ILMs 101 FAVOURITE TV THEMES OF ALL TIME COUNTDOWN FEVER

Welcome!

Today I'll be counting down 101-74.
Tomorrow I'll sort the sidebar statgeekery of who voted but I've got to be at work all day so no countdown.
Wednesday will see 73-50.
Thursday 49-20.
And on Friday you'll be humming to the tune of finding out who wins this bad boy.

Yeah!

woohoo! how many ballots in total?

37 ballots.

(tie)

101. Rainbow (3 votes, 48 points)
UK
1972-1992
Hugh Portnow, Hugh Fraser and Tim Thomas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJsaujSs7Fw

101. Dynasty (2 votes, 48 points)
USA
1981-1991
Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjpCU4Zy9Cs

I'm going to try and find who wrote each theme but I'm not looking at more than 1 wiki/1 other website.

Rainbow one is surprisingly groovy, though I really could not bare to listen to the full version once they got to that slow bit. Pretty similar to the Bod music in hindsight, both go in for that funky acoustic jazz thing.

Dynasty was a bit dreary, sorry :(

(tie)
109. Merrie Melodies (2 votes, 49 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1939-69
Stalling, Franklin, Lava and more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ5uOxqUSnU

109. Knightmare (2 votes, 49 points)
UK
1987-94
Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxzKTbu-aR0

109. John Craven's Newsround (3 votes, 49 votes)
UK
1972-86
John Baker, recorded by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCW6IQ78zJY

oh yeah dynasty one is awful

JC'sNR was for the closing sting in the noms.

Also LOL I can no longer read and accidentally started at 111 and not 101.

Can a mod change that in the title?

Rainbow sounds pretty great. I wasn't familiar with it.

Dynasty is dreary, but also majestic. That's a difficult mood to pull off.

Rainbow was always a good one to make up rude words to. I like the full version actually, including the slow bit - total hippy vibes.

Not feeling Dynasty, though.

Dynasty so incredibly tony.

Can't believe only one other person voted for Knightmare. Though I did cut off Newsround as I was stacking myself slightly too Radiophonicky.

If you want to link youtubes w/o embedding them, just click on the share button beneath the player and copy the abbreviated link. Seems easier than manually adding the "s".

106. Good Times (3 votes, 50 points)
USA
1974-79
Dave Grusin, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Jim Gilstrap and Blinky Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeDdt6X8vFU

Never heard of Good Times. Relatively pleasant cheese, I suppose.

^ Great theme, didn't have the room for it.

Knightmare is the shit

Hangin in a chow line ?
Good times!

If it weren't for a hoy hoy's inability to read lists, Good Times wouldn't even have made it. SHOCKING.

(tie)

105. Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? (2 votes, 52 points)
UK
1973-74
Mike Hugg (of Manfred Mann) and La Frenais
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcJ4C0pTGDw

105. Reading Rainbow (5 votes, 52 points)
USA
1986-2006
Steve Horelick, Dennis Neil Kleinman and Janet Weir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=844DzynPG-w

105. Dukes of Hazzard (3 votes, 52 points)
USA
1979-85
Waylon Jennings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRX4mlFi06A

Woah, Dukes only got 3 votes?

Merrie Melodies is basically Harold Arlen's Get Happy right? It's good obv!

Knightmare sounds like a load of other 80s themes, bet it sounded AWESOME if you were racing around the sitting room on a broom or something though.

Newsround is amazing, so concise in telling you THIS IS THE NEWS SO LISTEN UP, but so inventive and fun too.

Annotating this list by voters' nation of origin is soooo not going to be necessary.

posted elsewhere on these poll threads, but worth revisiting imo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ8ZGoEqjTo

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

102. The Partridge Family (3 votes, 53 points)
USA
1970-74
Diane Hilderbrand, Danny Janssen and Wes Farrell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOiKa51ll-k

THE ACTUAL 101 TIES

(tie)

101. Wonder Woman (2 votes, 54 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1975-79
Charles Fox (music) and Norman Gimbel (lyrics)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_blOQEu9ws

101. Ski Sunday (3 votes, 54 points)
UK
1978-
Sam Fonteyn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOEO_fgG3-I

101. HR Pufnstuf (3 votes, 54 points)
USA
1969-72
Les Szarvas but is also credited to Paul Simon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlRCH0EKYmM

98. Tomorrow's World (5 votes, 55 points)
UK
1980-2003?
Denton & Cook?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbdjx1MYPtc

(If you combine this with the earlier theme, it would have come tied #66.)

Surprised by the low showing of both Likely Lads and Dukes of Hazzard - I didn't vote for either but they're usually spoken about as classics...

omg slow down aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh

Ski Sunday and Tomorrow's World are both rad.

Aww hell no - Wonder Woman was totally robbed. My #1.

ha dr i was just trying to get to where I was supposed to start from.

One of the fun things about this exercise is how every single one of the youtubes has people complaining about how things ain't what they used to be in the comments.

I now fear for my #1 already.

have a genuine jam on the way, after i make myself a cup of tea.

Finally hearing a lot of these themes from Britishes' favorite shows makes it clear, to me, that the US definitely doesn't have a monopoly on the best tv themes (not that I ever really thought it did).

I had Merry Melodies/Looney Toons in my ballot for a while and then decided, since I was having such trouble cutting things down, I would have to let them go as not really being TV themes, though they are incredibly iconic.

Reading Rainbow placed with me. It's just shuffling along pleasantly and then the "I can go anywhere!" part comes in, and things seem to take off, and it really sells the premise of the show. Books are not just fun and entertaining but liberating, and the rising vocal gets that I think.

In general I sort of resolved ties and priority in my ballot by this "evocation of the show's themes" when pure nostalgic love and musical appreciation weren't giving me an answer.

xps a hoy hoy - haha, it's your poll! Roll it out as you like it! I'm pretty much always the grumbling gnome in the corner begging for slower results just because I think they make for better discussion. But again, the possible result of that is my REM poll which took the better part of a year I think....

Tomorrow's World one is bangin', total space music in 1980. I like the synth that sounds like a choir of robot monks, but it's all great.

Also, in a poll like this where I really don't know half the stuff I'd like to be able to take the time to click on the links and hear the unfamiliar Britishers themes, etc. But, by all means, carry on with the show!

Can't believe only one other person voted for Knightmare.

Just reading through the thread now, was about to post exactly this! Everyone except for emil.y and me is WRONG.

The theme to Dynasty was wrtten by Bill Conti of Rocky fame.

I would have voted for Knightmare but i missed the deadline due to laziness. I don't think any other show exerted such a hold over my childhood imagination

Dukes of Hazard was my #4

Knightmare was neeto, but sonically it has a twin (a superior one) in the Airwolf theme (which I most certainly voted for).

(tie)
97. The State (3 votes, 56 points)
USA
1993-95
Craig Wedren and Theodore Shapiro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O9Eo-rlZZc

97. It's a Knockout (3 votes, 56 points)
UK
1966-88
Bean Bag by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5hExLsJlaI

Secretly hope that every single slot is a tie between one US show and one UK show from here on out.

great list so far!

The State is another one I have absolutely zero knowledge of. Theme tune is fun in a lol90s MTV way.

Secretly hope that every single slot is a tie between one US show and one UK show from here on out.

― Bobby Ken Doll (Eric H.), Monday, 3 December 2012 16:00 (9 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

well...

(tie)

95. Greatest American Hero (4 votes, 57 points)
USA
1981-83
Mike Post and Stephen Geyer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Q3orQhEcA

95. Vision On [The gallery theme 'Left Bank Two'] (3 votes, 57 points, 1 #1 votes)
UK
1964-76
Wayne Hill (recorded by The Noveltones)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcCHRW8G9yY

(Also went on to be the theme to Take Hart, which was not nominated.)

95. U.F.O. (2 votes, 57 points, 1 #1 vote)
UK
1970
Barry Gray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TQUdcYk82U

^^^Left Bank TOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FUCKING LOW

Likewise with Greatest American Hero (oh wait, did I vote for it? I didn't. Never mind.)

Aw crap, I missed the deadline.

I probably should've voted for Vision On. UFO is great! A rare Barry Gray I don't actually recognise.

The It's A Knockout one makes a lot more sense when you know it's the soundtrack to a bunch of people in oversized knight's armour whacking the shit out of each other with giant clubs, often in the pissing rain but always under gloomy skies, right in the middle of a playing field somewhere on the edge of some desolate northern town

Okay, hands up, anybody besides me know "The Greatest American Hero" primarily from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg-TqEFYcfM

?

i didnt know it from the tv show or seinfeld but when i looked it up, i ~knew~ it.

(tie)
92. Charles in Charge (4 votes, 58 points)
USA
1984-90
David Kurtz, Michael Jacobs, Al Burton, and performed by Shandi Sinnamon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km22zWPz4uY

92. Bagpuss (4 votes, 58 points)
UK
1974
Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga23iSxyXO4

Charles in Charge embodies the janky side of the '80s aesthetic I can't get with.

Season 1 version of Charles in Charge isn't the one most people are familiar with, I'd suspect. That show never really gained any traction until it was syndicated and revamped (new cast, new theme song).

http://youtu.be/HdVFmjYe9Pc

can someone mashup all these uk/us ties

OK I totally didn't know Craig Wedren had written a TV theme before I even heard of Shudder To Think. (I had also forgotten that he'd moved into movie soundtracks now, so I was extra surprised)

Bagpuss is very beautiful, but it always makes me feel so very glum.

So obviously it went straight into my top ten iirc

Charles in Charge embodies the janky side of the '80s aesthetic I can't can totally get with.

a little goes a long way, tho.

I'd heard the Greatest American Hero song before though I didn't know the programme - was it written just for the show or is it an appropriation of a pre-existing song?

I actually didn't vote for Bagpuss in the end, despite it being a wonderful programme - I guess it's more of an 'opening' than a 'theme'?

can someone mashup all these uk/us ties

Watching The State opening with It's a Knockout playing instead is quite entertaining.

I'd heard the Greatest American Hero song before though I didn't know the programme - was it written just for the show or is it an appropriation of a pre-existing song?

For the show. Some label should compile a double disc set of Mike Post's tv work. He owned the airwaves for close to a decade, at least in the US.

Wiki explains that "Believe It Or Not" was written for The Greatest American Hero by trusty old Mike Post - - and became a #2 hit on the Hot 100! Never knew that.

It's some lovely smoothness, almost yacht-y. Really at that transition from 70s lushness to the kind of dinkier "one singer and a DX7" sound that sort of characterizes most of the non-cartoon theme songs I grew up with.

(tie)
90. The Andy Griffith Show (3 votes, 59 points)
USA
1960-68
Earle Hagen and Herbert W. Spencer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUERL6ITsAE

90. Sealab 2021 (3 votes, 59 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
2001-04
Julie Stepanek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Q8a2jmfMk

Greatest American Hero omg sooooo low ;_;

i would seriously ride to school singing that song to myself, i love it so much

hey I have a dumb question but how come the countdown is skipping numbers, like going from 92 to 90 etc

also thanks hoy hoy again for doing this, v exciting!

Ties

Should say to those that aren't familiar with It's A Knockout, but it's that programme that Peter Gabriel is referencing in Games Without Frontiers.

and re Dynasty wayyyyyyyy upthread, def a lot more dull than I remember. I always got it mushed in with Falcon Crest and Young and The Restless -- though Y&R clearly the best of all 3

JF can you change your dn to "All Time Countdown Fever" for the week?

and it's kinda sad seeing Waylon poll so low for Dukes
i liked the lazy stroll of that theme, it's a goodun

vg - yeah sorry the numbers are for ties. i guess i could have done them 1 at a time but hell i've spent all day on this thing and my brain is a lil fried

oh no worries, it all comes out in the wash

(tie)

88. The Adventures of Pete & Pete (3 votes, 60 points)
USA
1993-96
Polaris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY_3uxzkoV4

88. Frasier (7 votes, 60 points)
USA
1993-2004
Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BUH3Gd9qAA

88. Dallas (5 votes, 60 points)
USA
1978-91
Jerrold Immel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ffo2Oqt8bIM

I always get the Dallas theme confused with LA Law and start humming one instead of the other

best thing about Dallas theme is the helicopter in the opening credits, let's be real

lol i can't believe i didn't vote for Frasier. scrambled eggs all over my face!

Tossed salad and scrambled OH GOD I HATE THAT SONG!!!

my only take away from Frasier's theme song was always 'tee hee tossed salad' - it's so full of itself

85. Minder (2 votes, 62 points, 1 #1 vote)
UK
1979-94
Patricia Waterman, Gerard Kenny and Dennis Waterman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNRkwNC9Ms4

Looks like Frasier is the first of my votes that has placed on here, though a few like Andy Griffith and Greatest American Hero were ones that almost made the cut.

Some big names down here with only two or three votes. Trying to work out what'll score big across the US/UK... I've got a couple of ideas for the top ten, but really this could go anywhere...

