "2007-12-10T02:28:53Z")
I think some of these have been mentioned. Mr. Lucky Thrid Man (It was a television show using the same music as the film [stared Barry Sullivan]). Peter Gun Harrigan and Son Hennesey The Rebel. ---
**Author:** ![joechip236](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@joechip236](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joechip236)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/39 "2007-12-10T03:05:06Z")
Twilight Zone Mission Impossible Twin Peaks Star Trek (original series) Leave it to Beaver ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381/40 "2007-12-10T04:40:37Z")
I know this makes six for me but I feel the Lone Ranger theme song (William Tell Overture) deserves at least an honorable mention so I had to bring it up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-tourney/429381.md?page=3)