Forgotten TV Themes

[Mark Giardina]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqx-D0440pA&feature=related

To be honest I can remember only a few of these shows.

 

[LKellerIII]

Wow - interesting stuff. I don't recall any of them either, but I was a kid at the time, and most of these shows were probably after my bedtime.

John Cassavetes (Johnny Staccato) became a critically acclaimed independent film producer and director in the 70s. His son Nick (by wife Gena Rowlands) is a current director.

Craig Stevens (Mr. Broadway) was also Peter Gunn - I don't know if Gunn came earlier or later. If you note the credits, the theme is by jazz great Dave Brubeck, the show is directed by acclaimed writer/director Garson Kanin, and the show was produced by David Susskind. Quite a pedigree. I'm guessing Mr. Broadway was a critical success and a ratings loser.

Note Norman Fell in 87th Precinct. I do recall that before his breakout role as Mr. Roper, he mostly played very serious deadpan cops in episodic TV.

I do recall Checkmate and Hawk, the earliest attempt to make Burt Reynolds a star. There was also Dan August, a few years later. In fact, Norman Fell co-starred in Dan August - as a deadpan cop, of course. Reynolds was not a big success in TV - it wasn't until his Smokey and the Bandit films that his career really caught fire.

IIRC, the gimmick in Hawk was that he was a Native American cop. That role followed his regular appearances in Gunsmoke as a Native American blacksmith.

 

[Mark Giardina]

Wow - interesting stuff. I don't recall any of them either, but I was a kid at the time, and most of these shows were probably after my bedtime.

John Cassavetes (Johnny Staccato) became a critically acclaimed independent film producer and director in the 70s. His son Nick (by wife Gena Rowlands) is a current director.

Craig Stevens (Mr. Broadway) was also Peter Gunn - I don't know if Gunn came earlier or later. If you note the credits, the theme is by jazz great Dave Brubeck, the show is directed by acclaimed writer/director Garson Kanin, and the show was produced by David Susskind. Quite a pedigree. I'm guessing Mr. Broadway was a critical success and a ratings loser.

Note Norman Fell in 87th Precinct. I do recall that before his breakout role as Mr. Roper, he mostly played very serious deadpan cops in episodic TV.

I do recall Checkmate and Hawk, the earliest attempt to make Burt Reynolds a star. There was also Dan August, a few years later. In fact, Norman Fell co-starred in Dan August - as a deadpan cop, of course. Reynolds was not a big success in TV - it wasn't until his Smokey and the Bandit films that his career really caught fire.

IIRC, the gimmick in Hawk was that he was a Native American cop. That role followed his regular appearances in Gunsmoke as a Native American blacksmith.

There are plenty more of these forgotten TV theme songs on You Tube along with commercials from the 1960s.

Plus remember that the theme song was played after each program, unlike today where there is an intro to the next show while one would need to be superman to read the credits scrolling by at light speed.

 

[LKellerIII]

Wow - interesting stuff. I don't recall any of them either, but I was a kid at the time, and most of these shows were probably after my bedtime.

John Cassavetes (Johnny Staccato) became a critically acclaimed independent film producer and director in the 70s. His son Nick (by wife Gena Rowlands) is a current director.

Craig Stevens (Mr. Broadway) was also Peter Gunn - I don't know if Gunn came earlier or later. If you note the credits, the theme is by jazz great Dave Brubeck, the show is directed by acclaimed writer/director Garson Kanin, and the show was produced by David Susskind. Quite a pedigree. I'm guessing Mr. Broadway was a critical success and a ratings loser.

Note Norman Fell in 87th Precinct. I do recall that before his breakout role as Mr. Roper, he mostly played very serious deadpan cops in episodic TV.

I do recall Checkmate and Hawk, the earliest attempt to make Burt Reynolds a star. There was also Dan August, a few years later. In fact, Norman Fell co-starred in Dan August - as a deadpan cop, of course. Reynolds was not a big success in TV - it wasn't until his Smokey and the Bandit films that his career really caught fire.

IIRC, the gimmick in Hawk was that he was a Native American cop. That role followed his regular appearances in Gunsmoke as a Native American blacksmith.

There are plenty more of these forgotten TV theme songs on You Tube along with commercials from the 1960s.

Plus remember that the theme song was played after each program, unlike today where there is an intro to the next show while one would need to be superman to read the credits scrolling by at light speed.

That's true, but I've noticed that the full credit rolls at the end of the shows do appear on these shows for their syndicated reruns, and when you watch them On Demand. Usually just a plain black background with the show's theme playing. There may be some rule even - with the Unions representing the technicians and staff working on these shows - that the credits are still required - except for the original network run.

 

[Hal Erickson]

My memory is a curious one. I can vividly recall the theme songs, and most of the words, for such obscure one-season wonders as THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS SHOW, GUESTWARD HO, MY MOTHER THE CAR, IT'S ABOUT TIME, THE CARA WILLIAMS SHOW, CAPTAIN NICE and RANGO. But don't ask me what I had for breakfast this morning.