Television theme songs remain dear to my heart. The tunes were snippets of my childhood; my adolescence; my early adult years–and now, at a certain age, they have become pleasant memories that resonate when I hear them again. But today’s generation has been mostly deprived of the original music and/or lyrics that signalled the start of most American programmes. Not even classic tunes used to open a number of television series (The Who’s various works now used over the credits of the various CSI shows, for instance) can take the place of an original concept, with good words and notes set to music.

Many of the best American TV shows (and some of the worst) have been blessed with the most memorable theme songs. So catchy, in fact, you can't get them out of your head. Just the first few words of a theme song can result in an impromptu game of "Name That Tune." For a generation of Americans, Sonny Curtis' classic theme to 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' rang true ("Who can turn the world on with her smile/Who can take a nothing day/And make it seem all worthwhile"). And there's Cathy Lane, who "adores a minuet" while cousin Patty "loves her rock and roll/a hot dog makes her lose control"-according to Sid Ramin and Robert Welles, who wrote the theme to 'The Patty Duke Show' (ABC 1963-66).

Even the instrumental themes can be memorable. The first four notes that signaled 'Dragnet;' the jazz rifts to the themes from 'Peter Gunn' and 'Route 66;' the nostalgic washboard-like sound of 'The Waltons' and the siren that accompanied the frantic theme of 'Medical Center.' Sadly, many of today's TV shows use rather undistinguished music with no lyrics. Until recently there were some exceptions. The familiar 'Friends' theme was one; so was the majestic music that signalled the start of 'The West Wing.' And of course, there was Bette Midler warbling the theme to her sitcom (the song was much better than the uneven 'Bette.') Blame the situation on myopic TV executives, who fear viewers will hit the remote control when the opening credits come on. In 1994, an ABC executive named Ted Harbert announced that theme songs were old hat, and his network's shows would have much shorter openings and less music. But the success of the 'Friends' theme proved a good song could help a TV show. Robert Thompson, the director of the Center for The Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, said, "the things that make television most beloved are the things (the networks are) systematically eliminating."

How right he is. I am truly obsessed with TV themes. So much so, that I have a large collection of them, in both audio and video form. Because of my obsession, I have decided to present this list of songwriters who have given American TV fans some of the best theme music ever. A few wrote only one or two themes, but they have become classics. Others have become prolific in the genre. And a few of them are not household names, but should be. Here we go, in no specific order:

Vic Mizzy: This talented musician was credited with composing the themes to two popular 1960s sitcoms. In 1964, he sat with ABC executives, watching a ten-minute preview of what would become 'The Addams Family.' The producers planned to use a generic song from the music library, but Mizzy so loved the concept of a weird family in a normal world, he offered to write the theme for free. What Mizzy came up with was a classic ("They're creepy and they're kooky/Mysterious and spooky/They're altogether ooky/The Addams Family".) Mizzy also sang the theme song for the series (overdubbed three times, with a little help from actor Ted Cassidy, who spoke in the deep voice he used as the family butler Lurch: "Neat. Sweet. Petite.") A year later, Mizzy composed the theme to Paul Henning's gothic masterpiece 'Green Acres' (CBS 1965-1971). The first lines summed up characters Oliver and Lisa Douglas to a tee: "Green Acres is the place to be...New York is where I'd rather stay." Mizzy had series stars Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor sing the theme. Albert was no problem; he had been a musical comedy performer. But Gabor couldn't hold a note. So Mizzy told her to "talk it. Do it in that bored, rich tone that you can do so well." And she did. Mizzy wrote themes for several other series, including one of my favourite failures of all time, Phyllis Diller's 'The Pruits of Southampton' (ABC 1966-67).

Eliot Daniel: He composed for Rudy Vallee in the 1930's; and wrote the song "Lavender Blue" for the 1949 movie 'So Dear To My Heart.' So it was a surprise when Daniel's friend, producer Jess Oppenheimer, asked Daniel to write the theme for a new comedy pilot starring B movie actress Lucille Ball and her husband, bandleader Desi Arnaz. In one afternoon, Eliot Daniel knocked out the theme to the now-classic 'I Love Lucy' (CBS 1951-57). Daniel wrote the first several lines ("I love Lucy and she loves me/We're as happy as two can be"); the remaining lyrics came from the pen of Harold Adamson, who would write the theme for the western series 'The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp' (ABC 1955-61). Daniel also provided 'I Love Lucy's' music underscore for the first few seasons, and composed special material for several episodes (including the song "Nobody Loves The Ump," featured in a 1956 episode with guest star Bob Hope). Daniel also wrote themes for other Desilu programmes including 'December Bride' (CBS 1954-1959) and the short-lived 'Angel' (CBS 1960-61).

Mike Post: One of the most successful TV theme writers in history, Post was a rock musician (he played guitar on Sonny and Cher's classic hit "I Got You Babe") before meeting the late Pete Carpenter and teaming up to write themes for some of the top dramas on television. 'The Rockford Files' (NBC 1974-1980) was not only a hit series for James Garner, but the Post-Carpenter theme hit the top ten on the music charts. (One of "Rockford's" producers was Stephen Cannell, who had Post write themes for his own series, including 'The A-Team' (NBC 1983-1987) and 'Hunter' (NBC 1984-1991.) Post and Carpenter also teamed up for the themes to 'Magnum PI' (CBS 1980-88); and 'The Greatest American Hero' (ABC, 1981-83). The latter theme, "Believe It Or Not"-sung by Joey Scarbury-was a top-five hit in 1981. But Post's greatest success as a solo composer came when producer Steven Bochco hired him to compose a theme for a new cop drama. Not only did 'Hill Street Blues' (NBC 1981-87) break the rules for dramatic series, but so did Post's theme. Instead of loud, pounding, frantic cop show-style music, Post created what he called "something sweet and sad and lyrical and melodic." Even people who didn't watch "Hill Street" loved the song; the theme became a top-ten smash in late 1981. Other Post-written themes: L.A. Law; Wiseguy' (CBS 1987-1990); 'Law And Order;' and 'NYPD Blue.' Post also supervised the music for Bochco's short-lived 'Cop Rock' (ABC 1990) and created a "Hill Street"-like theme for another Bochco project, 'Brooklyn South' (CBS 1997-98).

James Komack: Although he did not write TV themes, the prolific actor and sitcom producer was one of the first to hire pop artists who both wrote and sang the title themes. Komack chose singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson to pen the theme "Best Friend" for 'The Courtship of Eddie's Father' (ABC 1969-72). Several years later, Jose Feliciano wrote and sang the theme for Komack's 'Chico and the Man' (NBC 1974-78). But Komack's biggest find was former "Lovin' Spoonful" lead singer John Sebastian. He came up with a winning theme for the Gabe Kaplan-John Travolta school comedy 'Welcome Back Kotter' (ABC 1975-79). The show was a hit; Sebastian's song was a number-one smash.

Hoyt Curtin: Back in 1957, this composer scored an animated TV commercial for Schlitz beer. The directors of the spot were a pair of cartoonists named Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbara. From that commercial began a long-term relationship. Curtin created more music for cartoons than any other individual. That includes most of Hanna-Barbara's successful creations, such as 'Yogi Bear;' 'Josie And The Pussycats;' and 'Scooby-Doo.' But Curtin's best-known composition is the theme for H-B's 'The Flintstones.' In the show's first two years (ABC 1960-66), the theme was an instrumental called "Rise And Shine." Curtin's famous theme started as background music for a couple of early "Flintstones" episodes. It became the show's new theme in 1962, with lyrics by Bill Hanna ("Flintstones/Meet The Flintstones/They're the modern stone-age family"). It is still used in the syndicated episodes. (Honorable mention for cartoon music goes to the late Vince Guaraldi for his now-classic score for the 1965 CBS Peanuts special 'A Charlie Brown Christmas;' and Danny Elfman's now-familiar theme for 'The Simpsons' (Fox 1990-present). Kudos as well to composer Alf Clausen, who wrote many original songs and themes for various Simpsons episodes.

Richard Rogers: In the early days of US television, most producers used music from libraries or public domain; using a famous composer to score a series was relatively new. But the man who helped bring such musicals as 'Oklahoma!' and 'South Pacific' to life was asked to write original music for the World War Two documentary 'Victory At Sea' (NBC 1952-53). Rogers wrote the music to cue with various scenes-a patriotic piece for film with Allied soldiers; an optimistic tune that captured the feeling of D-Day. The result was a score that critics loved almost as much as the programme itself. RCA (NBC's parent company back then) released albums featuring the "Victory At Sea" suites, and all became best sellers. 'Victory At Sea' proved once and for all the power of television as a new medium, and the boost it could give products associated with it. It also opened the door for more original music on television series.

