TV Theme Tunes

[Quinno]

<snip>



There's also for TV Jan Hammer (Crockett's Theme) and Mike Post (Hill Street Blues).


<snip>

Let's run with this one!

Cagney & Lacey (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMB_cwgy6mY) - Bill Conti
Miami Vice (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UmOY6ek_Y4) - Jan Hammer
Knight Rider (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbfVmzF7N4g) - Stu Phillips
Taskmaster (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LYoLvDCKVM)- The Horne Section
Twin Peaks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXrjMaVoTy0) - Angelo Badalamenti
Jeeves & Wooster (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLQkQgjaITY) - Ann Dudley
Krypton Factor (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR44Zk_1eXg) - Art of Noise
BBC Test Cricket (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxdk6WY6jmA) - Soul Limbo by Booket T & the M.G.'s
I Dream of Jeannie (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szECpTGoXFk) - Buddy Kaye
Bottom End Credits (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxcnH4bVE30) - The Bum Notes
The Bridge (Bron/Broen) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sepnIuRbYF4) - Hollow Talk by the Choir of Young Believers
Bod (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4IiktFp3p4) - Derek Griffiths
BBC Darts (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMOgBZ0pRII) - Douglas Wood who also did the Snooker (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNKJ-sGpMuU&list=RDTMOgBZ0pRII&start_radio=1)
Big Brother (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp9OJPc5HGY) - Elementfour, which in reality is another Paul Oakenfold vehicle, a criminally underrated (but very wealthy off all his royalties) artist.
The Life and Times of David Lloyd George (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbHP9NtSnB0) - Chi Mai, a classic bit of Morricone
BBC Formula 1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z-dJ35fOiM) - (A bit of) The Chain by Fleetwood Mac
Game On (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzwCr1wQ_6k) - Where I Find My Heaven by the Gigolo Aunts
Peep Show (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgzBgABn6BE) - Flagpole Sitta by Third Eye Blind
2.4 Children (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONLIVPoFJ98) - Howard Goodall (a leftfield choice for best TV comedies? It was insanely popular and re-watching one earlier it's actually pretty good for a family friendly)
Roobarb & Custard (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4aVXeDg3U4) - Johnny Hawksworth (a perfect match for the programme)
Grandstand (with classic ident!) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSP1E04zp5Y) - Keith Mansfield
Casualty (the original) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or2LczkTzoY)- Ken Freeman
Mission Impossible (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HFakjigeFc) - Lalo Schifrin
Three from Laurie Johnson
Animal Magic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwxsaTaVhC4)
The Avengers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELRaqSzEKew)
World in Action (orig) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJG5l863cSQ)
LA Law (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRvPnV0fCyw) - Mike Post
Magnum PI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBIgXhiOpeQ) - Mike Post
Mid 80's Top of the Pops (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxu6E8OHHF4) - The Wizzard - Paul Hardcastle
Tomorrow's World (1987-93) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc9v1vfBlHs) - Paul Hart
Man in a Suitcase / TFI Friday (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWVUgqQNHBM)- Ron Grainer
Tales of the Unexpected (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js7T-VTL91k) - Ron Grainer
Benny Hill Show (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNBL5OMeuno&t=9s) - Yakety Sax, Ronnie Aldrich
Terry & June (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_muwtTQjMg) - Ronnie Hazlehurst
Please Sir! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ElLnnG_Tg) - Sam Fonteyn
Ski Sunday (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOEO_fgG3-I) - Pop Goes Bach by Sam Fonteyn
World in Action (the later theme!) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95qLDc7zwYY) - Mick Weaver and Shawn Phillips (there is some argument about who wrote this!)
1986 Mexico World Cup ITV coverage, latterly Saint & Greavsie (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gv4To0N5oQ) - Aztec Gold, Silsoe. The BBC one was also good - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgfKIeIgO4E
Might as well chuck up Nessun Dorma (it has to be the 1972 recording!!!) from Italia 90 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTGl4VDQzAg). When you actually read-up about this section in the opera though...
The Equalizer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g87nDBIyqeU) - Stewart Copeland
Sportsnight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxv6bDc7LQ4)- Tony Hatch
My So Called Life (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XHASVJur6s) - Snuffy Walden
This Life (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzcQ3-UorBQ) - The Way Out

Bloody hell that's a list and a half. I watched too much TV as a kid.

There's a whole other thread waiting to happen for film scores and tunes...

[Pubsignman]

The two TV theme tunes guaranteed to be stuck in my head for hours on end after watching are Red Dwarf and The Littlest Hobo.

[Tris39]

<snip>


There's a whole other thread waiting to happen for film scores and tunes...

A good list and great to see a couple by Ron Grainer, who composed two below and one from Laurie Johnson:

Blake's 7 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvGBFrdcfzY)
Doctor Who (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlW4lLvz22o)
Inspector Morse (https://www.televisiontunes.com/Inspector_Morse.html)
Minder (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNRkwNC9Ms4)
The Prisoner (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqAm62U17Pg)
The Professionals (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCFVEvZvo3g)
Sapphire and Steel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFgssT61oEU)
The Tomorrow People (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOwX5NDJlj4)
Weekend World (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuLHwF5x8ZM)
World of Sport (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmqU0I1LzQA)

[Mobyduck]

Man Alive (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f__Mhj9Oh8c) - Tony Hatch
The Persuaders (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t99QQIXez4M) - John Barry
The Rockford Files (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg1Cx26-928) - Mike Post and Pete Carpenter
Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVXk-iK5GgU&list=PL8mO10aPI7Gg9xlCP2CYEUh1aGlauTQmQ&index=2) - Mike Hugg and Ian La Frenais
Doctor Who (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75V4ClJZME4&list=PL8mO10aPI7Gg9xlCP2CYEUh1aGlauTQmQ&index=8) (original) - Ron Grainer
Randall And Hopkirk Deceased (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrEwN4-tsQ4) - Edwin Astley
Danger Man (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLgNPYw9QMw) - Edwin Astley ,this is just groovy.
The Saint (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP9pKQ5N6Qg) - Astley again.

