This article by TV critic Alan Sepinwall, where he talks about really disliking USA's Psych but loving the theme song, got me thinking: what bad TV shows have really great theme songs?
This is really hard, actually. I'm sure there are more examples of the opposite, great shows that have bad theme songs (or no theme song at all), but trying to come up with a list of bad TV shows that have great theme songs...that's pretty hard. The first one that comes to mind is John From Cincinnati, a show that has really disappointed me but has a great theme song ("Johnny Appleseed," performed by Joe Strummer) and great opening credits (old surfing footage). But other shows that I come up with - Gilligan's Island, for example - don't exactly have "great" theme songs, they're more fun in a nostalgic sort of way (and I'm not even sure I would call Gilligan's Island a "bad" show, because it goes beyond that to simple entertainment in that nostalgic way).
So what about you, readers? What TV shows can you think of that are bad but just happen to have a really cool theme song? (Edit: The Psych theme embeded after the jump)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-13-2007 @ 3:59PM
Jake said...
The Greatest American Hero
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7-13-2007 @ 4:50PM
ugtv.org said...
Punky Brewster, The Fall Guy, Welcome Back Kotter, and Chico and the Man are all theme songs I enjoy singing in the shower, but wouldn't spend 5 minutes watching.
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7-13-2007 @ 4:03PM
Akbar Fazil said...
Knight Rider. Back in the day, great show. Today, full of cheese. But the theme song still rocks. Same goes for Airwolf.
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7-13-2007 @ 4:06PM
wowbobwow said...
Charmed. Terrible show, one of the best songs ever: The Smiths, "How Soon Is Now?". A pretty bad version of the song too, but a still a great song.
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7-13-2007 @ 4:18PM
h8rain said...
:( I actual like Pysch the show, and the theme song. Even the little funny bits at the end of each episode when they are singing.
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7-13-2007 @ 4:41PM
Ray said...
Speed Racer.
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7-13-2007 @ 4:43PM
CaptKahunah said...
Darn it... somebody beat me to ther "greatest american hero"...
"Flying High" and "angie" come to mind... both theme songs made it onto billboards top forty, but the shows were cancelled after only a few episodes.
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7-13-2007 @ 4:57PM
Nick said...
Knights of Prosperity had a great theme song composed by Paul Schaffer. I personally liked that show, but some people didn't so that could fit.
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7-13-2007 @ 4:44PM
dan said...
how weird..I read your article and before I was half way done..I said.."oh Greatest American Hero..." that's a no brainer.... then I go down to hit comment and there it is #1 comment.... LOL... that has to be right up there on the top of great theme songs and really crappy shows....... you should find a clip of it so the younger people can hear it....
great article..
Dan
Southern california
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7-13-2007 @ 4:50PM
dan said...
hey Bob..
Just found it on You Tube.....
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7-13-2007 @ 5:07PM
Josh said...
I myself don't call it a bad show, but One Tree Hill has a great theme song with "I Don't Want To Be" by Gavin DeGraw.
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7-13-2007 @ 5:33PM
Anna Johns said...
The O.C. used to be really good... but then it got bad and only had a good theme song going for it.
CSI: Miami with The Who's Baba O'Riley
The Apprentice with For the Love of Money by The Ojays (the song is appropriate, but the show sucks now)
You know what theme song I love? SpongeBob Squarepants!
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7-13-2007 @ 5:41PM
Borat said...
I second "Charmed" and "One Tree Hill". Great songs, horrible shows.
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7-13-2007 @ 5:54PM
jccalhoun said...
I can't think of any bad shows with good themes that haven't already been mentioned. However, I can think of the reverse. I've enjoyed the episodes of The Loop that Fox has been putting on 2 or 3 times on Sunday nights between Simpson and Family Guy but that theme song is HORRIBLE. It is cringe-worthy.
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7-13-2007 @ 6:01PM
Jake said...
Psych is a good show and it has a great Theme song. So this critic is full of S.
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7-13-2007 @ 6:43PM
David said...
The last 4 seasons of Gilmore Girls, great theme song, dister of a show.
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7-13-2007 @ 6:51PM
Matt said...
Yeah, "Hockey Monkey" or whatever is a pretty ridiculous theme. It's of no relevance to the show, at all.
Psych is a great show, so that critic can stick it up his ass.
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7-13-2007 @ 7:52PM
Ben said...
There was a show that had an interesting themesong that was a version of the Talking Heads song "Once in a Lifetime" - quite cool.
I've forgotten the show's name and that I wasn't hugley enamoured with, largely due to the way the narrative jumped back and forth over ten or fifteen years. Ring any bells with anyone?
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7-13-2007 @ 7:55PM
Bash said...
I know a lot of people who hated Dawson's Creek so that show has a great Theme but is disliked by many (you could even argue that everything after the first season was lame and not the original idea anymore but what do I know I love this show - all of it)
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7-13-2007 @ 8:01PM
Manda said...
Star Trek: Enterprise. That was the worst show ever, but I felt all patriotic about the theme song. haha.
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