My Favorite TV Show Themes

With the country, and seemingly the world, in a Great Depression (mental, not financial), I am forced to retreat into less weighy topics. Like, my favorite TV show theme songs and intros. In some cases, these are more memorable than the shows themselves.

My first pick is the sci-fi series that ran on ABC for two seasons, 1963-1965: "The Outer Limits." It was often compared to Rod Serling's highly successful "Twilight Zone" (another great theme, BTW). The original is posted below. It was subsequently shortened in later episodes. What hooked me was the "control voice." Something about the tone and tenor that said, "You will obey my every command."

I think most would agree this next one is a classic: "Mission: Impossible." We even got a sneak peek at that week's mission, should we choose to accept it, which we always did. It was so iconic it had to be used in the Tom Cruise movie versions as well. Watch the clip before it self-destructs.

I would watch James Garner in just about anything, and he and theme song by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter were definitely the best things about "The Rockford Files." Garner played a private eye in this NBC series from the Seventies. The tune is so catchy you won't be able to stop replaying it in your head.

I have to include the theme from the hospital series, "St. Elsewhere," because it was done by the brilliant Dave Grusin, whose musical genius has elevated so many movies and shows. Watch the credits and catch a very young-looking Denzel Washington.

To Be Continued ...