Favourite TV Themes

[Norton Canes]

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

His theme for Moonbase 3 in very much in the same vein. And still awesome!

[Neomod]

"Sit BooBoo Sit"
Bob James Taxi (Angela)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DL8SGEyhZE

Time for Bed, school in the morning
The Sweeney (closing theme)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fspz4PTEpy0

[olliebean]

"Sit BooBoo Sit"

Erm... it's "Ubu," as in Ubu Productions (which I presume was named after the dog). (Also I don't think they did Taxi, did they?)

[Neomod]

Erm... it's "Ubu," as in Ubu Productions (which I presume was named after the dog). (Also I don't think they did Taxi, did they?)

I'm sure I remembered the sit Ubu sit followed by the Paramount sting but it's in fact a John Charles Walters Productions 'joint'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT8DOwk4yiU

[Dr Syntax Head]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsJ4pALlbEM

My favourite title sequence ever. Starsky and Hutch.

[Glebe]

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

Is that a bad thing?

Oh yeah, the Tales of the Unexpected theme.

[the science eel]

Actually - and this time I mean it - this is my absolute favourite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sYlfErOdO4

it's a thing of real beauty. Especially the drums. They're the epitome of 'session pro', the rolls are just exquisite. You imagine the dude sitting in his suit, working absolutely to the microsecond, nothing fazes the fucker. And the way the chiming guitar plays against the clarinet (or whatever that reedy thing is). And the harp and the way it peeps through for the final flourish. Fuck. These days it actually moves me quite a bit.

[jamiefairlie]

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


And it's fucking called 'Roobarb'!!

Quite right, it fucking is. How hard is that to get right?

[jamiefairlie]

The Flashing Blade

https://youtu.be/ifacFrr1iUk

[studpuppet]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsJ4pALlbEM

My favourite title sequence ever. Starsky and Hutch.

I prefer the Season 3 music (a rehashed version of Season 1) - had a bit of urgency, gritty edge, and bombastic-ness to it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNooCI1HfZU

[Neomod]

Languid until the jazzy sax and Tijuana trumpet enter the fray

Banacek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvTjrjdWJZk

The comments below these themes are usually of the they don't make tv as good as this anymore but I liked this little insight.

Will James
5 months ago
Banacek could have lasted another  season at least  but Peppard  was going  through  a messy divorce  and wanted out

[jobotic]

It's this - used as the theme tune to children's educational programme Watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZGT0dMyEQw

I was so pleased when I found this.

Or Florida Fantasy as used by Wildtrack.

Suppose I'm cheating as they weren't made to be TV themes.

[Norton Canes]

Actually - and this time I mean it - this is my absolute favourite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sYlfErOdO4

it's a thing of real beauty. Especially the drums. They're the epitome of 'session pro', the rolls are just exquisite. You imagine the dude sitting in his suit, working absolutely to the microsecond, nothing fazes the fucker. And the way the chiming guitar plays against the clarinet (or whatever that reedy thing is). And the harp and the way it peeps through for the final flourish. Fuck. These days it actually moves me quite a bit

Yeah it's made me feel really sad before bedtime. Like there's no hope left.

[DrGreggles]

And it's fucking called 'Roobarb'!!

Custard was the Seal to Roobarb's Adamski.

[rectorofstiffkey]

It's this - used as the theme tune to children's educational programme Watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZGT0dMyEQw

I was so pleased when I found this.

that's brilliant!  Brought back happy memories of sitting cross-legged on a mildly dusty carpet, full of anticipation, while the one school television was wheeled in.

I remember the theme tune also having a woman's voice saying 'Watch' at one point (about 0.07 on the video linked to).  Does anyone remember if that's right or just a figment of my imagination?

[daf]

Don't Ask Me (1974-1978)

Don't Ask Me was a popular British television science show made by Yorkshire Television and ran from 1974 to 1978. It attempted to answer science-based questions and contributors included Magnus Pyke (natural sciences), Rob Buckman (medicine), David Bellamy (biology), Miriam Stoppard (medicine), and Derek Griffiths. The theme music was

Spoiler alert

"House of the King" by the contemporary Dutch progressive rock band Focus

[close]

.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Is that a bad thing?

Not at all.  I wasn't implying that. 

[non capisco]

I know it's a bit route one for a TV theme discussion thread but 'Chicken Man' by Alan Hawkshaw, the original Grange Hill theme still fuckin' slaps. It has to be the Grange Hill arrangement of Chicken Man though, not that milksop jive turkey Give Us A Clue shit.

[Glebe]

Not at all.  I wasn't implying that.

Okey-dokey!

[Brundle-Fly]

Actually - and this time I mean it - this is my absolute favourite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sYlfErOdO4

it's a thing of real beauty. Especially the drums. They're the epitome of 'session pro', the rolls are just exquisite. You imagine the dude sitting in his suit, working absolutely to the microsecond, nothing fazes the fucker. And the way the chiming guitar plays against the clarinet (or whatever that reedy thing is). And the harp and the way it peeps through for the final flourish. Fuck. These days it actually moves me quite a bit.

Spot on!   As you were with The Family theme

[Brundle-Fly]

Don't Ask Me (1974-1978)

You little belter! Not heard that in yonks!

[holyzombiejesus]

The Grandstand theme is absolutely glorious. Here's a version with a mental guitar solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIRSd8fjagY

[Brundle-Fly]

This 2004 ITV drama theme sting  gave me the horn for some reason at the time   became a favourite of mine. Fuck knows why, as I never really watched this series but it has just stuck in my brain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cJRsVNIi8g


 

[non capisco]

The Grandstand theme is absolutely glorious. Here's a version with a mental guitar solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIRSd8fjagY

I love those bits of themes you've never heard before. You're never going to find a more extreme version of this than Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, where after the twenty second penny whistle bit that's on the actual programme there's apparently a whole room full of session musicians who go on some kind of Lalo Schifrin crime drama excursion for no reason whatsoever.

The Two Ronnies theme similarly turns into something out of Dirty Harry when it's assured no one is listening.

[Menu]

I love those bits of themes you've never heard before. You're never going to find a more extreme version of this than Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, where after the twenty second penny whistle bit that's on the actual programme there's apparently a whole room full of session musicians who go on some kind of Lalo Schifrin crime drama excursion for no reason whatsoever.

The Two Ronnies theme similarly turns into something out of Dirty Harry when it's assured no one is listening.

These are great.

[non capisco]

The Some Mothers one in particular is brilliantly baffling. There would have been a load of people who had to learn all those swaggering Las Vegas-y parts presumably in full knowledge that they were never going to be used to herald a programme about a div in a beret.

[itsfredtitmus]

I'm Ronnie Corbett and I'm very very sorry

[jamiefairlie]

Showing my age here...

White Horses

Robinson Crusoe

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

Yes, golden days :-)

[Mr Banlon]

Mr Rossi. Some MPB via Italy : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hETMGwol2Ys
Budgie, Series One : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIsgH2zLcnM

[olliebean]

Actually - and this time I mean it - this is my absolute favourite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sYlfErOdO4

it's a thing of real beauty. Especially the drums. They're the epitome of 'session pro', the rolls are just exquisite. You imagine the dude sitting in his suit, working absolutely to the microsecond, nothing fazes the fucker. And the way the chiming guitar plays against the clarinet (or whatever that reedy thing is). And the harp and the way it peeps through for the final flourish. Fuck. These days it actually moves me quite a bit.

Oboe, isn't it? More reedy than a clarinet.