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Soundcheck / April 23, 2008 / They're Creepy and They're Kooky

They're Creepy and They're Kooky

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Most people can sing at least a few lines from the songs that opened television shows like "Gilligan's Island," "The Brady Bunch," or "The Jeffersons." Yet few programs today kick off with a musical explanation of the series' premise. We ask Eric Deggans, media critic at the St. Petersburg Times, why the TV theme song is an endangered species. And longtime lyricists Marilyn and Alan Bergman talk about creating themes for "Good Times," "Alice," and other hit shows.

Tell us: Do you have a favorite TV theme song? Do you miss opening themes?

Our blog: John proposes a mash-up of two TV themes.

Eric Deggans' story in the St. Petersburg Times
Alan and Marilyn Bergman's website


Comments

  • [1] Richard Mitnick from Highland Park ,NJ April 23, 2008 - 01:53PM

    The program has not started yet, but I want to be sure that you remember:

    From TV-

    "I Remember Mama", the Grieg one of the Two Elegiac Melodies, Last Spring and Wounded Heart, I am never sure which one.

    From Radio and TV-

    The Lone Ranger, Liszt Le Prelude and ??? The William Tell Overture.

    From Radio, but worth remembering-

    Sergeant Preston The Donna Diana Overture
  • [2] bas from brooklyn April 23, 2008 - 02:03PM

    In Brazil the tradition is still strong, and many superstars like Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque etc. are still featured on the theme songs of the Telenovelas - the series that dominate evenings in Brazil. People know them by hart.
  • [3] Rick from Brooklyn April 23, 2008 - 02:11PM

    WHAT ABOUT THE

    Fresh Prince of Bel Air?????
  • [4] Joe April 23, 2008 - 02:12PM

    This topic is frivolous. C'mon WNYC, you can do better than this.
  • [5] john from Brooklyn April 23, 2008 - 02:13PM

    Maude is the BEST!!
  • [6] Linda from Lower East Side April 23, 2008 - 02:15PM

    In spite of working for the Lomax archives and having friends who love folk music, when we got together around the fire we couldn't find one song that we all knew in it's entirety except for....The Brady Bunch. Ta dah. Successful sing-a-long.


  • [7] marcel from wantagh April 23, 2008 - 02:16PM

    seinfeld theme noise!
  • [8] Joe Naturale from Earth April 23, 2008 - 02:16PM

    Why waste time with theme songs when broadcasters can sell the time for advertising? It's a matter of and sign of our consumer-driven times.
  • [9] Connie Colvin from Jackson Heights, Queens, NY April 23, 2008 - 02:17PM

    I loved the Mary Tyler Moore theme song, the one you played was so great. TV themes are important and wonderful. But, the shows aren't as good anymore, and they just don't want to bother. The Maude was good, and I even like the one from Star Trek: Enterprise, " Faith of the Heart". I just think it shows that the humanness and heart have gone out from TV these days.
  • [10] Nick from DUMBO April 23, 2008 - 02:18PM

    PERFECT STRANGERS is amazing for the bonus reason that the opening credits were hilarious for its dated scenes.
  • [11] marcel from wantagh April 23, 2008 - 02:19PM

    60's and 70's ellaborate orchestral compositions of any police drama! "mission impossible", "hawaii five-o"
  • [12] stella from NYC April 23, 2008 - 02:19PM

    HBO's shows have the hands down best opening credits for the current crop of shows:

    "The Sopranos" Woke Up This Morning -- got myself a gun.

    I love the theme of "The Wire" and the fact that they used a new version of one song to distinguish the different seasons.

    The music for "Deadwood" was excellent and haunting.

    Luf for:

    "Laverne & Shirley" - great mix of song and opening credits.
  • [13] Ian from Bronx April 23, 2008 - 02:21PM

    Re: missing Lyric from Good Times

    the lyric is "hangin' in a chow line, Good Times"

    Discussed in depth in an episode of Chappelle's show in a bit called "I know Black People"
  • [14] MCD from Somewhere over the rainbow April 23, 2008 - 02:22PM

    The line that comes after

    Scratchin’ and surviving. - Good Times.

    is:

    Hangin in a chow line - Good Times.


  • [15] Amy from NJ April 23, 2008 - 02:25PM

    I just now typed out an email to a cousin describing the summer house that we got. The way I described it was "I am your wife, goodbye city life".
  • [16] John R. Murphy from Oakland, NJ April 23, 2008 - 02:30PM

    I think you should have a similar program on what happened to good music on WNYC. Ten years ago I used to hear good music, classical or popular, to transition between shows. Now most of the time I hear short bursts of drum machine music between shows and between ads. Your marketing research must have told you that radio listeners increase during the commuting hours, especially in the morning. This is when I hear the heavier concentration of ads and drum machine music.
  • [17] marcel from wantagh April 23, 2008 - 02:32PM

    HAPPY DAYS!
  • [18] NC from NYC April 23, 2008 - 02:33PM

    I grew up in the 80s and watched a lot of TV. Here are 2 of my favorites:

    "Believe It or Not" The Greatest American Hero

    "My Secret Identity" from My Secret Identity (with Jerry O'Connell)
  • [19] Matthew from NYC April 23, 2008 - 02:34PM

    My sister and I used to record T.V. theme songs with a cassette tape recorder next to the T.V. speaker.

    I don't remember the name of the show, but there was that one theme song that had the chorus that went "Believe it or not. I'm walking on air. I never thought I could feel so free--ee--eee!" My favorite.
  • [20] NC from NYC April 23, 2008 - 03:22PM

    Matthew, that was from "The Greatest American Hero." Great theme song.

This thread is closed.


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