Best TV theme tune?

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Best TV theme tune?

Postby Zaphod » Wed May 29, 2013 12:24 pm

Hi Guys.
Just a bit of fun.
What is your favourite TV theme tune?

I nominate the theme from the US TV comedy Taxi. When the drummer hits the High hat at the end of the 8th bar (I think, it's been a while) I get goose bumps.
Originally a piece by Bob James called "Angela". Great show and great theme tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDj2-tgAauw

Any ideas?

Zaphod.
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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby Fozzer » Wed May 29, 2013 12:46 pm

...me?

...."Hill Street Blues"....

I often play the tune on my Piano.. :D ...!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je2fGzKiqRM

Paul.... :mrgreen: ...!
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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby Apex » Wed May 29, 2013 1:30 pm

Immediately upon seeing the post headline, this flashed:

'Mission Impossible'. It's in 5/4 time (da, - da, da da), has a cool melody (flute?) on top of the rhythm, and builds up nicely. It's actually a Latin rhythm of some sort.

And let's not forget the Dr Who theme. Or Fawlty Towers. Red Dwarf? Black Adder?

And others I've forgotten by now. Talk about flashbacks. Sure miss that stuff on PBS, long ago.
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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby Zaphod » Wed May 29, 2013 2:22 pm

Apex wrote:Immediately upon seeing the post headline, this flashed:

'Mission Impossible'. It's in 5/4 time (da, - da, da da), has a cool melody (flute?) on top of the rhythm, and builds up nicely. It's actually a Latin rhythm of some sort.

And let's not forget the Dr Who theme. Or Fawlty Towers. Red Dwarf? Black Adder?

And others I've forgotten by now. Talk about flashbacks. Sure miss that stuff on PBS, long ago.


Apex,
You mention the Dr Who Theme?
One of my few claims to fame is that I worked briefly at the BBC in my teens and not only stood in the original Tardis but also visited the BBC Radiophonic Workshop that created the original theme for Dr Who.
It's had several tweeks since then but the melody remains basically the same.

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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby ozzy72 » Wed May 29, 2013 3:24 pm

There are many greats, like the theme to the BBC Hitch Hikers Guide to The Galaxy, but my all time favourite belongs to Van Der Valk!
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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby Webb » Wed May 29, 2013 3:41 pm

Red Dwarf

YouTube

Honorable mention - Arliss (I Only Want to be With You), Scooby Doo and Suits.
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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby Apex » Wed May 29, 2013 7:23 pm

That's cool, Zaphod. I recall several slightly different versions of the theme as the series progressed.

My fav Dr Who episode, entitled 'The Arc of Infinity', with Peter Davison, had a most interesting sub-theme throughout, a real cool tango. There's reference to the composer, it was an electronic composition of some sort done mostly on keyboards, I forget the details, but, speaking as a musician, for me, that tango was extremely catchy. I can play it on keyboards in its basic form. Some time ago I tried to locate it on Youtube without success.

PBS stopped running Dr Who long ago, along with many other British shows like the ones I mentioned. Too bad, they were all so good.
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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby Webb » Wed May 29, 2013 8:41 pm

And of course

Psych (I Know You Know)

Drew Carey (Cleveland Rocks)

I can't find a vid if the Huntley Brinkley News theme but it was pretty famous (if you're old enough to remember it).
"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!" - Sen. John Blutarsky

You know, this used to be a helluva good country. I don't understand what's gone wrong with it. - George Hanson, 1969

A bad day at golf is better than a good day at work.


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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby Ang2dogs » Wed May 29, 2013 10:18 pm

Hands down,

Hawaii 5 O!
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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby Webb » Wed May 29, 2013 10:28 pm

I trust you mean the ORIGINAL Hawaii Five O Theme

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Book him, Danno.
"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!" - Sen. John Blutarsky

You know, this used to be a helluva good country. I don't understand what's gone wrong with it. - George Hanson, 1969

A bad day at golf is better than a good day at work.


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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby Zaphod » Thu May 30, 2013 5:16 am

And then of coarse there's The Big Bang Theory.

http://www.last.fm/music/Barenaked+Ladi ... eory+Theme
Full version.
Not exactly Mozart but the lyrics are fun.

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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby ViperPilot » Thu May 30, 2013 11:26 am

Best TV Theme?

Aviation oriented, I'd have to say either Airwolf or Black Sheep Squadron.

Overall? Hands down my choice would be from the 70's TV series How The West Was Won, starring James Arness as Zebulon Macahan.
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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby ftldave » Thu May 30, 2013 12:15 pm

My top pick: Peter Gunn Theme - Henry Mancini

Aviation theme: Thunderbirds - Barry Gray

Always-scared-the-hell-out-of-me TV theme: The Invaders - Dominic Frontiere
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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby Zaphod » Thu May 30, 2013 12:26 pm

Hi Dave.
I had to check out "The Invaders" music as I remember the program from my teens but couldn't remember the music.
You're right. Very scary;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvmw_ctYAgI

Zaphod :evil:
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Re: Best TV theme tune?

Postby Zaphod » Thu May 30, 2013 1:55 pm

Given my "Handle" I couldn't leave this out. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywKilWkX4jA

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