Gerard Kenny co-wrote the Minder song? Never knew that... he was kind of a poor man's Billy Joel iirc

A++ on rollout format, a h h. I'll see if I can help with any of the "unknown"s.

Also, thank you for starting @ #111. I would have cried if Rainbow had missed out.

Hmmm, an awful lot of my ballot has placed already. UFO was my #1. Pleased to see it got one other vote.

<3 <3 Minder

I knew it wouldn't place high but i gave it a lot of love

84. Channel 4's Tour de France Theme (2 votes, 63 points, 1 #1 vote)
UK
198?-9?
Pete Shelley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=243BJu0zB50

oh yeah minder should have totally been higher!

Minder, somewhat ignominiously, ended up being the source of the "write the theme toon, sing the theme toon" 'joke' on Little Britain.

my only take away from Frasier's theme song was always 'tee hee tossed salad' - it's so full of itself

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, December 3, 2012 11:58 AM (20 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

maybe -- but I'VE GOT YOU PEGGED!

First time hearing the Tour de France theme - it's good.

fwiw "tossed salad" as a euphemism didn't really enter the lexicon until after frasier had been on the air for years, don't think that was the intent at all

dunno hes got scrambled egg alllll over his face after having his salad tossed

next few are some crazy ties so i'm splitting them up a bit.

Was it really around before that Chris Rock special? I think that was from 95/96-ish?

yeah that's what i'm saying, if it existed before the Chris Rock bit in '96 i doubt the creators of Frasier were aware of it

(four way tie so I'm going to break it into two posts)

83. The Magic Roundabout (5 votes, 64 points)
France/UK
1963-71
Alain Legrand
French version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOVw-R-hTeY
UK version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fI7zm7RXHs

I guess everyone was voting for the UK version, as the French one is awful and no French people voted. But I never knew it was a French show overdubbed, so...

83. The Sopranos (3 votes, 64 points)
USA
1999-2007
Alabama 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUT07eZoXPw

The Pete Shelley TdF one is good. Did that come out before or after Kraftwerk's Tour de France? They're quite similar really, though Kraftwerk is rather serene and just glides along, whereas Pete is obviously trying to put the hammer down on his.

French Magic Roundabout is some bullshit. UK one is all-time wonky classic.

The Magic Roundabout another one I should've voted for, really.

Do not like Sopranos theme.

Also, pretty sure the concept of "tossing" = "wanking" existed long before Chris Rock.

In the Chris Rock context, having one's salad tossed = this.

(tie cont.)

83. The Jeffersons (5 votes, 64 points)
USA
1975-85
Jeff Barry and Ja'net Dubois
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYcqToQzzGY

83. The Flintstones (6 votes, 64 points)
USA
1960-66*
Hoyt Curtin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s13X66BFd8

*Wow it is really that old?

lol some dude I'm aware they didn't intentionally write the theme song to reference the tossed salad euphemism! but that show was rerun for years, it felt like whenever I turned on the tv I was hearing the tail end of that stupid theme song

i can't believe I'm even explaining this

the only thing it's indicative of is my cesspool brain

http://academic.depauw.edu/aevans_web/HONR101-02/WebPages/Fall%202007/Tyler/The%20Jetsons-%20Website/Jetsons%20Meet%20Flintstones.jpg

oh shit I thought that said the Jetsons not the Jeffersons

love the visual sequence in the opening credits of The Sopranos, but srsly that song is the worst.

Wow, both of those are TOO LOW.

jetsons meet the flintstones, they're the modern stoneage family

:D

Not sure how Jeffersons could end up that low.

beans don't burn on the grill iirc

I'm still bummed about Andy Griffith coming in so low. That song is so wonderful.

yeha I thought all the american ilxors would vote for the Jeffersons

maybe there's a bigger britisher contingent?

this could get interesting

Sopranos music sounds like The The plays Black Grape. Oh. it's Alabama 3.

i think this poll has cued me in on over a decade of rap lyrics that went over my head, incl. the jeffersons

(four way tie broken into two parts)

79. The Persuaders! (4 votes, 65 points)
UK
1971-72
John Barry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t99QQIXez4M

79. S.W.A.T (4 votes, 65 points)
USA
1975-76
Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0Ba8rQtwY8

i like the sopranos, it mixes nice with editing of the scenery in the credits - and I liked the song before it was in the Sopranos, my friend used to play it at parties in college!
that being said I didn't vote for it, lol

ooh I didn't expect SWAT to be so low either, I didn't vote fro it but kinda assumed a huge contingent would

my only take away from Frasier's theme song was always 'tee hee tossed salad' - it's so full of itself

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, December 3, 2012 11:58 AM (20 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

eh veg this post just made it sound like you thought it was an intentional double entendre

having kelsey grammer cackle a completely moronic and ridiculous theme song at the end of every show is one of frasier's saving graces imo

honestly dont see anything in the swat theme.

Oh fuck shit, I think I nommed the Persuaders! but didn't actually vote for it. IT IS AWESOME. One of the great John Barry themes, up there with Bond.

The SWAT theme is cool while I'm listening to it, but its best part is really just the opening few seconds.

It hurts my soul to see The Persuaders that low. Probably my favourite thing John Barry ever did.

xpost some dude: yeah that hyphen is misplaced. should be theme song is full of itself period. separate to the tossed salad euphemism thoughts. my punctuation leaves a lot to be desired

Never seen either of the shows, but both of those last two themes are great.

SWAT the first thing I voted for to place I think.

I think Nelly ruined the Jefferons' theme for me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNGaa5Opfmc

Persuaders sounds so good loud on headphones. That forceful bass with such an intricate arrangement.

(tie cont.)

79. Jem (3 votes, 65 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1985-88
Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20BZID081Vk

79. Get Smart (5 votes, 65 points)
USA
1965-70
Irving Szathmary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egIvTgfFJ9w

Jem is awful.

No. Jem is excitement.

jem is outrageous. truly truly truly outrageous ohhooowhooooooooooaaaaaaa

Get Smart one is new to me. I like that, especially the non-orchestral elements i.e. the slamming doors and the nickety-pickety guitar.

The Misfits's songs were better.

(Actually had Jem shortlisted for awhile for real, tho.)

http://publicapps.ocdsb.ca/Secondary_Websites/Teacher_Res/beamtut/Images/lightbulb.gif hey guys, are you aware that Britta Phillips, of latter-day Luna and Dean & Britta, got her start in showbiz as the singing voice for Jem, including the titular theme song? Now you know!

the last for today...

(tie)

75. Northern Exposure (3 votes, 66 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1990-95
Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4bISyBHDBY

75. Miami Vice - Crockett's Theme (3 votes, 66 points)
USA
1984-89
Jan Hammer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UmOY6ek_Y4

Jem is okay. I kind of get the feeling that I'd prefer the Misfits, though.

love the Get Smart theme

i was thinking of tomorrow throwing out all the nominated shows that went without a vote but there are some that i thought to be legit top 30 contenders. maybe 1-5 pointers instead. something just to keep it going until i'm back around.

Jem was also on my shortlist, it's memorable as hell and I love the climactic high note on "JEM IS MY NAME!" They cranked out a TON of music for that show btw, like at least two songs per episode I think? A girl I loved once put "Glitter and Gold" on a mixtape for me, <3.

Way upthread already but Pete & Pete's "Hey Sandy" is a GREAT tune, probably shortchanged by being a cable-only show though it has a large nostalgia fanbase. But if you like the janglier side of college rock, be sure to check it and "Summerbaby" also by fake band Polaris. Super good.

Get Smart was in my list for a long while, sets the tone nicely of being sort of plausible spy intro music but just slightly goofier or campier or something. Goes perfectly with the opening sequence of Don Adams going through a whole bunch of high-security doors down a long hallway, at the END of which is the fake phone booth. Love that gag.

Nah, don't spoil the suspense. With the placings for a lot of these, I have no idea what might be coming ahead and what might not. xp

xp I'd say don't spoil the top 75 by revealing what won't make it.

Missing composer credits:

David Schwartz wrote the 'Northern Exposure' theme

Anne Bryant (possibly with others) wrote the 'Jem' theme song

Barry De Vorzon wrote the Theme from 'S.W.A.T.' (check out the badass cover version by Rhythm Heritage)

Your tossed salad and scrambled eggs comes courtesy of Bruce Miller (music) and Darryl Phinnesse (lyrics)

Bill Conti is to blame for 'Dynasty'

John Faulkner and Sandra Kerr wrote all the lovely Bagpuss music - you can get it on CD or via iTunes

I've drawn a blank on 'Knightmare'. Various intriguing interweb leads in fact led nowhere. There's better info on who adapted the music for the videogame.

Barry De Vorzon wrote the Theme from 'S.W.A.T.'

Ah yes, the guy behind The Warriors. Awesome.

ty jeff!!!!!

Some great stuff here so far, love the Pete Shelley TdF one and Tommorow's World. Loads of the US programmes I'd never even heard of before today. Bagpuss and Crockett's Theme were both in the ballot I forgot to send, the latter at #5. Kicking myself tbh.

Thank you for doing this a hoy hoy!

Results so far pleasingly random. Slightly getting the feeling that the big classic themes I didn't vote for or put at the bottom of my ballot because I didn't think they needed my vote may not be such safe bets after all, and then I'm going to feel a bit stupid for voting for, uhh, some of my hackier picks instead

love the Pete Shelley TdF one and Tommorow's World

Tour de France was my no.1 (I think it postdates Kraftwerk btw) - never thought it'd place here so thanks ahh for digging so deep. You even picked the youtube with the comedy VHS tape bend, for which <3.

Tomorrow's World I first loved from something on ILM - I want to say the 20th Century poll but surely it didn't place in that?! Anyway I ripped it off the youtube for a cd for my car, but it sounds rubbish without proper booming bass. I don't suppose it's ever had an official release?

xp - otm. by similar reasoning, I axed Andy Griffith from my list & gave The Jeffersons relatively low placement, etc, which now seems like a regrettable approach. I'm sorry for being such a jerk, George & Andy!

omg just listened to Dynasty and Star Trek: Voyager totally ripped it off.

Ismael - the easiest place to get the Tomorrow's World theme is on here (the Persuaders! is on there too btw):

http://www.soundsoftheuniverse.com/img/releases/28326/t1/sjrcd257tv.jpg

http://www.souljazzrecords.co.uk/releases/?id=28326

The Dynasty one sounded like it was going to be great from the first few seconds but then it... wasn't.

those fakey-coronet-horns are kinda icky

The Jeffersons theme deserves a much better placing than 83rd. I was sad when Good Times received such a low placing, but this feels wrong. 5 votes?!!? I don't know what the hell you people want from a TV theme song that you don't get from The Jeffersons. BTW, the version linked above is not the original: http://youtu.be/FHDwRECFL8M

Jem really makes me giggle and so I am glad it placed.

Also enjoyed Shelley's Tour De France theme.

Tour de France was my no.3

I should have voted for Vision On, but I got confused. I knew the one which I watched was called Take Hart, so I thought Vision On must be the 80s thing that came after (with a fairly naff theme tune), but I've just remembered that was Hart Beat (and Vision On was before my time). I'm not sure if they used that Vision On tune on Take Hart - I remember a classical guitar thing when they looked at the kids pictures.

I'm hoping for a very high "Who's the Boss?" placement.

Could be misremembering, but I think the gallery music for Take Hart was actually the theme from The Deerhunter.

or even The Deer Hunter

I got confused by the Vision On themes too - according to Wikipedia they swapped around a bit:

"The Gallery" – "Cavatina" originally, but "Left Bank Two" by Wayne Hill (recorded by The Noveltones) is best remembered for this sequence. When Take Hart started, "Left Bank Two" became the opening theme tune and Cavatina became the "Gallery" music for the show instead.

Hart Beat was more my era too - I seem to remember the theme for that being a vocodered voice singing "Haaaaaaart Beat" followed by a little doodle-doo synth riff.

'Cavatina' being the Deer Hunter theme btw.

I knew the one I watched was called Take Hart, so I thought Vision On must be the 80s thing that came after (with a fairly naff theme tune), but I've just remembered that was Hart Beat

aw I love the Hart Beat theme tune. It is 80s and naff and as Gavin describes it and it pushes all my 80s nostalgia buttons.

What's with all the Dynasty hate? Can't believe only one other person voted for it. The very definition of majestic, with that massive orchestral arrangement, and the fruity middle section gradually settling back into an even more glorious re-statement of the main theme. :)

Some things I'd never heard which are quite awesome: U.F.O. and The Persuaders.

obv a hoy hoy didn't vote in his own poll

i did!

1 #1 vote for Stone Cold's music
29 points for the Ultimate Warrior theme

and then I was sick of looking at Excel and started the rollout.

^^^pvmic if ever there was one

Today will be the start of a four day blitz to sort everything in my life (really just throwing stuff away and cleaning).

But it is also the next installment of the countdown. It may go a bit slower as I freak out about broken shelves or old bank statements or whatever.

ugh, how did I miss out on voting in this poll? gotta pay closer attention to the poll schedules.

