Is That Sitcom Theme Music? Well, Turn It Up!
Note: The following music and video clips are made possible by Sitcoms Online, a truly essential and exceptional resource that we hope will see this post as a celebration of its mission and not a misappropriation of its materials.
MP3: The Brady Brides Theme Song
VIDEO: The Brady Brides Opening Credits
Today if you miss more than one airing of 24, Lost or Desperate Housewives--and are not in possession of a DVR--you might as well take up reading or conversing with loved ones because you will never be able to make heads or tails of the shows' narratives. But back in the 70's and 80's--back before the prevalence of multi-episode plots and diligent story editors--you could easily skip one, two, twelve of your favorite show's broadcasts and still never miss a beat. That's because back then each episode was its own little world, without any connection to or reflection on future or past developments. Characters never evolved. Motives were never questioned. Premises were left unaltered until late in the series' run and only then by way of a live-in cousin or new restaurant lease . It was television for people who liked to watch but not necessarily recall television. Sensing this, the producers of the 1981 series The Brady Brides opted to do their contemporaries one better by playing a theme song so rich in exposition that one need not watch the rest of the program. Ever. Yes, over the course of one familiar-sounding tune you got the premise, the set-up of the premise, how the premise unfolded and how said premise would affect each and every character. In fact, the only thing you didn't get was the eventual time and date of Jan and Marcia's deaths. Small wonder the series lasted a mere ten epsiodes. They used up the plots of at least 40 shows in the opening title sequence alone.
MP3: Angie Theme Song
VIDEO: Angie Opening Credits
Before Doris Roberts played an Italian mother on Everybody Loves Raymond she played an Italian mother on Angie, a sitcom about a waitress (Donna Pescow, the mistreated "Annette" in Saturday Night Fever) who meets and marries a doctor and scion of Philadelphia high society (Robert Hays, hot off the success of Airplane and only beginning his long, slow descent into "Gee, that's a shame" professional obscurity). The title tune "Different Worlds" (sung by Maureen McGovern at a time when the phrase "We got Maureen McGovern to sing the title tune!" ensured radio play) cracked the Top 20, alas achieving greater success than the short-lived Angie ever would. In all honestly not only do I remember this program but I remember actually liking both it and--adding to my ever-growing "secret shame" music list--the theme song. However, what I don't remember is the almost pornographic food fetishism in the opening credit sequence. Popcorn, hot dogs, apples, whipped cream, ice cream, whole turkeys, salt--these people never stop eating! This is true love truly in need of counseling. Still, it makes me curiously happy to know that someone thought to save this 1979-1980 oddity on the Net if not for posterity then for me.
MP3: Alice Theme Song
VIDEO: Alice Opening Credits
Most sitcom theme songs of yore tried to immediately grab the ever-fickle viewer by being upbeat and uptempo, whether by way of chirpy horns, corny lyrics or copying BJ Thomas. But the theme song to Alice practically dared you to stick it out for the long haul with a slow funk/cabaret groove that didn't say "merriment" so much as "malaise." That is until we hit the triumphant call of lyric line five, when suddenly the song embodied the self-esteem and self-stylized feminism of an Enjoli perfume commercial. But just as we were ready to join that EST class and sleep with that swinger the tune once more switched gears and closed out on an almost muted note, not so much born of regret but relief. Highs, lows, nap time. This song had it all! Clearly this was one woman's story worth getting to know! And clearly viewers agreed. Based on the Academy Award-winning Martin Scorsese movie Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (which also featured Vic Tayback as crusty Mel), Alice ran a whopping nine seasons, easily outlasting the only other sitcom derived from a Scorsese film--1977's Taxi Driver, starring Tom Poston and a pre-Love Boat Jill Whelan, which ABC pulled the plug on after only one epsiode.
MP3: Joanie Loves Chachi Theme Song
VIDEO: Joanie Loves Chachi Opening Credits
For a certain generation Joanie Loves Chachi--like Hello, Larry--defined deplorable television. But while I sadly remember the plot of the latter (pre-Frasier Frasier minus the Noel Cowardesque wit, stellar casting and any possible reason for existence), I couldn't quite recollect the former's premise. I knew that the principal characters left Milwalkee. I knew that diner owner Al married Chachi's mom for reasons necessary for the spin-off. I knew that the show's portrayal of Italian-Americans made Moonstruck look like a Ken Burns documentary on ethnic heritage by comparison. But I couldn't call to mind anything else. The theme song--a Christopher Cross knock-off minus the "rawk"--did little to evoke any memories. But then I watched the opening credit sequence and oh my god oh my god oh my god OH MY GOD! Never before has an era and an error been so perfectly captured in under two minutes. Never before has something so earnest been so deserving of the phrase "gloriously tragic." Never before has a programming mistake been so obvious from the initial frame. To say anything more would spoil the fun. Just click on the video link and watch. Watch, reflect and recoil.
