The Simpsons
Aside from great comedy and drama, one of the best things TV has given us over the years are awesomely catchy theme songs.
AOL TV has compiled a list of their favorite show-opening tunes and pitted them against each other in a tournament-style poll. Click here to vote for your favorite.
In the meantime, we want to know: What are your favorite TV theme songs?
Are you partial to the pop-rock intricacies of The Brady Bunch or The Greatest American Hero or do you prefer the simpler melodies of The Simpsons and M*A*S*H?
Share your picks after the jump.
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Larry Gelbart
Larry Gelbart, the writer who made M*A*S*H a TV hit, died Friday in his Beverly Hills home, after a battle with cancer. He was 81.
In 1971, TV execs approached Gelbart about adapting Robert Altman's M*A*S*H for the small screen...
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McLean Stevenson (M*A*S*H), Terry O'Quinn (Lost), Leslie Hope (24)
We really should've known better. We waited two weeks for Brothers & Sisters' "shocking death," when all along we should have realized that what the network had been teasing for weeks (months even, among insiders) in the end wasn't all that shocking — especially when it didn't even really happen.
Oh well, maybe we're all patsies. But to make ourselves feel better, after the jump are the TV deaths that actually delivered a gutshot and had us talking about a character's demise the next day — for all the right reasons.
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Scrubs courtesy Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.
New releases announced today, August 1:Chowder - Volume 1 will be coming out November 4 M*A*S*H - Repackaged Individual Season Sets will be coming out November 11 Scrubs - The Complete 7th Season will be coming out November 11 Visit TVShowsOnDVD.com for the complete stories on these and other news items.
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The Wild Wild West courtesy Paramount
The other day I filled my cookie card with 12 stamps and was rewarded with a free cookie. Last year I used points from my local grocery store to give me a sizable discount off a waffle iron. I use airline points to get free flights, and points earned at the theater for free movie tickets. Programs like these are designed to reward customers for being loyal — they're designed to keep people coming back.The home entertainment industry seems, for the most part, designed to screw its loyal customers. "Oh, you bought the regular edition of the movie? Hah! We have a super-duper special edition with 20 minutes of new material, new extras and other awesome stuff you'll want because you're a fan of the movie." I'll admit to falling for the trap a number of times; I own two copies of The Bourne Identity on DVD (and another on HD DVD); two copies of Criterion Collection's Brazil release (because the first wasn't anamorphic); I had two versions of Last of the Mohicans before I sold one; an...
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OK, so after this week, we should be all through with our season finales. David Cook is our new American Idol, those Desperate Housewives are going to be five years older (making them all roughly 108), and God only knows who Lucas proposed to on One Tree Hill. I’m dyin’ over that one. Big stuff as always. Which got me to thinking about TV’s greatest OMG moments. Here are a few of my faves...all beautifully available on DVD. What are yours?The Friends finale — Mercifully not the oddity that Seinfeld left us with, this 10th-season kicker (seen by over 50 million fans) was as sweet as a Central Perk mocha and finally gave us hope that Ross and Rachel had a future. Of course, knowing what a tool Ross could be, he probably screwed it up months later.Buy Friends from Amazon.comJordin-vs-Blake — Everyone says that Idol’s sixth finale was its weakest, but after re-screening American Idol Season Six: The Top Two, I beg to differ. With my girl Jordin Sparks battl...
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Teri Hatcher, Nicollette Sheridan and Felicity Huffman in Desperate Housewives by Craig Sjodin/ABC
Cheers to Desperate Housewives for hitting a high note with its first post-twister (and last pre-strike!) episode. From the welcome return of M*A*S*H veteran Mike Farrell as Victor's cold-blooded father (who knew B.J. could be such an SOB?) to the Frasier-level farces involving Bree's gay roofer and Ida's ashes, it was a delight. Yet it had moments of genuine pathos as well, like when Lynette saw her family emerge from the rubble (though I wouldn't have minded if bratty Kayla hadn't made it). And how about Carlos going blind? I just hope it lasts longer than SVU's "Blinded" debacle — and the strike doesn't last much longer for Desperate fans.• Read and react to Bruce's opinions on Celebrity Apprentice, the "new" Law & Order and more!• Share your own raves and rants about other shows on the Reader Cheers & Jeers discussion board.• We may feature your Cheer or Jeer on TVGuide.com or in TV Guide magazine!
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Hmm: Which Grey sister is missing the play-nice gene? Ellen Pompeo, Chyler Leigh by Scott Garfield
Admittedly, having a baby snatched from the hospital by a drug-dealer father is a no-no, and it did happen on Callie's watch. But still, the chief was way too harsh with her last week, didn't you think? And now, the poor gal is expecting George to dump her. Speaking of harsh treatment, Meredith has been downright rude to Lexie, and while this might change, the mentoring she'll give her sweet half-sister tonight will be grudging. Meanwhile, Edward Herrmann, who played a doctor on TV in a 1980 episode of M*A*S*H, begins a tour of duty at Seattle Grace — as an intern. — Paul Droesch
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Question: I'm a little worried about all of the new characters that will be introduced in the upcoming season of Lost. It seems to me that most successful shows tend to revolve around a consistent group of characters: M*A*S*H, Friends, etc. I know ER has some success with a rotating cast, but Lost seems to lend itself to singling out each character and telling that person's story. But it feels like they're slowly giving up on some of the original characters and introducing new ones for the sake of more flashbacks. What is your take?
Answer: My take is that it's way too early to judge, and that I lean toward giving Lost a chance to prove itself before we jump to conclusions. What's safe to say is that Lost will get hammered no matter what it does. Too many stories about the original characters, and there will be griping that the show isn't moving forward fast enough. Too many new tangents with new characters and story lines, and there will be griping that the show has changed too much.
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Tom Everett Scott, Saved
Described by some as "Rescue Me for the ambulance-driving set," TNT's Saved (Mondays at 10 pm/ET; the premiere rebroadcasts this Wednesday at 11 pm) stars Tom Everett Scott as Wyatt Cole, a paramedic dealing — or not — with a domineering father, a lady doc "ex," and the dilemma of whether to give med school that one last long-after-college try. Oh, and he also has a gambling problem, one so bad it puts his self-stitching expertise to good use. TVGuide.com
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