(tie)

73. Grange Hill (5 votes, 68 points)
UK
1979-89
Alan Hawkshaw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SlvZF6k5bE

73. Grandstand (3 votes, 68 points)
UK
1975-2007
Keith Mansfield
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLHMxFGqhIs

in there like a sausage

(tie)

71. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!* (4 votes, 69 points)
USA
1969-70
David Mook and Ben Raleigh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHsAF6Mn5eQ

71. Maude (4 votes, 69 points)
USA
1972-78
Marilyn and Alan Bergman, Dave Grusin, and Donny Hathaway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9NY8R-LmIw

*Why didn't it end in a question mark?

Grandstand and Grange Hill are both massive tunes.

The Grandstand theme always used to make me really excited to watch the sport, then the sport came on and I remembered I find sport boring.

Percussion on the Grandstand one is hilarious, especially that one Baaaa-ooooom! on the timpani or whatever it is. Also, it kinda sounds like a Dexy's b-side now.

Hope none of those Maude votes are joek votes.

(tie)

69. Benny Hill (aka Yakety Sax) (4 votes, 70 points)
USA (Song), UK (Show)
1969-91
James Q. "Spider" Rich and Boots Randolph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNBL5OMeuno

69. Fraggle Rock (5 votes, 70 points)
USA
1983-87
Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_zsz_MlVvI

69. The Monkees 2nd Season Closing Theme - 'For Pete's Sake' (4 votes, 70 points)
USA
1967-68
Peter Tork and Joseph Richards and recorded by The Monkees
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTEEEIUmuy4

"For Pete's Sake" was the second thing I voted for. So much better than the opening theme.

Fraggle Rock!

The two giants of British library music paired at 73 there :)

Now playing in my head: the rude version of the Scooby Doo theme we sang at school age 10 ("over 'eeeeere, 'avin a rag with Raggy" etc)

(tie)

66. Mystery Science Theatre 3000 'Love Theme'* (3 votes, 73 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1988-99
Best Brains (lyrics), Charlie Erickson (music), Joel Hodgson (music & lyrics) and Josh Weinstein (lyrics)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6A7w8LXT1U

66. Dragnet (4 votes, 73 points)
USA
1951-59**
Walter Schumann
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj-qhIGTXdU

66. Inspector Gadget (7 votes, 73 points)
USA
1983-86
Shuki Levy and Haim Saban
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-JHfXVlkik

*I'm not sure I've got this correct. Maybe link to what you think of as the right youtube if I'm wrong?
**It was on radio at the same time-ish but this tv themes!

I'm fascinated by how many cartoons from my childhood seemingly went off the air before I was born.

I voted for both Grandstand and Grange Hill. I once went to Grange Hill on pilgrimage, but it wasn't anything like the show. I've also got a mashup of Grandstand and The Supremes' 'Come See About Me', which doesn't really work either.

PD187: that loon album is pretty good
hotelopera: yeah?
PD187: yeah if you see it for like 3 bucks pick it up
hotelopera: i liked most of his goofy guest verses
PD187: dream! he loves u not
PD187: id fuck at least half of dream
hotelopera: haha i barely remember what they look like but the one with dark hair that sang lead was cute
hotelopera: i'm about to google image search "dream" and "bad boy" but i'm afraid of what i might find
PD187: nah i liked the kinda meditarranean looking one
PD187: or like one of them red haired israeli jews
hotelopera: i wonder if any of them tried out for Making The Band 3
hotelopera: http://allstarz.hollywood.com/~hypnotic/official-tds.jpg
PD187: oh god that 2 year period when every girl had to wear a bowler
hotelopera: hahaha
hotelopera: http://images.blastro.com/images/large/lg_dreamhelovesunot.jpg
hotelopera: that 2 year period when every R&B video looked like it took place in a space ship
PD187: man that one up front sure can fill out her pink jumpsuit
PD187: who can forget the opening lines of that song
PD187: 'in the not too distant future... next sunday a.d.'
hotelopera: haha
PD187: there lived a band named dream
PD187: not too different from you or me
PD187: they worked at bad boy entertainment group
PD187: just four young girls in pink jumpsuits
PD187: they did a good job doin songs with mase
PD187: but diddy didnt like em so he shot em into spaaaace
hotelopera: hahahaha
PD187: OFF THE DOME
hotelopera: we'll send them cheesy rappers / the worst we can find / LOON LOON LOON
PD187: hahaha
PD187: BAD BOY ROLL CALL
PD187: G DEP!
PD187: BLACK ROB!
PD187: MARK CURRY!
PD187: LOOOOOOOOON!
hotelopera: hahahaha

Yeah xp, it's weird seeing my little boy engrossed in something that predates my existence.

Didn't vote MST3K theme, which is probably one of the only things connected with MST3K I wouldn't vote for in an appropriate poll.

Like, I'd probably vote for Gypsy in a "TV's all-time sex goddesses" poll.

Grandstand theme LIVE from the KPM Allstars:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sOKuzo8nSY

MST3K theme is kind of Devo-lite.

al: huh?

(tie)

63. The Beverly Hillbillies (4 votes, 74 points)
USA
1962-71
Paul Henning, Jerry Scoggins, Flatt and Scruggs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwzaxUF0k18

63. Danger Mouse (5 votes, 74 points)
UK
1981-92
Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE7WrEidvyY

Just catching up - out of this run so far I voted for Grandstand and Inspector Gadget. Grange Hill and Fraggle Rock were both on my longlist.

I think it says something that I always think Dragnet is that Dan Aykroyd film...

Gonna do the next three (lol ties) and then I need to go out for 2 hours-ish.

(tie)

61. The Banana Splits Adventure Hour (7 votes, 75 points)
USA
1968-70
Mark Barkan and Ritchie Adams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS8RVkaIM9c

61. Miami Vice (4 votes, 75 points)
USA
1984-89
Jan Hammer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQDU-2qMre0

(Combined with Crockett's Theme, Miami Vice would move to #19)

61. Barney Miller (3 votes, 75 points)
USA
1975-82
Jack Elliott and Allyn Ferguson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox-DmJ9H3ng

holy shit that barney miller is funky. also now i know who abe vigeoda of beastie boy rhyme fame is.

Watch the video for the Miami Vice theme cos I think it's the one with Jan Hammer getting involved in the action

Has Crockett's Theme already been?

Been and gone @ #75

Barney Miller TOO LOW

yeah it was tied 75-74

the list so far:

59 Barney Miller 3 75
60 MIAMI VICE 4 75
61 The Banana Splits 7 75
62 Danger Mouse 5 74
63 The Beverly Hillbillies 4 74
64 Dragnet 4 73
65 Inspector Gadget 7 73
66 MST3K Love theme (end credits song) 3 73 1
67 For Pete's Sake" - the Monkees 2nd season closing credits song. 4 70
68 Fraggle Rock 5 70
69 Yakety Sax aka the Benny Hill theme 4 70
70 Maude! 4 69
71 Scooby-Doo (original non-Scrappy version) 4 69
72 Grandstand 3 68
73 Grange Hill (BBC, 1970s-early 80s) 5 68
74 Miami Vice - Crockett's Theme 3 66
75 Northern Exposure 3 66 1
76 Get Smart 5 65
77 Jem 3 65 1
78 SWAT 4 65
79 The Persuaders 4 65
80 Jeffersons 5 64
81 Sopranos 3 64
82 The Flintstones 6 64
83 The Magic Roundabout 5 64
84 Channel 4 Tour de France theme (by Pete Shelley!) 2 63 1
85 MINDER 2 62 1
86 Dallas 5 60
87 frasier 7 60
88 The Adventures of Pete & Pete 3 60
89 Sealab 2021 3 59 1
90 The Andy Griffith Show 3 59
91 Bagpuss (main theme) 4 58
92 CHARLES IN CHARGE 4 58
93 Greatest American Hero 4 57
94 'Left Bank Two' (the gallery theme from Vision On) 3 57 1
95 U.F.O. 2 57 1
96 It's A Knockout 3 56
97 The State 3 56
98 Tomorrow's World (1980 onwards, Denton & Cook) 5 55
99 H.R. Pufnstuf 3 54
100 Ski Sunday 3 54
111 Wonder Woman 2 54 1

al: huh?

― vote! (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, December 5, 2012 9:17 AM (42 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

old chat of me and ethan riffing on the MST3K theme

BTW that's not the MST3K Love theme, the Love theme is the end credits theme...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Olt4BVB4zY

oh fuck I thought putting I did it right so it wouldn't embed. Sorry.

The original Danger Mouse theme was written by UK folkie & broadcaster Mike Harding.

Grandstand > 1m 13s what the hell is going on

Steve Ryder shreds. I dunno, it never used to do that on a Saturday lunchtime.

Grandstand would've been my #2, hadn't heard it in years and it was a real joy to revisit - so many hooks!

ok i've got my stuff done and i couldn't go swimming because kids have to learn or something* so lets get this going again

*this is what i get for making and effort to exercise. im just gonna be a blob forever from now on.

58. Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? (6 votes, 77 points)
USA
1991-95
Rockapella, Sean Altman and David Yazbek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozYg8vDTmkc

this is awful and so so 90s

lol ROCKAPELLAAA

Oh dear oh dear. I've heard of this programme but this is my first exposure to anything actually related to it, and I'm a little perturbed.

There's some killer UK stuff being beaten by mediocre-to-bad US things, doesn't bode well for the top half of the list. Though I'm still banking on DOCTOR WHO taking top spot.

(tie)

57. Top of the Pops (4 votes, 79 points)
UK
1970-81
Led Zeppelin, Johnny Pearson and session musicians from the BBC orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNQDzW-yPtE

(This was the only TOTP Theme voted for.)

57. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (5 votes, 79 points)
UK
1981
The Eagles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywKilWkX4jA

I was sure TOTP would be top 20. I guess I did get a few more non-Britisher votes tho

Bernie Leadon specifically did HHGTTG, if my memory serves. "Journey to the Sorceror"?

I am cool with predictions btw, just to see what people think v. what actually is consensus.

cheers jeff.

next two (last tie of the day, hurrah, and not many more tomorrow) both have #1 votes!

Doctor Who winning is not merely a prediction, it is mandatory to prevent me from going on a rampage.

Unless somehow Children of the Stones gets voted all the way up to the top spot by avant ilx0rs. I could live with that. Think it's pretty unlikely, though.

Hitchiker's theme always gives me chills. I only recently learnt it was by the Eagles.

MY PREDICTIONS

10. lol 'merkins
9. lol 'merkins
8. lol 'merkins
7. lol 'merkins
6. lol 'merkins
5. lol 'merkins
4. lol 'merkins
3. lol 'merkins
2. Doctor Who
1. lol 'merkins

Okay, the TOTP one is the first one so far to give me goosebumps on hearing it again.

can I just

HE'S AMAZING!
HE'S FANTASTIC!
WHEREVER THERE IS DANGER HE'LL BE THERE

[cut to my favorite part]

DAANGER MOUUUUUSE
(dadee dadee dadee)
DAANGER MOUUUUUUUUUUUUSE
(dadee dadee dadee)
DAAAANGER MOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE
[explosion!]

holy cow one of the next ones is funky.

(tie)

55. The White Horses (5 votes, 81 points, 1 #1 vote)
Germany and Yugoslavia
1965
German version by Ivo Robić
English version by Jackie Lee, Michael Carr and Ben Nisbet
English version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvZgqIUsrtU

55. Dave Allen At Large (4 votes, 81 points, 1 #1 vote)
UK
1971-79
Allen Hawkshaw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmp_ni8sQYY

couldn't find the german version of white horses, plus wiki made the english one seem quite famous

yeah Jackie Lee's "White Horses" was a top 10 hit in UK (under the name Jacky)

My #1, but then I think for a whole pile of men my age it represents some weird kind of sexual awakening.

Don't know Dave Allen At Large but Alan Hawkshaw is a godhead.

This should be Hawkshaw doing Dave Allen At large with the KPM Allstars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGTA1tO-HJo

Voted for "Dave at Allen Large" despite being Canadian and having never seen the show. I think I discovered it once while looking up Alan Hawkshaw and KPM library music and realizing that I had heard it before in other things such as on Bill Nye the Science Guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zobjIwQ0Cg4

Actually, the show itself was pretty awesome when Allen was in his prime. You had to put up with some silly sketches but the stand-up (or rather sit down) segments often reduced my parents and me to hysterics.

I'm gonna leave the rest for tomorrow or maybe later tonight. Sorry, ~lyfe~ has made me a bad host.

I have a guilty fondness for a cappella groups and have fond memories of the Carmen Sandiego computer games (didn't even know it was a TV show) but that was pretty horrible.

can't remember if I voted for any TOTPs, if I didn't it was because I was too lazy to work out which eras were the good ones. actually I think I did vote for one and it wasn't the one I meant to. oops

(considers posting Bill Nye / Bill Nighy to the "always get those two mixed up" thread)

I don't think that I voted for TOTP. Bizarrely I think I went for Cheggers Plays Pop instead which is kind of a new wave variant of that basic model.

