Monthly Archives: January 2017

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In this episode, I briefly explore 20 classic television series from the 1950s through the 1980s with memorable theme music composed and/or co-composed by prolific theme tune writer Earle Hagen. Here are the series included in this episode:

MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY/THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW
(1953-1964)
[1956-1964 opening main titles: an arrangement of “Londonderry Air,” a.k.a. “Danny Boy”]
[1956-1964 syndicated reruns opening and closing main titles: an arrangement of “Londonderry Air,” a.k.a. “Danny Boy”]
with Herbert W. Spencer for MSI Spencer-Hagen

WHERE’S RAYMOND/THE RAY BOLGER SHOW
(1953-1955)
[1953-1955 opening and closing main titles]
with Herbert W. Spencer for MSI Spencer-Hagen

IT’S ALWAYS JAN
(1955-1956)
[1955-1956 opening and closing main titles]
with Herbert W. Spencer for MSI Spencer-Hagen

MY SISTER EILEEN
(1960-1961)
[1960-1961 opening and closing main titles]
with Herbert W. Spencer for MSI Spencer-Hagen

THE BARBARA STANWYCK SHOW
(1960-1961)
[1960-1961 opening and closing main titles]
with Herbert W. Spencer for MSI Spencer-Hagen

-Commercial Break-

THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW
(1960-1968)
[1960-1965 opening and closing main titles: “The Fishin’ Hole”]
[1965-1968 opening and closing main titles: “The Fishin’ Hole”]

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW
(1961-1966)
[1961 (episodes 1-14) opening and closing main titles]
[1962 (episodes 15-30) opening and closing main titles]
[1962-1963; 1964-1965 opening main titles]
[1963-1964; 1965-1966 opening main titles]

GOMER PYLE – USMC
(1964-1969)
[1964-1969 opening and closing main titles]

I SPY
(1965-1968)
[1965-1968 opening and closing main titles]

THAT GIRL
(1966-1971)
[1966-1967 opening and closing main titles]
[1967-1970 opening and closing main titles]
[1970-1971 opening and closing main titles]

-Commercial Break-

RANGO
(1967)
[1967 opening and closing main titles]

THE GUNS OF WILL SONNETT
(1967-1969)
[1967-1969 opening and closing main titles]

THE DANNY THOMAS HOUR
(1967-1968)
[SORRY, NO THEME AVAILABLE]

MAYBERRY, R.F.D.
(1968-1971)
[1969-1971 opening and closing main titles]

THE MOD SQUAD
(1968-1973)
[1968-1973 opening and closing main titles]

-Commercial Break-

MAKE ROOM FOR GRANDDADDY
(1970-1971)
[1970-1971 opening and closing main titles: an arrangement of “Londonderry Air,” a.k.a. “Danny Boy”]

THE NEW PERRY MASON
(1973-1974)
[1973-1974 opening main titles]

BIG EDDIE
(1975)
[1975 closing main titles]

YOUNG DAN’L BOONE
(1977)
[1977 opening main titles (excerpt only)]

MICKEY SPILLANE’S MIKE HAMMER/THE NEW MIKE HAMMER/MIKE HAMMER, PRIVATE EYE
(1984-1987; 1997-1998)
[1984-1986 opening main titles: “Harlem Nocturne” (composed in 1939)]
[1986-1987 opening main titles: “Harlem Nocturne” (composed in 1939)]
[1997-1998 opening main titles: “Harlem Nocturne” (composed in 1939)]

I’ve included vintage promos and commercials for many of the series featured in this themeography episode. And you’ll also have fun listening to some ads that my podcasting friends provided to me to promote their own great podcasts; be sure to check them out.

