Favourite TV Theme Tunes

This Week (Sibelius’s Karelia Suite)

And apologies for the spamming. It’s clearly displacement activity due to football angst. I’ll stop now,

Mogwai - Les Revenants 

For this fine French Series.

Wasn’t ‘Time’ used for a children’s education programme of some sort?

G

Got to be The Sweeney for me.  Slight bias as there's been a Mk1 Granada at my home for the last 33 years.

Favourite at least on brief rack of brains, probably Dr Who, though it has changed a bit over the years. BBC Radiophonic Workshop masterpiece.

Most unforgettable: Z-cars - for some reason the tune pops up and I whistle it from time to time: maybe because I remember as a kid playing violin, and having heard somewhere the suggestion that the theme of Sofly Softly was Z-cars backwards, so I picked out z-cars on the violin, and taught it to myself backwards - and disproved the suggstion. And to this day as well as sometimes whistling Z-cars forwards, I whistle it backwards.

However, one irritating thing is use of exerpts of classical music either for TV programmes or, worse, adverts, causing images of said programmes/adverts to crop up when listening to the composition.

Obviously 'Thunderbirds'.  Has anyone else said that?

Unfortunately I don't have the album sleeve to post here.

P.D. James.   

Something completely different to just about all those listed - the most recent programme because I just love the dexterity in the rythmn, Mum, the theme, The Cup Song, or When I'm Gone.

Because of the sentiment in the words, Sue Thomas -FB Eye, Who I Am by Jessica Andrews.

True Blood

The Sopranos 

I really like the "Mission Impossible" theme, previously mentioned.

Best ever has to be the "Hawaii Five-0" theme, adapted from The Ventures.

Honorable mention to "The Wild Wild West"

A few of mine have been mentioned... but one of my absolute favourites is the Joe90 theme tune... as a piece of music it was far to good to have been just a theme for a Gerry Anderson kids TV show... it really is fab......

rjstaines posted:

Obviously 'Thunderbirds'.  Has anyone else said that?

Unfortunately I don't have the album sleeve to post here.

can't say it's my fave but it's a total nostalgia!  I remember watching it every Sunday at 7 pm as a kid.

Ace of Wands 1971 

Dabble a bit on the guitar and coincidentally re this thread l'm working on this one at the moment.

Written by Andy Bown who I think worked with Status Quo.

http://youtu.be/TAAyt7-yQ8w

My faves:

I have this in 12" vinyl. Sounds terrific.

Night Court is great Kuma!

I know! love that groovy bass line. TV show also was one of my fave, too.  You've got the Barny Miller which was also my fave.

Here's one more: Captures the American spirit. American Experience is a PBS documentary series in the US.

Here's a bitter sweet but inspiring closing theme for it.

And this. Simply named Colorado here in Italy taken from the Pulitzer price writer's book James Michener.

It has to be the only TV theme tune I've ever bought: John Barry's, "The Theme From The Persuaders". I still have the 7" single.

I loved the theme to the Tales of the Unexpected TV series.  Another vote too for the Persuaders.  Oh and I love the bit from Mountain's Nantucket Sleighride that was the theme to Weekend World.  However, the one that always gives me goosebumps, even today is the theme to World in Action.

Oops.  Apologies.  I see TJ has already posted the WiA theme.  Still, it's so good, it deserves to be posted twice.

Life and Loves of a She-Devil, 1984 TV series, theme tune written by Richard Thompson and sung by the fantastic Christine Collister, I seem to remember this charted in the UK and briefly gave me hope Chris C might become the star she deserved to be.

Just remembered another, and unlike anything else I have thought of it is a piece I have: Variations 1-4 on caprice No. 24 in A Major by Paganini, arranged by Andrew Lloyd Webber for his brother Julian on cello (album Variations) - the theme to The South Bank Show.

Trying picture for the 5th time: