Some good ones here already, including Magnum PI, Airwolf and the A-Team, but the winner is (and I am v disappointed that no one has mentioned this over the course of 50+ posts) is obviously Miami Vice
Jan Hammer (the composer of the MV theme tune) is a bit of a legend too having worked with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and the late Jeff Beck on some of his funk fusion records
Hearing Hill St Blues tune again made me feel quite emotional! Watched this religiously as a child but not been back to it since. I wonder has the series stood up to the test of time.
The most evocative of them all, for me, is the one from BBC's Holiday, Jill Dando era (Paul Hardcastle - Voyager). To this day listening to it makes me think of faraway places I've been and would like to be.
Likewise, I've hummed the theme for The Littlest Hobo on quite a few times en route to and travelling back from places that were off the beaten track.
I couldn't quite connect with His Dark Materials but liked the theme.
Sorry but any contribution from on our that doesn’t deal with the triumvirate if astonishing theme songs (raccoons, duck tales, gummi bears) just means you can’t read / google.
At least throw a ‘mysterious cities of gold’ grenade into the mix.
Another one that has remained in my mind from childhood - The Silk Road theme by Kitaro. Just the right music to make one visualize places with exotic names like Karakoram and Bukhara, and windswept desolate landscapes.
Dont remember the theme as such but loved BBC Holiday and always thought as a kid that the presenters had the best job in the world. As I recall though they were usually quite modest, a 3 start hotel on the Costa or something.
Black Beauty
Doctor Who.
Antiques
antiques
antiques
antiques
ant ant ant ant
tiques tiques tiques tiques
Mad men
A team
Knight rider
Bbc test match cricket
Horse of the year show
Golden Girls
Cheers
The Littlest Hobo
A few more from yesteryear:
Robinson Crusoe
ITV Midweek Match
Sportsnight with Coleman
Inspector Morse
Van der Valk
Gilligan’s Island
The Bill
Oh, and…..
TAXI
Probs my fav ever.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cfR7qxtgCgY
top that …
Brideshead Revisited, of course.
F1 (the Fleetwood Mac Chain one). Inspired, whoever thought of using it.
The A Team
Succession
Luther
Magnum PI
+1 Succession and Taxi.
Gaga I assume you mean the really old school Bill and not the terrible modernised version they used at the end.
Dogtanian
Top cat
Here’s the thing: try to hum the theme to Horse of the Year immediately followed by Ski Sunday
impossible
SS of course
This is my favourite version
https://youtu.be/CKtSgumN59w
Maid Marian and her merry men
Sharky and George
Onedin Line
Match of the Day
Starsky and Hutch
MASH
Hill Street Blues and The Rockford Files, and of course, Magnum PI
GoT
lechuck29 Jan 23 19:24
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Maid Marian and her merry men
The pancake day rap is still one of the best songs I’ve ever heard
Oh come on. It’s got to be the Sweeney.
Line of duty
This life
Bangers & Mash (Bangers & Mash)
American:
Taxi (best ever)
Dukes of Hazzard
English:
Van der Valk
Ski Sunday
These cop shows attracted some pretty good composers.
Oh and NYPD Blue
BBC Test Match Cricket good shout
NYPD Blue good shout. Drums and subway..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3CqAm1seIyk
Minder
only Fools
Jamie and the magic torch
The JTQ version of Starsky and Hutch.
Seriously. Find it on YouTube, it's amazing.
The West Wing!! Especially the drums bit "previously on the west wing"
Most of the above plus Bergerac and Sensible Soccer (ok, technically not TV but good enough to qualify)
Oh yes, Bergerac also ace!
Drag racer (snooker). Frankly, pretty much all BBC theme tunes back in the day.
This.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m68KkR_WtY
Original Top of the Pops
MAGPIE.
70s kids programme. Theme music by the Spencer Davis group performing under the alias Murgatroyd Band. Steve Winwood on vocals. Jaw dropping.
Morse.
Airwolf.
Airwolf is a really good call.
Interesting how few of these are from the last 10 years. Does that say more about the quality of modern theme tunes or the age of RoFers?
Gummy bears FTW.
Poirot
Jeeves and Wooster
Another good’un was World in Action https://youtu.be/l4LCieQ7UiM
Downton Abbey as a modern one.
West Wing
Six Feet Under
Dallas
True Detective (at least series 1; didn't watch the others so not sure if changed)
The Jeeves & Wooster album is on my Spotify favourites.
His Dark Materials pretty good as well
I thought succession was excellent.
The Fraggles.
