Topic: Favourite TV Themes

[Satchmo Distel]

Mike Post - Rockford Files https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ScJz0fLRmw&ab_channel=3Decades

John Barry - The Persuaders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t99QQIXez4M&ab_channel=tvtestcard

Pete Mac Junior - The Water Margin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-jUdfeSkos&ab_channel=%23DiscochannelL%27originale

Douglas Wood - Cranes (BBC Darts) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsicpIAssEU&ab_channel=NoveltymaniaX

Brian Eno - Another Green World (Arena) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36B225lLvY4&ab_channel=sbritt

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Monkey-both the opening credits song and the slow one they played at the end.

[Neomod]

Too many to list but today it's ....

Keith Mansfield The Big Match (Young Scene)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2bNJmGsYpc

It was my answering machine background music back in the 90's[1] (pre mobiles).

and

Alan Parker My World (The Free Life)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMKibbJS-Gw

Really capturing the ennui of watching schools tv there.

1.

BRITPOP!

[the science eel]

Catweazle!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEUVg6TJ6Eo


Teddy Edward!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEwLHq7stis

[the science eel]

The Family

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvg0Lq59OS4


The Ricky Gervais Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlSKbMqw0D0

[Phoenix Lazarus]

This great little bit of music they used to play just before schools' TV programmes began on the BBC in the 70s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_pEWQa5PEU&feature=emb_logo

[DrGreggles]

Man in a Suitcase

[daf]

The Hanged Man (1975) - composed by Alan Tew, and performed by 'Bullet'. If it sounds familiar, The Two Ronnies later used it as the theme music for one of their 'Piggy Malone' serials.

Robin's Nest (1977) - written by Richard O'Sullivan, arranged and performed by Brian Bennett

Sorry (1981) - by Gaynor Colbourn and Hugh Wisdom, conducted by Ronnie Hazelhurst

I clearly have 'a thing' for squidgy keyboards!

[the science eel]

Sorry (1981) - by Gaynor Colbourn and Hugh Wisdom, conducted by Ronnie Hazelhurst

YEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS

[Brundle-Fly]

I'm not going to go for my usuals in this CaB fave thread topic because everybody knows what Bod, Sportsnight or the bloody New Avengers themes sound like, so for a change I'm going to nominate these.

Discovered this series a couple of years ago and this haunting opening title sequence and music is now in my top ten.

Shadows Of Fear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW8k0uECh_o

Similarly this other Network DVD thriller anthology reissue.

Scorpion Tales
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YUuOmcQ2Ys

An old funky fave I had on a compilation tape that I've loved for years but didn't know the TV show until some time later.

Quiller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5hOpNbVpcQ

This series seemed to have many different opening themes but John Gregory's arrangement of this one is for me.

Columbo 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkOaN5G09vg

[the science eel]

and the best TV theme tune of all-time is probably one of these two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AycVp9C_dx8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAsQlQ3w5UI

[studpuppet]

Barriers is one that stuck in my head. It's slightly haunting, fits in perfectly with the opening visuals, and connects to the main character because it's a flute piece.

[Uncle TechTip]

I love the Dallas theme but it seems very hard to get hold of a full version of the original theme and not some horrible later rearrangement, or worse a ludicrous dance remix.

[xxxx xxx x xxx]

Showing my age here...

White Horses

Robinson Crusoe

Mid-70s Saturday morning kids' TV before Swapshop came along and spoiled everything

[Norton Canes]

Doctor Who is obviously the big one, but I do love two of 'Deadly' Dudley Simpson's sci-fi big hitters: his glorious, epic Blake's Seven theme, of course; and even better, his electrifying composition for The Tomorrow People, which if it had been composed by John Barry, would have been hailed as a masterpiece.

[Lordofthefiles]

The Fall Guy:

https://youtu.be/F4LX8PPMuOY

Or

The Dukes of Hazzard:

https://youtu.be/sMI6etur0d4

[Phoenix Lazarus]

The Incredible Hulk

[Glebe]

Sorry (1981) - by Gaynor Colbourn and Hugh Wisdom, conducted by Ronnie Hazelhurst

It's just fantastic... catchy, yet slightly poignant.

Doctor Who is obviously the big one

It's kind of obligatory to mention it in 'best theme' threads, but it's just so great.

Then there's the melodramatic epicness of the Blake's 7 theme... and of course The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy theme, and yes I know it's excerpted from The Eagles' 'Journey of the Sorcerer'.

The Rentaghost theme is an absolute banger, memorable and witty medieval-tinged catchiness.

And just admit it, Billy Connolly's Supergran theme is great.

Not the main theme, but Jan Hammer's 'Crockett's Theme' from Miami Vice is a cracker.

And on a more modern note, Ludwig Göransson's western-tinged The Mandalorian theme is fabulous.

[bgmnts]

I've noticed the art or science of creating incredibly catchy theme tunes has been lost over the years. I haven't sen many shows in the past decade or so that have great title music.

[pigamus]

Juliet Bravo

[Better Midlands]

John Barry - Theme from The Pursuaders

[Rizla]

 Monkey fuckin bass on that

 Please Sir fuckin drums on that

 Roobarb and Custard fuckin fuzz synth on that

[Norton Canes]

I've noticed the art or science of creating incredibly catchy theme tunes has been lost over the years. I haven't seen many shows in the past decade or so that have great title music

Probably influenced by the fact that I love the show so much but the theme to Ghosts is really atmospheric and evocative, and I've had it as an actual earworm a few times.

[Neomod]

I've noticed the art or science of creating incredibly catchy theme tunes has been lost over the years. I haven't sen many shows in the past decade or so that have great title music.

All the legacy of 'Big' George Webley.[1]

1.	what do you mean sweeping generalisation

[Brundle-Fly]

Barriers is one that stuck in my head. It's slightly haunting, fits in perfectly with the opening visuals, and connects to the main character because it's a flute piece.

That's nice and doleful. I love the clunky zoom in to the dishy guy's emoting little face at the 40 sec mark.

[Brundle-Fly]

I've noticed the art or science of creating incredibly catchy theme tunes has been lost over the years. I haven't sen many shows in the past decade or so that have great title music.

There have been great ones out in the past ten years esp American thriller series: ie: The Walking Dead, Fear The Walking Dead, Dexter, Stranger Things, Hannibal, AHS to name a few...The Good Place one is utterly charming.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

the melodramatic epicness of the Blake's 7 theme

It sounded like an extended version of the bursts of incidental music you'd get in 1970s Dr Who.

[Neomod]

Deadwood (David Schwartz)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbNfEcYFkm0

In fact the whole soundtrack is ace.

[Gulftastic]

Monkey fuckin bass on that


 Roobarb and Custard fuckin fuzz synth on that

You want bass? Oh, we got bass...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5-bD372v5s


And it's fucking called 'Roobarb'!!

[non capisco]

It's Twin Peaks for me, in all its mysterious and yearning majesty. Never once have I fast-forwarded or skipped the intro to an episode of Twin Peaks even if it's the fifth one I've watched in a row, I always want to hear that main theme. It nearly brings me to tears.

The Bojack Horseman opening credits theme also does strange things to my emotions from when the sax kicks in. Another one that somehow perfectly captures the themes of the show and the state of mind of its protagonist. There's something emotionally desperate and soul searching about that music. Even when the first part of the first series seemed to be a daft quirky animation about an arsehole horse full of stoopid animal puns the theme served as a portent of the upcoming spiritual rug pull. Once you're really put in Bojack's headspace it plays more as a sock in the gut. Another one I never once skipped.