TV Theme Songs

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tabs

About

“I wrote that [theme to Sanford and Son] in about twenty minutes. I know [Redd] Foxx backwards. We worked all the Chitlin’ Circuits together. So I just wrote what he looked like. It sounds just like him, doesn't it?” - Quincy Jones, Composer

Interviewees discuss the origins of some of TV's most beloved theme songs.

Highlights

Quincy Jones on composing the theme for Sanford & Son

04:05

Lalo Schifrin on composing the Mission: Impossible theme

12:42

Mary Tyler Moore on The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song

00:58

Earle Hagen on writing the theme to The Andy Griffith Show

03:21

Composer Charles Fox plays piano medley of some of his compositions (Love American Style, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Angie, Hogan Family, Wonder Woman, The Love Boat); Killing Me Softly with His Song

08:41

W.G. Snuffy Walden on composing the theme for The West Wing

01:34

Who talked about this topic

Lee Adams

Lee Adams and Charles Strouse on writing the theme song to All in the Family

16:32

Lee Adams and Charles Strouse on audience response to the theme song to All in the Family

02:47

Debbie Allen

Debbie Allen on the theme song for A Different World

00:53

William Asher

William Asher on Bewitched 's animated title sequence and theme song

John Astin

John Astin on the theme song and opening credits of The Addams Family and on the revivals and legacy of the show

05:42

Buddy Baker

Buddy Baker on Jimmy Dodd writing "The Mickey Mouse Club March" for The Mickey Mouse Club

00:20

Alan Ball

Alan Ball on the opening and title theme for Six Feet Under

01:06

Bob Banner

Bob Banner on Dinah Shore's signature throwing of her kiss on > The Dinah Shore Chevy Show and on the "See the USA in your Chevrolet" theme song>

02:37

Joseph Barbera

Joseph Barbera on The Yogi Bear Show, and on the music of the early Hanna-Barbera cartoons

04:21

Donald Bellisario

Donald Belisario on Mike Post's music for Magnum, P.I. and Quantum Leap d Belisario on Mike Post's music for Magnum, P.I. and Quantum Leap

00:39

Milton Berle

Milton Berle on the Texaco Star Theater theme song

01:25

Rick Berman

Rick Berman on the design of the ship and the theme song of Star Trek: Enterprise

04:49

Lucille Bliss

Lucille Bliss on the theme song on The Smurfs

00:36

Steven Bochco

Steven Bochco on the importance of music to his series

01:59

Kevin Bright

Kevin Bright on the opening credits of Friends, how the theme song was written, and the song's popularity

08:52

James L. Brooks

James L. Brooks on the Taxi theme instrumental

00:37

Allan Burns

Allan Burns on the theme song and opening credits of The Mary Tyler Moore Show

05:20

Robert Butler

Robert Butler on the theme song to Hill Street Blues

01:20

Glenn Gordon Caron

Glenn Gordon Caron on how Al Jarreau came to write the Moonlighting theme song

01:05

Glenn Gordon Caron on the main titles and music on Medium

01:56

Dick Cavett

Dick Cavett on Bobby Rosengarden and the theme song to Cavett's talk show

02:00

Les Charles

Glen and Les Charles on the theme song of Cheers "Everyone Knows Your Name" (and how "People Like Us" was almost the theme)

03:15

Glen Charles

Glen and Les Charles on the theme song of Cheers "Everyone Knows Your Name" (and how "People Like Us" was almost the theme)

03:15

Alf Clausen

Alf Clausen on Danny Elfman's theme song for The Simpsons and composing for the end credits

02:38

Alf Clausen on writing the theme song for ALF

03:42

Bob Claver

Bob Claver on the opening sequence and theme song of The Partridge Family

00:34

Art Clokey

Art Clokey on his animators and the Gumby theme song

00:51

Bill Conti

Bill Conti on writing the theme/main title to an Esther and Richard Shapiro script called Oil, later known as Dynasty

05:58

Bill Conti on the main title theme for Dynasty

01:53

Bill Conti on composing the theme for Earl Hamner, Jr.'s Falcon Crest

05:07

Bill Conti on composing the main title theme to Cagney & Lacey

02:28

Bill Conti on composing for the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only" and creating the title song

03:44

Alexander Courage

Alexander Courage on writing the theme music for Star Trek

04:06

Alexander Courage on creating the sound effect for the Enterprise on Star Trek

01:00

Alexander Courage on writing the theme for Judd for the Defense

01:31

David Crane

David Crane and Marta Kauffman on the Friends theme song "I'll be there for you"

Milton Delugg

Milton Delugg on composing the theme to What's My Line?

01:34

Richard Donner

Richard Donner on the importance of television theme songs

00:48

David Dortort

David Dortort on the theme song of Bonanza

02:46

Danny Epstein

Danny Epstein on the theme song to Sesame Street

00:48

Danny Epstein on the theme song to Sesame Street, contd.

