Any Major Dude With Half A Heart

On this mix of 84 television themes, in their short form, most from the US and a few from the UK, I am giving you an overview of my television-watching habits over a lifetime. These themes were not chosen for quality (though many are very good), but because they announced the beginning of a new journey in a succession of one might call appointment TV shows — programmes which I have made it a point to watch, at least for some stages of their run.

Some I persevered with for the duration (such as Hill Street Blues, The Wonder Tears, Seinfeld, The West Wing, The Sopranos, Homicide, The Shield, The Wire, Justified etc), others I followed faithfully before becoming bored with them (such as Desperate Housewives, LA Law, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family). Some I followed when I didn’t know better, until I did (Dallas, Dynasty). Some I have rewatched more than once, such as The Sopranos, Justified, The Shield, The Wire, Friends, and, despite my dislike of the title’s person, Seinfeld. And Blackadder’s Seasons 2 & 3, which I must have seen at least a dozen times.

The most obscure inclusion here might be Kaz, in which Ron Leibman (Rachel’s dad, Friends fans) played an ex-con lawyer. I have no idea if it actually was any good — it lasted only one season — but I watched it faithfully every Friday night when I was in my mid-teens.

Towards the end are the themes of the international shows I loved as a child in Germany in the early ’70s, most of them being shown then as re-runs. My favourite at the time was Bonanza. I’ve included the themes of my favourite German-language as a bonus mix. I have omitted cartoon shows, hence the absence of The Simpsons.

For several volumes of full-length themes, see Any Major TV Themes.

The composers’ names, if I could find them, are in the ID3 Tags. The mix is timed to fit on a CD-R, so it might come in useful as an addition to a trivia night. It includes home-tuned covers. PW in comments.

L.A. Law (1986-94) • Magnum PI (1980-88) • Hill Street Blues (1981-87) • thirtysomething (1987-91) • Night Court (1984-92) • Cheers (1982-93) • Frasier (1993-2004) • Mad About You (1992-99) • Murphy Brown (1988-98) • Spin City (1996-2002) • Seinfeld (1989-99) • Quantum Leap (1989-93) • Law & Order (1990-2010) • NYPD Blue (1993-2005) • Homicide – Life On The Street (1993-99) •  The Practice (1997-2004) • The West Wing (1999-2006) • The Sopranos (1999-2007) • Six Feet Under (2001-05) • The Shield (2002-08) • The Wire (S4) (2002-08) • Freaks & Geeks (1999) • Veronica Mars (2004-07) • Entourage (2004-11) • Arrested Development (2003-9,13) • Flight Of The Conchords (2007-08) • Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-11) • Desperate Housewives (2004-12) • Prison Break (2005-09) • Justified (2010-2015) • True Blood (2008-2014) • Breaking Bad (2008-13) • Dexter (2006-13) • Mad Men (2007-2015) • The Walking Dead (2010-2022) • Lie To Me (2009-11) • Shameless (US) (2011-2021) • Louie (2010-2015) • Everybody Hates Chris (2006-09) • The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019) • Modern Family (2009-2022) • Pushing Daisies (2007-09) • Downton Abbey (2010-2015) • The Office (UK) (2001-03) • The Inbetweeners (UK) (2008-10) • Father Ted (1995-98) • Bottom (1991-95) • Blackadder II (1986) • Blackadder The Third (1987) • Fawlty Towers (1975/79) • Three’s Company (1977-84) • Police Squad (1982) • Sledge Hammer (1986-88) • Just Shoot Me (1997-2003) • Friends (1994-2004) • Wings (1990-97) • The Wonder Years (1988-92) • Wiseguy (1987-90) • Matlock (1986-92) • Moonlighting (1985-89) • Family Ties (1982-89) • Taxi (1978-83) • Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-79) • Soap (1977-81) • Dallas (1978-91) • Dynasty (1981-89) • Family (1976-79) • Kaz (1978-79) • Petrocelli (1974-76) • Streets of San Francisco (1972-77) • The Waltons (1972-81) • The Partridge Family (1970-74) • The Brady Bunch (1969-74) • Riptide (Australia) (1969) • Star Trek (1966-69) • Gunsmoke (1955-75) • Bonanza (1959-73) • The Virginian (1962-71) • Get Smart (1965-70) • Daktari (1966-69) • Tarzan (1966-68) • Flipper (1964-67) • Skippy, The Bush Kangaroo (1966-68) • Lassie (1954-73)

German themes: Der Kommissar (1968-74) • Derrick (1974-97) • Tatort (1970- ) • Der Bastian (1973) • ZDF Hitparade (1969-2000) • Das aktuelle Sport-Studio (1964- ) • Sportschau (1962- ) • Der Grosse Preis (1974-93) • Dalli Dalli (1971-86) • Die Montagsmaler (1974-79) • Aktenzeichen XY…Ungelöst (1967- ) • Ein Herz und eine Seele (1973-76) • Pan Tau (1970-78) • Die Sendung mit der Maus (1971- ) • Dick und Doof (1970-73) • ÂPercy Stuart (1969-72) • Pippi Langstrumpf (1969-70) • Sesamstrasse (1973- ) • Sandmännchen (West-German version; 1970s-80s)

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