Television shows used to have the greatest theme songs: light, happy tunes that played over credits and scenes from the show. Beginning a sitcom with a theme song was great. The theme song provided the opportunity to identify the actors and the roles they played. The theme song also showed scenes from older episodes; it was like watching home movies of the characters on the show. The best part about opening with a theme song, though, was the song itself.
Some television theme songs have become iconic. The themes for The Brady Bunch, Friends and Saved by the Bell are immediately recognizable. When I hear that bell go off in the theme for Saved by the Bell, like Pavlov’s dogs, my mouth begins to water as I anticipate the good times I’m about to have with Zack, Screech, Jessie and Mr. Belding. Looking back on Saved by the Bell, everyone wanted to date Kelly Kapowski, but now I think I would have rather had a hands-on principal like Mr. Belding; Mr. Belding really put the “pal” in principal. My principal in high school was distant and aloof; he never once called me “son.” School administrators should be forced to attend a seminar with Dennis Haskins so they can learn how to be better principals. Characters like Mr. Belding stood at the center of Saved by the Bell, but the theme song was almost like another character.
Theme songs today just don’t match up with their counterparts from older sitcoms. The shows themselves are much better, smarter and funnier; but who wouldn’t want to hear a Brady Bunch-like theme song for The Office? The song could play over the opening credits and set up the whole premise for the show, just in case we forgot what we were watching. I have no desire to go back to multi-camera sitcoms with laugh tracks. The new crop of comedies like Community, Modern Family and Scrubs are so much better than Family Ties, Who’s the Boss and According to Jim. However, even though I like today’s sitcoms much better, I miss the theme songs. It would be hilarious, even if for just one episode, 30 Rock used a theme song like Growing Pains and had Alec Baldwin sing a duet with Alan Thicke.
What is your favorite television theme song?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Fresh Prince= my favorite. and i am not sorry that that is very cliche.
ReplyDeleteCheers
ReplyDelete"Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got
Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot
Wouldn't you like to get away?"
"Sometimes you want to go - where everybody knows your name
and they're always glad you came
You wanna be where you can see - our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows your name"
"You wanna go where people know people are all the same
You wanna go where everybody knows your name"
It's all about American Dad!
ReplyDeleteGood morning USA! I got a feeling that it's gonna be a wonderful day, the sun in the sky has a smile on his face, and he's shining a salute to the American race!
da da da da da da da da da
Oh boy it's swell to say, Good Morning USA!!!