But I definitely remembered one thing about the show: It had a great theme song. Like, one of the all-time best I've ever heard.
A while back, I found a website that had hundreds of TV show themes available for download, and sure enough, it was on there. But when I tried to find video of the opening credits, I wasn't able to. Fast forward to last week. I checked YouTube on a whim, and sure enough, someone had posted it earlier this year.
As it turns out, there were not one, but two versions of the credits.
Here's the opening from the first season:
Pretty awesome, right?
Now, before I show you the second season's opening, a little backstory. I'd forgotten all about this until I checked the show's Wikipedia entry, but in between the first and second seasons, Michael McKean left the show, meaning they had to completely redo the credits. So I don't begrudge NBC's decision to go with a different visual concept.
But holy shit, what were they thinking when it came to the theme song?!?
How can even the least creative producer or network executive take the fantastic, soulful performance from the first credits and replace it with that awful, bland--and you know what? I'm even going to use the word jive--rendition? Did some focus group like it? Did the person who made the change hate music? I doubt any American Idol contestant has ever butchered a song worse.
I really hate the recent trend of new TV shows to forego opening credits. Granted, most weren't anything special, but every now and then, a great theme song would sneak through. Of course, even then, all it takes is one guy in a suit to screw it up.
1 comments:
I remember that show! I thought I was the only one.
Honestly, I've gotta say that I like season 2's theme better. The reason for that is that it's more in line with "typical early 90s theme song". The first theme, while unique, is somewhat...jarring isn't the word, but it is kind of odd. While NBC catered to the yuppie crowd during this time, the first theme is exactly the kind of thing that would eliminate the potential of getting some more middle America viewers to the show. So, I can sort of see how a focus group would decide to change things.
Also, following the wiki entry, it seems like everyone was just kinda half-assing season 2 because they were mad that NBC had left them on the fence for so long in terms of a renewal. The theme change could've been another "fuck you" swipe from producers.
I, too, miss TV theme songs. It's a lost art. Plus, it's amazing how many of the iconic ones were the work of Alan Thicke.
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