A great TV show is one thing–a great TV opening theme song is something else entirely, and today I thought I’d make the nod to a few of my favorites…
Firefly: With its Western air and refrain, “You can’t take the sky from me,” this opening song perfectly encapsulates both the style and the theme of the show, in the way that the best openings should. I just wish there were more verses (and episodes…but never mind that).
Big Bang Theory: This song crams the entire history of the universe into 20 seconds, and it’s fun and fast and a little bit frantic. Again–kind of encapsulates the show! Plus it’s really fun when you get a group of people who can spontaneously go through it in unison at high speed. It sounds very impressive to people who don’t know the song!
Star Trek: Enterprise, “Where My Heart Will Take Me“: I’m actually not sure this one is really in the right style for Star Trek, but on the other hand–I think it captures the “I can reach any star” theme at the heart of Trek better than the series’ episodes do.
Psych, “I Know You Know“: This is a fun, bouncy opening song, that fits a fun, bouncy show…but what I really love is whenever the show changes the opening to reflect a particular episode. Like sleigh bells for the holiday episodes, or Spanish lyrics when the plot involved a telenovela…(and I found a video with the different versions!)
And even though they’re not songs, honorable mentions to the openings of Star Trek and The Twilight Zone. It doesn’t get more classic than to boldly go, and Rod Serling is our perfect guide through the land of both shadow and substance, whose boundaries are that of imagination…
Your turn! What are you favorite television theme songs?
The opening of Big Bang Theory is great! Another one that I really like is from Game of Thrones. No lyrics there, but a beautiful music.
Excellent choices! Firefly is also on my favorites list, along with Star Trek: TNG, the new Galactica, and the various Babylon 5 themes. That Enterprise theme is also great, but I haven’t seen to show so it’s new to me.
I love the Firefly theme. ❤ And the Big Bang Theory one. And the opening to Game of Thrones. And the Star Trek one you mentioned. I also have a really, really big soft spot for the anime openings I used to watch. They had some gorgeous, gorgeous songs. ❤ (Just don't ask me to pick favourites. I've no idea how I'd do that.)
Have you ever heard Michelle Dockrey's filk of Firefly‘s opening? I heart what she’s done with it. I linked it in case you hadn’t and would like to hear. ^_^
I agree with you about Firefly needing more episodes! My all-time favorite themes are ones from when I was a kid: Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island. They are catchy (still in my head 20+ years later) and give you all the background you need to watch the show.
I agree with your choices, and I’d also give a nod to The Greatest American Hero, because of that wonderful double-meaning to the lyrics. “Hey, look at me, I’m walking on air, I never thought I could feel so free.” As the intro to the series, it describles the super-hero main character who unexpectedly finds himself with the literal ability to fly. But as a stand-alone song, it works to describe someone who is all of a sudden smitten with the love bug.
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1. Black Adder, or, rather, the ending theme where they would add lyrics: “The sound of hoofbeats cross the glade // Good sir, lock up your son and daughter // Beware the deadly flashing blade // unless you want to end up shorter..”
2. Addams family.
3. M.A.S.H – suicide is painless
Honorable mentions: Henry Mancini – Pink Panther, the Andy Griffith whistling tune, and Space: 1999 (UK)
Dishonorable mentions: Thunder in Paradise (outro)
I’m a “nostalgia” freak – I like the theme from the old 70’s comedy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, “Love is All Around.” It works better with the montage they always showed at the start of each episode, rather than as a stand-alone song. I like its up-beat, optimistic view that a young woman alone finding her way in the big city (in this case, Minneapolis) “might just make it after all.” And, being Mary Tyler Moore, of course she does! 🙂
Good choices I really like the themes to Firefly and The Big Bang Theory. In my house we all love the theme to Game of Thrones 🙂