Many, many thanks to Zerbinator for his continued support. His encouragement and expertise are very much appreciated by me. You can find all of his fun-to-listen-to podcasts here, including my favorite, “Please Stand By.” And I’d also like especially to thank him for providing the opening and closing theme music for Tube Tunes; all of his fantastic music can be found here. And, again, thanks are in order for him for providing TUBE TUNES with the “We’ll Be Right Back” drops heard during the podcast. Thanks, Burford.

I would also like to again thank Rob “Flack” O’Hara and Sean Johnson for adding TUBE TUNES to The Throwback Network. It’s a great place to find just about any retro-themed podcast you can think of. Please check out the network here.

I also need to thank the Free Music Archive for the following musical artists and songs that were used in this episode under the Creative Commons License: “Fastest Man on Earth,” “Montmartre,” and “Candy,” all by Jahzzar; “Epilogue (Instrumental Version)” and “I Will Not Let You Let Me Down (Instrumental Version),” both by Josh Woodward; and “Wholesome 3” by Dave Depper.

Finally, my thanks to Ferg of The Atari 2600 Game by Game Podcast. His inspiration and dedication to covering every game cartridge ever made for the Atari 2600 (I think over 1000 of them!) is what gave me the courage to begin this podcast. And his continued support and promotion of TUBE TUNES on his excellent podcast is greatly appreciated by yours truly. Please, check out his podcast, even if you’re not an Atari 2600 collector; or at least visit his website here.

Next Episode: “S02E06: The A’s Have It'” (available March 2017)

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In this episode I present eight Emmy-winning theme tunes (along with lots of trivia) from seven selected series that aired during the New Millennium (between 1999 and the present). Here are the shows and theme music featured:

THE WEST WING
(1999-2006)
[1999-2000 opening and closing main titles]
[2000-2006 opening and closing main titles]
Winner of Prime Time Emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music in 2000
for composer W.G. Snuffy Walden

MONK
(2002-2009)
[2002-2003 opening main titles]
Winner of Prime Time Emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music in 2003
for composer Jeff Beal
[2003-2009 opening main titles: “It’s a Jungle Out There”]
Winner of Prime Time Emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music in 2004
for composer Randy Newman

-Commercial Break-

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
(2004-2012)
[opening and closing main titles]
Winner of Prime Time Emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music in 2005
for composer Danny Elfman

THE TUDORS
(2007-2010)
[opening and closing main titles]
Winner of Prime Time Emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music in 2008
for composer Trevor Morris

NURSE JACKIE
(2009-2015)
[opening and closing main titles]
Winner of Prime Time Emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music in 2010
for composers Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman

-Commercial Break-

THE BORGIAS
(2011-2013)
[opening and closing main titles]
Winner of Prime Time Emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music in 2012
for composer Trevor Morris

JESSICA JONES
(2015-present)
[opening and closing main titles]
Winner of Prime Time Emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music in 2016
for composer Sean Callery

During the commercial breaks, I’ve included promos for the show MILLENNIUM starring Lance Henriksen; it ran on Fox between 1996 and 1999, and also starred Megan Gallagher and a pre-LOST Terry O’Quinn. And you’ll also have fun listening to some ads that my podcasting friends provided to me to promote their own great podcasts; be sure to check them out.

Many, many thanks to Zerbinator for his continued support. His encouragement and expertise are very much appreciated by me. You can find all of his fun-to-listen-to podcasts here, including my favorite, “Please Stand By.” And I’d also like especially to thank him for providing the opening and closing theme music for Tube Tunes; all of his fantastic music can be found here. And, again, thanks are in order for him for providing TUBE TUNES with the “We’ll Be Right Back” drops heard during the podcast. Thanks, Burford.

I would also like to again thank Rob “Flack” O’Hara and Sean Johnson for adding TUBE TUNES to The Throwback Network. It’s a great place to find just about any retro-themed podcast you can think of. Please check out the network here.

I also need to thank the Free Music Archive for the following musical artists and songs that were used in this episode under the Creative Commons License: “Dancing On the Edge,” “Endless Story of Sun and Moon,” and “The Flames of Rome,” all by Kai Engel; and “Sense the Wind” by Lee Rosevere.