MP3: The Brady Brides Theme Song
VIDEO: The Brady Brides Opening Credits
Today if you miss more than one airing of 24, Lost or Desperate Housewives--and are not in possession of a DVR--you might as well take up reading or conversing with loved ones because you will never be able to make heads or tails of the shows' narratives. But back in the 70's and 80's--back before the prevalence of multi-episode plots and diligent story editors--you could easily skip one, two, twelve of your favorite show's broadcasts and still never miss a beat. That's because back then each episode was its own little world, without any connection to or reflection on future or past developments. Characters never evolved. Motives were never questioned. Premises were left unaltered until late in the series' run and only then by way of a live-in cousin or new restaurant lease . It was television for people who liked to watch but not necessarily recall television. Sensing this, the producers of the 1981 series The Brady Brides opted to do their contemporaries one better by playing a theme song so rich in exposition that one need not watch the rest of the program. Ever. Yes, over the course of one familiar-sounding tune you got the premise, the set-up of the premise, how the premise unfolded and how said premise would affect each and every character. In fact, the only thing you didn't get was the eventual time and date of Jan and Marcia's deaths. Small wonder the series lasted a mere ten epsiodes. They used up the plots of at least 40 shows in the opening title sequence alone.
MP3: Angie Theme Song
VIDEO: Angie Opening Credits
Before Doris Roberts played an Italian mother on Everybody Loves Raymond she played an Italian mother on Angie, a sitcom about a waitress (Donna Pescow, the mistreated "Annette" in Saturday Night Fever) who meets and marries a doctor and scion of Philadelphia high society (Robert Hays, hot off the success of Airplane and only beginning his long, slow descent into "Gee, that's a shame" professional obscurity). The title tune "Different Worlds" (sung by Maureen McGovern at a time when the phrase "We got Maureen McGovern to sing the title tune!" ensured radio play) cracked the Top 20, alas achieving greater success than the short-lived Angie ever would. In all honestly not only do I remember this program but I remember actually liking both it and--adding to my ever-growing "secret shame" music list--the theme song. However, what I don't remember is the almost pornographic food fetishism in the opening credit sequence. Popcorn, hot dogs, apples, whipped cream, ice cream, whole turkeys, salt--these people never stop eating! This is true love truly in need of counseling. Still, it makes me curiously happy to know that someone thought to save this 1979-1980 oddity on the Net if not for posterity then for me.
MP3: Alice Theme Song
VIDEO: Alice Opening Credits
Most sitcom theme songs of yore tried to immediately grab the ever-fickle viewer by being upbeat and uptempo, whether by way of chirpy horns, corny lyrics or copying BJ Thomas. But the theme song to Alice practically dared you to stick it out for the long haul with a slow funk/cabaret groove that didn't say "merriment" so much as "malaise." That is until we hit the triumphant call of lyric line five, when suddenly the song embodied the self-esteem and self-stylized feminism of an Enjoli perfume commercial. But just as we were ready to join that EST class and sleep with that swinger the tune once more switched gears and closed out on an almost muted note, not so much born of regret but relief. Highs, lows, nap time. This song had it all! Clearly this was one woman's story worth getting to know! And clearly viewers agreed. Based on the Academy Award-winning Martin Scorsese movie Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (which also featured Vic Tayback as crusty Mel), Alice ran a whopping nine seasons, easily outlasting the only other sitcom derived from a Scorsese film--1977's Taxi Driver, starring Tom Poston and a pre-Love Boat Jill Whelan, which ABC pulled the plug on after only one epsiode.
MP3: Joanie Loves Chachi Theme Song
VIDEO: Joanie Loves Chachi Opening Credits
For a certain generation Joanie Loves Chachi--like Hello, Larry--defined deplorable television. But while I sadly remember the plot of the latter (pre-Frasier Frasier minus the Noel Cowardesque wit, stellar casting and any possible reason for existence), I couldn't quite recollect the former's premise. I knew that the principal characters left Milwalkee. I knew that diner owner Al married Chachi's mom for reasons necessary for the spin-off. I knew that the show's portrayal of Italian-Americans made Moonstruck look like a Ken Burns documentary on ethnic heritage by comparison. But I couldn't call to mind anything else. The theme song--a Christopher Cross knock-off minus the "rawk"--did little to evoke any memories. But then I watched the opening credit sequence and oh my god oh my god oh my god OH MY GOD! Never before has an era and an error been so perfectly captured in under two minutes. Never before has something so earnest been so deserving of the phrase "gloriously tragic." Never before has a programming mistake been so obvious from the initial frame. To say anything more would spoil the fun. Just click on the video link and watch. Watch, reflect and recoil.
posted by Francesco Marciuliano at 10:07 PM
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18 Comments:
i remember the episode of Angie where the rich dr. son-in-law gave Angie's mom a nice pair of gloves for christmas, and she cut the fingers out of them in order to better be able to work at her news stand.
scary.
