Tellybizzon

For some reason, I've been humming the theme song from The Jeffersons today.  To myself, I might add, lest you now have the image of me walking the halls while people part like the Red Sea to get away from the crazy lady.  I think "Movin' On Up" is the single best tv theme song, ever, period, end of story.  But that got me thinking of other tv theme songs of note, and so I present:

Caroline's List of Notable TV Theme Songs

Theme Song Most Reflective of Its Time:  Gotta be the theme to The Love Boat.  C'mon, I bet you can't even recite a few lines of these lyrics without finding your voice automatically snapping into "slimy lounge singer in polyester pantsuit" mode:  The LUUUUUUUVE BOOOOAT ... soon will be MA-king a-NO-ther RUUUN ... The LUUUUUVE BOOOOAT ... pro-MI-ses SOME-thing for EV'ryWUUUUUN.  Why do I waste synapses on this crap?

Theme Song Most Reflective of Its Show:  No contest here - The Wire wins.  This show, which gets my vote for best show ever created, uses the same song every season, but it's sung differently to reflect the different focus the show takes.  This past season, it was sung by a young teen and the show focused on a number of middle schoolers and the paths they took (or were forced to take).  It's a little gospelly, a little despairing, it's perfect.  The Sopranos does get a second place award here.  With an opening line like, Woke up this morning/Got yourself a gun, you just know someone's gonna sleep with the fishes soon.

Most Funnest Theme Song to Sing at the Top of Your Voice:  Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?  SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!  Shiny and yellow and porous is he!  SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!  And the climactic conclusion:  SPONGE-BOB SQUARE-PANTS SPONGE-BOB SQUARE-PANTS SPOOOONNGE BOOOOOB SQUAAAAAARE PAAAAAAAAAANTS!

Best Instrumental Theme Song:  Rome.  Yeah, I know I dissed this show awhile ago and compared it unfavorably to I, Claudius.  And IC is still Shakespeare to Rome's pulp fiction, but who wants to read Shakespeare all the time?  We just watched the episode that ends with Caesar showing off Cleopatra's new baby, who may be his or may be Pollo's, while the legions cheered ... great stuff.  Lurid, escapist fun.  Runner up:  Law and Order.  Not as evocative, but the show's been on so long now, there are probably pygmies in Papua New Guinea who can identify it from the first two notes alone.

Best PBS Children's Show Theme Song:  Curious George by a landslide.  Clifford's too saccharine, Sesame Street has been around so long it's a little boring, but CG always makes me smile.  It could be because it comes on at 5 pm and I know I have an hour without a whiny toddler demanding my attention, but still.

Best Theme Song to Sing While Re-Enacting Key Moments from the Latest Episode:  NUH na na na na na na na NUH na na na na na na BAATMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!  Another runaway winner. 

That's all I have.  Feel free to submit your favorites. 

Comments

[Joanne]

Best theme song for singing loud enough to drown out your spouse -- The Banana Splits

Best non-theme-song sound to start a show - 24's beeps

[Julie]

The social commentary that exists in Weeds is summed up in it's theme song "Little Boxes", definitely top of my list.

[el-e-e]

I can't do it justice but 30ROCK has a pretty appropriate opening theme song. It's fast-paced like I presume the tellybizzion industry IS, and kinda wacko, like I presume Tina Fey is. :)

(Nowhere near as good as The Jeffersons, of course.)

I totally agree with Sponge BOBBBB SQUAAAARE PAAAAAANTS!!!!

And finally, I submit "Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggety Dog" as the best Get-Up-and-BOOGIE-With-the-Credits song. From Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the Disney channel.

[Denise]

I second your vote for The Wire! When we watched the first episode of season 2, it took us awhile to realize it was the same song. Now I look forward to the beginning of each season just to hear how they do it. (Dorky, I know, but it is definitely the best show ever aired on TV!)