[Bucking Fastard]

Hawaii Five -0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR8RHBXjMlE

Book him Danno,Murder 1 three counts :)

And another classic and much less clean cut The Sweeney

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix6wTN_CH4g

One of the great outros as well.

[oldboots]

There's a whole other thread waiting to happen for film scores and tunes...

"We've done that one", "err a man with two bums". (List idea)

http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?31298-And-then-there-s-film-soundtracks

Anyway a few more not mentioned earlier:

Thunderbirds
Detectorists
The Royle Family*
Early Doors*
Arena (Brian Eno)

* add Caroline Aherne (Hook) and Craig Cash to my list of comedy writers.

PS two more from the 80s

Soap
Battlestar Galatica

and thinking of Lorne Greene - Bonanza & westerns The High Chaperral

[ETA]

Morse.

That's it.

Oh, alright...

Tales of the Unexpected.
Hill Street Blues
Last of the Summer Wine
Star Trek
New Statesman

[Aqualung]

Weekend World (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuLHwF5x8ZM)

This programme famously presented by former labour MP Bwian Walden had an extract from Nantucket Sleigh Ride by Mountain as the theme.

I liked the Sweeney music which is (or was) used in the BBC daytime drama Doctors as the ring tone on the copper's phone.

Surely there's nothing better than the eponymous theme to the drama series Life On Mars?

[Komakino]

A few that spring to mind:

Gazzetta Italia
Jamie & The Magic Torch
Narcos
Roobarb & Custard
Twin Peaks

A recent documentary series on Netflix called "Dirty Money" used a great track from Run The Jewels which is a bit of an earworm of mine.

[Pangolin]

I think we are missing the great Robin Hood (riding through the glen etc). Which took the honour of being reworked by Monty Python as Dennis Moore.
In similar vein, William Tell, much reworked by small boys using the rhyme 'smell'.

Westerns were a good source of memorable tunes too:
High Chaparral
Bonanza
The Virginian

[Al Bundy]

How about The Flashing Blade?

[Quinno]

A few that spring to mind:

Gazzetta Italia


AC Jimbo! Excellent shout, which also scores another classic Channel 4 ident! Two for one here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAo7TrQ0aXw)

[Tris39]

This programme famously presented by former labour MP Bwian Walden had an extract from Nantucket Sleigh Ride by Mountain as the theme.

...which is a reference to the whaling industry around Nantucket.

Some others:

'And now, the gallery...' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcCHRW8G9yY)
Man About the House (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQRgBYsmAMQ)
Starsky & Hutch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsJ4pALlbEM)
The New Avengers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFjS5xJC6KI)

Some a bit trippy:

Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kMNNUUt9YA) (Jenny Hanley gets another mention!)
Joe 90 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaINLn4OKGE)
UFO (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qDy4OMAkgY)
Space 1999 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX5EbnlVV6E)


...and most depressing theme and probably content too. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2zSWQfEsjY)

[oldboots]

Don't know how I forgot this one as it was my ringtone :o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ5zzttl_ac

Cracking series.

[ROBCamra]

I have two Greenslade albums on vinyl.

The new version of Van Der Valk starts tomorrow, they're still using Eye Level by the Simon Park Orchestra.

Doubt that it will get to No 1 again though.

[Pangolin]

I have two Greenslade albums on vinyl.

The new version of Van Der Valk starts tomorrow, they're still using Eye Level by the Simon Park Orchestra.

Nothing resembling the Simon Park version (thank goodness) but some pretentious rewriting with the occasional recognisable note.

[ROBCamra]

Nothing resembling the Simon Park version (thank goodness) but some pretentious rewriting with the occasional recognisable note.

Yeah, must admit I was struggling to recognise it. :p

[aleandhearty]

Don't know how I forgot this one as it was my ringtone :o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ5zzttl_ac

Cracking series.


I have two Greenslade albums on vinyl.


I still have Time and Tide on vinyl. I bought it on the strength of the Gangsters theme. Haven't played it in years, although my memory of it was that it was pretty dull apart from the theme tune.

[aleandhearty]

Some of the more memorable ones for me were:

The Champions - Tony Hatch. (Yes, the same TH that wrote the theme to Crossroads!)
Tomorrow's World - Johnny Dankworth.
The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe - Robert Mellin & Gian Piero Reverberi.
Bewitched - Howard Greenfield.
Department S - Edwin Astley.

[Tris39]

Some of the more memorable ones for me were:

Tomorrow's World - Johnny Dankworth.

Yes. This was the original theme when the show was hosted by the late, great Raymond Baxter and not the likes of Judith Hann, brilliantly parodied here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7L3iSZsNpY) - I think this is one of the all-time funniest sketches.

[Pangolin]

Nothing resembling the Simon Park version (thank goodness) but some pretentious rewriting with the occasional recognisable note.

In connection with which, just noticed that Simon Park also wrote the theme to Danger UXB, which has just been rerun.

[Quinno]

I can't believe I missed this one, the original Really Wild Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7fVuf5YBNo

The instrumental of Ellovee-Ee by Tony Sherman, or, more accutarely, the opening and end sections stitched together - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRHXm_MuyiY