I had Dave Allen At Large as my number one (also despite never having seen it or heard it when it was on) - I only know it from somebody else's 'great tv themes' CD that I borrowed about ten years ago.

I once went to Grange Hill on pilgrimage, but it wasn't anything like the show
I don't think you're alone there. I think they filmed it all around Shepherd's Bush.

It was very nice iirc, almost rural up there. I'm sure there was a village green, maybe even a yeoman or two.

52. Laverne and Shirley (5 points, 83 points)
USA
1976-83
Norman Gimbel, Charles Fox and Cyndi Grecco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRmKzxhMzwo

whichever one is the brunette is p damn cute.

That's two for Gimbel and Fox (and I suspect we haven't heard the last of them).

Was that #53 btw?

oh crap yeah, sorry. give me one second.

53. The Love Boat (4 votes, 82 points)
USA
1977-86
Jack Jones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_wFEB4Oxlo

and one more before i have to go see my dear ol' mother for an hour or two

51. The Kids In The Hall (4 votes, 86 points)
Canada
1988-94
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-avHA_9SvY

Laverne and Shirley and The Love Boat both look like terrible terrible shows.

was the blockbusters theme nominated?

50. BBC Cricket/Test Match Special 'Soul Limbo' (4 votes, 88 points)
UK
Can't find a start date - 1999
Booker T & The MGs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67xXbTaQlKI

dl- no! shocking.

Soul Limbo should have been top 20, no justice in the world etc

Now that's a monster track that is.

Laverne and Shirley and The Love Boat both look like terrible terrible shows.

― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, December 6, 2012 6:35 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

no The Love Boat was definitely a forerunner to The Sopranos and Breaking Bad and all that shit

I didn't know the Test Match tune was an actual song. What a total banger it is.

Booker T, secret king of all music

(tie)

49. Monkey (Saiyūki (西遊記?)) (4 votes, 89 points)
Japan
1978-80
Godiego
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfTdOgM06TY *

49. Pee-Wee's Playhouse (6 votes, 89 points)
USA
1986-90
Mark Mothersbaugh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mns3v5rqph4

49. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (4 votes, 89 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1987-96
Chuck Lorre** and Dennis C. Brown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDQzALOH9iU

*Feel free to find a better version, this was hard to YT.
**Hey its the guy to blame for some of the most terrible tv of the past decade!

Here you go for Monkey:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2huJqFsFDE

TMNT is so dope now I listened back. Heroes in a half shell: turtle power!

(tie)

46. The Prisoner (5 votes, 90 points)
UK
1967-68
Ron Grainer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRPDO63rI1E

46. Spiderman (8 votes, 90 points)
USA
1967-70
Paul Francis Webster and Bob Harris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o4-YtEd6Tk

44. Perfect Strangers (6 votes, 91 points)
USA
1986-93
David Pomeranz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vbnLYROCj8

43. Children of the Stones (4 votes, 92 points)
UK
1977
Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V6dSNlh0_k

Was wondering where that one would place.

Really though soul limbo would be higher than that

next is the last tie of the day and also a legit classsssic.

(tie)

42. Taxi (4 votes, 93 points)
USA
1978-83
Bob James
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoprWUp2h3U

42. Star Trek: The Next Generation (5 votes, 93 points)
USA
1987-94
Alexander Courage and Jerry Goldsmith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5kcBxL7-qI

I hope you're talking about Taxi as being the classic tune there

of course i am! i dont really know or get star trek although the theme was ok.

bob james may be my favourite person on this list though.

40. Count Duckula (7 votes, 95 points)
UK
1988-93
Mike Harding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VthsQVsXwEg

39. The X-Files (4 votes, 96 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1993-2002
Mark Snow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbBX6aEzEz8

my #1!

Count Duckula is TOO LOW

38. CHiPs (4 votes, 99 points, 2 #1 votes)
USA
1977-83
John Parker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYKdayl7BHM

YAY!

But also TOO LOW!

That theme has everything. I don't know what more you people want.

2 #1 votes! Only two other shows got that or higher.

That makes me feel a little better, but 70 of its 99 points came from two people.

plus its way better than the next theme. the one coming up sucks but its most prob the best recognised/most heard and had to place i guess.

37. The Simpsons (8 votes, 100 points)
USA
1989-
Danny Elfman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cOdYyx1oKI

36. Magnum P.I. (7 votes, 101 points)
USA
1981-88
Mike Post
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CquMO3vJvo

LOL, The Simpsons doesn't suck, but it has had two and a half decades of constant use now to sour.

another legit tooooooo loooooooow classic coming up. (my bias is really showing).

35. The Avengers (4 votes, 113 points, 1 #1 vote)
UK
1961-69
John Dankworth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogrgtzgn0oQ

34. Welcome Back Kotter (8 votes, 114 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1975-79
John Sebastian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VlGyMG0ksg

Dammit Ive been really busy these past weeks and forgot to vote. I guess that means none of the mexican tv shows I nommed will make it.

Anyhow, you should listen to the theme to 'el chavo del 8' and 'la carabina de ambrosio' because they're awesome, specially the later.

Also if I did vote Pete and Pete, the Banana Splits and the flinstones would have broken into the top 50s

im gonna do up to #30 today unless i get some time in a couple hours time

33. The Raccoons Closing Theme 'Run With Us' (5 votes, 115 points)
Canada
1985-91
Steve Lunt and Lisa Lougheed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLVe1NkQA78

32. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (7 votes, 116 points)
USA
19720-85
Bill Cosby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WT-fxBNKs8

HEY HEY HEY

31. Cheers (11 votes, 117 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1982-93
Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KtAgAMzaeg

Welcome Back Kotter was my #1

A bunch of awesome stuff I imagined would place higher being marooned in the 30s.

I didn't know the Test Match tune was an actual song. What a total banger it is.

Ah you got me hoping for actual singing ;_;

Still a total banger of course.

Damn, I missed the run-down on the day that almost all of my votes place.

I didn't review any themes before I voted, just went from memory. The Avengers would have placed high if I'd given it a pre-vote listen. Haven't watched any of the series in decades.

Children of the Stones info - it was written by Sidney Sager, sung by the Ambrosian Singers.

Thanks to whoever repped for Children of the Stones on the nom thread, it was the only theme I voted for which I hadn't previously heard.

That would probably be me, ha.

Children of the Stones is genuine clammy-handed terror. I think it's the amount of hush in the setting that has you checking over your shoulder just as much as it is the mania of the sounds themselves.

Perfect Strangers to LOW dammit

*murmurs* "staaaanding taaaaalll...."

That Children of the Stones theme is great! Did it run the full 1:21 with the static shot of the houses and stones each episode? That could never be allowed on US tv.

Oh no, it wasn't actually static - this one shows the intro proper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLpcr7KTi9I

Obviously a lot of TV themes are very well crafted, but I just think that having an avant-garde choral work soundtracking a kids' TV show is a cut above...

(NB: the programme itself is also absolutely amazing.)

30. The Tomorrow People (6 votes, 118 points)
UK
1973-79
Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xez4o1ujOPI

^^^^
this looks really good! i swear one day, most prob in the distant future, i'll try and watch all of doctor who and this and the prisoner etc.

29. Star Trek (10 votes, 120 points)
USA
1966-69
Alexander Courage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjL8WXjlGI

(Combined, 'Star Trek' votes would move to 7th position)

OK, I was not expecting that so early. (Didn't vote for it myself though. Did vote for the Prisoner and, ahem, the Raccoons and thought both of those would be higher too.)

Yes! Tomorrow People is excellent.

I *thought* I voted for the Raccoons but it looks like I cut it. I did vote for Count Duckula, though.

28. The Littlest Hobo (6 votes, 123 points, 1 #1 vote)
Canada
1963-65/79-85
Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgGKSjiw0HQ

?!?! I was expecting that a lot higher, I figured it'd have perfect UK/US crossover appeal.

star trek or the littlest hobo?

either way both are before my time and ive seen neither.

the littlest hobo theme was p good though, surprisingly melancholy for a tv show about a dog that helps people.

The Littlest Hobo, though I guess I'm sort of surprised by Star Trek too... but the singalong factor of ST is a lot smaller...

I honestly don't think I've ever seen a whole episode of the Littlest Hobo. But the song has always been there, floating in my pop cultural consciousness.

If someone told me that an indie band a couple years ago, Vampire Weekend maybe, had this next one on their album instead of it being a theme tune from before I was born, I'd not have batted an eyelid...

27. The Mysterious Cities of Gold (5 votes, 124 points, 1 #1 vote)
Japan/France
1982-83
Noam Kaniel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfb_BBnXFHw

I'm actually surprised that the Littlest Hobo theme was this high. I thought it was only really well known to Canadians.

My #1! Cities of Gold is classic forever.

The Mysterious Cities of Gold theme is the greatest song ever written, bar none.

26. M*A*S*H (7 votes, 125 points)
USA
1972-83
Johnny Mandel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIdyErirjSQ

and thats the last for today. discuss! make predictions! etc.!

tomorrow will be the top 25 but for now...

26 M*A*S*H 7 125
27 The Mysterious Cities of Gold 5 124 1
28 The Littlest Hobo 6 123 1
29 Star Trek 10 120
30 The Tomorrow People 6 118
31 Cheers 11 117 1
32 Fat Albert. HEY HEY HEY 7 116
33 The Raccoons - Run With Us 5 115
34 Welcome Back Kotter 8 114 1
35 The Avengers 4 113 1
36 Magnum, P.I. 7 101
37 The Simpsons 8 100
38 CHiPs you guys 4 99 2
39 X-Files 4 96 1
40 Duckula 7 95
41 Star Trek: The Next Generation 5 93
42 Taxi 4 93
43 Children of the Stones 4 92
44 Perfect Strangers 6 91
45 Spider-Man (1967) 8 90
46 The Prisoner (1967-8) 5 90
47 Monkey 4 89
48 Pee-Wee's Playhouse 6 89
49 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4 89 1
50 BBC Cricket/Test Match Special (Soul limbo) 4 88
51 Kids in the Hall 4 86
52 Lavern and Shirley 5 83
53 The Love Boat 4 82
54 Dave Allen at large 4 81 1
55 White Horses 5 81 1
56 Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy 5 79
57 top of the pops - brassy zep 4 79
58 Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? 6 77
59 Barney Miller 3 75
60 MIAMI VICE 4 75
61 The Banana Splits 7 75
62 Danger Mouse 5 74
63 The Beverly Hillbillies 4 74
64 Dragnet 4 73
65 Inspector Gadget 7 73
66 MST3K Love theme (end credits song) 3 73 1
67 For Pete's Sake" - the Monkees 2nd season closing credits song. 4 70
68 Fraggle Rock 5 70
69 Yakety Sax aka the Benny Hill theme 4 70
70 Maude! 4 69
71 Scooby-Doo (original non-Scrappy version) 4 69
72 Grandstand 3 68
73 Grange Hill (BBC, 1970s-early 80s) 5 68
74 Miami Vice - Crockett's Theme 3 66
75 Northern Exposure 3 66 1
76 Get Smart 5 65
77 Jem 3 65 1
78 SWAT 4 65
79 The Persuaders 4 65
80 Jeffersons 5 64
81 Sopranos 3 64
82 The Flintstones 6 64
83 The Magic Roundabout 5 64
84 Channel 4 Tour de France theme (by Pete Shelley!) 2 63 1
85 MINDER 2 62 1
86 Dallas 5 60
87 frasier 7 60
88 The Adventures of Pete & Pete 3 60
89 Sealab 2021 3 59 1
90 The Andy Griffith Show 3 59
91 Bagpuss (main theme) 4 58
92 CHARLES IN CHARGE 4 58
93 Greatest American Hero 4 57
94 'Left Bank Two' (the gallery theme from Vision On) 3 57 1
95 U.F.O. 2 57 1
96 It's A Knockout 3 56
97 The State 3 56
98 Tomorrow's World (1980 onwards, Denton & Cook) 5 55
99 H.R. Pufnstuf 3 54
100 Ski Sunday 3 54
111 Wonder Woman 2 54 1

Predictions? Rockford Files and Sanford & Son will be in the top 20 fo sho (probably top 10), but a lot of the other stuff I thought would place highly has already come and gone.

Oh yeah, Knight Rider will be way up there.

Also The A-Team will be high.

Betcha "Night Court" (the 80s version of the Barney Miller theme) will be up there too

I hope so. I voted for it, and was starting to think it might not show up on here.

LOL, The Simpsons doesn't suck, but it has had two and a half decades of constant use now to sour.

I like the Simpsons theme but at the end of the day it's just a poor man's Jetsons theme

btw if the Jetsons theme doesn't place, you people are insane

I can easily see MacGyver either being top ten or totally shut out. It's just that type of poll.

