10 Television Opening Themes I Never Fast Forward Through

Television advertisers really have to work to capture our attention today.

Before the days of recording, digital or otherwise, we were captives during our favorite TV shows. Subject to whatever products and services the advertisers had paid to present to us, watching the commercials was an inevitable part of the experience. Whether consciously or not, we were absorbing the paid advertisements that routinely interrupted our shows.

Now, as we clear DVR space it sometimes feels like a race. How many shows can we bang through in one sitting? If we knock out a 30 minute sitcom in 22 minutes, and an hour drama in 45, we have more time for activities! (like watching more shows)

Rarely do we let the commercials play, let alone consciously watch them, as we fast forward through each break to continue watching the show.  It seems TV producers and directors have come to the realization that the opening and closing credits of their shows likely fall under the ‘fast forward’ category as well, shortening the average opening to a few seconds or foregoing it altogether by embedding the credits in the content of the show.

Something I’d fast forward all the way through

That said, there are still a few shows for which I let the opening theme play. In some cases it feels like an integral part of the experience,  in others, it just doesn’t make sense to fast forward because the opening is so short that by the time you press the play button it puts you back at the start of what you just fast forwarded (seriously, what is the deal with that? How annoying. It takes such precision that spot-on-fast-forwarding could be a new Olympic sport).

The shows on this list (past & present) have themes that I always let run their course, for one reason or another.

*Based on the comments, I should be clear – this is not our list of the best TV themes of all time! Those are here: (80s) & (90s).

10. That 70s Show

Performed by Cheap Trick, the theme for this show was so catchy I’d find myself singing it for hours after watching thew show. Now in syndication and running on the late night circuit, I’ve spent many a night falling asleep with this tune in my head. Who can’t relate to “hangin’ out down the street” with their friends, doing “the same old thing we did last week”?

9. How I Met Your Mother

This is one of those themes that falls in the category mentioned above- too quick to fast forward through. If their standard M.O. was to go to commercial after the theme, I’d hit FF and let it ride. The problem is, they return to show content immediately after the theme, so by the time I hit FF, I blow past the first few seconds of show, and then have to do the Austin Powers 23-point-turn to get it back to where I want to be. This process averages about 32 seconds of button mashing and low-grade cursing, whereas the theme itself only lasts about 12.

8. Lost

Barely qualifying as a theme song, at 10 seconds the Lost “opening sound” is not worth speeding through, and contributes to the overall unique feel of the watching the show.

7. Scrubs

Another theme that would be short enough to sit through, but I probably wouldn’t skip anyway. Using just two lines from Lazlo Bane’s “Superman”, the opening was fast-paced (12 seconds), catchy, and of my all time favorites.

6. House

In 2007, I was probably the only guy in South Carolina with Massive Attack’s sleepy “Teardrop” on my iPod’s gym playlist. Not exactly an adrenaline-pumping muscle anthem, it was just something I dug. House was a show I rarely watched live, frequently relegating it to DVR space, but when when I caught up I never skipped the intro.

5. The Walking Dead

This theme falls under the “adds to the experience of watching the show” heading. The way they embed the first few seconds of violin into the end of the cold opening is one of the small details that makes this show great. By the time you’ve heard the opening notes of the song, you’re hooked.

4. Golden Girls

Not much more can be said about my love of the girls golden, and one of the elements of the show that has endeared it to me over the years is the theme song. Beginning and ending with “Thank you for bein’ a friend”, this is easily one of the best TV themes of all time.

3. Friends

The disparity between the earlier and later seasons of Friends is remarkable. A good show from the start, Friends is one of those programs that ended stronger than it began, and a quick survey of the various seasons’ opening themes support that. From season 2 on, the producers began changing the characters’ scenes in the opening theme to keep viewers guessing as to who would do “the clap” (it’s not as dirty as it sounds). The theme became a 30 second run-through of great show moments and sight gags, such as Monica falling or a bird flying at Phoebe’s face.

2. The Simpsons

We always had to see what Bart was writing on the chalkboard and how they arranged themselves on the family couch.

1. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

There were no elements of surprise, no changes, no easter eggs. This is just flat-out one of the most entertaining TV openings ever. While the only recording of this show was done on VHS, as opposed to DVR, I never felt the urge to skip it even once.