HOLLYWOOD SALUTE TO GREAT TV THEMES AND THEIR COMPOSERS

More than 650 people recently attended a unique salute to the great themes from classic television series at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood. Among the participants were composers Mike Post, Earl Hagen and Vic Mizzy- who between them created some of the best-loved theme songs ever for series such as The Andy Griffith Show, I Spy, Hill Street Blues, The Addams Family and Green Acres. Music historian Jon Burlingame conducted interviews with the composers. Among the stars who appeared were Man From U.N.C.L.E. Robert Vaughn, Maureen McCormick of The Brady Bunch, Stacy Keach of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, and The Bionic Woman's Lindsay Wagner. The tribute was appropriate not only to recognize the fact that these themes have become an integral part of modern pop culture, but also to illustrate the disturbing trend among present day TV producers to all but do away with opening and closing themes. For the full story click here