# TV theme songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 26, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072 "2016-11-26T19:19:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/61 "2016-11-29T04:41:28Z")
As long as we’re doing cartoons: [The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour (On With the Show)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqKf7j43i_k) ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/62 "2016-11-29T04:57:03Z")
So many good ones mentioned. The Incredible Hulk theme was always a favorite of mine. Babylon 5 had a wonderful intro that changed somewhat each year to reflect the theme of that year’s arc. The one I like best is from [Season 3](https://youtu.be/v92K3_f0MUo), but they’re all good. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/63 "2016-11-29T16:09:54Z")
My favourite theme song is still from an old show called “Flying Blind” - “A Million Miles Away” by David Byrne. I’ve said before that the opening music to the old “Tales from the Darkside” used to scare the shit out of me so much when I was a kid that I would turn the volume down (back in the day when you actually had to walk across the room to the TV.) I’m 43 now and watching the shows again and the theme STILL scares me. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/64 "2016-11-29T16:35:11Z")
I loved the theme from “The Friendly Giant”. I ws 40, but my kids brightened the house with it. There was also a great theme on "St. Lawrence North", a documentary series produced for CBC by the National Film Board of Canada in the 1960s, but they keep a tight grip on it and there is nothing available online. Great theme also on the Patrick McGoohan series “Danger Man”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/65 "2016-11-29T20:35:50Z")
Definitely Sanford and Son! ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/66 "2016-11-29T22:30:44Z")
I have yet to see two iconic songs from the 60s mentioned: [The Flintstones](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PPf3aaZmUw) [The Jetsons.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTq6Tofmo7E) And, of course, while not original to the TV show, probably one of the most iconic theme songs EVAH belonged to [The Pink Panther](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9irl60bduk). ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/67 "2016-11-29T22:42:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Definitely Sanford and Son! The song is called [Streetbeater](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O20Sljxmy9M) by Quincy Jones. Nice! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/68 "2016-11-29T22:44:44Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > The song is called [Streetbeater](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O20Sljxmy9M) by Quincy Jones. Nice! Oh, I do know what it’s called. (If you click on “read more comments” you’ll see my username there.) 🙂 Quincy Jones, FTW! I remember reading that he and his musicians knocked that song out in something like an hour or so. ETA: [There’s a brief story on it here at #3](http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/08/09/stories-behind-the-songs-chuck-rainey/), but it doesn’t say how quickly it was written, but implying it was within a session. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/69 "2016-11-29T22:47:44Z")
Also Quincy [Ironside.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zViIajZwH-s) ---
**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:** [November 30, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/70 "2016-11-30T21:34:42Z")
I was just surfing TV themes on YouTube and came across one I don’t think I’ve heard before: _ **McCloud** _. I quite like it! I watched this show only once, the time Barbi Benton was on it. I was always a great follower of \*\*\*Columbo\*\*\*, though. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/71 "2016-11-30T21:37:56Z")
Perfect Strangers had a pretty good theme. ---
**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:** [November 30, 2016, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/72 "2016-11-30T21:48:17Z")
The theme from _Quincy, M.E._ was a pretty good one. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/73 "2016-12-01T04:15:47Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > The song came at the end of each show, instead of the beginning. Michael Parks, the star of the show, was the singer. It was a minor pop success, Reminds me of how Baywatch used the David Hasslehoff number [Current of Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uINY84x7K2s) for the ending credits for a while. Of course they also had a decent [opening theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PldT2jq7ApM)as well. But no Hoff on that one. If it’s more Hoff you want (and why wouldn’t you) he also performed the theme for season one of [Baywatch Nights](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl4NLQrJRxE) along with Lou Rawls. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/74 "2016-12-01T14:43:23Z")
One of the absolute best that hasn’t been mentioned is [Animaniacs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWnWwN1z_UM). The fact that they changed the lyrics and the opening every time and still made it great is remarkable. ---
**Author:** ![VanLandry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/eb9ed0/32.png) [@VanLandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VanLandry)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/75 "2016-12-01T14:53:07Z")
Certainly influenced by my love of Star Wars as a kid but I’ve always liked the theme from the original [Battlestar Galactica](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHp9oZPqs8E). ---
**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:** [December 1, 2016, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/76 "2016-12-01T16:36:39Z")
Which \*\*\*Saint \*\*\*theme do you prefer? This one or this one? This one is pretty cool too: For completeness, this is the Ian Ogilvy iteration: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Oc-8991Q9jA/maxresdefault.jpg "Return Of The Saint TV Intro 1978 (With HQ Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc-8991Q9jA) How many of you know that Ian Ogilvy was Germanicus on _ **I, Claudius** _? ---
**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 1, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/77 "2016-12-01T17:42:46Z")
> [@VanLandry](#): > > Certainly influenced by my love of Star Wars as a kid but I’ve always liked the theme from the original [Battlestar Galactica](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHp9oZPqs8E). When BSG was on the air, one of our local TV stations used the theme as the opening theme of their 6:00 news show. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072.md?page=3)