Wednesday, August 24, 2011

TV Themes That Get Stuck in My Head


THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR


I remember watching THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR when I was a kid but haven't seen it since. Why does the theme song still linger in my head? I can't recall the show nor have I seen it since. I remember the maid character being a bit more scary than the dead sea captain. And any title sequence with the dog getting credit is cool.At least, when you're a kid it's cool.



TEMPERATURES RISING


I had a tape recorder when I was a kid and I recorded the TEMPERATURES RISING theme off the air. So ... that's why it stayed in my head I suppose! It's a bouncy theme for a proto-SCRUBS show that was a vehicle for Cleavon Little. The first year costarred James Whitmore as a crusty buy benign doctor. The second year Whitmore was out and Paul Lynde was inserted. The tinkering fizzled and the program was canceled.



ABC MOVIE OF THE WEEK


The very exciting graphics, reminiscent of those in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, with a serious announcer telling you that this ABC MOVIE OF THE WEEK was produced especially for television which, in the tones he invokes, sounds terribly important. Tonight, from January 22, 1972: Kim Darby and William Shatner in "The People." It's a sci fi mystery based on a a series of stories by author Zenna Henderson. Darby and Shatner worked together in the STAR TREK episode "Miri" as you well know. I had no idea they co-starred in something else! Wow. We're learning stuff here. Useless stuff, but, well, nonetheless.


NBC MYSTERY MOVIE


Maybe one of the most favorite of TV themes. The NBC MYSTERY MOVIE theme is by Henry Mancini and it was a staple every Sunday night for years, used to introduce every darn first-run episode of COLUMBO, MCMILLAN AND WIFE, McCLOUD and others not-so-well known "Mystery Movies" like Helen Hayes and Mildred Natwick as THE SNOOP SISTERS and Richard Boone's HEC RAMSEY.


ROOM 222


The ROOM 222 theme by Jerry Goldsmith gets stuck in my head all the time. The first season of the show, created by the same people who would later create THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, is out on DVD in a no frills edition.

Thank you for your kind attention to the tunes in my head.
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4 comments:

  1. Jeff P2:14 PM

    And here I thought I was the only geek to have taped audio from TV shows as a kid. I had the entire audio to the TV move 'The Night Stalker' and its sequel 'The Night Strangler' on cassette for years. Now I just pop the DVD in.

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  2. Dan Reynolds10:02 AM

    WOw. That brings me back. MIke, you're showing our age.
    I always liked THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR. I never thought about it before but the theme for Room 222 DEFININELY has THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW feel.
    WHen I was a kid, when they played the military music when Popeye was beating up Bluto, I used to get chills.
    I also like the original STAR THEME music.

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  3. Smeghead20689:01 PM

    The ABC movie theme was by Burt Bacharach. I think I read somewhere that the "slit scan" technique from 2001 WAS used for the titles, and was actually done by Doug Trumbel himself.

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  4. Smeghead20689:04 PM

    I used to (audio) tape the theme shows myself, had most of 'em from 1969 to 1971. Long gone now, alas. I have been looking for the theme from the short lived 1970 show "Matt Lincoln" for ages. It starred Vince Edwards...anyone remember it?

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