WKRP - good one!
One of the funniest episodes of any comedy on TV was when the state police came into the studio to demostrate how alchohol affects reaction times and judgement while driving. He had Venus Flytrap and Johnny have a drink then press a button in response to a beep. Venus got slower, Johnny got faster. Frikkin hilarious.
I have had to rethink my position that Miami Vice is the greatest. Although Jan Hammer status as asskicker is not in question, I have decided that he must take a backseat to Frank.
Therefore, Married with Children is unquestionably the greatest of all time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_YobOigmn0
WOOOOOO BUNDY!
I just can’t bring myself to buy WKRP on DVD until they release a version with the original music. If Miami Vice could do that, and it was probably 10x harder for Vice, then I’m not going to tolerate music substitutions on other shows.
The Greatest American Hero
+1
I don’t know if it’s the best, but was definitely the first one that came to mind when I saw the thread title.
Theme song to Ed…best ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iafzqOCaxA4
The turkey episode
.
I was going to say Taxi. But, no, Peter Gun.
+1
“I thought turkeys could fly” Pure gold.
21 Jump Street.
Wild Wild West.
Speed Racer.
Forgot, Hill Street Blues.
“Get A Life” with Stand.
Leave it to Beaver
Not only did Hawaii Five-0 have the best music…it had the best open ever.
I gotta go with:
Star Trek Enterprise (that last Star Trek spin-off)
Magnum PI
SWAT
Smallville
Weeds
Dexter
.
.
Off the top pf my head without reading through the post:
The Jeffersons
Dallas
The Brady Bunch
Magnum PI
Hawaii 5-0
The Courtship of Eddie’s Father http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saLVbJ_tP9Y
OK The Greattest American Hero was awesome too. I never even watched the show but I know all the words…
A late addition: Dukes of Hazzard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUnqOj2Zmrg
Sunday Mystery Movie (McCloud, McMillan and Wife, Columbo etc…) youtube-“Henri Mancini sunday mystery movie”. best theme ever.
Hawaii Five-0
Room 222
Cades County
Dark shadows
Night Gallery
ER
many more
Just had to post this one, since my wife and I just looked it up before I logged on to ST…
HR Puffinstuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5e9yCB-hiw
but this is a close second:
Banana Splits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2se2I70CJ0
This has been a really interesting thread - you can see a few are iconic, and a lot of generational influences.
However, after re-reading it I am surprised at one omission for memorable theme
Mission Impossible.
Now personally I would have to put the Dr. Who Theme in there - but that is for certain SciFi and PBS junkies - though my favorite variation on it was the one done by Ford Prefect and the Time Lords - a mix of the original theme with Gary Glitter’s Rock and Roll – truly bent stuff.
Great, now I’m going to have nightmares about the freaky Puffinstuff witch… I never liked that show.
I have never heard of HR pufinstuff, but that was a creepy acid-flashback type bit of weirdness.