TV Theme Songs

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

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

Debbie Allen on the theme song for A Different World

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

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

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

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

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>

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

Samantha Bee on the theme song of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, written and performed by Peaches

Donald P. Bellisario 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

Milton Berle on the Texaco Star Theater theme song

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

Lucille Bliss on the theme song on The Smurfs

Steven Bochco on the importance of music to his series

Yvette Lee Bowser on Queen Latifah singing the Living Single theme song

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

James L. Brooks on the Taxi theme instrumental

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

Robert Butler on the theme song to Hill Street Blues

Stephen J. Cannell on Mike Post's theme song for The Rockford Files

Stephen J. Cannell on the theme song and catch phrases of Baretta

Stephen J. Cannell on Mike Post's theme song to The Greatest American Hero

Stephen Cannell on the theme song of The Greatest American Hero becoming a hit

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

Glenn Gordon Caron on the main titles and music on Medium

Chris Carter on The X-Files main theme and title

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

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

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

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

Alf Clausen on writing the theme song for ALF

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

Art Clokey on his animators and the Gumby theme song

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

Bill Conti on the main title theme for Dynasty

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

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

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

Alexander Courage on writing the theme music for Star Trek

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

Alexander Courage on writing the theme for Judd for the Defense

David Crane and Marta Kauffman on the Friends theme song, "I'll Be There For You"

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

Ramin Djawadi on being drawn to the instrumental music in TV and movies, and on TV theme songs that he enjoyed growing up

Ramin Djawadi on writing the main title theme for Prison Break

Ramin Djawadi on his main title theme for Westworld

Ramin Djawadi on creating the main title music for Game of Thrones

Richard Donner on the importance of television theme songs

David Dortort on the theme song of Bonanza

Danny Epstein on the theme song to Sesame Street

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

Kevin Eubanks on loving the theme song to Mission: Impossible

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

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

Charles Fox on composing the theme to Laverne & Shirley

Composer Charles Fox on composing the theme for Angie

Composer Charles Fox on composing the theme for Wonder Woman

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

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

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

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

Gerald Fried on composing music for the characters of Roots

Gerald Fried on composing the main theme for Roots

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

Gary David Goldberg on the theme song of Family Ties

Gary David Goldberg on the theme song of Brooklyn Bridge

Lewis Gomavitz on the Kukla, Fran & Ollie theme song

Earle Hagen on using "Danny Boy," or "Londonderry Air" as the theme song to The Danny Thomas Show

Earle Hagen on writing the theme to The Andy Griffith Show

Earle Hagen on the lyrics to The Andy Griffith Show theme song

Earle Hagen on writing the theme for I Spy

Marilu Henner on the Taxi  theme song

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

Al Jean on the opening credits of The Simpsons

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

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

Quincy Jones on composing the theme for Sanford & Son

Eddie Kean on writing Howdy Doody theme song

Asaad Kelada on the theme song for Family Ties

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

Bernie Kopell on The Love Boat theme song

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

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

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

Glen A. Larson on the theme song for Battlestar Galactica

Glen A. Larson on composing the theme to Knight Rider

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

Ray Evans and Jay Livingston on writing the theme to Bonanza

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chuck Lorre on the theme song to Big Bang Theory

Sam Lovullo on the Hee Haw theme song

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

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

Ed McMahon on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson theme song, co-written by Paul Anka and Carson

Al Michaels on Hank Williams, Jr. Monday Night Football theme song

Vic Mizzy on the legacy of The Addams Family theme song

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

Vic Mizzy on composing the theme for Kentucky Jones

Vic Mizzy on composing the theme for Pruitts of Southampton

Vic Mizzy on the role of music in a TV show

Vic Mizzy plays the theme to The Addams Family

Vic Mizzy plays the theme to Green Acres

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

Ricardo Montalban on the opening sequence of Fantasy Island

Mary Tyler Moore on The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song

Tony Mottola on writing the theme to Danger

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

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

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

Mike Post on the theme to Lassie

Mike Post on writing the theme music for The Rockford Files

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

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

Mike Post on writing the theme song for Toma

Mike Post on writing the theme song to The White Shadow

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mike Post on writing the theme song to Quantum Leap

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

Mike Post on composing for Cop Rock

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

Mike Post on writing the theme for and scoring NYPD Blue

Martha Quinn on the MTV theme song

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

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

Isabel Sanford on The Jeffersons theme song

William Schallert on the theme song of The Patty Duke Show

Lalo Schifrin on composing the Mission: Impossible theme

Lalo Schifrin on composing the theme for Medical Center

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

Lloyd J. Schwartz on The Brady Bunch opening credits

Sherwood Schwartz on the Gilligan's Island theme song

Sherwood Schwartz on The Brady Bunch theme song, and on the Brady kids becoming a pop group

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mark Snow on composing the theme song to The Lone Gunmen

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

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

Fred Steiner on composing the theme song for Perry Mason

Fred Steiner on composing for The Bullwinkle Show for Jay Ward

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clint Walker on the theme song to Cheyenne

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

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

Andy Williams on "Moon River" - his show's theme song, and having Henry Mancini on the show

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

Hugh Wilson on the theme song to WKRP in Cincinnati 

Terence Winter on the opening sequence of Boardwalk Empire

Dick Wolf on trademark elements of Law & Order including the theme song by Mike Post

Alan Young on the theme song for Mister Ed