01:40

Kevin Eubanks

Kevin Eubanks on loving the theme song to Mission: Impossible

00:14

Tom Fontana

Tom Fontana on coming up with the title for Oz and the opening credits of the show, which feature him getting an Oz tattoo

02:06

Charles Fox

Composer Charles Fox plays piano medley of some of his compositions (Love American Style, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Angie, Hogan Family, Wonder Woman, The Love Boat); Killing Me Softly with His Song

08:41

Charles Fox on composing the theme to ABC's Wide World of Sports

07:30

Charles Fox on composing the theme to Laverne & Shirley

08:10

Composer Charles Fox on composing the theme for Angie

01:42

Composer Charles Fox on composing the theme for Wonder Woman

03:29

Composer Charles Fox what a composer does in terms of creating the style of a show; on composing the theme for The Love Boat

08:34

Gerald Fried

Gerald Fried on his first job in television, for M Squad and being put on staff at the studio with John Williams to then work on Shotgun Slade

01:54

Composer Gerald Fried on "Spock's theme" for Star Trek

01:09

Gerald Fried on composing music for the characters of Roots

00:42

Gerald Fried on composing the main theme for Roots

00:45

Gary David Goldberg

Gary David Goldberg on how "sha-la-la-la" was added to the Family Ties theme song

00:28

Gary David Goldberg on the theme song of Family Ties

00:39

Gary David Goldberg on the theme song of Brooklyn Bridge

00:33

Lewis Gomavitz

Lewis Gomavitz on the Kukla, Fran & Ollie theme song

01:41

Earle Hagen

Earle Hagen on writing the theme to The Andy Griffith Show

03:21

Earle Hagen on the Danny Thomas Show / Make Room for Daddy theme song

00:46

Composer Earle Hagen on writing the theme for I Spy

05:00

Marilu Henner

Marilu Henner on the Taxi theme song

02:47

Paul Henning

Paul Henning on the theme songs to Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Petticoat Junction

03:30

Al Jean

Al Jean on the opening credits of The Simpsons

01:39

Russell Johnson

Russell Johnson on the theme song to Gilligan's Island and being part of "the rest"

00:52

Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones on composing the theme for Sanford & Son

04:05

Quincy Jones on composing the theme and incidental music for The Bill Cosby Show

05:21

Eddie Kean

Eddie Kean on writing the Howdy Doody theme song

00:58

Asaad Kelada

Asaad Kelada on the theme song for Family Ties

00:28

David E. Kelley

David E. Kelley on the importance of music in his shows, including Ally McBeal

02:23

Bernie Kopell

Bernie Kopell on The Love Boat theme song

02:02

Sid Krofft

Sid and Marty Krofft on the theme songs to H.R. Pufnstuf

00:35

Marty Krofft

Sid and Marty Krofft on the theme songs to H.R. Pufnstuf

00:35

Glen A. Larson

Glen A. Larson on the theme songs to BJ and the Bear and Battlestar Galactica

02:07

Glen A. Larson on the theme song for Battlestar Galactica

00:53

Glen A. Larson on composing the theme to Knight Rider

02:03

Glen A. Larson on composing the theme song to The Fall Guy

00:50

Jay Livingston

Ray Evans and Jay Livingston on writing the theme to Bonanza

05:33

Ray Evans and Jay Livingston on their hit song "Que Sera, Sera"

02:35

Ray Evans and Jay Livingston on writing the theme song for Mister Ed

05:07

Ray Evans and Jay Livingston on "Que Sera, Sera" becoming the theme to The Doris Day Show

01:46

Ray Evans and Jay Livingston on the importance of a theme song to a show

00:46

Chuck Lorre

Chuck Lorre on co-writing the theme song to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

00:16

Chuck Lorre on co-writing the theme song for Two and a Half Men

00:57

Chuck Lorre on the theme song to Big Bang Theory

01:20

Sam Lovullo

Sam Lovullo on the Hee Haw theme song

04:15

Bob Markell

Bob Markell on the improvised music cues for the opening of the show Danger

00:34

Penny Marshall

Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall on the theme song and opening credits to Laverne & Shirley

02:04

Vic Mizzy

Vic Mizzy on writing the theme song for The Addams Family and directing the main title

02:24

Vic Mizzy on the legacy of The Addams Family theme song

01:22

Vic Mizzy on scoring and writing the theme song to Green Acres

04:53

Vic Mizzy on composing the theme for Kentucky Jones

01:46

Vic Mizzy on composing the theme for Pruitts of Southampton

00:34

Vic Mizzy on the role of music in a TV show

01:37

Vic Mizzy plays the theme to The Addams Family

01:10

Vic Mizzy plays the theme to Green Acres

00:32

Ricardo Montalban

Ricardo Montalban on the opening sequence of Fantasy Island

01:27

Mary Tyler Moore

Mary Tyler Moore on The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song

00:58

Tony Mottola

Tony Mottola on writing the theme to Danger

00:50

E. Roger Muir

E. Roger Muir on the Howdy Doody's theme song and music

03:08

Bill Nye

Bill Nye on the theme song to Bill Nye, The Science Guy

01:19

Bernie Oseransky

Bernie Oseransky on the theme song for Hawaii Five-O; and its popularity

01:06

Mike Post

Mike Post on the theme to Lassie

01:26

Mike Post on writing the theme music for The Rockford Files

05:08

Mike Post on writing the theme song for Richie Brockelman, Private Eye

01:29

Mike Post on writing the theme song for Baa-Baa Black Sheep

00:58

Mike Post on writing the theme song for Toma

01:14

Mike Post on writing the theme song to The White Shadow

00:58

Mike Post on writing the theme song to Magnum, P.I.