Poddington peas
Parks and Recreation
Grandstand
Some Girls
Some good ones here already, including Magnum PI, Airwolf and the A-Team, but the winner is (and I am v disappointed that no one has mentioned this over the course of 50+ posts) is obviously Miami Vice
Jan Hammer (the composer of the MV theme tune) is a bit of a legend too having worked with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and the late Jeff Beck on some of his funk fusion records
Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90 all benefited from brilliant theme tunes and incidental music.
As did the Euro b&w series of Robinson Crusoe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE10msGsCn4
Hearing Hill St Blues tune again made me feel quite emotional! Watched this religiously as a child but not been back to it since. I wonder has the series stood up to the test of time.
Round the Twist
Wot Canute said. Disappointed it took that long tbh.
I listened to Airwolf on loop on the way to my first rotarywingframe lesson about 10 years ago.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
On a tangent, but the music they used for the very last scene of Breaking Bad was an awesome choice.
Meh hitting an absolute banger, but it’s not the win she thinks, for she has overlooked the Raccoons and Duck Tales.
Taggart
Poirot
Honourable mention for closing credits of Morse.
Raccoons closing song ‘Run with us’, is a legit banger in my top 10 songs of all time.
Will not be taking questions at this time.
The most evocative of them all, for me, is the one from BBC's Holiday, Jill Dando era (Paul Hardcastle - Voyager). To this day listening to it makes me think of faraway places I've been and would like to be.
Likewise, I've hummed the theme for The Littlest Hobo on quite a few times en route to and travelling back from places that were off the beaten track.
I couldn't quite connect with His Dark Materials but liked the theme.
Sorry but any contribution from on our that doesn’t deal with the triumvirate if astonishing theme songs (raccoons, duck tales, gummi bears) just means you can’t read / google.
At least throw a ‘mysterious cities of gold’ grenade into the mix.
His dark materials? Do one m6.
From here on out*
Murder One
Minder
Black Beauty
Hawaii Five-0
and +1s for Ski Sunday, Horse of the Year Show, Taxi and Hill Street Blues
Robin
Robin
The hooded man.
True Detective
Chip 'N Dale
Gummi Bears
If not already done:
Peaky Blinders
Sopranos
I see Gummi Bears has gone.
Another one that has remained in my mind from childhood - The Silk Road theme by Kitaro. Just the right music to make one visualize places with exotic names like Karakoram and Bukhara, and windswept desolate landscapes.
Dont remember the theme as such but loved BBC Holiday and always thought as a kid that the presenters had the best job in the world. As I recall though they were usually quite modest, a 3 start hotel on the Costa or something.
Howard's Way.
Frasier
The Equalizer
The 1950s/60s black and white Robin Hood with RICHARD GREENE as Robin.
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, with his band of men,
Feared by the bad,
Loved by the good,
Robin Hood!
Also The double deckers, The Banana splits, and When the boat comes in.
Also also, Combat!
The '80's re-boot (music by Clannad) was also good...
https://youtu.be/b9BiXsnYd7k
the greatest is surely Suicide is Painless M.A.S.H
Top of the Pops had Led Zeppelin, Phil Lynott and Paul Hardcastle tunes as themes. Not a bad pedigree.
And I only found out recently that the eerie, jangly Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy theme was an Eagles instrumental.
Cannot BELIEVE it took until halfway down the thread for Airwolf to get mentioned.
What is WRONG with you all? Are you all deaf?
No one said Trap Door yet?
Duckula?
Dangermouse?
Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers?
Ulysses 31?
Jayce & The Wheeled Warriors?
Oooh, ooooh, ohhh:
Star Fleet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD-9NZsYCQw&ab_channel=Normonaut
M.A.S.H. is probably the best answer. So thumbs up for Guy.
Blackadder I-III theme songs are each amazing.
Roobarb and Custard
The ultimate earworm
Ahem 19.50 MASH.
Yeah yeah, there you go.
LA Law and 30 something both had pretty decent theme tunes.
Also quite liked the opening titles for the Miss Marple 80s series with Joan Hickson.
Good call re 30 Something!
I nearly mentioned Ulysses 31, but then listened to it again on you tube and decided it was, with the passage of time, pretty dire.
I was always quite fond of Henry's Cat though
Another one that just sprung to mind - the original Panorama
A couple of classics by Maggie Bell
The music at the endof Taggart - No mean city
Hazell
Challenge Ant
Stoppit and Tidyup. Followed by Soldier soldier.
Quantum Leap
On the Up (Dennis watermann - write the theme tune, sing the theme tune)
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