The recent passing of TV legend, Ronnie Hazlehurst, got me thinking about TV theme tunes. If you don’t know who Ronnie is, let me tell you. Sir Hazlehurst composed the theme tunes for many well known British sitcoms of the 1970s and 1980s, including Are You Being Served?, Last of the Summer Wine, Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, To the Manor Born and Yes Minister. The man was one of TV’s giants.

Thinking about modern telly, it seems that the great theme tune has all but vanished. This might have something to do with the squashing of credits at the end of shows (see Charlie Brooker’s diatribe on the last Screen Wipe), but the fact still stands… what happened to the TV theme? With an absence of themes to sing-along to, I started thinking of some of my faves. The theme from psychedelic kids show, The Banana Splits, is one that is burnt into my brain. “La la laaa, la la l’laaaa, la la laaaa, la l’laaa laaaa…” and that’s only for starters.

Thinking about TV shows from yesteryear, there are so many that I know the words to and would happily join in with the singing. Only Fools and Horses, shown to death on the Beeb, still provides great joy when the line “T.V.s, deep freeze and David Bowie L.P.s, Ball games, gold chains, whassa-names, and at a push, Some Trevor Francis track suits from a mush in Shepherds Bush, Bush, bush, bush, bush, bush, bush, bush…” and that’s not mentioning the opening “Stick a pony in my pocket…”.

Then, looking at the seventies, you had the incredible funk of Monkey. Who could resist hopping around and howling “born from an egg on a moun-tain top”? Children’s TV of yesteryear was a rich mine for great songs. The Grange Hill theme of the seventies and early eighties must be one of the most loved tunes ever written. Baw Ba Baw Baaaaaw…. cue bass line. Ulysses 31, Mysterious Cities of Gold, Around the World in 80 Days with Willy Fogg, Screen Test… the list goes on and on.

Over the pond, you had the incredible theme from The Munsters, The Addams Family, Bewitched, Cheers, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, The Simpsons, Happy Days… do I need to continue? Even British music shows had great themes. Led Zep’s A Whole Lotta Love graced the credits of Top of the Pops and Stone Fox Chase may mean little to you, but watch an old episode of The Old Grey Whistle Test and you’ll be doing a terrible impression of a harmonica in no time.

In recent years, the only themes that I can think of are the insipid – but popular – ditty from Friends and the marvelously camp Frasier jazz. Some would probably argue Family Guy, but seeing as I loathed the show, I can’t claim to recall it. Same goes for South Park. So what happened to the Great British theme? On the box now, the only ones that really leap out are that of Coronation Street and Eastenders… but they’re hardly new are they? Where have all the theme songs gone!?!?

So, it’s over to you now dear Scoopers. What is your favourite TV theme? Which opening credits see you stuck with an ear worm all day, humming along like a disturbed music fan?