TV Theme Songs – which ones do you let play out?
With the advent of the ‘skip intro’ functionality (Plex has even added it to my personal library without me having to take any action), it’s easier than ever to skip over opening credits and opening theme songs to get right into a show, and I’m curious what TV themes MST fans find compelling or enjoyable enough that they never skip over them, vs those that are often or always skipped.
And note that I’m specifically asking about theme songs – for example, I had always let the opening credits to Game of Thrones play out, but not for the theme – it’s to see what new locations may have been added to the map that week. On the other end of the spectrum, I always let Mission: Impossible play out, and not just because of the unique video clips from that show – it’s a genuinely great theme song, perfect for the mood of that show.
Which TV themes do you enjoy so much that you always let them play out, even when you can easily skip over them?
I’ll start with some of mine:
• Star Trek TOS – always plays out
• Star Trek TNG – never plays out
• Star Trek DS9 – NEVER plays out, even though (until Picard, at least) this is my 2nd favorite Trek
• Mission: Impossible – ALWAYS plays out, and not just for the scenes from that episode – possibly the best TV theme song ever? Let us know if you disagree – and what you think that show is, if not MI
• Mannix – always plays out; between this and MI, long live Lalo!
• Eureka – always plays out, I was disappointed when they went to the shorter theme/opening in later seasons, as I thought that like “Mission: Impossible”, the opening theme is a perfect representation of the mood of the show
• due South – almost always plays out
• For All Mankind – great opening but I find it slow and almost always skip
• Black Adder – sometimes plays out, depending on the series
• Great British Baking Show – always plays out – another example of a theme that seems to perfectly capture the mood of the show and prepare you for what you are about to enjoy
• Green Acres – almost always plays out
• MST3K – often plays out, especially if it’s an episode with a host I haven’t watched in awhile
• Rifftrax – plays out if it mentions Nick Nolte, otherwise skipped 
• Cinematic Titanic – usually skipped
• 30 Rock – always plays out as it’s short and sweet
• Community – nearly always plays out as like 30 Rock, it’s short and sweet
• Crime Story – always plays out… Del Shannon!
• Monty Python’s Flying Circus – nearly always plays out
• Patriot – always plays out, both seasons, but especially love the first season and its visuals of the two brothers growing up
• The Prisoner – ALWAYS
• The Twilight Zone – always
• WKRP in Cincinnati – always plays out, and ALWAYS play the closing theme as well
• Bosch – always plays out; not only is the theme perfect for the show, those reflected shots of LA are fantastic
• Babylon 5 – usually skip, but always play the opening for at least the first episode of a new season, since the voiceover changed each season
• Breaking Bad - always play as it’s so short
What do you think, sirs and madams?
