Monday, May 6, 2013

Counting Down Your TV Favorites

The polls are closed ... the votes are in ... and they've all been tabulated. (And, to insure a fair and honest election, selected votes from Chicago and Florida have been counted twice.) j/k 

What a GREAT response we had to this one ... just over 18,000 votes were cast ... and, when all was said and done, a whopping 82 of your TV Theme Favorites earned over 100 votes each. 

Over the next three days, we'll let you know where your favorites finished. We'll ultimately publish the list of Your Top 50 Favorites ... and, on Wednesday, May 8th, Scott Shannon will count down The Top 20 on The True Oldies Channel. (He, too, will post the final results on The True Oldies Channel website and ... for the first time ever ... you'll be able to hear Scott count 'em down on The Forgotten Hits Website as well!)  

So who fell short of the list? 

Well, as it turned out,you needed 142 votes to make The Top 50 ... and falling just one vote short (with 141) was ... 

RAWHIDE



Also falling into the "close but no cigar" category were:   
 

SESAME STREET (This one made TV Guide's Top Ten Favorites List ... but came up short of The Top 50 on ours) 

CSI

77 SUNSET STRIP 

LOVE AMERICAN STYLE 



THE ODD COUPLE 



ROUTE 66 (Another one that fared WAY better in TV Guide) 

THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE'S FATHER 

TAXI  (Several readers wrote in to say that they were not familiar with this one.  It's a beautiful piece called "Angela", written and performed by jazz great Bob James ... here's a clip):



LEAVE IT TO BEAVER


BARNEY MILLER




PETTICOAT JUNCTION  (Who could forget the water tower opening to this one???)




DARK SHADOWS  

THE MATCH GAME


LOVE BOAT


THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB


THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY
(Here's the rare, early first season version ... with different lyrics!)




THE MUPPET SHOW


THE LONE RANGER




THE REBEL


THE PATTY DUKE SHOW



MR. LUCKY


THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS


THREE'S COMPANY


DR. KILDARE


THE TONIGHT SHOW


MOONLIGHTING

MARRIED ... WITH CHILDREN



GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE

DALLAS 


ANGIE

and

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.



As for the theme that got this whole thing rolling in the first place ... THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR ... which I just couldn't BELIEVE made TV Guide's Top Ten ...   

Well, in OUR survey it got all of 27 votes ... good for 144th Place. (I just knew our readers would come up with a far more accurate list!)

What else got eliminated? Quite a few of my favorites failed to make the cut, including:

SEINFELD, THE FUGITIVE, THE OFFICE, GOMER PYLE USMC, FRASIER, LA LAW, CHICO AND THE MAN, JUSTIFIED, THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR ... and cartoon favorites like WOODY WOODPECKER, MAGILLA GORILLA and HUCKLEBERRY HOUND. 

We'll start counting down The Top 50 tomorrow in Forgotten Hits!