Favourite TV Themes

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

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.

I've a long held suspicion that that's an unrelated bit of music just tacked onto the end, then bunged on the internet.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Don't Ask Me (1974-1978)

Also used for Coogan's Saxondale, lest we forget.

[daf]

Budgie, Series One : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIsgH2zLcnM

Ah, mate - lovely!

[Norton Canes]

Oh, how could I have forgotten: the magnificent Marching There and Back

If you want drum fills, there be drum fills. And when it breaks out at 1:13 it's pure euphoria.

[Norton Canes]

Every time I hear it, it conjours visions of a cavalcade of Hieronymus Bosch imps and demons

[the science eel]

These are great.

Really doing something for me on this cold December day!

[the science eel]

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

That's it, yeah.

Genius arrangement. I wonder if Hatch was responsible for that or just the songwriting.

[pupshaw]

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

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

What about a live version? Uncanny

https://youtu.be/7sOKuzo8nSY?t=15

It's amazing (although it shouldn't be) what a difference those supposedly puny instruments like flutes and xylophones make in a real orchestra

[famethrowa]

The cool thing about China is that you can just poop anywhere. Gotta go? Find a bush and pop a squat while wearing your beijing air conditioner.

I made the mistake of doing the same thing in Bangkok and then later Paris because I'd gotten so used to it. People looked at me like I was committing a murder.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

The cool thing about China is that you can just poop anywhere. Gotta go? Find a bush and pop a squat while wearing your beijing air conditioner.

I made the mistake of doing the same thing in Bangkok and then later Paris because I'd gotten so used to it. People looked at me like I was committing a murder.

I never knew the theme from Bergerac had lyrics.

[Hooverbag Sherlocks]

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.

Even more so when you learn that Crossroads was originally the story of two feuding sisters and Tony Hatch reflected that in the theme music.

The original theme was actually two tunes. Each one represented one of the families and these tunes could be played separately or, because they shared the same chord sequence, together in counterpoint with each other.

[Phil_A]

I've a long held suspicion that that's an unrelated bit of music just tacked onto the end, then bunged on the internet.

The opening melody repeats throughout the entire track. It's all one piece of music.



I have a lot of nostalgic memories associated with the Postman Pat soundtrack, and when I was able to track down this album in adulthood I was genuinely surprised at how high the composition quality of the songs was for a what could've been just a cash-in kids record.

How lovely is "Farmer's Song", especially with that extra little instrumental bit towards the end:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtAh0E0qHRk

"Travelling Music" is an all-time banger, of course:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sP4UTGOLIc

"Busy Day" turns into a full on lounge jazz jam!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywB3c3dulLk

Surprised Trunk Records or someone haven't been on the case and reissued this before now.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Sprocket Shuffle (ITV Snooker Theme) by John Cameron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKXTmLYxThY Funky as FUCK. As befitting of a sport dominated in those days by the likes of Terry Griffiths and Bill Werbeniuk.

Sun Ride (Ask the Family Theme) by John Leach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxGcx-09Jt8 Nice 'n' breezy does it. Becomes slightly sinister during the middle eight, perhaps as an attempt to evoke the mild peril of terribly middle-class families at loggerheads in a genteel general knowledge quiz.

BBC International Athletics Theme by Keith Mansfield: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPAaMy3RQmo Like the Grandstand theme, an affecting fusion of triumphalism with a vague hint of melancholy.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I should point out, even though I know loads of you will already be aware of this, that Sun Ride was the original Ask the Family theme tune. It was of course eventually replaced by this wonderfully incongruous trippy sitar number: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwqbK43uJIY Acka Raga by John Mayer and Joe Harriot.

[jobotic]

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?

I do, of course! And here's the proof.

https://youtu.be/gCFqSCeCYhI

[Brundle-Fly]

Saturday morning favourite, Marine Boy was probably the first anime the UK had been exposed to.

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

The discordant terror that was Night Gallery

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnCOzmAjSSg&t=0m46s

I'm also going to suggest The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone but neither of their brilliant opening titles and themes as we all know them but their haunting end themes. Reminds me of being an adolescent watching them on my own on a Friday night in the late 1970s after mum and dad had gone to bed and feeling content but also a bit fearful.

Mini masterpieces.

TOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fejp6uZySQ

TWZ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS7FiMl-u4w

And while ya spooked. ATV's Thriller had a most unsettling theme tune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCIDwPs34Ns

[jobotic]

Last two seconds of this Radiophonic beauty were used for the two second end theme of John Show Me Your Bottom" Craven's Newsround, as you probably know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx8kCDz22to

[SteveDave]

Shelley!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVxO55MoDdI

Q5

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

Q8 (Q5 but with the phonque)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zty1taTDYIU

and the Grange Hill theme with lyrics (my own work ripped off shamelessly from that "Quincey MD" with lyrics video)

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

Unfortunately at the time I didn't know how to rip videos off YouTube so just filmed the screen. Great days.

[daf]

and the Grange Hill theme with lyrics (my own work ripped off shamelessly from that "Quincey MD" with lyrics video)

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

Ha ha - love it!  (incredible anticipation to hear how you tackled the all-important flying sausage!)

[Mr Banlon]

Man Alive Another Tony Hatch number https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjzHd99pp8U&list=PL1DA7eWoTfStWZv5Kk55Kjv_z1kJTdyC2
The Money Programme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjzHd99pp8U&list=PL1DA7eWoTfStWZv5Kk55Kjv_z1kJTdyC2

[Glebe]

It's a matter of separating the art from the artist, but the Entertainment USA theme was admittedly pretty great.

Then there's the On the Record theme, accompanied by that fantastic Big Ben crocodile!

[Phoenix Lazarus]

I loved the themes to Weekend World and World in Action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2dpq4sExgs&feature=emb_logo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uLPDhCgS8M

[daf]

ITN News (1955-1982)

The original ITN theme tune was an excerpt of Non-Stop, a piece of light music composed by John Malcolm, used from 1955 up to 1982. As the years went on, full-length ITN news programmes were launched with their own theme music and particular branding (first News at Ten, then First Report, and finally News at 5.45), meaning that by its end, Non-Stop was only in use on generic news bulletins mainly at weekends.

Back when the news was all lovely Moon Landings, the Post Office Tower's rotating restaurant, and Evel Knievel jumping across the Grand Canyon!

[pigamus]

The second Grange Hill theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwuJfJLtusg&ab_channel=JX866

[Glebe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uLPDhCgS8M

Ah yes, that old chestnut always rears it's head in these threads... John Paul Jones on downers during an organ solo.

[holyzombiejesus]

What about a live version? Uncanny

https://youtu.be/7sOKuzo8nSY?t=15

It's amazing (although it shouldn't be) what a difference those supposedly puny instruments like flutes and xylophones make in a real orchestra

They don't do the drum properly. The 'booooooooom' at about 23 seconds in seems to be missing from all the live versions I've seen and it's one of my favourite moments in the last 100 years of recorded music.

[rectorofstiffkey]

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.

One of the obscure bits of semi-digested 'knowledge' knocking around in my brain was that the piccolo bit related to the show's title in Morse code, with long and short notes.  I tried it out on a Morse Code translator (there's nothing much on TV...) and it does seem to be true - although the last few notes were missing until I realised that exclamation marks are also a thing in Morse code, so adding that in made it work.  Well I'm not sure it totally does at the end but certainly at the beginning.

Input: somemothersdoaveem!

Morse code: ... --- -- . -- --- - .... . .-. ... -.. --- .- ...- . . -- -.-.--

[non capisco]

ITN News (1955-1982)

It really does beggar belief that was the theme for the news, doesn't it? For decades! News of the Aberfan disaster was introduced by that, was it? That dingly dell gnome music? The IRA mainland bombing campaigns of the 70s were soundtracked by that, were they? That music has the gravitas of a bashful cartoon lamb. Why'd it take from 1955 to 1982 before someone thought "Do you know what....this might sound too frivolous." I mean, I can only guess The Falklands War but it's not like nothing bad happened between the Suez Crisis and then. I guess it may have helped make the winter of discontent seem more like a bike ride to the beach with mater and pater and a hamper of scones with clotted cream and jam. Insanity.

[gib]

It really does beggar belief that was the theme for the news, doesn't it? For decades! News of the Aberfan disaster was introduced by that, was it? That dingly dell gnome music? The IRA mainland bombing campaigns of the 70s were soundtracked by that, were they? That music has the gravitas of a bashful cartoon lamb. Why'd it take from 1955 to 1982 before someone thought "Do you know what....this might sound too frivolous." I mean, I can only guess The Falklands War but it's not like nothing bad happened between the Suez Crisis and then. I guess it may have helped make the winter of discontent seem more like a bike ride to the beach with mater and pater and a hamper of scones with clotted cream and jam. Insanity.

haha fucking hell

[Rizla]

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.

I had a moment of headgear intercourse a few years ago when I realised that this is based on/quotes musically, the sunday school classic Cross over The Road