Cities of Gold placing has gone some way to assuage my guilt at not getting around to vote.

fwiw Littlest Hobo aired in Australia when I was a kid

i have never heard of this littlest hobo thing

dog who helps ppl

Have there been many shows with an unhelpful dog? I don't think so, dogs are good people imo

Have there been many shows with an unhelpful dog?

Marmaduke, right?

cujo

Right, that's inspired me to go off and write a dog version of Breaking Bad.

Frasier's dog was pretty obstinate iirc

the fact that that Littlest Hobo episode is called "MAIL-ORDER BRIDE" is killing me

xpost call it "Barking Mad"

Littlest Hobo aired in Ireland too, and i would have had it pretty high. Not as crushingly melancholic as The Incredible Hulk's "Lonely Man Theme" but coming from a similar place. They should have teamed up actually

Composer updates:

As per emil.y upthread, 'Children of the Stones' is by Sidney Sager

'The Tomorrow People' theme is by Dudley Simpson

Assuming ppl are voting for the 80s revival Littlest Hobo song, "Maybe Tomorrow", then credit goes to Terry Bush and John Crossen. I've never even heard of this programme, let alone the song.

O_O

In a surprising development in the show, season 5's two-part episode "The Genesis Tapes" revealed that Hobo was indeed the same exact and long lived dog as the dog in the 1960s series and this was explained away as him being the next stage of canine evolution. This also explains his higher intelligence. The episode's plot primarily revolves along Hobo's effort to destroy all evidence of his origins, which he successfully does. Both chapters feature flashback footage from the first five seasons of the series, with Part 1 also being the only episode of the revival series to include footage from the original 1960s series

<i>Have there been many shows with an unhelpful dog?</i>
What-a-Mess?

evolved hobo dog? i wanna know more

six million dollar bionic wonder dog

surprised by low placings for Simpsons and Cheers!

Me too. I forgot to vote but I thought Cheers would be Top 5.

my secret hope is that Simon & Simon will come out of nowhere and BOOM hit the top 10 with a bullet

^ voted for it

hi-five!
+ background explosion and a shot of us getting out of a cool corvette

No-five for you, non-CHiPs voter. >:(

OH GET OVER IT, FEVER.

Re Simon and Simon: the Jon Hamm/Adam Scott parody is worth watching if u havent' seen it
(starts at 8:50 if you don't want to watch the leadup)

http://youtu.be/sX1kCun566k

<3

<3

honestly I do suck for not voting for it because I hum the song in my head whenever a CHP officer motorcycles past me on the freeway
even when I got pulled over for speeding I kinda had that moment wehre I wanted to be all I WATCHED YOU ON TV WHEN I WAS A KID

<i>Have there been many shows with an unhelpful dog?</i>
What-a-Mess?

Was that a TV programme? I thought it was just books

Totally forgot about The Mysterious Cities of Gold

We buy The Mysterious Cities of Gold

I missed this, so it's good to see Barney Miller and Welcome Back, Kotter place: Both are great music and perfectly capture the '70s attitudes those shows embody. Does Sesame Street have a chance?

I hadn't realised this had kicked off, so it's way too late, but:

I knew someone who was the pupil of one of the trumpeters on the Dynasty theme.

I say one of, as the 'third line' of the tune is a sort of up/down descending phrase, and the original booket trumpet/cornettist found it impossible.

So, this guy was drafted in to do that bit only.

If you listen, you can tell it's two different performers.

(Not just that line, but the whole middle bit)

Why didn't they get the draftee to play the whole thing?

I wasn't around for the rollout yesterday, but I'm happy to see decent placings for Kids in the Hall and Count Duckula! On the other hand, The Avengers is way too low!!!

xpost dunno, maybe they liked the two-handed version...

Took a friends ticket to see Amour. If this film is crazy long, sorry you may not see any results today. Hoping to get back in time to do like 10 and i'll do the top 15 tomorrow. Sorry, i was expecting to be in and free since about 12 but ~lyfe~ maaaan.

No worries. In fact, why not delay the last bit until Monday? I'm sure J Fever can cross his legs and hold on for one more day ;-)

Monday might be better as a fair few ilx0rs a) have lives, and b) only ilx at work. Not me for either, but a few.

Shocked and appalled at the low placing of The Persuaders but, then again, I didn't know about this poll.

Got out of the film to see my bike had been nicked! Just got back from reporting it. Fucking ey, hope my shitty rusty gears through whoever did it off into traffic.

I won't be about Monday, or any of next week for that matter. In fact I'm not sure if I'll be about tomorrow. Maybe if I email one of you (Jeff?) the end results you can do it Monday?

Fucking ey, hope my shitty rusty gears through whoever did it off into traffic

This bewilders me, but I feel your pain.

i think he meant throw not through. sorry about your bike a hoy hoy :(

OK, that makes sense now. I share your hope.

oh yeah, throw. annoyed typing equals shittiness.

aw, sorry to hear about yr bike theft a h h. That sucks. I really think you deserve to finish this mother off as and when you have the time and inclination, but happy to do it if The People cannot wait.

Miscellaneous comments on recent winners:

"Scooby-Doo" has a nice bubblegum gentleness to it, and the bridge is great...kinda dull or something though, or maybe it's just memories of the show bleeding over.

I thought about "For Pete's Sake" but decided I think of it more as a "Monkees song" than a "theme song."

MST3k was in my top ten. Lots of ideas and the entire performance, instruments and voices, is a perfect organic outgrowth of exactly what makes the show appealing - it feels like it was cooked up in by six stoner nerds in a basement in Minneapolis. Homemade space fun optimism. And: "RO-Bot ROLL CALL!"

"Inspector Gadget" is also top ten - I've called it "Kraftwerk played at 45 RPM" before. So fun!

"Dragnet" just barely made it in, on the grounds that I never ever watched the show (it seemed really boring when I was eight, maybe it's not?) but that one opening BUMM BA BUMM BUMM is just totally iconic.

Had to let "Danger Mouse" go although it's a pretty good tune. I like the backing vocals. "POWER-house!"

okay, I voted for the Carmen Sandiego rockapella theme but even I would say it beating all that stuff is kind of nuts. on the other hand, holy SHIT i cannot believe how low Ninja Turtles placed!! This was my #1 - fucking KICK ASS theme, and sells the show perfectly: action-packed, breathless, kind of tougher and darker and more intense than most kids' shows, convinces you you're going to get this, like, teenager show omg. Granted, if I weren't the exact age I am, none of this would probably apply - the repetition of the title of the show maybe is a little hacky, but hey.

hahaha I'm so glad other people voted for Duckula though! wonder if this and Danger Mouse both benefit from having UK and US support. My previous comments:

I'll second that, half for the fabulous narration ("a dreadful dynasty of vicious...vampire...ducks"), one-quarter for the desperate attempt to squeeze "vegetarian" into the space of two syllables, and the rest for the wonderfully weird sonic brushstrokes. You've got cheezy Shuki Levi keyboards in the opening section (quite reminiscent of "Mysterious Cities of Gold"'s theme and incidiental music generally), random squiggles, the usual dialogue blurbs and sound effects, some harmonica at one point, and of course, that diva singing that so many of these tracks seemed to believe was really popular with the kids of the days. I guess Whitney Houston was selling lots of records though...

Simpsons got my vote, hard to separate out from the show and the opening animation but I think it genuinely is a good theme. Good, memorable pieces of straight-up instrumental music. I guess it was supposed to convey, yknow, "happy small town values but it's wacky under the surface" or something like that but it seems to have been able to absorb different associations as the show quickly found its proper voice.

"Welcome Back Kotter" is brilliant and doesn't seem to have made my ballot at any stage - I think I literally didn't see it when I was copying and pasting or something. It's really sweet, nice way of announcing the show's heart and its down-to-earth protagonist. Combined with the visuals it basically formed my vision of what New York in the 70s might have been like (which, uh, maybe involves a little distortion).

Fat Albert I don't quite get, or maybe it's just that I always loved the opening bass line which then kind of gets lost once the full-band arrangement comes in. The lyrics are also laaaaaaaame, sorry.

I didn't vote for Cheers but I think it's pretty great stuff. Use it all the time to describe the good feeling of realizing you've become a "regular" at a place, fears of alcoholism or not. The production values are JUST shy of being awful - it just about works as a Billy Joel pastiche (or, Joel when he's doing Paul McCartney, check those backing vocals) although I just listened to the full-length version and it sounds much more like, I dunno, "You're The Inspiration" with chintizer piano and a Dramatic Guitarist wandering in periodically. I love "You're The Inspiration," mind you, but ugh. Give me John Sebastian and company any day. I feel like TV themes got hit even harder than pop as a whole in terms of the hollowing-out of production budgets and arrangements, or is this just me talking out of my hat?

...OMG. I am so thrilled that Mysterious Cities of Gold placed THIS HIGH. Omg. You all have no idea. No words yet. Thank you ILX.

Yeah, I had "Fat Albert" on my preliminary list solely for the strength of that loping opening, but it gets a little leavened out once everything else comes in, so I ended up cutting it. Nice coda, tho.

Also, "Duckula" is the only one of the UK/US crossover toons that I ended up voting for. That perilous synth falloff every time the Vincent Price voice intones "Duckula" is a great earworm.

Also, I love the music behind the opening narration for "Mysterious Cities of Gold" (it has a sort of Film Ventures International appeal) way more than I like the actual theme song.

Burned in my brain, the whole thing. "It is the sixteenth century. All over Europe, great ships sail west..."

I think I already posted this, but for years and years the theme song to Cities of Gold haunted my brain and my memory; only my mother's confirmation that she also remembered a show with people saying "aaaaaah, ahh ahh ahh ahh, something something, cities of gold" gave any reassurance that this was actually a memory and not something I dreamed.

Thought I'd accidentally unbookmarked this thread.

thread is quiet...

I'm just so sad I never nommed this, I mean come on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i216I3SSyaQ

DRUDGE SIREN

LAST BIT OF COUNTDOWN HAPPENING TOMORROW BECAUSE ITS THE ONLY REAL TIME I HAVE FREE FOR A WHILE TO BE AT MY OWN COMPUTER BECAUSE IM STAYING WITH A GIRL WHO I DONT WANT TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN USING HER COMPUTER FOR THE COLLATING AND POSTING OF A MESSAGE BORADS FAVOURITE THEME TUNES TO. (I think I may be properly moving in early Jan, so ILF has it easy it this most anti-Wenger times).

we have missed you, but well done with this girl news

eh

Have I misunderstood? Why else would you be smartening up your act?

Because I've got a proper 9-5 - as opposed to two awkward part time jobs - in a place which currently annoying to get to until I can move. (FYI if any ilxors know of anywhere reasonable for 1 dude to rent w/ people or whatever in South or West London, HOLLA AT ME DAWG)

She's alright. idk. I'm just being a dick most probably.

Anyway, yeah tv themes, tomorrow, be there or be sq.

Dang, I probably won't be around for much of this. DOCTOR WHO FTW.

So no one told you life would be like this, oh boy
Your job was upped, moved stuff
Your love life's A HOY HOYYYYYY

STANDING TAAAALLL ON THE WIIIING OF A HOY HOY'S DREAAAAAMS

M STAYING WITH A GIRL WHO I DONT WANT TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN USING HER COMPUTER FOR THE COLLATING AND POSTING OF A MESSAGE BORADS FAVOURITE THEME TUNES TO

What possible problem could there be with this course of action?

I just found this poll but I would have voted for John From Cincinnati and Land of the Lost.

pumped for the grand finale, thanks a hoy hoy

IM STAYING WITH A GIRL WHO I DONT WANT TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN USING HER COMPUTER FOR THE COLLATING AND POSTING OF A MESSAGE BORADS FAVOURITE THEME TUNES TO.

Hahaha, fucking fair play mate.

(tie)

25. Soul Train [The Sound of Philadelphia] (4 votes, 129 points)
USA
1973-75
Gamble and Huff, MFSB and The Three Degrees
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9xHSJD8Fug

25. The Addams Family (11 votes, 129 points)
USA
1964-66
Vic Mizzy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YFk4b6yeX4

(tie)

23. The Muppet Show (8 votes, 131 points)
USA
1976-81
Jim Henson and Sam Pottle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9THwnQg-vEw

23. Hill Street Blues (9 votes, 131 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1981-1987
Mike Post
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je2fGzKiqRM

21. Airwolf (5 votes, 133 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1984-87
Sylvester Levay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIoSPevvsds

two theme i thought would be legit #1 contenders coming up next

great stuff so far today!

How great is that Soul Train clip?!

(tie)

20. The Twilight Zone (8 votes, 136 points)
USA
1959-64
Bernard Herrmann
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVSRm80WzZk

20. Roobarb (6 votes, 136 points)
UK
1974
Johnny Hawksworth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zedq1VhaS90

yeah soul train looks dope. was it just an hour of cool dancing a week?

You've never heard of Soul Train?!

