TV THEME SONG-ville -- Episode 1
08/19/10 09:54 AM
By ED BARK
Another new fall TV season is steadily approaching, and will arrive next month with a big bang amid the usual thuds.
As an appetizer, we're launching a series of weekday trips to TV Theme Song-ville, where you'll find an eclectic collection of starter kits.
HBO still luxuriates in extended opening themes. But the broadcast networks are just as likely these days to give you a few seconds of mood music before jumping ship to the show itself. Producers of CBS' new version of Hawaii Five-O, set to premiere on Monday, Sept. 20th, recently told unclebarky.com that the show's iconic theme song will get at least a little room to breathe.
"Right now it's 30 seconds," said co-executive producer Peter Lenkov. "And it seems to feel right. The original was a lot longer. But for us we felt that what we have right now tells a story."
That's his story and he'll stick to it. Alex Kurtzman, the new Hawaii Five-O's other principal producer, lamented the latter day "lost art" of writing an enduring TV theme song. "I miss them just as a viewer," he said.
Likewise, I'm sure. We'll reprise the original Hawaii Five-O theme song later in this series. But for starters, luxuriate in the hypnotic opening theme for ABC's landmark Twin Peaks. It's hard to believe that more than two decades have passed since its April 8, 1990 premiere. And it's impossible to contemplate any broadcast network allowing an opening theme to run for two-and-half minutes, as this one does. The music is from producer/director David Lynch's longtime collaborator, Angela Badalamenti. Enjoy.