Review: Television's Greatest Hits: Remote Control
A look at the more notable TV themes from the sixth volume of the collection of TV theme songs.
The sixth volume of Television's Greatest Hits more or less picks up where the third volume left on with multiple TV themes from the 1970s and 1980s.
The "Remote Control" subtitle is a nod to how TV viewing practices evolved in those decades. The TV remote control was actually invented in 1950 but didn't become a common feature in households until much later.
Those who grew up with television in the 1950s to 1970s can remember the days of having to get up if you wanted to change the channel or turn the TV off. Once the 1980s arrived, more households no longer had to go through that process and, today, not only might some consider it crazy to get up to the change the channel, but plenty of TVs don't allow you to change the channel without the remote.
At any rate, the 1980s were also the era in which syndication arguably became a bigger deal as more independent TV stations launched, and in which cable TV was on the rise. But the part about cable TV comes in our final installment.
For now, let's look at the more notable themes song from the Remote Control collection, ranging from themes that would be considered iconic, did a good job setting the mood or featured noteworthy artists — and in a few cases, those artists were responsible for themes well remembered by those who grew up on the TV shows.
Diff'rent Strokes: One of the themes that could have easily been included on the third volume, the show focused on the sons of a maid who died and her employer, a wealthy businessman, adopted them. The show made a star out of Gary Coleman, who unfortunately had health issues that stunted his growth and would later sue his parents over misappropriation of his income. The show was one of the more popular sitcoms of the 1970s and 1980s and its theme song, written by Alan Thicke and Gloria Loring, is easily remembered by those who watched the series.
What's Happening?: One of the first sitcoms to focus on kids living in the inner city, rather than kids in the middle-class suburbs like the sitcoms of the 1950s and 1960s, the series followed the friendship between Raj, Rerun and Dwayne as they made their way through high school. The series lasted four seasons, but got revived in syndication six years later under the title "What's Happening Now" and focused on the three after they graduated from college. Henry Mancini, he of the Pink Panther and Peter Gunn themes, provided the theme music for this sitcom.
Family Ties: The show that gave Michael J. Fox his big break, which put him in the role of Alex Keaton, a teenage boy who idolized William F. Buckley and watched Wall Street Week, a contrast to his parents who were part of the flower children movement in the 1960s. The Keatons also had two daughters (played by Justine Bateman and Tina Yothers) and added another young son along the way (in real life, Meredith Baxter, who played the mother, became pregnant with twins). The theme song "Without Us" is not just noteworthy but the singers who performed it are noteworthy themselves: R&B and soul legends Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams. Mathis sold more than 360 million records worldwide and had big hits in "Chances Are," "Misty" and "It's Not for Me to Say." Williams rose to prominence in the 1970s and her biggest solo hit was "Let's Hear It for the Boy" from the movie Footloose, which made it to No. 1. And the two were no strangers when it came to duets — they released multiple singles together and had a No. 1 hit in "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late."
Growing Pains: The aforementioned Thicke had tried a run on the late night talk show circuit but it flopped. However, he found a hit in this sitcom, which also made Kirk Cameron a teenage heartthrob in the 1980s. Thicke played Jason, a New York psychiatrist who worked from his home and dealt with the expected issues that a sitcom family might encounter. This is another show with a theme song that featured two notable performers: B.J. Thomas and Jennifer Warnes. Thomas had multiple singles that charted high, most notably "Hooked on a Feeling," "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" and "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song." Warnes' biggest hit as a solo artist was "Right Time of the Night," but she may be best known for duets from two 1980s movies — duets that went all the way to No. 1 and both won Grammys. The first, with Joe Cocker, was "Up Where We Belong" from An Officer and a Gentleman and the second, with Bill Medley, was "The Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing.
The Golden Girls: The show's premise featured three middle aged women who shared a home in Miami, with the mother of one of them also residing there. The show was best known for the talent of the cast, as Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Betty White and Estelle Getty all went on to win an Emmy Award for either best actress or best supporting actress in a sitcom — an unprecedented feat for the popular show that lasted seven seasons. The theme song "Thank You For Being A Friend" may be one of the most appropriate for a show — it's short, to the point and just fits.
Angie: Another example of a TV show that didn't last long but its theme song is noteworthy. Donna Pescow played a waitress from a working-class family and Robert Hays played the son of rich parents, the two fell in love and conflict arose between their respective families. The show lasted just a season and a half, but the theme song by Maureen McGovern, "Different Worlds," made it into the top 20. McGovern had multiple hits in the 1970s and her biggest hit "The Morning After" from the movie The Poseidon Adventure made it to No. 1.