Is that weird?

very little of soul train was shown in the UK

18. Hawaii Five-0 (8 votes, 151 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1968-80
Morton Stevens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AepyGm9Me6w

Well I know Soul Train exists. I've never watched an episode though.

Hawaii 5-0 seems so far to be a definitive *huh so thats where that comes from* moment

Heh, I don't know, really. It's just, it's from way before my time and was never on UK TV anyway, so I guess I just figured it was one of those things that somehow everyone knew about.

It gets no better than Hawaii 5-0

(re: Soul Train, obviously)

xp

Kind of shocked 5-0 didn't make the top 10.

i forgot about 5-0, and i used to play it in high school jazz band

17. 3-2-1 Contact (7 votes, 157 points)
USA
1980-88
Tom Anthony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gEAQQCFlNM

Has Barney made the list?

the next is the last tie. one is something i also assumed would be a proper #1 contender and another *holy shit that is where that is from?* moment for me.

as in Barney the dinosaur? he wasnt nominated.

Dag

Neat tune. That plane landing footage is cool.

Yeah, the whole opening sequence of that Contact one is great.

(tie)

16. Sanford and Son (8 votes, 162 points, 2 #1 votes)
USA
1972-77
Quincy Jones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WqazleR3FE

16. Peter Gunn (6 votes, 162 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1958-61
Henry Mancini
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSEleg17T4w

Had never heard of 3-2-1 Contact but that theme tune is fab

Still prefer the Steptoe & Son music to the Sanford tune

14. Peanuts Specials [Linus and Lucy] (7 votes, 163 points)
USA
1964-
Vince Guardaldi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6zypc_LhnM

Only five people voting for Airwolf is one of the more surprising things to happen - I thought it had a shot at top 5.

13. The A-Team (8 votes, 166 points)
USA
1983-87
Mike Post and Pete Carpenter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MVonyVSQoM

WTF -- that turd doesn't even belong in the top 200.

The assignment was to rank songs, not nostalgia-levels.

ok well one more and then i have to wrap my last christmas present, a football (this will be so hard).

12. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (11 votes, 169 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1970-77
Sonny Curtis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0PSOysZYD8

WTF WmC? The A-Team tune is all-time. BA BA-BA BA-BA BA

The best way to wrap a football is to buy a basketball, which is slightly larger, slice it open with one clean cut, then use the skin to envelope the football. Then close it up with a staple gun.

Its for a 3 year old so I figured the more paper to tear through the better. And it kinda worked.

And talking of wrapping...

11. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (13 votes, 176 points)
USA
1990-96
Fresh Prince and Quincy Jones (and Jazzy Jeff?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVbQo3IOC_A

Ahahaha, yeah, fair enough.

I think that is certainly the rap song that the most amount of people worldwide know all the words to.

If you just say "This is a story all about how" at any time, EVERYBODY in the room will join in and do the whole song.

For sure. As I am proving right now. *blushes*

I knew this would place, but I didn't imagine it placing this high. Then again, I don't really knew how well known it is internationally.

Although actually I don't know the extended bits. I'm rubbish.

Predictions for the top 10? Some big hitters have fallen.

Ah, the famously hazy cab verse.

xpost

I can do the extended bits but I'll usually have to slow down and think about it. I can do the cut one with ease.

Just looking it up made me want to watch them all again, maybe I'll look for a torrent.

I know the cab bit! Just the bit about packing and going on the plane that never really got shown on the TV show.

xp

In no particular order: Knight Rider, Ducktales, Doctor Who, Mission Impossible, Rockford Files, Twin Peaks, Batman, The Incredible Hulk (Lonely Man Theme)

I was hoping for the theme to Night Court, but at this point, I can't imagine it being this high.

You've got to hold, and give, but do it at the right time

I'm not sure I've ever heard the extended version before. It's not just longer, but extra verses are thrown into the middle of the parts that are already carved into my brain, so now I'm all discombobulated.

Really really super surprised that Airwolf and Sanford & Son are so (comparatively) low, and in Sanford & Son's case not in the top ten.

The extended version was used for the first 3 episodes.

10. The Pink Panther Show (11 votes, 185 points)
USA
1969-78/80
Doug Goodwin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bii-PIGprv8

I'd be surprised if Sanford & Son got any UK votes at all, though. Not because it's a bad theme tune, but a) it was never shown over here, and b) protectionism about our version being first. And while I reckon a tune could get into the top ten on US votes alone, it'd be a lot harder without cross-country voting blocs.

Did a bunch of people vote for the Pink Panther Show theme, thinking it was the Henry Mancini tune, or is that song really well known and I'm just out of it?

I just now gave the Steptoe & Son theme a listen after NickB championed it upthread a little, and idgi. It's fairly humdrum, whereas Quincy Jones's Sanford & Son theme is a rush of sound and composition and arrangement that codes "70s" but it really rather timeless. I dunno. Perplexed.

FIrst I'd ever heard this Pink Panther theme was in the nominations thread. I would've assumed we were talking about the Mancini theme if I'd just seen the name.

tbf i knew the tv show one just as well as the henry mancini one. but most probably a little from both columns.

emily i think uk folks still know the s&s theme. many other us shows has referenced it, for example.

xxp: I think it goes with the feel of the programme, though. Plus, it's not from the '70s, so it's not surprising that it doesn't code as such.

NB: I didn't vote for it.

xp: nor did I vote for PP - I assumed Mancini too, I think. Hang on, let me listen.

My Pink Panther vote was for the Mancini theme. I don't think I'd ever heard the Doug Goodwin piece before now.

Oh, ha, I have heard this Pink Panther before, but it's not what first comes to mind, no.

tbf the nom was for:

The Pink Panther Show (the theme song by Doug Goodwin)

9. The Monkees (12 votes, 201 points)
USA
1966-68
Boyce and Hart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0FUvLfxyp0

(If you add up all Monkees related voting, it would have come 3rd)

xxpost -- ok, I voted for the one above that one on the nominations list, not the Goodwin one:

.....
The Persuaders
The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther Show (the theme song by Doug Goodwin)
The Powerpuff Girls
......

I learned in my teens that people of a certain age (and who happened to be Beatles fans) still really HATE The Monkees.

I voted for this Pink Panther assuming it was the 'rinky dink panther, did you ever see a panther ev-er so pink' one - though I still haven't checked, I may be looking foolish right now

Results have def taken a turn toward the US. It'll be weird if Roobarb is the top-ranking UK tune, tho, so something else has to be left, right?

Was one of Airwolf's voters, btw. Sad that apparently no one else even voted for Streets of San Francisco.

Results have def taken a turn toward the US. It'll be weird if Roobarb is the top-ranking UK tune, tho, so something else has to be left, right?

― Zero Dark 33⅓: The Final Insult (Eric H.), Saturday, December 15, 2012 4:00 PM (32 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

DOCTOR WHO DOCTOR WHO DOCTOR WHO DOCTOR WHO

Doctor Who may be #1.

Don't think Thunderbirds has appeared yet, if that doesn't place this poll is broken.

LOL, now I can't even remember if I voted for any UK songs.

I'm guessing we won't finish in half an hour, will we? I'm gonna have to go soon and won't be back until this time tomorrow. Curses.

priorities, emily

I've got to help set up, decorate and organise a gig! I can't stay!

lol since when has rock n roll ever been about being prompt?

Make them go on late and call it showmanship

SHIT I forgot to vote for Sanford & Son!!!!!!

Also my vote was definitely for the Mancini theme and not the Doug Goodwin one.

8. DuckTales (13 votes, 203 points)
USA
1987-90
Mark Mueller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMU2NwaaXEA

Meh.

lol

Wow, #8 really. This is the first time I've heard this and is one of the worst things on the list.

7. Sesame Street (13 votes, 206 points)
USA
1969-
Joe Raposo, Jon Stone and Bruce Hart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmcdBnj4ZOg

I don't think DuckTales is bad but I wouldn't have voted for it or thought it would make it so high. Nostalgia gone crazy.

6. The Rockford Files (11 votes, 224 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1974-80
Mike Post and Pete Carpenter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d41cAOmcuxk

Yeah, that's some straight up nostalgia trolling.

Sesame Street otoh is genuinely dope.

ROCKFORD!

I like how they left in the guitarist's clam at 0:35. Adds to its charm.

Need the answerphone message to get the full effect for the Rockford Files iirc, but that is v classic anyway

5. Batman (16 votes, 240 points)
USA
1966-68
Neal Hefti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSaDPc1Cs5U

jaxzevideos 1 month ago

no?? its NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA BATMAN!
·79in reply to oceanwolf0403(Show the comment)

Wow, 16 votes? I have never liked this, not even in an "oh it's gloriously cheeky" way, but I knew other people did.

4. Knight Rider (12 votes, 244 points)
USA
1982-86
Stu Phillips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMB6eUujR7w

tod4y 1 year ago

Those were the times I had nothing to do and all my duties were to eat the dinner.
·10

Nope, too low!

Ducktales is a genuine tune, pretending it's just nostalgia is offensive. I didn't even watch the show more than a few times.

3. Mission Impossible (14 votes, 253 points, 1 #1 vote)
USA
1966-73
Lalo Schifrin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI9KhPJ-utE

pfcwar5150 1 year ago

6 people found the mission to be impossible
·14

Argh, I have to go! This is so tense!

Good luck Dr Who! I'll be thinking of you...

what have we got left to come? dr whu and ???

I probably should've voted for Mission Impossible. Love it so much.

6 people found the mission to be impossible

These comments are *the worst*

have we had star trek yet?

Ducktales is a genuine tune, pretending it's just nostalgia is offensive.
co-sign

Twin Peaks?

crossing my fingers for Kids Incorporated

2. Twin Peaks (18 votes, 350 points)
USA
1990-91
Angelo Badalamenti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2lkvrMa27c

Dino Mireles 2 days ago

reminds me of a time; right before one of the worse decisions of my life; the one that changed everything.... forever. If I would of only answered the phone; I would not be typing this right now.
·
---

(With the votes for the other Twin Peaks option added on, it stays 2nd.)

Ha I am picking the most liked comments, so of course they are terrible.

junior kickstart ftw

You are gonna have to give me a bit of time, trying to do something special w/ #1

http://i.imgur.com/zi7hd.gif

reminds me of a time; right before one of the worse decisions of my life; the one that changed everything.... forever. If I would of only answered the phone; I would not be typing this right now

I wonder what Dino Mireles is talking about? Was he the guy in charge of commissioning the internet?

1. SuperTed (27 votes, 600 points, 14 #1 votes)
USSR
1982-96
Luis Suarez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fkQFaUs-ic

LEON7664 2 years ago

FUCKING QUALITY
·
seankidby

seankidby 2 years ago

BRING BACK SUPERTED!!!
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sparkyinbath

sparkyinbath 2 years ago

A spotty man??? How weird is that.
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ffsnoob

ffsnoob 2 years ago

Cosmic dust? then you goto a magic cloud and get super powers.... :D
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NEVER IN DOUBT

Not really a song there.

Noway!

Emily Dresslar 1 hour ago

the time vortex changes

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djdestro22

djdestro22 8 hours ago

David Tennat is best doctor
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XxCdude1777Xx

XxCdude1777Xx 11 hours ago

Damn this is one long time vortex.
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Karl Atkins

Karl Atkins 13 hours ago

I grew up with Tom Baker, Dr Who was scary then, now it's just for kids...total crap! Such a shame BBC, how about looking to a new concept eh??? Sad old BBC...
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You crazy Brits and your Superted.

luis suarez was super red surely

I honestly haven't gone one youtube clip without "shit was better in my days" comments.

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120902230537/tardis/images/8/87/Doctor_Who_logo_7.jpg

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120902221731/tardis/images/d/dd/Doctor_Who_logo_Pertwee_logo.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w2QwwwbLAuI/TyoI8kH6MAI/AAAAAAAABOg/z1XhdFgf7zg/s1600/delia_derbyshire.jpg

http://www.mfiles.co.uk/composers/ron-grainer-at-a-piano.jpg

1. Doctor Who (19 votes, 495 points, 5 #1 votes)
UK
Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire

1963-1969:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPJ6GMXM3E

The original 1963 recording of the Doctor Who theme music is widely regarded as a significant and innovative piece of electronic music, recorded well before the availability of commercial synthesisers. Delia Derbyshire of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop used musique concrète techniques to realise a score written by composer Ron Grainer. Each note was individually created by cutting, splicing, speeding up and slowing down segments of analogue tape containing recordings of a single plucked string, white noise, and the simple harmonic waveforms of test-tone oscillators which were used for calibrating equipment and rooms, not creating music. The swooping melody and pulsating bass rhythm were created by manually adjusting the pitch of oscillator banks to a carefully timed pattern. The rhythmic hissing sounds, "bubbles" and "clouds", were created by cutting tape recordings of filtered white noise.[1]

Once each sound had been created, it was modified. Some sounds were created at all the required pitches direct from the oscillators, others had to be repitched later by adjusting the tape playback speed and re-recording the sound onto another tape player. This process continued until every sound was available at all the required pitches. To create dynamics, the notes were re-recorded at slightly different levels.

