20 to 1: All Time Favourite TV Themes
What will make the list when Bert counts down a list of the 20 top television theme songs.
- Published by David Knox
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Now here’s an episode of 20 to 1 that might be worth a look: All Time Favourite TV Themes.
From comedies to cop shows, these theme songs are so catchy you can sing them in your sleep. But what is the Number 1 TV theme?
Well Sherwood Schwartz would have to configure highly in this. As well as creating both The Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island, he composed the theme tunes, both of which perfectly delivered the premise to the show in a catchy, succinct way. If you had never seen an episode before, these theme tunes made sure you knew what the show was within minutes.
Hill Street Blues is another iconic theme, this time instrumental, from Mike Post.
Before I get carried away and rattle off too many more, let’s hear some other suggestions?
This airs at 9:40pm Tuesday March 30th on Nine (which means no double Survivor that week).
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- Tagged with 20 to 1, Gilligan's Island, Hill Street Blues, Survivor, The Brady Bunch
57 Responses
Friends, The Nanny, The Flintstones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill, Scrubs, Sex and the City, True Blood, Tru Calling, Dexter, Angel, How I Met Your Mother, Nip/Tuck, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Raggy Dolls, Captain Planet, Widget the World Watcher, Bear in the Big Blue House, Inspector Gadget, Pinky and the Brain, Mary Tyler Moore, Veronica Mars, Alvin and the Chipmunks…. just to name a few faves!!! 🙂
The Odd Couple theme is the best TV theme ever.
How about the greatest American hero. Crap show but great theme! Matlock police for the best Aussie show.
I might be showing my age, but how about Green Acres, The Addams Family, The Beverley Hillbillies, Mr Ed, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Thunderbirds and The Andy Griffiths Show.
Come people. Doctor Who is in my opinon the best. However other notable shows – The Simpsons, Bewitched, I Dream of Jennie, Mission Impossible, Flinstons, Jetsons, Get Smart
I just saw Scooby Doo, where are you? on Go!. Now that was a great theme.
Friends or Full House!!!
Oh man they have to have the Wonder Years Theme, that is so totally addictive. Stuck in my head and it not been on TV for years.
@ nic – agreed,i love 2.5 Men and the theme is catchy but I don’t rate it up with the classics. Big Bang is a great opening but too new and probably won’t be included.
Also totally forgot about the iconic Mary Tyler Moore theme,if that were #1 I wouldn’t complain.
I agree with a previous poster this should have been a 50-1 there are too many great themes for a 20-1.
The Simpsons, Friends, Cheers, Seinfeld, Happy Days, Brady Bunch for sitcoms.
ER, Law and Order, Hawaii Five-O and Dallas for dramas.
The best ever – The Simpsons, easily, how many times has it been spoofed/remade/copied…? Though knowing 20 to 1, it will be Blue Heelers or something Australian, hell Channel 9 will probably try and promote their own shows and go “Channel 9 news is the greatest TV theme of all time” and we’ll all be left picking up our jaws off the ground.
Their are many theme tunes that haven’t been listed here. My favorite has to be F Troop followed by My Favorite Martian, Leave it to Beaver, Whirlybirds, Cannonball, Rescue 8 and Fury to name a few
Um, forget 2.5 men or bang theory. Isn’t this about All time Favourites? Surely it would be Mary Tyler Moore, Taxi, Rockford Files, Dr Who, Hart to Hart, Love Boat, The Waltons, Little House on The Prarie, Cheers, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Mash, I Love Lucy, The Muppets…and the few Australian shows, A Country Practice, Prisoner.
I’m pretty sure the Prisoner theme was actually the end credits, not the opening titles, I can’t imagine a bunch of names is going to be very exciting as fantastic as the song is….
Dallas!
He used to give me roses, I wish he could again, but that was on the outside, and things were different then….. oh who could possibly ever forget the heart wrenching theme song from Prisoner!
Great theme tunes that come to mind include The Nanny, The Simpsons, Big Brother, Friends, Daria, I Dream of Jeannie…
It has to be The Simpsons, then Friends, then X-Files, then 2.5Men, then The Big Bang Theory.
Perhaps it should have been a 50 to 1, try to encompass nearly every decade of television, starting from the 50s go right up to last year. There will be some great themes missed out (Doctor Who, Dad’s Army and Frasier just off the top my head) because they would have tried to shoe horn in reality shows themes, like Big Bother I mean Big Brother.
@ Ja’mie,
haha, I was gonna say that! I know every word to the theme song – including the extended verse! 🙂
C’Mon, No love for Melrose Place?!
I hear this is a great episode with heaps of our favourite themes including some very iconic Aussie favorites!
Fun for the whole family!
Bring it on 20 to 1!
I don’t think variety shows like Hey Hey will be looked at. Ditto Countdown which has one of the greatest intros ever.
For oz shows(aside from the above) I’d nominate A Country Practice,The Restless Years,Matlock Police,Sons & Daughters & perhaps a few more recent ones like Underbelly and Water Rats.
I can’t see more then a few oz shows being included though.
Some great Aussie ones. Rush (ABC ), Hey Dad, Kingswood Country, A Country Practice, World of Sport (HSV), The Flying Doctors, Prisoner, Seven’s AFL mid 1990s – That’s the thing I like about Football, Five Mile Creek, The Sullivans, Countdown, Paul Hogan Show…
X Files is my number one theme.
I think it’s a bit of a shame that lots of current shows don’t even have an original opening theme tune.
Oh, how could I forget, Dallas and Bonanza also had great themes.