Category Archives: Television

General, Sitcom Theme Songs, Television, Top 10 Countdown

Sitcom Theme Songs of the ’80s

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Remember when television sitcom theme songs were more than a few seconds? They used to show the premise of the show and introduce the starring characters. Sure, some of them may have been corny, but the opening theme was just about as good as the show itself.

Here are some of my favorites from the ’80s:

10. Happy Days
The original song was Bill Haley’s “Rock Around The Clock”. Then from 1976 through 1984 the show had its own original song written by television theme writers Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox, who also wrote the themes for Wonder Woman, Laverne and Shirley, and Love Boat. The song was sung by Jerry McClain and Truett Pratt, who were also known as Brother Love.

9. Golden Girls

This song was “Thank You for Being a Friend”, and was written by written by Andrew Gold. It was actually a #25 hit on the Billboard charts in 1978. You can see him perform it here.
The television theme version was recorded by Cynthia Fee (who is also known for her 1984 duet with Kenny Rogers, “I Don’t Want To Know Why”).

8. The Facts of Life

“The Facts of Life” theme was written by Growing Pains dad Alan Thicke, Days of Our Lives star Gloria Loring and Al Burton, and was sung by Gloria Loring.

7. Silver Spoons

The show’s theme song titled “Together” was written by Rik Howard and Bob Wirth. It was sung by The Archies’ alumni Ron Dante.

6. Punky Brewster

This theme song is “Every Time I Turn Around”, and was written by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo and sung by Portnoy. Here is the version from seasons 3 and 4. To see the first season version, check out the Punk Brewster article from May 6 .

5. Charles in Charge

There were 2 versions of this song, even though the lyrics were the same. They are both good.

Season 1:

The rest of the seasons:

4. The Jeffersons

This song is “Movin’ on Up” and was written by Jeff Barry and Ja’net Dubois, and performed by Dubois. I dare to not move your hands or feet to this song!

3. Diff’rent Strokes

Like it’s spin-off, The Facts of Life, this song was written by Alan Thicke, Gloria Loring and Al Burton. This was sung by Alan Thicke.

2. Growing Pains

This song is “As Long As We Got Each Other,” sung by B.J. Thomas and Jennifer Warnes, and was written by Steve Dorff and John Bettis.
B.J. Thomas had hit songs such as “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” and “Whatever Happened to Old-Fashioned Love”. Jennifer Warnes was a very successful duet singer as she had hits with “Up Where We Belong” (with Joe Cocker, from the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman) and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” (with Bill Medley from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing).

1. Cheers

This is “Where Everybody Knows Your Name”, and was written by Gary Portnoy (who also wrote and performed the Punky Brewster theme) and Judy Hart Angelo and performed by Portnoy. I like the long version. The short version usually gets played for the reruns now.

Does anybody else have any favorites? Three’s Company? Laverne and Shirley? Perfect Strangers? Family Ties?

Television, This week ...

April 16, 1981 – The final episode of “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” aired on NBC

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Today in 1981, the final episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is aired.
The series ran for two seasons between 1979 – 1981, and the pilot was released in theaters a few months before the series aired. Much like the original Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers was inspired by the success of Star Wars. The title character, Captain William Anthony “Buck” Rogers, was played by Gil Gerard. He was a NASA pilot who commanded Ranger 3, a space shuttle that is launched in May 1987. Because of a life support malfunction, Buck is accidentally frozen for 504 years before the derelict spacecraft is discovered in the year 2491. He was revived, and found out that civilization on Earth was rebuilt after a nuclear war. The series followed him as he tried to fit into 25th-Century culture. Due to his pilot and combat skills, he was able to help defend Earth against evil. Rogers is aided in his adventures by his friend and semi-romantic interest, Colonel Wilma Deering, played by Erin Gray (who would later appear in Silver Spoons), and his comic sidekick robot, Twiki. Twiki was voiced by Bugs Bunny’s Mel Blanc. Ratings dropped significantly after the second season premiere. NBC cancelled the series at the end of an eleven-episode strike-abbreviated season.

MTV, Music, News, Television

MTV Drops ‘Music Television’ From Its Logo

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MTV redesigned its logo by removing “Music Television”.

The new look was revealed on-air yesterday. It features the original 3-D large “M” with the small, graffiti-style “tv” on the right side. But the new design is expanded, so that photos of MTV “talent”, including the cast of “Jersey Shore,” “The Buried Life” and “My Life as Liz,” can be seen through it.

This has probably been a long time coming since I can’t remember the last time I actually saw a music video on that channel.

New MTV logo
News, Television

Gary Coleman pleads guilty in Utah court

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Gary Coleman plead guilty, on February 8, to a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge related to a domestic violence incident last April.
Coleman entered a guilty plea in a deal with the prosecutor in Santaquin Justice Court on his 42nd (!) birthday. No details of the April 18 incident are detailed in court documents, but defense attorney Randy Kester told The Associated Press that Coleman and his wife, Shannon Price, had an argument which got out of hand.

Judge Sharla Williams sentenced Coleman to 31 1/2 days in jail. The Diff’rent Strokes star will serve the time only if he fails to complete a domestic violence course and pay a $595 fine.

Coleman was arrested Jan. 24 at home on a warrant for failing to appear in court. He spent a night in jail before a fan paid his $1,725 bail. Kester said Coleman missed the court appearance because he was in the hospital.