The new incarnation of the show features an updated version of the theme, but it retains the all-important melody. While one could imagine people go-go dancing to Morton Stevens‘ pulsating slice of Sixties symphonica back in the day, it possesses a timeless quality that keeps it fresh now.
ST ELSEWHERE THEME SONG TV
HAWAII FIVE-O - Some people consider this to be the greatest TV theme ever recorded. The opening title song, with lyrics written by Hyde and music by his group L’Arc〜en〜Ciel, is a funky, high octane J-rock cut that has one of the most infectious guitar melodies I’ve ever heard. Caught between battling classmates and an administration that does not respect his students, he soon identifies with and vows to help these underdogs learn to be better people and achieve more than he has. It revolves around a former gang member who chooses to teach high school in order to hit on teenage schoolgirls, but he gets way more than he bargained for in the process.
ST ELSEWHERE THEME SONG SERIES
GTO: GREAT TEACHER ONIZUKA - This unorthodox series is one of the best animated shows ever. That unique instrumental distinction immediately helps it to stand out from the legions of lame TV themes, but it’s also damn catchy, too. G-Force! Transmute!įUTURAMA - Simpsons composer Alf Clausen lent his diverse, genre-spanning talents to Matt Groening’s witty, animated sci fi show, and he conjured this dancey tune that used tubular bells as its central component. This version of Laurie Johnson‘s breezy, harpsichord-laced prelude includes a playful percussive intro that totally fits the vibe of the show.īATTLE OF THE PLANETS - When the successful Japanese anime show Science Ninja Team Gatchaman was imported to Hollywood by producer Sandy Frank, he dubbed it with American actors (including famous DJ Casey Kasem), added a goofy robot named 7-Zark-7 and brought in Hoyt Curtin‘s dramatic, brass-heavy orchestral composition that has stuck with me to this day. They were classy, cultured, smart operatives who used brains and brawn rather than weapons, and they embarked on some surreal adventures, facing off against everyone from weather manipulators to robots. THE AVENGERS - The greatest secret agent show of all time, The Avengers‘ most memorable pairing was between John Steed (played by Patrick Macnee) and Emma Peel (Diana Rigg).
There are plenty more where these come from, but these are a great place to start. Despite the fact that it is a dying art these days - how many current theme songs can you recognize or hum, excluding pop songs? - there are many that I love and will always cherish.įollowing is a list of ten of my favorite TV themes.
While some critics probably consider television theme songs to be a lowly art form, it is a difficult task to create a one or two-minute piece of music that not only brands a successful series but also stays ingrained in your brain for years, possibly even decades, to come. Remember these? They were still being used when most of these television theme songs were written.