Sherwood Schwartz: He is best known for producing two major sitcom hits-'Gilligan's Island' (CBS 1964-67) and 'The Brady Bunch' (ABC 1969-1974), but he also co-wrote the themes to both series. In fact, it was music that helped get "Gilligan" on the air. Schwartz says then-CBS president James Aubrey was ready to say no to the story of seven stranded castaways, because he felt Schwartz had to explain how the gang got on the island before each episode. Schwartz's answer: Let the theme song do the work. (It was not a new idea; 'The Real McCoys' and 'The Beverly Hillbillies' had used the theme song as backstory several years earlier.) Schwartz worked all night to create a theme song, explaining how the three-hour tour became a shipwreck. The first version was a calypso-themed tune that Schwartz himself sang to a roomful of CBS executives. Aubrey's response: "I think you could work a little on the middle lyric". Friend and composer George Wyle helped fashion a sea chantey and revised lyrics, creating a sitcom theme classic ("Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale/A tale of a fateful trip/That started from this tropic port/Aboard this tiny ship.") For 'The Brady Bunch,' Schwartz wrote the lyrics ("Here's the story of a lovely lady..."), while veteran musician Frank DeVol penned the music. (DeVol also wrote two other famous sitcom themes-'My Three Sons' (ABC, CBS 1960-1972) and 'Family Affair' (CBS 1966-1971.)

Alexander Courage: His opening to the original 'Star Trek' (NBC 1966-69) is probably the most-familiar science fiction theme ever composed for US television. Show creator Gene Roddenberry's vision of a "Wagon Train to the stars" was realized musically by Courage, who wrote for both movies and TV. Courage says his inspiration came from a song called "Beyond The Blue Horizon," and his desire for a "strange kind of unearthly sound." But his relationship with Roddenberry soured when the 'Star Trek' creator wrote lyrics to the musical piece ("Beyond the rim of the star-light/My love is wand'ring in star-flight"). The words have seldom been performed, but it allowed Roddenberry to take 50-percent of Courage's royalties for the song. When Roddenberry began work on 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' (syndicated 1987-1994), he adopted writer Jerry Goldsmith's theme from the first "Star Trek" movie, but added the use of Courage's classic fanfare that played under William Shatner's narration ("Space-the final frontier"). It was the least Roddenberry could have done for the talented Courage, who also wrote the theme to the little-seen legal drama 'Judd For The Defense' (ABC 1967-69).

David Rose: He was Red Skelton's musical director on Skelton's long-running radio and TV series. His provocative "The Stripper" was a number-one hit in 1961. But next to Skelton, David Rose's longest relationship came with actor and producer Michael Landon. Rose scored most episodes of Landon's first series, 'Bonanza' (NBC 1959-1973). Rose did not write the famous 'Bonanza' theme; that job was given to songwriters Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. (Rose was asked to write a new 'Bonanza' theme near the end of its long run, but viewers wanted the old song, and it was reinstated in the show's final year.) When 'Bonanza' left the air, Landon tapped Rose to write the theme and music for his new series 'Little House On The Prairie' (NBC 1974-1983). Rose also did composing chores for the Landon-produced 'Father Murphy' (NBC 1981-82), and Landon's successor to "Little House," the sentimental 'Highway To Heaven' (NBC 1984-89). Rose also composed and wrote for other television series, including 'Bracken's World' (NBC 1969-70); and the Howard Duff-Ida Lupino sitcom 'Mr. Adams and Eve' (CBS 1957-58).

Henry Mancini/Nelson Riddle: Both men came up with groundbreaking music for television in the 1950s and beyond. Mancini was hired by producer Blake Edwards for the detective show 'Peter Gunn' (NBC/ABC 1958-1961). Mancini--who worked on such films as '"The Glen Miller Story' and 'It Came From Outer Space'--composed a jazz-based score for "Gunn" that broke new ground. (Until "Gunn," jazz was considered too "far out" for television.) It not only helped the show get noticed, but it was good enough for Mancini to put on an album. "The Music From Peter Gunn" was the first TV-based soundtrack ever to hit number on "Billboard's" album charts, and earned Mancini two Grammys. A follow-up LP, "More Music From Peter Gunn" did nearly as well. Mancini went on to score and write themes for other TV shows, including 'Mr. Lucky' (CBS 1959-1960); 'The NBC Mystery Movie' (1971-77); 'Newhart' (CBS 1982-1990) and the 1983 ABC miniseries 'The Thorn Birds.' And let's not forget Mancini won Oscars for his music for 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' and 'The Days of Wine And Roses' and is also the composer of the famous 'Pink Panther Theme.' Nelson Riddle produced classic records for Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and others. He wrote the theme to 'The Untouchables' (ABC 1959-1963). Another of his best-known pieces was the jazz riff that opened every episode of 'Route 66' (CBS 1960-64). Riddle not only wrote the show's theme, he also scored the series on a week-to-week basis. He also wrote music for 'Batman' (ABC 1966-68), although the familiar theme for the camp superhero classic came from the pen of Neal Hefti (who also scored films and wrote such songs as "Girl Talk.")

Charles Fox: He has written more hit sitcom themes than any other composer (not to mention the familiar themes for ABC's 'Wide World of Sports' (1961-present) and the original opening to 'Monday Night Football.' His first comedy series came in 1969, when Fox was scoring the film 'Goodbye, Columbus.' Paramount asked him to do the pilot for a new romantic anthology, 'Love, American Style' (ABC 1969-1974). Fox and Arnold Margolin wrote the theme ("Love American style/Truer than the red white and blue"); Fox stayed to write music for the series and won two Emmy Awards. One of the pilots that aired on 'Love, American Style' was a piece set back in the 1950's. It later became the basis for the comedy series 'Happy Days' (ABC 1974-1984). This time, Fox teamed up with lyricist Norman Gimbel to write a new theme song after the producers decided to drop Bill Haley and the Comets' classic "Rock Around The Clock." ("Happy Days" hit the top five on the Billboard charts in 1976, and the show itself soared to number one in the ratings that same year). Fox and Gimbel had nearly as much luck with the theme to a 'Happy Days' spin-off, 'Laverne and Shirley' (ABC 1976-1983). Sung by Cindy Greco, "Making Our Dreams Come True" was also a hit record. Fox and Paul Williams got together to write the theme for 'The Love Boat' (ABC 1977-1986), sung by Jack Jones and (in its final season) Dionne Warwick. Fox and Gimbel teamed up again to write "Different Worlds," the theme to ABC's short-lived sitcom 'Angie' (1979-1980). Sung by Maureen McGovern, it became a top-20 hit. Fox also co-wrote "The First Years" for the short-lived TV version of the student legal drama 'The Paper Chase' (CBS 1978-79; the Fox theme was not used for the 1980's revival on the Showtime cable network.) And Fox and Stephen Geyer also penned "Together Through The Years," the theme for 'Valerie' (later 'Valerie's Family,' then 'The Hogan Family,' NBC/CBS 1986-1991). Non-TV projects for Fox include co-writing the 1973 Roberta Flack hit "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and did the underscore for the Jane Fonda camp classic film "Barbarella."

This list is by no means complete; I did not include W. G. Snuffy Walden, who wrote memorable themes for such shows as 'Thirtysomething,' 'I'll Fly Away,' 'The West Wing' and 'Once and Again;' Jackie Gleason's own music for his self-titled variety series and comedy classic 'The Honeymooners;' Laurie Johnson, who wrote the theme for the third version of Britain's 'The Avengers' (with Patrick Macnee and Dianna Rigg, shown on America's ABC from 1966 to 1969); and so many others. For more information on these and other US TV themes, I direct your attention to the well-written book "TV's Biggest Hits" by Jon Burlingame, a thoughtful and lively look at television music from the 1950s to the 1990s. But if you can not get enough of the music itself, Burlingame's book features a discography of the composers and albums where their music can be found. And I can highly recommend the 'Television's Greatest Hits' series from the US firm Tee Vee Toons. There are seven volumes, and each is well-produced with the original theme from just about every well-known TV show (and even such hard-to-find classics such as 'I Married Joan;' 'Fish' and 'My So-Called Life.' In recent months, there have been new CD's with music from (or inspired by) such shows as 'Frasier;' 'Malcolm In The Middle;' 'Ally McBeal;' 'Survivor;' 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire;' 'Dawson's Creek;' 'The Sopranos' and 'Queer As Folk' (US version)". Most major record stores have them; they are also available for purchase on such website retailers as amazon.com and CDNow.com (in the US).

Epilogue:
Sadly, the state of the television theme song is as dismal now as it was in 2001 when I first wrote the above article. Very few series have come up with really catchy and memorable music for the opening credits. Blame the networks, which have forced shorter opening credits so they can stuff more commercials, promos and other “necessary” information into a 30 or 60 minute programme. (Even shows that premiered in the 1990's–'Law & Order' and 'ER' to name two–have shortened their original themes drastically to allow more annoying promos for other shows.) One exception has been series made for cable, some of which have stylish and tuneful opening credits ('Mad Men' is one that immediately comes to mind). Will the original television theme song make a return? I think it will. Once the next great theme becomes a major hit.