Police Squad: Proof that some concepts don't get over with TV studio executives but make it big with movie audiences, the team of Jim Abrahams and brothers David and Jerry Zucker, fresh off the success of the movie Airplane!, entered the world of TV sitcoms in a show that poked fun at M-Squad and similar police dramas. Leslie Nielsen starred as Lt. Frank Drebin and, every week, the featured guest star was killed during the opening credits. The show relied on the stylings of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker, got over big with critics but ABC didn't see it as a show TV audiences would get and canceled it after just six episodes. So Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker took it to the big screen and The Naked Gun trilogy featuring Nielsen hit it big at the box office. The theme song used on the TV series made its way to the films, too, but listen carefully to the theme — it sounds a little like the M-Squad theme, does it not?
Moonlighting: An hour-long show focusing on the partners of the Blue Moon Detective Agency who had a love-hate relationship but often teased romantic feelings, the show put Bruce Willis on the map and rejuvenated the career of Cybill Shepherd. Jokes frequently flew and sometimes characters would break the fourth wall, but behind the scenes, feuding between the series' creator and the ABC network led to delays in new episodes. Still, the show caught on with viewers. This is another show that got a big name to perform the theme: R&B legend Al Jarreau, whose 1981 album Breakin' Away won a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
The Benny Hill Show: The British comedian had a hit TV series on the BBC that premiered in 1969 and it eventually made its way to syndication in the United States in 1979. Hill was known for his bawdy jokes and gags involving scantily clad women and his show became popular with those who stayed up late at night (when it was usually aired) to watch Hill's antics. The theme song "Yakety Sax" was actually produced in 1963 by Boots Randolph, but it will be forever associated with Hill's TV show.
Monday Night Football: The NFL took a chance when it reached an agreement with ABC to present football games on Monday night back in 1970 and it's become a staple of the NFL season ever since. Unlike other NFL broadcasts at the time, the games featured a three-man commentary team instead of two, headlined by the opinionated Howard Cosell, who was first joined by color commentator Don Meredith and play-by-play man Keith Jackson. Frank Gifford replaced Jackson after a season and the trio remained a fixture for more than a decade. Other commentators have appeared through the years, with some combinations working well and others not so much. There have been multiple anthems put together for broadcasts, but the longtime theme song rolled out in the 1970s is one many NFL fans should immediately recognize.
Dukes of Hazzard: Another theme song that could have been easily included on the third volume, the show featured Tom Wopat and John Schneider as Luke and Bo Duke and their dealings with corrupt politician Boss Hogg. The cousins frequently rode their Dodge Charger the General Lee to deal with Hogg's schemes (among others) and sometimes got help from fellow cousin Daisy Duke (Catherine Bach), who had her own vehicle, a Jeep called Dixie. Any fan of the show knows the theme song well. Waylon Jennings, who is considered one of the pioneers of the outlaw movement in country music, not only performed the theme but was the show's balladeer and narrator.
Movin' On: Another show that may not be remembered well but you probably know the theme song well. Claude Akins and Frank Converse played two truckers (Akins the older, hot-headed owner and Converse the young, idealistic college grad) who found plenty of situations to resolve as they made their way across the United States. The series lasted three seasons but the theme song, performed by country music legend Merle Haggard, was a huge hit. People should instantly recognize the tune and may be surprised to learn it originally came from a TV show.
The Fall Guy: This collection included a number of theme songs performed by the stars of the show — Linda Lavin with the "Alice" theme, Marla Gibbs with the "227" theme and Greg Evigan with the "BJ and the Bear" theme. But this may be the most notable theme song performed by the show's star, as Lee Majors sung the lyrics to "The Unknown Stuntman." Majors played Hollywood stuntman Colt Seavers, who also worked as a part-time bounty hunter and found his movie career allowed him a means to track down people who had jumped bail. The theme song explains the Seavers character quite well.
Knight Rider: David Hasselhoff made the jump from daytime soap operas to prime time with this show featuring him as crimefighter Michael Knight. His car may have been the star of the show, though, as the KITT 2000 was a talking vehicle that could leap through the air, crash through walls and come out unscathed. It also had a personality of its own (William Daniels provided the voice). The show wasn't set in the future but may as well have been, and its theme song certainly plays into a futuristic vibe.
The New Twilight Zone: An attempt to revive the classic series by Rod Serling but without Serling, the man who made it work. The show featured both new stories and new productions of episodes from the previous series, but it lasted just one year on CBS and another in syndication. The theme song was a twist on the original show's iconic theme and it was performed by none other than The Grateful Dead.
Doctor Who: Another show that came from Great Britain, it remains the longest running science fiction series in history, though with different actors assuming the title role. The show followed the time traveling "Doctor" through different adventures throughout the timeline. It made its way to the United States in syndication, on PBS and, later, the expanding world of cable TV. The "Doctor" was actually an alien who could morph into different forms, thus allowing the show to change the lead actor as needed. The theme song featured is from its earlier years but later versions have stayed true to how it sets the mood for the show.