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Best TV Themes (music)

Merlin

Familiar Face
Messages
66
Location
Massachusetts, USA
Hands down, the best TV theme song of all time was the theme to Barney Miller. The funkiest bassline this side of James Jamerson, a wailing blues guitar, and a horn section hot enough to melt steel. My only complaint is that it's over in under a minute.

The theme to Sanford and Son gets an honorable mention, too. Harry James and his band did a fantastic version of that a few years back. Makes me wish they'd done the Barney Miller theme while they were at it.
 

Gray Ghost

A-List Customer
My favorites:

Dukes of Hazard

Hogan's Heroes

M*A*S*H

McHale's Navy

Lone Ranger

Gray Ghost (1960's TV show about Col. John Singleton Mosby, CSA)

Swamp Fox (Disney Show about General Francis Marion of SC during the Revolution played by Leslie Nielson. In the show he had a dry humor and did not show any of his future comedic talent. More of a drama show from Disney. Had a real catchy theme song. Just loved the show. Every once in awhile, the Disney Chanel will have a Swamp Fox marathon.)

Gray Ghost
 

GOK

One Too Many
Messages
1,308
Location
Raxacoricofallapatorius
As others have said;

The Avengers (New Avengers was pretty cool too)
The Prisoner
Bewitched
I Dream of Jeannie
The Addams Family

Plus;

Pinky & The Brain
Tales of the Unexpected
Spiderman
Captain Pugwash
Black Beauty (used to give me goosebumps as a child!)

Also, my absolute favourite (and I'm certain Moustache will agree with me here!), Reilly, Ace of Spies.
 

Smithy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,139
Location
Norway
For me:

The Professionals
M*A*S*H
Roobarb and Custard
Piece of Cake
Bewitched
Who Pays the Ferryman
Blackadder
Dr. Who
 

DeeDub

One of the Regulars
Messages
223
Location
Eugene, OR
But they're cousins, identical cousins all the way...

Quigley Brown said:
The Patty Duke Show had a catchy one...can't remember it, though.

One pair of matching bookends, different as night and day.

That song was so catchy, I still catch it as an ear worm from time to time. What, 40-some years later?
 

Fatdutchman

Practically Family
Messages
559
Location
Kentucky
Peter Gunn...coolest...themesong...ever.

Also, the American Bandstand theme (the original, big band,pre-Barry Manilow version).

Didn't the Stacey Keach Mike Hammer TV show have "Harlem Nocturne" as its theme? Cool daddio.
 

Warden

One Too Many
Messages
1,336
Location
UK
The two that spring into my mind are

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The Sweeney, a polically incorrect 1970s TV drama staring the late John Thaw (Inspector Morse). Lovely 1970s Ford car chases.

Click here to hear the theme tune.

How to you get a suspect to talk in a police interview in the 1970s? You grab him and say "We're the sweeney son and we hav'nt had any dinner".

jwtitle.jpg


Plus the Jeeves and Wooster theme tune, a must for a chap from the golden age.

Click here to hear the theme tune

Harry
 

Amy Jeanne

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,858
Location
Colorado
One Day At A Time
Diff'rent Strokes
Out Of This World
Just The Ten Of Us
Mr. Belvedere
Small Wonder
The Munsters
Kidd Video
Dallas
Duck Tales
WKRP in Cincinnati
It's Gary Shandling's Show
The Young Ones

Are my most favourites! Yup, I'm a proud child of the 80s.
 

Brian Sheridan

One Too Many
Messages
1,456
Location
Erie, PA
Fatdutchman said:
Didn't the Stacey Keach Mike Hammer TV show have "Harlem Nocturne" as its theme? Cool daddio.

Yup it did...a cool theme song for a real cheesy show!

I'll add the theme from Hustle (the BBC/AMC show)

BRS
 

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