Review: Television's Greatest Hits: In Living Color
A look at the more notable themes on the fifth volume of the collection of TV theme songs.
The fifth volume of Television's Greatest Hits, subtitled "In Living Color," features 65 themes from the 1960s and 1970s, the decades in which color television became the standard for programming.
In the fifth volume, TeeVee Toons includes multiple theme songs from shows that were fairly popular, though in a few cases, themes are from shows that didn't last long but had noteworthy composers. But in the overwhelming majority of cases, people are likely to recognize the shows featured on the collection.
This was another collection that featured a lenticular cover for the first release of the compact disc, though subsequent releases had a regular cover.
There probably aren't as many themes on this collection that would be considered iconic, but there are a few that do a good job of setting the mood. Here are what would be the more noteworthy themes in the collection, for one reason or another.
Thunderbirds: One of several children's shows that used the Supermarionation technique, in which puppets are filmed in a version of stop-motion, this is probably the one most people who grew up in the 1960s will remember. The show focused on Jeff Tracy and his five sons as they operated the Thunderbird spacecrafts and space station and went on rescue missions. Barry Gray composed the theme song, along with the themes for other shows that Gerry and Sylvia Anderson produced for kids. It’s a theme song that sets the mood for what’s to come.
The Banana Splits: File this one under the theme song that, once you hear it, it will be stuck in your head. The show featured a rock and roll animal band consisting of Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snorky, who were voiced by Hanna-Barbera cartoon voice actors. Along with skits featuring the all-animal band, there were multiple cartoons included such as The Arabian Knights and The Three Musketeers. The show was later packaged with other cartoons for syndication.
Chico and the Man: The sitcom featured Freddie Prinze, who formed a partnership with garage owner Ed Brown (played by Jack Albertson). Prinze, as Chico, was filled with never-ending optimism while Brown was rather curmudgeonly, yet Chico helped Brown turn his fortunes around. Unfortunately, behind the scenes, things weren't well with Prinze, who killed himself in January 1977. Performing the theme song is a noteworthy Latino musician, none other than Jose Feliciano.
Here Come the Brides: A Western series set in Seattle in 1870, in which two young men worked a logging camp but there were few women in town, so their father sent back east for females who wanted to have an adventure. The show focused on the romantic interludes between the two young men and the women who came to town. The theme song performed the TV series was by a group called The New Establishment, but the song titled "Seattle" later became a hit for Perry Como. It's worth noting that one of the show's stars, Bobby Sherman (himself a singer) recorded a version of the theme song but it never got released.
General Hospital: Daytime soap operas started making their way into afternoon lineups in the 1960s. Perhaps one of the most notable daytime soaps would be this one that has aired on ABC since its inception. Originally a medical drama focused on its staff, the show grew into a much broader effort encompassing the many residents of fictional Port Charles. The story of Luke and Laura Spencer, in which the former sexually assaulted the latter but went on to become her one true love, may be the most memorable storyline in daytime soaps. Fans who watched that storyline unfold should remember the theme song, "Autumn Breeze," which was first used in 1976.
The Big Valley: An epic western that debuted in 1965 and had a solid run, focused on the Barkley ranch in California's San Joaquin Valley in the 1870s. The show had a noteworthy cast, featuring Barbara Stanwyck, Lee Majors, Linda Evans and Peter Breck. Majors and Evans would go on to star in multiple TV series (Majors has another one coming up on this list). This is another Western that had a noteworthy theme song.
Police Woman: One of the first police dramas to star a woman in the lead role, though Angie Dickinson was better known to that point for cigarette advertising, in which she wore a costume that looked like a cigarette pack and only her legs could be seen. The show did make a point of Dickinson's character, Sgt. "Pepper" Anderson, using her looks as much as her smarts to solve cases. The theme song is one of those that does a good job of setting the mood.
The Men: Few may remember this short-lived series that was an actually three series under an umbrella title: Assignment Vienna, Delphi Bureau and Jigsaw. The first two focused on spy drama and the third was a detective series. The show never caught on with viewers but the theme song is certainly notable. Isaac Hayes, a popular soul musician at the time and the composer of the theme to the movie Shaft, composed the theme song and it charted, making it another TV theme that had success despite the show itself lacking it.
Emergency!: While many shows that focused on public safety emphasized police officers and detectives, this one focused on paramedics and the situations they encountered, then switched over to the hospital at which patients received treatment. The show focused on Squad 51 of the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Paramedical Rescue Service, with situations that often featured "danglers," or people stuck in precarious situations. This is another show with a theme song that does a good job setting the mood.
Six Million Dollar Man: Lee Majors make another appearance, this time in a series that triggered the escapism period of television in the mid 1970s. Majors played Steve Austin, a United States astronaut who was critically injured in a failed rocket launch. Doctors then saved his life, using electronic parts to make him into a cyborg with enhanced strength, super speed and a left eye that could see great distances. The opening theme starts with mostly spoken word that explains the show's premise, then the short burst of music gets you in the mood for what's to come.
Olympic Fanfare: The Olympics have been around for centuries but when they made their way to television, ABC eventually got the rights and became protective of them. ABC even sought to have its own music produced for its Olympic broadcasts and this theme song debuted in the 1960s. The theme song, though, did not travel to NBC at first when that network acquired the rights. But a few years later, the theme first recorded for ABC, "Bugler's Dream," made its way over to the broadcasts and has been associated with them ever since.
Masterpiece Theatre: The show premiered on PBS in 1971 and has been airing ever since, though it was later retitled "Masterpiece" in 2008. The original show format featured serializations of literary works and original screenplays. Originally hosted by Alistair Cooke, the show evolved into a different format with its title change, featuring Masterpiece Classic, Masterpiece Mystery and Masterpiece Contemporary. When the show evolved, each format got new theme music, but viewers who remember the original format will no doubt recognize its theme song.
Where the Action Is: When rock and roll made it big in the 1950s, multiple shows made their way to the airwaves to feature current acts. American Bandstand is probably the most notable of them (the show's them is featured in the third volume), but other shows came and went during the 1960s. Among them was this spinoff of American Bandstand, created by Dick Clark (who hosted the show from which this spun off) that included a theme song performed by Freddy Cannon. Even if you don't remember the show, you probably remember the song, which reached No. 13 on the Billboard charts.
This Is Tom Jones: Musical variety shows were a staple of prime time in the 1960s and 1970s. One of the entertainers to get in on the act was singer Tom Jones, who had plenty of chart hits at the time this show went on the air. Like many shows at the time, they would revolve around the star, who would have a number of guests visit to perform alongside him. And what would be the theme song for his show? Why, it would be one of the biggest hits of his career, "It's Not Unusual."
Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In: Before there was Saturday Night Live, there was this fast-paced comedy show that featured short sketches interspersed with quick sight gags, one-liners and endless catch phrases. Dan Rowan and Dick Martin were the hosts and notable actors who got their big breaks on the show were Goldie Hawn, Arte Johnson, Lily Tomlin, Ruth Buzzi and Henry Gibson. The theme song is noteworthy, though not everyone may know it had a title: "Inquisitive Tango."
The Carol Burnett Show: One of the greatest female comedians of all time, Burnett got her own weekly series on CBS in 1967 after a number of appearances on other shows. Her show lasted 10 seasons and featured a group of regulars — Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence and Lyle Waggoner — who stayed with her for most of the show's run. Burnett would interact with the audience at the start of each show, which featured comedy sketches and closed out with its noteworthy theme song, "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together." (There’s also a version with lyrics, which Burnett sang many times on the show.)