Greatest TV show theme songs

[AndrewMeronek]

Something to have a bit of fun with that isn't trombone-specific.

In My Very Humble Opinion, the greatest just might be Police Squad. I ran across this live recording of the Tom Kubis Big Band performing it:



The tune starts at about 0:32

[harrisonreed]

Speaking of the X-Files, I believe that show had one of the best instances of using a popular music track within the show:

[tbdana]

Something to have a bit of fun with that isn't trombone-specific.

In My Very Humble Opinion, the greatest just might be Police Squad. I ran across this live recording of the Tom Kubis Big Band performing it:



The tune starts at about 0:32

Hey, there's my old buddy Rich Bullock on bass trombone.

I got to play that theme for the first Naked Gun movie.

[Kingfan]

Mannix had a good theme song, and there is a big band arrangement available for it. I think the original version was a bit faster...

[EdwardSolomon]

The Professionals was a British TV series that aired in the 1970s and 1980s with a pretty good soundtrack.

[Schultz]

Here’s one for the bass trombone fans.
This was a British show in the late 90s
I’ve been led to believe the trombonist is UK legend Dave Stewart

[Schultz]

And I always liked this one as well.

[AndrewMeronek]

Hey, there's my old buddy Rich Bullock on bass trombone.

I got to play that theme for the first Naked Gun movie.

Please do tell more!!!

[Kingfan]

Mannix had a good theme song, and there is a big band arrangement available for it. I think the original version was a bit faster...

[tbdana]

Hey, there's my old buddy Rich Bullock on bass trombone.

I got to play that theme for the first Naked Gun movie.

Please do tell more!!!

Ah, sorry, let me explain: The Naked Gun movies were a spinoff from the Police Squad TV show. The movies used the same theme as the TV show, with the same big band general sensibility to the soundtrack. I didn't get to play the music for the TV show, but did for the first movie. And I do think it's a great TV theme. The triplets were awkward to play though.

[JohnL]

What makes a TV theme great?

I mean, besides featuring trombone(s)?

[AndrewMeronek]

Ah, sorry, let me explain: The Naked Gun movies were a spinoff from the Police Squad TV show. The movies used the same theme as the TV show, with the same big band general sensibility to the soundtrack. I didn't get to play the music for the TV show, but did for the first movie. And I do think it's a great TV theme. The triplets were awkward to play though.

I meant, more info on the session.

Even if it was actually super mundane.

[Doubler]

[mikerspencer]

Pretty much all the Gerry Anderson stuff, but Stingray is my favourite theme.

[Doubler]

[nateaff]

If all you're looking for is tremendous trombone playing then the theme from the old "Matlock" series takes the cake

[AndrewMeronek]

A bunch of great themes!

That Route 66 one really hits the spot for me, although I still have to go with my favorite being Police Squad.

[JTeagarden]

And I always liked this one as well.

This one sounds like the soundtrack from one of the old NFL highlight films: “The 1975 Denver Broncos were mired in a sea of ineptitide as they strode into Giants stadium.”

[CheeseTray]

Oldies but really goodies:

The Streets of San Francisco


Ironsides


The Mod Squad:

[JohnL]

Here's one from a rather forgettable (and now mostly forgotten) sitcom that's pretty fun:

This one sounds like the soundtrack from one of the old NFL highlight films: “The 1975 Denver Broncos were mired in a sea of ineptitide as they strode into Giants stadium.”

Ah, the legendary Sam Spence. The theme song he composed for the then-Oakland Raiders is etched into my brain:

Ah, the Madden years, when the autumn wind truly was a Raider...

[Doubler]

[AndrewMeronek]

You know, these recommendations are making me interested in looking at these actual TV shows to see what the vibe is. Looks like, the complete episodes of Route 66 are on Youtube, for example.

[hyperbolica]

To me, the greatest was Barney Miller, made me want to play electric bass




The Jetsons of course

And obviously the Flintstones

Johnny Carson's Tonight Show

Star Trek original

And just because you can never feed kids enough violence, Looney Tunes

Mission Impossible

The Simpsons

Hill Street Blues

Everybody loves the Pink Panther

Gotta love that bass slappin Seinfeld

[AndrewMeronek]

Wow, yeah - that Barney Miller theme is BAD!

[Doubler]

[slidesix]

Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show with Johnny Carson theme

The Streetbeater aka the Sanford and Son Theme. '70s funk! yeah!

[JTeagarden]

Here's a great one:

[dukesboneman]

[Pudding]

[JerryY]

[Doubler]

[Doubler]

[Doubler]

[robcat2075]

Everyone who sailed The Love Boat, from Aames to Zmed

[robcat2075]

The Lennon Sisters singing a quick medley of then-current TV themes.

These are not necessarily the greatest TV themes but get a load of the big big band they assembled for this occasion. I presume every face we see is a significant figure.

Terrible video quality, but... oh well.



TV scriptwriter Mark Evanier has brief commentary on the clip here and here.


OT but, if any of you watched the Lawrence Welk Show and thought, "I bet those Lennon girls would look good in black corsets and fishnet stockings," well... this is your lucky day:

[AndrewMeronek]

I'm definitely not a fan of medleys, but that medley video is actually a pretty neat find!

[AtomicClock]

I can't see the thread title without thinking of this one, my favorite show for several years: