Jessica Li<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t exactly remember when TV shows became such a big part of my life. Maybe it started two summers ago, when I watched my first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer<\/em>, or the summer before that, when my mom and I would spend weekday nights bonding over re-runs of Friends<\/em>. Perhaps it even started all the way back when I was just a little girl, sitting in front of the TV way past my bedtime and dreaming about becoming Kim Possible when I grew up.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Needless to say, my tastes in shows changed and grew over the years from awesome cartoons, to timeless comedies, to simply the greatest program to ever grace our world (don\u2019t be fooled by the title, Buffy<\/em> is a lot <\/em>more intense than it sounds). <\/strong>But no matter how old or how obsessed I am with the latest show to come across my radar \u2013 right now it\u2019s The O.C.<\/em> \u2013 \u00a0a huge grin will always pop up on my face when I hear the theme song of one of my old favorites played on TV. For every fellow TV watcher, whether of The Twilight Zone <\/em>or Jersey Shore<\/em>, hearing the cherished theme song is one of the greatest pleasures of being a devoted fan. Something about that familiar melody that was played so often that it was forever imprinted in your mind, always brings back memories and nostalgia.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But nowadays, those moments are becoming rarer and rarer. Hardly any shows on air still have a title sequence, let alone a theme song. Most shows only use a logo that pops up for three seconds, and then it\u2019s straight to the program. Some don\u2019t even have <\/em>logos. For example, Glee<\/em>, a show based entirely on a high school choir that spends one third of each episode singing and dancing, can\u2019t bother with something a little more interesting than the word \u201cglee\u201d in white on a black background. Some might argue that since Glee<\/em> is already so musical, they purposefully made the opening dull and simple. But how about all the other shows today that aren\u2019t <\/em>about singing and being glee-ful? There are over 30 new shows that are premiering this fall, and more than a hundred returning for a new season. Only a handful of them have an opening that resembles a theme song, and the majority of them were created at least half a decade ago, when music and TV were still loyal companions.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I understand that timing is a very important factor, and by cutting the theme song there is more time to broadcast some real scenes. But in the long run, wouldn\u2019t a catchy song that every fan of the show will forever treasure in their hearts be far more important than a one minute scene that will go easily over our heads?<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The theme song of a TV show is far more than just the background music to introducing the actors and the creators\u2014it\u2019s what defines a show! The theme song generates the mood of the show and sends out the main message, as well. It\u2019s the first and last thing a fan will remember, and it\u2019s crucial in the making of a cultural icon. What will Friends<\/em> be without \u201cI\u2019ll Be There for You\u201d by the Rembrandts? What will Gilmore Girls<\/em> be without \u201cWhere You Lead\u201d by Carole King? How about when Will Smith was rapping the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air<\/em>? Or when the entire audience of the Addams Family<\/em> Broadway musical snapped along to the music? And, of course, we can\u2019t leave out the strange, yet wonderful melody of The Simpsons<\/em> that\u2019s been blaring out our TV screen for more than 20 years. Sometimes people won\u2019t remember the show\u2019s plotlines or characters, but they\u2019ll always remember the upbeat, catchy song that they had stuck in their heads for days on end. As an avid TV fan, I truly adore all theme songs, and I feel like television today just isn\u2019t the same without them anymore. If they can create intriguing plotlines, engaging characters, hilarious punch lines and heart-breaking death scenes, what in the world is stopping them from finding a theme song?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jessica Li I can\u2019t exactly remember when TV shows became such a big part of my life. Maybe it started two summers ago, when I watched my first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or the summer before that, … Continue reading