S02E05: The Earle Hagen Themeography

In this episode, I briefly explore 20 classic television series from the 1950s through the 1980s with memorable theme music composed and/or co-composed by prolific theme tune writer Earle Hagen. Here are the series included in this episode:

MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY/THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW
(1953-1964)
[1956-1964 opening main titles: an arrangement of “Londonderry Air,” a.k.a. “Danny Boy”]
[1956-1964 syndicated reruns opening and closing main titles: an arrangement of “Londonderry Air,” a.k.a. “Danny Boy”]
with Herbert W. Spencer for MSI Spencer-Hagen

WHERE’S RAYMOND/THE RAY BOLGER SHOW
(1953-1955)
[1953-1955 opening and closing main titles]
with Herbert W. Spencer for MSI Spencer-Hagen

IT’S ALWAYS JAN
(1955-1956)
[1955-1956 opening and closing main titles]
with Herbert W. Spencer for MSI Spencer-Hagen

MY SISTER EILEEN
(1960-1961)
[1960-1961 opening and closing main titles]
with Herbert W. Spencer for MSI Spencer-Hagen

THE BARBARA STANWYCK SHOW
(1960-1961)
[1960-1961 opening and closing main titles]
with Herbert W. Spencer for MSI Spencer-Hagen

-Commercial Break-

THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW
(1960-1968)
[1960-1965 opening and closing main titles: “The Fishin’ Hole”]
[1965-1968 opening and closing main titles: “The Fishin’ Hole”]

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW
(1961-1966)
[1961 (episodes 1-14) opening and closing main titles]
[1962 (episodes 15-30) opening and closing main titles]
[1962-1963; 1964-1965 opening main titles]
[1963-1964; 1965-1966 opening main titles]

GOMER PYLE – USMC
(1964-1969)
[1964-1969 opening and closing main titles]

I SPY
(1965-1968)
[1965-1968 opening and closing main titles]

THAT GIRL
(1966-1971)
[1966-1967 opening and closing main titles]
[1967-1970 opening and closing main titles]
[1970-1971 opening and closing main titles]

-Commercial Break-

RANGO
(1967)
[1967 opening and closing main titles]

THE GUNS OF WILL SONNETT
(1967-1969)
[1967-1969 opening and closing main titles]

THE DANNY THOMAS HOUR
(1967-1968)
[SORRY, NO THEME AVAILABLE]

MAYBERRY, R.F.D.
(1968-1971)
[1969-1971 opening and closing main titles]

THE MOD SQUAD
(1968-1973)
[1968-1973 opening and closing main titles]

-Commercial Break-

MAKE ROOM FOR GRANDDADDY
(1970-1971)
[1970-1971 opening and closing main titles: an arrangement of “Londonderry Air,” a.k.a. “Danny Boy”]

THE NEW PERRY MASON
(1973-1974)
[1973-1974 opening main titles]

BIG EDDIE
(1975)
[1975 closing main titles]

YOUNG DAN’L BOONE
(1977)
[1977 opening main titles (excerpt only)]

MICKEY SPILLANE’S MIKE HAMMER/THE NEW MIKE HAMMER/MIKE HAMMER, PRIVATE EYE
(1984-1987; 1997-1998)
[1984-1986 opening main titles: “Harlem Nocturne” (composed in 1939)]
[1986-1987 opening main titles: “Harlem Nocturne” (composed in 1939)]
[1997-1998 opening main titles: “Harlem Nocturne” (composed in 1939)]

I’ve included vintage promos and commercials for many of the series featured in this themeography episode. And you’ll also have fun listening to some ads that my podcasting friends provided to me to promote their own great podcasts; be sure to check them out.

Many, many thanks to Zerbinator for his continued support. His encouragement and expertise are very much appreciated by me. You can find all of his fun-to-listen-to podcasts here, including my favorite, “Please Stand By.” And I’d also like especially to thank him for providing the opening and closing theme music for Tube Tunes; all of his fantastic music can be found here. And, again, thanks are in order for him for providing TUBE TUNES with the “We’ll Be Right Back” drops heard during the podcast. Thanks, Burford.

I would also like to again thank Rob “Flack” O’Hara and Sean Johnson for adding TUBE TUNES to The Throwback Network. It’s a great place to find just about any retro-themed podcast you can think of. Please check out the network here.

I also need to thank the Free Music Archive for the following musical artists and songs that were used in this episode under the Creative Commons License: “Fastest Man on Earth,” “Montmartre,” and “Candy,” all by Jahzzar; “Epilogue (Instrumental Version)” and “I Will Not Let You Let Me Down (Instrumental Version),” both by Josh Woodward; and “Wholesome 3” by Dave Depper.

Finally, my thanks to Ferg of The Atari 2600 Game by Game Podcast. His inspiration and dedication to covering every game cartridge ever made for the Atari 2600 (I think over 1000 of them!) is what gave me the courage to begin this podcast. And his continued support and promotion of TUBE TUNES on his excellent podcast is greatly appreciated by yours truly. Please, check out his podcast, even if you’re not an Atari 2600 collector; or at least visit his website here.

Next Episode: “S02E06: The A’s Have It'” (available March 2017)

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