The Evolution Of The TV Theme

TV shows are as identifiable by their theme songs as by their content, and as the TV age has evolved, so has the character of the jingles which call us to the screen. “Older TV themes shun subtlety in favor of eager exposition… [But today,] viewers are greeted with savvier, less overtly cheesy intros, from pitch-perfect indie rock matches (‘Crank Yankers’ and Fountains of Wayne; ‘Malcolm In the Middle’ and They Might Be Giants) to savvy instrumentals (the sweeping Irish-tinged cellos of ‘Angel’; the sassy cha-cha of ‘Sex and the City.’)”