"I can bring home the bacon -- Enjoli!"
"Fry it up in a pan -- Enjoli!"
"And never never never let you forget you're a man!"
Classic stuff. Mrs. Archivalist remembers being vaguely repulsed seeing this commercial as a child, interrupting her "Fantasy Island" fare. Funniest perfume commercial until "Egoiste!" came along.
And I too remember watching "Angie" back in the day and trying to decide if I thought Donna Peskow was hot.
, man.
These are great! Now, does anyone remember Donna Pescow's late 80's venture? (Hint: It was on Saturday afternoons, usually in the block with "Small Wonder" and Jerry O'Connell's venture "My Secret Identity", and was one of my favorite shows in middle school.)
And why does Joanie look about a decade older than Chachi? Oh, because she is.
Hopefully everyone reading enjoys the soon to be extinct "Arrested Development" on Fox - it's the best you'll ever get from a "Happy Days" reunion. I hope they get Ted McGinty for the final episodes (airing February 10th at 8 on Fox, opposite the Winter Olympic opening ceremonies. I hope the execs at F-x choke.)
Psst, Anonymous...I think you mean Ted McGinley. McGinty is a name that was often used on "Mr. Show with Bob and David."
Obviously, the fact that I was able to come up with that trivial note means that, yes, I do remember Donna Pescow in "Out of This World," and, yes, I do still sometimes wish that I will discover that my real father or mother is an alien and I have the power to stop time and whatever else what's-her-name could do on that show.
Somehow I managed to avoid Joanie Loves Chachi my entire life. I do love that Scott Baio replaced Henry Winkler on Arrested Development. Bob Loblaw's Law Blog, which may or may not be this one, is the funniest throw-away line ever.
Unfortunately Winkler is on that awful TV-turd Out of Practice. I hope souls are going for a good price these days, because Stockard Channing put hers in hock for that show too.
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I loved ANGIE because I grew up near Philly. If I remember correctly, it was part of the nation's momentary fascination with all things Pihladelphia that started with ROCKY and ended with the MOVE tragedy.
Great "Freedom Rock" shoutout in the title!
Best DAW post ever
I think there are a surprisingly large number of children from the '80s that wish they had Evie's time stopping power. In college multiple people, with varying degrees of embarrassment, mentioned to me they wished they could do that "time stopping thing from that show with the half-alien girl" to help them pull an all-nighter.
2nd favorite fragrance song
Kinda hip!
Kinda now!
Char-lie
Kinda cool!
Kinda Wow!
Char-lie
Kind of fragrance that's here to stay and it's here now
Char-lie!
Sure I butchered the lyrics, but that's how I remember it.
Aack, McGinley - sorry about that - anyway it would be a riot if he showed up in the last AD. Well let's hope it's not the last!
And thank you all for remembering "Out of This World" and justifying my secret wish to be Evie. (I am a girl by the way so that's not all bad).
Did anyone else notice that two of the shows were produced by (among others) Miller and Boyett. Miller and Boyett of ABC's TGIF infamy? You can tell the onscreen text didn't change at all from "Angie" to "Family Matters." And the music remained just as terribly cheesy.
What I remember most about "Joanie Loves Chachi" was that to my 6 year old mind it seemed the characters had time travelled from the 50's to 80's in the spin-off process.
Man, that gave me the shudders. But also I'm wondering what exactly is on the keyboardist's head, as he thumps out the chords to Joanie and Chachi's love duet? Is that a jaunty paper fry-cook's hat? or...a PICK?
Hold me.
There was a sitcom based on Taxi Driver?
Taxi Driver? And it starred Tom Poston?
If anyone knows where I can get a copy of that, please let me know. That just sounds just twisted enough for me to really enjoy.
As to a Taxi Driver sitcom: perhaps some people here need to be introduced to the word "sarcasm."
And, my favorite fun fact about Joanie Loves Chachi: apparently, if not "love," there was a fair amount of "lust" there. In Erin Moran's memoirs, she confesses that she and Scott Baio, during the filming of Happy Days, would sneak off to a dressing room and have sex between takes practically every day. Moran later became a born-again Christian, and now believes that the Happy Days cast was "possessed by the Devil," although she still prays for their salvation. (I leave you to ponder the wonderous notion of "possessed by the Devil" and "Happy Days cast" used in the same sentence.)
Finally, someone brings America to the Americans! Thank you, Drink At Work, for the grand effort truly befitting those of us tethered to our corporate masters like so many dancing monkeys.
http://sarcasm.15.forumer.com/
Joannie did love Chaci !!
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