TV Themes - Has computer music killed the TV Theme tune?

[chagzuki]

Man, the Dallas and Dynasty themes just popped into my head. That was some serious shit going on there.

[chagzuki]

Starsky and Hutch!!!!

[clueless]

In my opinion, the best and most favoured TV theme was mainly synth based - X files.

wtf?

[chagzuki]

And what about the rather odd music for The Equaliser? Wasn't that by the guy who also scored stuff like See No Evil Hear No Evil?

[clueless]

it was thingy from The Police!

[clueless]

In my opinion, the best and most favoured TV theme was mainly synth based - X files.

I repeat...

WTF?

[Sonic Assault]

Has Computer Music Killed the TV Theme?

Not Sure - But I'd like to kill the cnut who came up with that fecking Jan Hammer Crazy Frog ring tone

[Ildon]

Angel, the Buffy spin-off. The composer used a Roland synth for everything, except the live viola and electric guitar in the opening sequence, but he was a computer musician.

Damn I love that theme song. *hums it.*

[Sonic Assault]

Actually I think the strangest theme tune was for that short lived sequel to Babylon 5 (which had a great soundtrack by Christoph Franke) - Crusade.

[neverwhere2012]

If anything can be blamed for killing TV-themes, it is the fact that TV networks are making the shows shorter to make room for more commercials.
Take The Simpsons as an example. The original theme song and opening sequence is about 1 minute 15 seconds.
But In the most recent seasons, they have been using an edited version of the opening sequence which is only about 15-20 seconds long (depending on the couch gag).
That's a full minute of theme song, which has been cut (I'm not exagerating)!

And if you lok at new TV shows, they all have very short theme songs. Often the theme is nothing more than a 3 second riff.
The reason is that tv-networks are making more rooom for commercials, and cutting the length of TV shows. Themes songs are just not prioritized in the same way that they were in the 70's and 80's.

good point, there. i recently bought the first season of Thundercats on DVD cause i figured my daughter could enjoy as much as me, and the opening theme for every episode of that is like 2 minutes long, and each episode is almost a full half hour. marketing and advertising are killing creativity at a faster and faster rate.

reminds me of the bill hicks bit "if you're in marketing or advertising, i want you to do me a favor. go home after the show, and kill yourself. you are satan's children."

[shanecgriffo]

the partridge family, and the brady bunch ..
need i say any more

[DrApostropheX]

Was the theme to "Sledge Hammer" Danny Elfman's first theme (outside of Oingo Boingo, I mean).

[BFDrummer]

If you think about it the whole mood of TV presentation has changed - when TV started out it was like an extension of the theatre - the music reflected that - even up to the 90's TV could hold the attention of half a nation's population - now there are hundreds of channels 24 hours a day - I guess the whole presentation has moved away from strict theatre and audience, through more casual presenter and viewer, to reality TV - just broadcast of some other ordinary person's front room ....

TV is just more disposable now and so too are its theme tunes. Computers play a part but are not the cause, I'd say. Or perhaps you could say theme tunes are getting better at reflecting their shows (which are often totally beaten to death formulas) rather than being pieces of music in their own right like in the old days.

Some avourite TV themes of the top of my head:

-any of John Barry's
-Onedin Line (music actually from the ballet 'Spartacus' -composer was Aram Khachaturian)
-original Dr Who, obviously
-most 70's childrens Tv Bagpuss etc sorry can't help it.
-As a drummer I've always liked the intro to "Only fools and Horses' it fun to play at soundchecks and have people ask you " I know that! - oh, but I can't think what it is..."

I'll leave you with a classic:
http://www.thechestnut.com/CAB/chocablock.mp3

[Hypertone]

csi,not so much the theme but the music throughout the show(las vegas,i dunno bout the others) has some excellent "computer" music,frop glitch to trip hop,seems very forward thinking compared to most tv shows.

Hell yeah, the CSI Las Vegas music rocks! I don't know about the other CSI shows because I don't watch them, they don't have the chemistry of Las Vegas.


As far as electronic music themes, I like the X-Files theme, that whistly lead is sweet. ER is not bad either, there's some pretty catchy romplerish sounds in there. I know there are others but I can't think of them atm.

[doogs]

Some of the HBO drama's have good theme music and incidental music, mostly not computer music (at least it doesn't sound like it). Deadwood, Six Feet Under, Sopranos etc. All good stuff.