Finally, my thanks to Ferg of The Atari 2600 Game by Game Podcast. His inspiration and dedication to covering every game cartridge ever made for the Atari 2600 (I think over 1000 of them!) is what gave me the courage to begin this podcast. And his continued support and promotion of TUBE TUNES on his excellent podcast is greatly appreciated by yours truly. Please, check out his podcast, even if you’re not an Atari 2600 collector; or at least visit his website here.

Next Episode: “S02E05: The Earle Hagen Themeography” (available January 2017)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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In this episode I present series synopses and theme music of five of the most popular game shows to air on American daytime and prime time television, starting with the few venerable game shows that are still running today. Here are the five shows (and 26 themes) I’m featuring:

THE PRICE IS RIGHT
(1956-1965; 1972-present)
[1956-1961 Weekly Nighttime opening & closing themes]
[1961-1964 Weekly Nighttime opening & closing themes]
[1972-present Weekday Daytime opening & closing themes]

LET’S MAKE A DEAL
(1963-1977; 1980; 1984-1986; 1990-1991; 2003; 2009-present)
[1967-1977 Weekly Nighttime opening & closing themes]
[1984-1986 Weekday Daytime opening theme]
[1990-1991 Weekday Daytime opening theme]
[2009-present Weekday Daytime opening theme]

-Commercial Break-

JEOPARDY!
(1964-1975; 1978-1979; 1984-present)
[1964-1975 Weekday Daytime opening & closing themes]
[1984-present Weekday Nighttime opening & closing themes]

WHEEL OF FORTUNE
(1975-present)
[1975-1983 Weekday Daytime opening & closing themes]
[1989-1994 Weekday Nighttime opening & closing themes]
[2002-2006 Weekday Nighttime opening theme]

-Commercial Break-

FAMILY FEUD
(1976-1985; 1988-1995; 1999-present)
[1975-1985 Weekday Daytime opening & closing themes]
[1994-1995 Weekday Nighttime opening & closing themes]
[2006-2010 Weekday Nighttime opening theme]
[2010-present Weekday Nighttime opening theme]

In keeping with the fun nature of this episode’s focus, I’ve included vintage commercials for classic board games such as Operation, Battleship, Mouse Trap, and Gnip Gnop. And you’ll also have fun listening to some ads that my podcasting friends provided to me to promote their own great podcasts; be sure to check them out.

Many, many thanks to Zerbinator for his continued support. His encouragement and expertise are very much appreciated by me. You can find all of his fun-to-listen-to podcasts here, including my favorite, “Please Stand By.” And I’d also like especially to thank him for providing the opening and closing theme music for Tube Tunes; all of his fantastic music can be found here. And, again, thanks are in order for him for providing TUBE TUNES with the “We’ll Be Right Back” drops heard during the podcast. Thanks, Burford.

I would also like to again thank Rob “Flack” O’Hara and Sean Johnson for adding TUBE TUNES to The Throwback Network. It’s a great place to find just about any retro-themed podcast you can think of. Please check out the network here.

I also need to thank the Free Music Archive for the following musical artists and songs that were used in this episode under the Creative Commons License: “The Savers” by Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley (used as the theme music for THE JOKER’S WILD), “Animal Booster Kiss” by The Cow Goes Moo, and “Happy Jambo” by Angel Garcia.

Finally, my thanks to Ferg of The Atari 2600 Game by Game Podcast. His inspiration and dedication to covering every game cartridge ever made for the Atari 2600 (I think over 1000 of them!) is what gave me the courage to begin this podcast. And his continued support and promotion of TUBE TUNES on his excellent podcast is greatly appreciated by yours truly. Please, check out his podcast, even if you’re not an Atari 2600 collector; or at least visit his website here.

Next Episode: “S02E04: Best of the Millennium” (available January 2017)