Favourite TV themes

[Cesare]

Opening and ending titles of a TV series can be a little work of art, music-wise at least.
What are your faves?

One thing I've always liked about English detective series is the awesome music.
Midsomer Murders, for example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTZK9FNgK74

One of the best opening sequences that there IMHO is - Poirot. A TV series opening sequence simply can't get much better than this, both in terms of music and the visuals. Stylish, classy, awesome (just like the series itself).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hmx6dQJf_rk

When I was a kid, I totally loved The Outer Limits series. The quality of individual episodes varied from totally brilliant to real real bad and boring, but I liked the show nonetheless. And the opening sequence was what I probably liked best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I7vPbthvWo
I should add this is one of the few instances when I strongly prefer the dubbed version. The somewhat sensational tone in the English version sounds odd to me, as I was used to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4mERdJVcXA

And two masterpieces by Mark Snow...
My fave was Millennium - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6dwMxDGoXk
...though most seem to prefer X-files: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBmX28p-6eM

Twin Peaks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2lkvrMa27c

Dexter...:-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Eo6Omeqb8

EDIT: I'll just add some Chinese faves and that's it from me for now...:-)
When it comes to wuxia, nothing what I've heard so far has outdone this themesong in terms of drive and balls (well - with the possible exception of Hao han ge): Hao nan er - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUu1ar0G9Mk
And The Qin Empire opening is awesome. Very goosebumpy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CPS-vMRSsw
Nostalgia factor is important here - this is one of those sotries I've grown up with...: Journey to the West - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnR3bYpLb0A

I've written more than enough. There's still a lot more I'd like to mention, but it's your turn now...

[Ken Cheng]

The 1980s U.S. action/adventure series AIRWOLF (about a supersonic attack helicopter of that name) has some of the best music ever written and recorded for a television series.

[galadriel]

My favourite is McGyver.

[Canuck21]

I'm usually quite difficult with music but strangely there are so many themes I like.

The Office - This is my favourite theme right now; it's extremely catchy with enough punch to make it really cool. I also love the mockumentary. Actually that's saying it lightly, I'm obsessed with the show and Michael Scott.

The Littlest Hobo - This theme song makes my heart ache with nostalgia and melancholy because I remember the dog with sadness and it also reminds me of home since this show is all Canadian.

Les mystérieuses cités d'or - I did not watch this cartoon when I was young but I have always liked the theme song.

Diff'rent Strokes - One of my favourite theme songs, I find it VERY catchy.

Dynasty - The only primetime soap I ever watched, a guilty pleasure of mine. This was the most glamorous show on TV and probably still is the most glamorous and the music perfectly gives that glamorous aura.

Dallas - Another primetime soap theme that I like a lot even though I was never a fan of the show.

Falcon Crest - A powerful theme for yet another primetime soap and which like Dallas I did not watched.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous - Ah the days when the small screen liked to show the money and glamour that us poor souls could only fantasize. Watching this show made me dream and boy did the music fit with the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

Hockey Night in Canada - Another theme that hits home. This is almost the Canadian national anthem.

Cheers - A beautiful theme song and a great show also.

Hawaii Five-O - Simply an awesome instrumental.

Moonlighting - Whenever I hear this, it always brings memories of quiet car rides at night in the city during summer. It's one of the things I like to do most, it relaxes me. Of course it also makes me think back to the period when Moonlighting originally aired, a period in my life that was much simpler and very pleasant to think back.

Doctor Who - Weird and original and I like it.

The Fall Guy - Easy going country-like song, sung by the Six Million Dollar Man himself.

Knight Rider - David Hasselhoff makes me laugh but you gotta admit the theme is way cool.

Three's Company - What a quirky song. I mostly like the theme song for nostalgic reason. This was my very first sitcom I ever watched and it is my favourite sitcom of all time.

Ok, I'm too lazy to continue with the little comments...

Happy Days
St. Elsewhere
Gilligan's Island
L.A. Law
Skippy
Entertainment Tonight
Friends
The Love Boat
Bonanza
Mission Impossible
Albator
Belle et Sébastien
The Kids in the Hall
Malcolm in the Middle
The Price is Right

My gosh, listening to these themes bring back so many memories!

[pannonian]

"Angel, the Series - The Sanctuary" version (by Darling Violetta)

[pemberly]

i always liked the get smart theme with all the doors.

[Ken Cheng]

i always liked the get smart theme with all the doors.

It was a cool visual, and much imitated. GET SMART itself went through two or three iterations of this theme during the three seasons it was on the air during the 1960s.

[HuangYushi]

The theme from FAME, the series.

In addition to many of themes Canuck listed, plus Airwolf, MacGyver ... and A-team!

----

Hmmm, I wonder: How many of these favourites are from the 80s? There seems to be many of them at a glance, so I wonder if there's any skewing.

If there is skewing, could it be attributed to the fact that many of us were quite young then (teenaged and below), and therefore spent more time in front of the TV? Could the lack of internet facilities and electronic games also be a factor for more TV time and thus a more long-lasting connection with themes?

[Ken Cheng]

The theme from FAME, the series.

In addition to many of themes Canuck listed, plus Airwolf, MacGyver ... and A-team!

----

Hmmm, I wonder: How many of these favourites are from the 80s? There seems to be many of them at a glance, so I wonder if there's any skewing.

If there is skewing, could it be attributed to the fact that many of us were quite young then (teenaged and below), and therefore spent more time in front of the TV? Could the lack of internet facilities and electronic games also be a factor for more TV time and thus a more long-lasting connection with themes?

The 1980s were the last decade that TV was *not* dominated by so-called "reality TV." "Reality TV" doesn't invest as much in things such as memorable theme music.

[pemberly]

The 1980s were the last decade that TV was *not* dominated by so-called "reality TV." "Reality TV" doesn't invest as much in things such as memorable theme music.

you mean you don't love the flavor of love theme? FLAVOR FLAAAAAAAAV!!!!!

[dictionary]

My favourite is McGyver.

I like it too, especially the first 15 seconds or so. I also like the music theme for the Ricki Lake talk show, I know it's not a TV series.

[Cesare]

The 1980s were the last decade that TV was *not* dominated by so-called "reality TV." "Reality TV" doesn't invest as much in things such as memorable theme music.

Well - one of the best themes I remember from 1990s is from a show that you could call "reality TV" I guess...
Fort Boyard, anyone?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZOntWLgHk8

[Canuck21]

Well - one of the best themes I remember from 1990s is from a show that you could call "reality TV" I guess...
Fort Boyard, anyone?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZOntWLgHk8

Did you had your own version of Fort Boyard in the Czech Republic? We had our Québec version.

[Cesare]

Nope, we watched the French one.
I recall that one or two times I've watched an ep with a Czech or Czecho-slovak team contesting, but it was French production.
Fort Boyard was hugely popular in Czech Rep - and is still remembered by many with a lot of fondness and nostalgia...:-) And it's the kind of adventure/reality TV I prefer. Newer, more aggressive stuff like Fear Factor is very dumb and very boring compared to good old Fort Boyard or La Piste de Xapatan.