# TV Themes--all time greatest **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390 "2006-01-17T18:49:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/21 "2006-01-17T22:10:44Z")
> [@Usram](#): > > Nobody’s mentioned **Futurama** yet? > > . What kind of instrument produces the chiming sound in that? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/22 "2006-01-17T22:13:04Z")
The Powerpuff Girls theme song is totally awsome. Really. What? ---
**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:** [January 17, 2006, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/23 "2006-01-17T22:14:13Z")
**Mr. Blue Sky** , you have good taste (well, 4 out of 5, anyway). > [@ronincyberpunk](#): > > Star Trek: The next Generation The theme for TNG was an arrangement of the theme from _Star Trek: The Motion Picture_. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/24 "2006-01-17T22:21:40Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > **Hawaii Five-O** > Great theme song. I would like to just add a **Hells yeah** to that. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/25 "2006-01-17T22:28:48Z")
Mission: Impossible. Cool spy-jazz in 5/4 time. The best ever. Cowboy Bebop Peter Gunn Hawaii Five-O Batman: The Animated Series Batman (1966 series) Night Court Buffy the Vampire Slayer (perfect for setting the mood of the series) The Shield (also perfect for setting the mood of the series) Firefly Seinfeld (extended version) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/26 "2006-01-17T22:31:32Z")
**The Avengers** - the all-time greatest. **Perry Mason Sanford and Son The Bill Cosby Show** (the circa 1970 version with Cos “singing”) I’ll agree with **Hawaii 5-0** I’ll also agree with **Peter Gunn** –even though I never actually saw the show… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/27 "2006-01-17T22:39:17Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > Anything composed by [Mike Post.](http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/P/htmlP/postmike/postmike.htm) …with or without [Pete Carpenter](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0139432/). ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/28 "2006-01-17T22:55:40Z")
The Tracey Ullman Show and Martin ---
**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:** [January 17, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/29 "2006-01-17T23:13:29Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Mission: Impossible. Cool spy-jazz in 5/4 time. The best ever. Definitely one of the best, but it was utterly, utterly butchered for the first movie. (My theory is that someone in marketing said “5/4? Hit it with a rock until I can dance to it.”) I haven’t seen the second, but I saw a trailer for the third and it sounded like they may have gotten the rhythm back where it should be. ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/30 "2006-01-17T23:32:14Z")
I may be showing my age but…Perry Mason Man from Uncle It Takes A Thief (Let me get this straight,you want me to steal?) Burke’s Law Johnny Yuma Wyatt Earp The Lone Ranger The Green Hornet ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/31 "2006-01-17T23:34:49Z")
> [@priapus](#): > > I may be showing my age but…Perry Mason > Man from Uncle > It Takes A Thief (Let me get this straight,you want me to steal?) > Burke’s Law > Johnny Yuma > Wyatt Earp > The Lone Ranger > The Green Hornet Oh yeah,Secret Agent ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/32 "2006-01-17T23:47:40Z")
_Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex_ _Babylon 5_ (Season 5) _Firefly_ And the various _Johnny Quest_ series’ always seemed to have pretty solid themes—even the revival series they tried in the 90s. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/33 "2006-01-17T23:52:00Z")
_Barney Miller_ And lots of the preceding… ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/34 "2006-01-18T00:27:29Z")
I find the “Deadwood” theme absolutely haunting. BBC shows: The opener for “Goodness Gracious Me” and “The Catherine Tate Show.” ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/35 "2006-01-18T00:28:34Z")
Modern favorites: Stroker & Hoop The Boondocks (these two are the best two themes of shows currently airing IMHO) Time Squad Mission Hill (not on it’s own, but for how well it conjures a mood for the show) Sex And The City (see above) Nostalgia: Heathcliff (Heathclff no one should…) Snorks Tiny Toon Adventures (best of it’s time IMHO) Freakazoid! All-time classics: Good Times All in the Family Sanford & Son Mary Tyler Moore Family Fued Match Game ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/36 "2006-01-18T00:41:31Z")
I’ll 2nd (or 3rd, etc.) all of the following: _Speed Racer_ _Gilligan’s Island_ _Mission: Impossible_ _Hawaii Five-O_ _M_A_S_H\* _Greatest American Hero_ (I actually just heard this song played on the radio yesterday – on an “oldies” station as background music at a restaurant) _Cheers_ _All in the Family_ And I’ll add: _Get Smart_ [Listen here](http://www.carlinamerica.com/titles/titles.cgi?MODULE=DETAIL&ID=173&terms=Pop) _Ally McBeal_, "[Searchin’ My Soul](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000006O8D/qid=1137544610/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-1959825-5847032?v=glance&s=music) " _Monk_ (The Randy Newman one, “[It’s A Jungle Out There](http://play.rbn.com/?url=usanet/usanet/g2demand/usa/monk/s2/jungleoutthere.rm&proto=dual)” Warning: direct link to RM file) ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/37 "2006-01-18T00:42:54Z")
_Gigantor_ ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/38 "2006-01-18T00:51:07Z")
I echo Perry Mason. I always enjoy the Pink Panther theme (Henry Mancini?) And from the UK comes the ultimate … the Lone Ranger! Some of you will know it as the William Tell overture, but to me it will always be the masked man on his horse Silver. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/39 "2006-01-18T00:55:22Z")
_The Wild Wild West_ _Mannix_ _Route 66_ ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390/40 "2006-01-18T01:02:24Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > Definitely one of the best, but it was utterly, utterly butchered for the first movie. (My theory is that someone in marketing said “5/4? Hit it with a rock until I can dance to it.”) I haven’t seen the second, but I saw a trailer for the third and it sounded like they may have gotten the rhythm back where it should be. I give them a lot of credit, rearranging Lalo Schifrin’s classic into a techno-dance beat in 4/4. It fit the wannabe-futuristic vibe of the first movie better than the original theme would have, so I don’t think they butchered it so much as “reimagined” it. And I give Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. (U2’s rhythm section) a lot of props anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-themes-all-time-greatest/340390.md?page=3)