Fall is the time of year when most television shows premiere, making now the perfect time to revisit some classic TV show theme songs. Last week, we enjoyed some happy days meeting hillbillies and a fresh prince. This week we make new friends with George and Weezy on our way to a world of strange phenomena.

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

Normal people find themselves in extraordinary and frightening situations in creator Rod Serling’s sci-fi/horror series, The Twilight Zone. Each episode began with the foreboding theme by Bernard Herrmann, which is at times shrill and urgent and at others simmering with tension.

Gilligan’s Island (1964-1967)

Gilligan’s Island strands seven people on an uncharted island after a storm derails their three-hour tour. Sherwood Schwartz and George Wyle tell the tale of how they got there and who’s on the island through the earworm “The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle,” which is easily one of the greatest TV theme songs.

Star Trek (1966-1969)

In the 23rd century, the crew of the Enterprise boldly explored space and defended the United Federation of Planets in Star Trek. Starting with the voiceover about the final frontier, Alexander Courage’s theme song is both grand and energetic with great ‘60s flair.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977)

The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a slice of life series about a single young woman, her friends, and her coworkers at a TV news station. Sonny Curtis makes everyone fall in love with Mary through his dulcet tune “Love is All Around” that promises she’ll make it after all.

The Jeffersons (1975-1985)

The Jeffersons follows a couple who finally got a piece of the pie and move to a fancy home in Manhattan. Ja’net Du Boise opens the episodes with “Movin’ On Up,” a bouncy, gospel influenced theme that makes everyone want to visit that deluxe apartment in the sky.

The Love Boat (1977-1987)

Romance and comical mishaps await the passengers and crew of the Pacific Princess, aka, The Love Boat. The charmingly low key lounge style theme by Charles Fox and Paul Williams invites viewers to partake in the romance of a lazy cruise and enjoy love, life’s sweetest reward.

Growing Pains (1985-1992)

Growing Pains was the epitome of a wholesome family sitcom about an upper middle class family living in the suburbs. The saccharine theme by John Bettis and Steve Dorff is an upbeat song with feel-good lyrics about family unity and sharing the laughter and love.

The Simpsons (1989-)

The grandaddy of edgy cartoons, The Simpsons presents a satirical look at a working class family of misfits. Danny Elfman delivers a high-energy theme that is reminiscent of Warner Bros. cartoons but with his signature quirky aesthetic.

Friends (1994-2004)

A group of six friends in their late 20s/early 30s navigate life, romance, and career on Friends. Perhaps the most recognizable theme song of the ‘90s, “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts is a fast-paced pop track about the show’s message of friends being like family.

Mad Men (2007-2015)

Set in the 1960s, Mad Men followed ad executive Don Draper and his coworkers and family at a successful New York ad agency. To introduce the show, RJD2 wrote an instrumental theme that sets up the show’s drama and style with a mod sound that mirrored the show’s time period.

Check out the theme songs we’ve already covered on Scoop. And don’t touch that dial, because more great TV theme songs are on the way!