Mystery TV Themes: BATMAN (1966)

Spotlighting the great themes from mystery/crime TV shows ...

BATMAN (1966)
With its colorful BAM! ZOW! approach, this swingin' Sixties vision of the Dark Knight was a camp parody of the Batman mythos, owing little to the dark pulp origins of the character, created in the 1930s and inspired by masked vigilantes The Shadow and The Spider. (My comics friends may never forgive me for featuring it.)

The oft-copied, oft-parodied snazzy theme song was written by Neal Hefti, an important composer and arranger of the big band bebop era who went on to write for film and TV in the 1960s and '70s. Hefti began arranging professionally in his teens, and went on to work as trumpeter, composer and arranger for the likes of Woody Herman, Count Basie, and Frank Sinatra. In the '50s, Hefti led a big band of his own, which featured wife Frances on vocals.

Working with film and TV in the 1960s, Hefti's credits include How to Murder Your Wife, Barefoot in the Park -- and the original film The Odd Couple. The score for the latter was repeated for the classic sitcom, which ran from 1970-1975.

BATMAN (1966) on TVGuide.com
THE ODD COUPLE (1970) on TVGuide.com

BATMAN (1966) episode guide, summary at TV.com
THE ODD COUPLE (1970) episode guide, summary on TV.com

BATMAN (1966) DVD news at TVShowsOnDVD.com
THE ODD COUPLE (1970) DVD news at TVShowsOnDVD.com

BATMAN OPENING CREDITS


THE ODD COUPLE OPENING CREDITS


More themes:
BONES
CAPTAIN AMERICA
CHARLIE'S ANGELS
CHECKMATE
DAN AUGUST
HARDY BOYS / NANCY DREW MYSTERIES
HART TO HART
IT TAKES A THIEF
JUDD, FOR THE DEFENSE
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER

Mystery TV Themes: BARNEY MILLER

Spotlighting the great themes from mystery/crime TV shows ...

BARNEY MILLER
A half-hour series that regularly mixed comedy with drama, the ABC series Barney Miller (1975-82) was set in a New York City police station. According to TV.com: "Captain Barney Miller and his officers fight crime in this humorous classic TV series. Captain Barney Miller is the consummate boss, earning the loyalty of the officers under him. The early shows featured scenes from Barney’s home life, but it was soon put on the back burner to emphasize the characters with whom he interacted at the twelfth precinct."

The iconic theme song was composed by Jack Elliott (who also created the similarly bass-heavy theme to Night Court). He also had a connection to "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" -- he did not write the opening theme, but the series was based on Elliott's family and its relationship with Fresh Prince creator Benny Medina. (1991 article from Ebony posted here.)


Barney Miller theme courtesy slackerup.com/TVThemes
Episode guide at TV.com
Barney Miller DVD news at TVShowsOnDVD.com

OPENING CREDITS


More themes:
BATMAN 1966 (w/ THE ODD COUPLE)
BONES
DRAGNET
EQUALIZER (w/ CALLAN)
GET SMART

MANNIX to the max

Even as TV shows come to DVD faster and faster, the Los Angeles Times felt the need to announce that classic '70s private eye series "Mannix" is still not headed to DVD. Now, I don't have a lot of firsthand memories of the series -- while there are many classic TV shows I have been able to watch via the twin miracles of reruns and DVD, "Mannix" is one I only know by reputation. (And, of course, the uber-cool opening credits.)

Meanwhile, author and TV writer/producer Lee Goldberg shares a story about the time he and his partner engineered a Mannix appearance on the '90s sleuth series "Diagnosis Murder."

This unique episode of "Diagnosis Murder" cleverly teams Mannix with his old friend Dr. Mark Sloan (Dick Van Dyke) to solve a murder case that the detective was unable to crack on his own series 24 years ago.

Scenes from the 1973 "Mannix" episode "Little Girl Lost" are used in flashback sequences. Pernell Roberts, Beverly Garland and Julie Adams, who were guest stars on the original episode, also appear.

"It's such a good idea," the jovial Van Dyke says between takes on the "Diagnosis Murder" hospital set in Van Nuys. "We weave the old show in so well with the flashbacks."

Read the whole story here.

Related links:
Q&A: LEE GOLDBERG
Mystery TV Themes: MANNIX
Diagnosis -- Murder!
Fiction and DVD Links (27 Feb 08)

CRIMINAL INTENT to USA net

According to Media Week's Programming Insider, spin-off Law & Order: Criminal Intent has been renewed for another full season -- which will play on cable network USA, owned by NBC Universal. Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU are also renewed at NBC for another season each.

RAINES

My lovely wife and I have been watching the new Jeff Goldblum mystery series, Raines, currently airing Friday nights on NBC.

Find all sorts of info at NBC.com/Raines. And here is an interview with Comic Book Resources regarding last week's comic book connection.

PREVIEW

Mystery TV Themes: SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN

MAIN TITLES


SCI-FI CHANNEL PROMO


More themes:
TWIN PEAKS
MAGNUM P.I.
MANNIX
ALIAS
NBC MYSTERY MOVIE
GET SMART
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER
DRAGNET
MONK
IT TAKES A THIEF

Mystery TV Themes: TWIN PEAKS

More themes:
MAGNUM P.I.
MANNIX
ALIAS
NBC MYSTERY MOVIE
GET SMART
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER
DRAGNET
MONK
IT TAKES A THIEF
SWAT