Today on Neo Retro Crash we explore the weird and wacky world of television theme songs. As far as I can tell there are three separate categories of television theme song,
Category one: Put the premise of the show into the theme song. I call this the Sherwood Schwartz theory. The best examples of this theory would be Gilligan's Island and the Brady Bunch. This spilled over into other classic shows like Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, and the Beverly Hillbillies. It is a trend that spilled over all throughout the history of television. Maude, The Jeffersons, and Good Times also follow the rule of the Musical these song premise placement. From Car 54 all the way through to The Fall Guy, and Dukes of Hazzard. The premise is right up front. The most obvious of these is probably the theme to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Category two: The spirit of the show. Some theme songs try not to telegraph the plot of the series. It is their intent to express the feel the the show has. I consider it the musical appetizer that whets the palette for a show. Friends, Cheers, Perfect Strangers, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley and Bosom Buddies (the original theme) are examples of the opening theme expressing the shows attitude and spirit.
Category three: The bad ass instrumental. This happens all too infrequently, but shows like Taxi, Barney Miller, Home Improvement, and Night Court lured us int to their television world with really cool instrumental theme songs.
There have been successful theme songs in every category, some of them even breaking into the pop charts and radio airplay. Hiding the premise in the theme song seems to be the most prevelant and longest lasting form for television themes. It does not guarantee the success of a show. A stupid premise can still kill a series, so can bad writing, poor acting, or even a art blind television executive.
Clever theme songs with a dominant premise presence couldn't save My Mother The Car or It's About Time, but may have helped Mr. Ed. It saddens me that show creators feel the need to dumd down television for the average American viewer.
Some of the best television shows have had themes that telegraphed nothing. Law and Order, Northern Exposure, Sanford and Son had brilliantly written instrumental themes.
If you check out the videos, I've collected some of the most memorable television themes. Some are crappy themes from crappy shows to the best of the best, Remember this is an incomplete playlist and totally base on my worthless opinion.
until next time, Toodles kids.
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