Each individual note was then trimmed to length by cutting the tape, and stuck together in the right order. This was done for each "line" in the music – the main plucked bass, the bass slides (an organ-like tone emphasising the grace notes), the hisses, the swoops, the melody, a second melody line (a high organ-like tone used for emphasis), and the bubbles and clouds. Most of these individual bits of tape making up lines of music, complete with edits every inch, still survive.

This done, the music had to be "mixed". There were no multitrack tape machines, so rudimentary multitrack techniques were invented: each length of tape was placed on a separate tape machine and all the machines were started simultaneously and the outputs mixed together. If the machines didn't stay in sync, they started again, maybe cutting tapes slightly here and there to help. In fact, a number of "submixes" were made to ease the process – a combined bass track, combined melody track, bubble track, and hisses.

Grainer was amazed at the resulting piece of music and when he heard it, famously asked, "Did I write that?". Derbyshire modestly replied "Most of it". Unfortunately, the BBC—who wanted to keep members of the Workshop anonymous—prevented Grainer from getting Derbyshire a co-composer credit and a share of the royalties.

1970-80:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHwJDYCW2Rw

During the Third Doctor's era, beginning in 1970, the theme tune was altered for the first time. The theme was edited to match the new credit sequence, with a shortened introduction and part of the main motif repeated to fade at the end of the titles. The "middle eight" was no longer used in the opening sequence. Over the closing credits, parts of the tune were duplicated as required for the theme to end with the credits, rather than fading out as it had previously. The "sting", an electronic shriek, was added to punctuate the episode cliffhangers and serve as a lead-in to the closing theme from The Ambassadors of Death (1970) onwards, with the "middle eight" also falling out of use in the closing credits from this serial. The first three serials of Season 8 reverted to the 1967 arrangement before reinstating the Third Doctor's arrangement for the last two serials of that year. During the Fourth Doctor era, the "middle eight" was heard on only four episodes during his first six seasons – The Invasion of Time parts 3,4 & 6 and The Armageddon Factor part 6. The adoption of Peter Howell's arrangement in 1980 re-instated the section.

In 1972, there was an attempt by Brian Hodgson and Paddy Kingsland, with Delia Derbyshire acting as producer, to modernise the theme tune using the Radiophonic Workshop's modular "Delaware" synthesiser (named after the Workshop's location at Delaware Road). The "Delaware" arrangement, which had a distinct Jew's harp sound, was not well received by BBC executives and was abandoned. The master tapes were given to a fan at the 1983 Longleat celebrations by Hodgson and were never returned.

1980-85:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2oCK89xxNQ

For Season 18, Radiophonic Workshop staffer Peter Howell provided a new arrangement performed on analogue synthesisers, giving a more dynamic and glossy, but less haunting feel. Its bassline was created on a Yamaha CS-80 synthesiser, with reversed echo added, creating its characteristic "zshumm" sound. The main melody was played on an ARP Odyssey Mk III.[2] The 1980 arrangement added the sting to the opening theme as well, while the "middle eight" was included in the closing theme arrangement of all episodes. Howell's theme is in the key of F♯ minor.

1986:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1oQ-u18C_o

The Howell theme was eventually replaced by a new arrangement by Dominic Glynn for Season 23's The Trial of a Time Lord (1986). This synthesiser-driven version was arranged to sound more mysterious than previous renditions but was only used for this single season of the series. Glynn's theme reverts back to the traditional key of E minor, even though it is slightly detuned. The bassline was performed on a Roland Juno-6 synthesiser, while the melody and filtered noise effects were performed on a Yamaha DX21 and Korg 770 respectively.

1987-89:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3AdLkc-s_4

The Glynn arrangement was itself replaced by a new arrangement by Keff McCulloch for the Seventh Doctor's era beginning with Season 24 (1987). McCulloch's arrangement was made using a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 synthesiser, with the initial 'sting' replaced by a crashing explosive sound. Producer John Nathan-Turner stated that the new music, logo and title sequence were to signal a fresh start to the programme. This was the first version of the theme since the little-used 1973 Delaware version to incorporate the "middle eight" into the opening credits. McCulloch's theme is in the key of A minor. Delia Derbyshire was reportedly very unhappy with McCulloch's version.

1996:

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

The 1996 Doctor Who television Movie used a fully orchestrated version, arranged by John Debney. This contained a new introduction, being a quieter piece of music over which part of the Eighth Doctor's (Paul McGann) opening narration was read, leading into a crescendo into the "middle eight", a departure from previous versions of the theme. Debney's version of the theme begins in A minor, but after the middle eight the main melody is transposed back to E minor, as in the original score. Less evident in this version of the score is the rhythmic bassline that opens and underscores all previous (and later) televised versions of the theme; a bassline is present, but it does not rise and fall in the same way. Debney is the only composer that receives screen credit during the movie, with the then-deceased Grainer not being credited on screen for composing the theme. Debney at one point was nearly asked to compose a new theme due to music licensing issues regarding the Grainer composition.

2005-09

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUh180pA5ag

In 2005, the television series was revived. Murray Gold's theme arrangement featured samples from the 1963 original with further elements added: an orchestral sound of low horns, strings and percussion and part of the Dalek ray-gun and TARDIS materialisation sound effects. Rapidly rising and falling strings, known by fans as "The Chase",[citation needed] is an element that was not present in any previous version of the theme.

The sting once again served as the lead-in to the theme, but Gold omitted the "middle eight" from both the opening and closing credits. Gold has said that his interpretation was driven by the title visual sequence he was given to work around. Gold created a variation on his arrangement for the closing credits of "The Christmas Invasion", which was performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Unlike his arrangement for the 2005 series, this version restored the "middle eight"; it was also used for the closing credits of the 2006 and 2007 series.

2010-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV6bbP1rZ84

For series 5, the theme received a complete reworking to tie in with the brand new cast, production design, and title sequence design. Arranged by Murray Gold, the new theme retains both the original Derbyshire composition, and Gold's own "The Chase" counter-melody. The reworking is something of a departure from all previous arrangements, with a prominent new melodic fanfare theme playing in the opening bars, and a percussion sound accenting each quaver of the rhythm. The middle eight is to date only heard at the end of "The Beast Below", where the theme begins under the trailer for "Victory of the Daleks". In all other Eleventh Doctor episodes, the theme tune is not used during next time trailers, and the credits feature only the introductory fanfare and the final notes of the main theme.