00:32

Mike Post on working on Hill Street Blues with writer/producer Steven Bochco

03:48

Mike Post on writing the theme song to The Greatest American Hero

01:01

Mike Post on writing the theme song to The A-Team

00:34

Mike Post on writing the theme song to L.A. Law

01:39

Mike Post on writing the theme music for L.A. Law

01:09

Mike Post on writing the theme song to Quantum Leap

00:31

Mike Post on writing the theme song to Doogie Howser, M.D.

01:19

Mike Post on composing for Cop Rock

05:35

Mike Post on writing the theme for and scoring Law & Order

06:22

Mike Post on writing the theme for and scoring NYPD Blue

05:12

Gene Reynolds

Gene Reynolds on the theme song to M*A*S*H, "Suicide is Painless"

01:58

John Rich

Director John Rich on the creation of the classic "ottoman" opening of The Dick Van Dyke Show

01:55

Isabel Sanford

Isabel Sanford on The Jeffersons theme song

02:35

William Schallert

William Schallert on the theme song of The Patty Duke Show

00:48

Lalo Schifrin

Lalo Schifrin on composing the Mission: Impossible theme

12:42

Lalo Schifrin on composing the theme for Medical Center

02:11

Lalo Schifrin on how part of his composition for the feature film "Cool Hand Luke" became the theme for local Eyewitness News broadcasts

01:59

Sherwood Schwartz

Sherwood Schwartz on the Gilligan's Island theme song

03:40

Sherwood Schwartz on The Brady Bunch theme song

01:57

Garry Shandling

Garry Shandling on the theme song to It's Garry Shandling's Show

01:40

Sidney Sheldon

Sidney Sheldon on Friz Freeleng animating the opening sequence of I Dream of Jeannie

00:37

G.E. Smith

G.E. Smith on working with Aerosmith and writing the "Wayne's World" theme on Saturday Night Live

01:38

Bob Smith

"Buffalo" Bob Smith sings the theme song from The Howdy Doody Show

02:28

Tom Smothers

Tom and Dick Smothers on the origin of The Smothers Brothers' Comedy Hour theme song

02:00

Dick Smothers

Tom and Dick Smothers on the origin of The Smothers Brothers' Comedy Hour theme song

02:00

Mark Snow

Mark Snow on composing the theme song to The X-Files

06:13

Mark Snow on composing the theme song to The Lone Gunmen

00:38

Herbert F. Solow

Herbert F. Solow on hiring Alexander "Sandy" Courage to be the composer on Star Trek

01:40

Jean Stapleton

Jean Stapleton on performing "Those Were the Days," the theme song from All in the Family, and a lyric that proved problematic

00:32

Charles Strouse

Lee Adams and Charles Strouse on writing the theme song to All in the Family

16:32

Lee Adams and Charles Strouse on audience response to the theme song to All in the Family

02:47

Alex Trebek

Alex Trebek on the Jeopardy "think" music written by Merv Griffin

01:13

W.G. Snuffy Walden

W.G. Snuffy Walden on composing the theme for The West Wing

01:34

W.G. Snuffy Walden on composing the theme for thirtysomething

02:49

W.G. Snuffy Walden on the theme of thirtysomehting as its own character

06:28

W.G. Snuffy Walden on composing the theme for thirtysomething

02:38

W.G. Snuffy Walden on the influence of the theme for thirtysomething

01:28

W.G. Snuffy Walden on composing and using voices for the theme for I'll Fly Away

02:47

W.G. Snuffy Walden on the theme to My So-Called Life

01:01

W.G. Snuffy Walden on composing the prologue theme for The West Wing

03:17

W.G. Snuffy Walden on composing the theme for The West Wing

00:14

W.G. Snuffy Walden on a demonstration of The West Win g theme

01:14

Clint Walker

Clint Walker on the theme song to Cheyenne

00:12

Keenen Ivory Wayans

Keenen Ivory Wayans on In Living Color's theme song, written by Heavy D and the Boyz

00:30

Dawn Wells

Dawn Wells on Sherwood Schwartz's composition of the Gilligan's Island theme song

00:36

Cindy Williams

Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall on the theme song and opening credits to Laverne & Shirley

02:04

Andy Williams

Andy Williams on "Moon River" - his show's theme song

03:44

Hugh Wilson

Hugh Wilson on the theme song to WKRP in Cincinnati

02:05

Terence Winter

Terence Winter on the opening sequence of Boardwalk Empire

02:48

Alan Young

Alan Young on the Mister Ed theme song

01:09

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