1 Doctor Who theme (70s version) 19 495 5
2 Twin Peaks 18 350
3 Mission Impossible 14 253 1
4 Knight Rider 12 244
5 Batman (Neal Hefti, 1966) 16 240
6 The Rockford Files 11 224 1
7 Sesame Street 13 206
8 DuckTales 13 203
9 The Monkees 12 201
10 The Pink Panther Show (the theme song by Doug Goodwin) 11 185
11 fresh prince of bel air 13 176
12 Mary Tyler Moore 11 169 1
13 The A-Team 8 166
14 Linus and Lucy 7 163
15 Peter Gunn 6 162 1
16 Sanford & Son 8 162 2
17 321 Contact 7 157
18 Hawaii 5-0 8 151 1
19 Roobarb & Custard 6 136
20 The Twilight Zone 8 136
21 Airwolf 5 133 1
22 HILL STREET BLUES 9 131 1
23 the muppet show 8 131
24 The Addams Family 11 129
25 TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) - Soul Train theme '73-'75 4 129
26 M*A*S*H 7 125
27 The Mysterious Cities of Gold 5 124 1
28 The Littlest Hobo 6 123 1
29 Star Trek 10 120
30 The Tomorrow People 6 118
31 Cheers 11 117 1
32 Fat Albert. HEY HEY HEY 7 116
33 The Raccoons - Run With Us 5 115
34 Welcome Back Kotter 8 114 1
35 The Avengers 4 113 1
36 Magnum, P.I. 7 101
37 The Simpsons 8 100
38 CHiPs you guys 4 99 2
39 X-Files 4 96 1
40 Duckula 7 95
41 Star Trek: The Next Generation 5 93
42 Taxi 4 93
43 Children of the Stones 4 92
44 Perfect Strangers 6 91
45 Spider-Man (1967) 8 90
46 The Prisoner (1967-8) 5 90
47 Monkey 4 89
48 Pee-Wee's Playhouse 6 89
49 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4 89 1
50 BBC Cricket/Test Match Special (Soul limbo) 4 88
51 Kids in the Hall 4 86
52 Lavern and Shirley 5 83
53 The Love Boat 4 82
54 Dave Allen at large 4 81 1
55 White Horses 5 81 1
56 Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy 5 79
57 top of the pops - brassy zep 4 79
58 Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? 6 77
59 Barney Miller 3 75
60 MIAMI VICE 4 75
61 The Banana Splits 7 75
62 Danger Mouse 5 74
63 The Beverly Hillbillies 4 74
64 Dragnet 4 73
65 Inspector Gadget 7 73
66 MST3K Love theme (end credits song) 3 73 1
67 For Pete's Sake" - the Monkees 2nd season closing credits song. 4 70
68 Fraggle Rock 5 70
69 Yakety Sax aka the Benny Hill theme 4 70
70 Maude! 4 69
71 Scooby-Doo (original non-Scrappy version) 4 69
72 Grandstand 3 68
73 Grange Hill (BBC, 1970s-early 80s) 5 68
74 Miami Vice - Crockett's Theme 3 66
75 Northern Exposure 3 66 1
76 Get Smart 5 65
77 Jem 3 65 1
78 SWAT 4 65
79 The Persuaders 4 65
80 Jeffersons 5 64
81 Sopranos 3 64
82 The Flintstones 6 64
83 The Magic Roundabout 5 64
84 Channel 4 Tour de France theme (by Pete Shelley!) 2 63 1
85 MINDER 2 62 1
86 Dallas 5 60
87 frasier 7 60
88 The Adventures of Pete & Pete 3 60
89 Sealab 2021 3 59 1
90 The Andy Griffith Show 3 59
91 Bagpuss (main theme) 4 58
92 CHARLES IN CHARGE 4 58
93 Greatest American Hero 4 57
94 'Left Bank Two' (the gallery theme from Vision On) 3 57 1
95 U.F.O. 2 57 1
96 It's A Knockout 3 56
97 The State 3 56
98 Tomorrow's World (1980 onwards, Denton & Cook) 5 55
99 H.R. Pufnstuf 3 54
100 Ski Sunday 3 54
111 Wonder Woman 2 54 1
Partridge Family 3 53
Dukes of Hazzard 3 52
Reading Rainbow 5 52
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads 2 52
Good Times 3 50
John Craven's Newsround (closing sting: "New Worlds by John Baker) 3 49
Knightmare 2 49
Merrie Melodies 2 49 1
Dynasty 2 48
Rainbow 3 48
Charlie's Angels 2 47
Have Gun Will Travel (The Ballad of Paladin) 2 47
The Goodies 3 47
World In Action 2 47
Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers 3 46
Futurama 3 46
Muppet Babies 5 46
Salute Your Shorts 2 46
TERRIERS 3 46
Golden Girls 5 45
Murder She Wrote 4 45
Sorry! 2 45
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour 2 45
Green Acres 4 44
Looney Tunes 3 44
Metalocalypse 2 44
The Jetsons 2 44
Thunderbirds 2 44
Bewitched 3 43
Bod 3 43
Rocko's Modern Life 2 43
Andy Griffith 2 42
Batman: The Animated Series 2 42
Father Ted 2 42
Jeopardy! 4 42
QUANTUM LEAP 3 42
The Equalizer 3 41
law and order 4 40
Mr. Belvedere 2 40
Ron & Val Taylor's Inner Space [Sven Libaek] 2 40
Saved By the Bell 3 40
The People's Court 4 40
Aqua Teen Hunger Force 3 39
Are you Being Served! 5 39
MacGuyver 2 39
The Munsters 3 39
WKRP in Cincinnati end theme 3 39
The Flashing Blade 2 38
Thundercats 2 38
Happy Days 2 37
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood 3 37
Here Come the Double Deckers 2 36
The Incredible Hulk - Lonely Man Theme 4 36
Batman Animated Series: Mr. Freeze theme (Heart of Ice episode) 1 35 1
The Streets of San Francisco 1 35 1
WWE Stone Cold Steve Austin Theme 1 35 1
All In The Family 4 34
Simon & Simon 2 34
Space Ghost Coast 2 Coast 2 34
Red Dwarf I & II 2 33
The Clothes Show (In the Night by The Pet Shop Boys) 2 33
Doogie Howser, M.D. 2 32
Stingray (60s series) 2 32
The Bill! 3 32
Bergerac 2 31
Round the Twist 2 31
The Wire Season 4 (kids version) 2 31
Raggy Dolls 2 30
Batman Animated Series: Clayface (Feat of Clay episode) 1 29
Callan 1 29
Camberwick Green 2 29
Doctor Banner ... pelted by gamma rays" theme - Incredible Hulk 2 29
Harry's Game 1 29
Hart Beat (Tony Hart 1 29
Mastermind 3 29
Moonlighting 1 29
Old Grey Whistle Test 3 29
Room 222 1 29
Speed Racer 3 29
WWE Ultimate Warrior Theme 1 29
Adventure Time 1 28
Get Stuffed 1 28
Malcolm in the Middle 3 28
Red Dwarf Closing Theme 2 28
The Fall Guy 1 28
The Great Egg Race 3 28
Transformers 3 28
animaniacs 1 27
BBC Snooker theme 2 27
I Spy 1 27
Lars Von Triers' Riget (The Kingdom) 2 27
Pokemon 1 27
Randall and Hopkirk Deceased (1969 version) 1 27
Screen Test 3 27
The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe 1 27
Yes Minister 1 27
Black Beauty 2 26
Blake's 7 1 26
Captain Pugwash 2 26
Gilligan's Island 2 26
It's a Living 1 26
The Office ("Handbags and Gladrags") 1 26
Walker, Texas Ranger 1 26
Justice League (00s cartoon) 1 25
One Day at a Time 2 25
Tail Spin 2 25
The High Chaparral 1 25
Barbapapa! 2 24
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons 3 24
Kids Incorporated 3 24
Mr Rossi 2 24
Poirot 1 24
Red Dwarf!! 1 24
Sifl and Olly 1 24
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em 2 24
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ("On the Other Side") 1 24
Three's Company 3 24
Ulysses 31 2 24
amen 2 23
Baretta 1 23
Beverly Hills 90210 2 23
Law And Order "DUN DUN" 1 23
The Bill Cosby Show (Not the Cosby Show- I mean the one with “Hikky Burr” as the theme tune) 1 23
Alvin & The Chipmunks 2 22
I Love Lucy 2 22
Spongebob Squarepants 1 22
The Dick Van Dyke Show 1 22
The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin 1 22
The Sweeney 2 22
Around the World with Willy Fog (80s cartoon) 1 21
Curb Your Enthusiasm 1 21
Formula One (i.e. Fleetwood Mac - The Chain) 1 21
George of the Jungle 2 21
Home Improvement 1 21
Night Court 3 21
paddington bear 1 21
The Odd Couple 1 21
Baywatch 1 20
Bonanza theme song sung by Lorne Greene 1 20
Dinnerladies 1 20
Gummi Bears 2 20
MPD-Psycho - Strange New World (Lucy Monostone) 1 20
The Colbert Report 1 20
The Facts of Life 2 20
The Little Vampire 1 20
The Price is Right? 1 20
Crossroads 1 19
Diff'rent Strokes 2 19
Family Ties 1 19
I Dream of Jeannie 3 19
Rockliffe's babies 1 19
Third Rock from the Sun 1 19
WKRP in Cincinnati opening theme 3 19
Angie 2 18
Catweazle 2 18
Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds 1 18
Monty Python's Flying Circus 2 18
The Brady Bunch 4 18
The Mod Squad 1 18
The Strange World of Gurney Slade 1 18
The Wire Season 2(Tom Waits) 1 18
Tomorrow's World (1966-1979, John Dankworth) 1 18
Denver the Last Dinosaur 2 17
Fireball XL-5 1 17
HIMYM 1 17
In Living Color 2 17
Kingswood Country 2 17
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. 1 17
Weekend World ("Nantucket Sleighride") 1 17
Deadman Wonderland 1 16
Degrassi Jr. High 1 16
Doug 1 16
The Film Programme aka Film 72,73 etc 1 16
The Wire Season 3 (neville bros) 1 16
The Wire Season 5 (Steve Earle) 1 16
Why Don't You...? 1 16
Full House 1 15
Germany's Tatort 1 15
Louie 1 15
Owen, M.D. ("Sleepy Shores") 1 15
Pinky and the Brain 1 15
The Changes 1 15
young ones 1 15
All That 1 14
Scrubs 1 14
Animal Magic 2 13
Box of Delights 1 13
Dexter's Lab 1 13
King of Kensington 1 13
Ren & Stimpy 1 13
Tales of the Unexpected 1 13
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! end theme ("Do the Mario") 1 13
Trapdoor 1 13
Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home 1 13
Galaxy High 1 12
Hey Dude 2 12
Jamie and the Magic Torch 2 12
Josie and the Pussycats 1 12
Firefly 1 11
Prisoner / Cell Block H / Caged Women ("On The Inside") 1 11
Silas 1 11
The ‘60s Iron Man cartoon 1 11
Z-Cars 2 11
Ask The Family ("Acka Raga" by Joe Harriott & John Mayer) 1 10
Cosmos 1 10
Twin Peaks - Laura Palmer's Theme 2 10
Bucky O Hare 1 9
Captain Planet 1 9
Columbo 1 9
CSI ("Who Are You") 1 9
Dad's Army 1 9
Danger Man 1 9
Darkwing Duck 1 9
Mama's Family 1 9
Seeing Things 1 9
THE NANNY 1 9
The Onedin Line 1 9
The Young and the Restless 1 9
Benson 1 8
Cowboy Bebop "Tank!" 1 8
Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law 1 8
Oz 1 8
Polka-Dot Door 1 8
Rawhide 2 8
The Courtship of Eddie's Father 1 8
Tiny Toon Adventures 1 8
Barnaby Jones 1 7
Champion the Wonder Horse 1 7
Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre 1 7
Hawaiian Eye 1 7
Jeeves & Wooster 1 7
Lancelot Link Secret Chimp 1 7
Melrose Place 1 7
Police Squad! 1 7
Starsky & Hutch 1 7
The Champions 1 7
Timm Thaler aka Tim Tyler 1 7
Top Cat 3 7
30 Rock 1 6
Buffy The Vampire Slayer 1 6
Cheggers Plays Pop 2 6
Countdown 1 6
Daktari 1 6
Kojak 1 6
My Three Sons 1 6
Six Feet Under 2 6
Sledge Hammer! 1 6
Tales From the Crypt 1 6
The Wire Season 1 (blind boys of alabama) 1 6
This Is Your Life (UK) 1 6
Underdog 3 6
Angel 1 5
Friends 2 5
Hong Kong Phooey 1 5
Living Single 1 5
The Famous Five 2 5
Venture Bros 1 5
Kolchak the Night Stalker 2 4
Mickey Mouse Club 1 4
Sharky and George 1 4
The Tripods 1 4
Who's the Boss 1 4
Dr Katz 1 3
Jim'll Fix It 1 3
Willow the Wisp 1 3
Car 54, Where Are You 1 2
COPS (Inner Circle - Bad Boys) 1 2
Seinfeld 1 2
Unsolved Mysteries 1 2
Van Der Valk (Simon Park Orchestra - Eye Level) 1 2
What’s Happening 1 2
Bill Nye The Science Guy 1 1
Davy Crockett 1 1
Family Matters 1 1
Four Corners 1 1
Love Boat 1 1
Maid Marian and Her Merry Men 1 1
Mr. Dress-Up 1 1
Terrahawks 1 1
$25,000 Pyramid
60 Minutes
77 Sunset Strip
ABC's Wide World of Sports
ACTION NEWS THEME
Alf
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alice
All Creatures Great and Small
Alter Image (Channel 4, 1980s, by Mick Karn)
Amazing Stories
American Band Stand
Angling Today ("The Mugwump")
animal hospital
Animal Kwackers
Automan
Azumanga Daioh
Baa Baa Black Sheep
BATFINK
Battle of the Planets
Battlestar Galactica (1978 series)
Beauty and The Beast
Beverly Hills Teens
Big Bad Beetleborgs
big blue marble
Blackadder
Blankety Blank
Blossom
Bobby's World
Bots Master
Bourbon Street Beat
Branded
Brideshead Revisited
Bring 'em Back Alive
Bruce Forsyth and The Generation Game
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Butterflies
Button Moon
Cagney & Lacey
Camp Cariboo
Casualty
Chappelle's Show
chico and the man
Chocky
Chorlton and the Wheelies
Clarissa Explains It All
class in a glass
Clone High
Crown Court
CSI: Miami ("Won't Get Fooled Again")
CSI: New York ("Baba O' Riley")
Daniel Boone
Daria
Defenders of the Earth
Dexter
Die Sendung mit der Maus
Different Worlds" from Angie, the short-lived Robert Hays/Donna Pescow sitcom
Earthworm Jim
El Chavo del 8
Emergency!
Emmerdale Farm
F Troop
Fillmore
Fingerbobs
Fish
Flight of the Conchords
Freakazoid
Freaks and Geeks
Fruity flute" - Farmhouse Kitchen
Fun House
Game of Thrones
German Sesame Street.
Girl from Tomorrow
Growing Pains
Gumby
Hardcastle & McCormick
Have Gun – Will Travel
Heads And Tails
Hockey Night in Canada
home and away
Homeland
Homicide: Life on the Street
Hooperman
Hunter
I Married Joan
In The Heat of The Night
In The Night Garden
Inspector Morse
Ironside
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
It's About Time
JOANIE LOVES CHACHI
Kim Possible theme by Christina Milian
King of the Hill
Kung Fu
Kure Kure Takora (aka Gimme Gimme Octopus)
La Carabina de Ambrosio
LA Law
Lambchop's Playalong - The Song That Doesn't End
Late Night With Conan O'Brien
Late Night with David Letterman
Liquid Television
Little House on the Prairie
Lois and Clark
Lost in Space (seasons 1 & 2 only!)
Lost in Space- but only the John Williams version
Mad Men
Magpie
Man About The House
Man Alive
Man in a Suitcase
Mannix
Masterpiece Theatre
Match Game
Match Of The Day
Matlock
Medical Center
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
Misfits of Science
Mod Squad
Moesha
Mr Benn
Munsters
NBA on NBC theme (composed and performed by John Tesh)
neighbours
New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Newhart
NewsRadio
NYPD Blue
Oi Jacko
On the Air
On The Move
Open University theme
Otherworld
Outlaw Star
Paranoia Agent
Party of Five
Pepper Ann
Perry Mason
petticoat junction
Picture Box
Police Woman
Pot Black
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue
Power Rangers Lost Galaxy
Power Rangers Mystic Force
Punky Brewster
Rag, Tag & Bobtail
Raumpatrouille
Reboot
Renegade
Rhoda
Riptide
Robin Of Sherwood
Robin's Nest
Robot Chicken End Theme
Rugrats
Sailor Moon
Samurai Jack
Samurai Pizza Cats
Scarecrow and Mrs King
SECRET AGENT
ship to shore
Silk Stalkings
Silver Spoons
Sister Sister
Six Million Dollar Man
Sneak Previews (Siskel & Ebert on PBS)
Solid Gold
Sons of Anarchy
Space: 1999
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
Sportsnight (aka Sportsnight with Coleman)
Star Trek: Deep Space 9
Star Trek: Voyager
Stingray (80s series)
Street Hawk
Super Chicken
SUPERTED
Supertrain (any version of the theme)
Swedish children’s TV show “Alfons Aberg”
Tales of the Gold Monkey
Tales of the Riverbank
Tazmania
Teen Titans
Tenspeed and Brown Shoe
The Adventures Of Lano & Woodley
The Adventures of Robin Hood
the BBC series Roughnecks
The Beachcombers
The Big Match
the Bikers take Belfast theme - the Sons of Anarchy theme from the latter part of Season 3
the bill cosby show - the orig show
The Bob Newhart Show
The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show
The Bugs Bunny Show
The Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes Comedy Hour
The Commish
The Daily Show
The Drew Carey Show (starting w/ season 2) - "Cleveland Rocks,"
The Electric Company
The Fantastic Journey
The Friendly Giant
The Great Space Coaster
The Green Hornet
The Groovie Goolies
The Heights
The League of Gentlemen
The LWT music (aka "here they come now, Morecambe and Wise")
The Mighty Hercules
The Money Programme
The New Zoo Revue
The Powerpuff Girls
The Protectors
The Pruitts of Southampton
The Rebel
The Road Runner Show
The Rookies
The Saint
the sonic the hedgehog cartoon with the demented peer gynt music
The Sooty Show
The Spectacular Spider-Man
The Spiderman theme song, particularly the French version for the Quebecois market
The Time Tunnel
The Tracey Ullman Show
The Two Ronnies
The White Horses
The White Shadow
Toma
top of the pops - andi peters era synthy thing
top of the pops - bill fartcastle
top of the pops - bill linett
top of the pops - drum n bass zep
Uncle Feedle (from Bagpuss)
University Challenge
University Challenge (OG version)
Untalkative Bunny
WCW Monday Nitro Theme
WCW nWo Theme
weeds
When The Boat Comes In
Whiz Kids
Whodunnit
Wild World of Animals (closing)
Wild World of Animals (opening)
Wiseguy
WWE/WCW Dusty Rhodes Theme
X-Men (90's series)
Zorro