I was on YouTube looking for the opening credits of a TV show I watched many years ago as a kid, Prey. It starred Debra Messing before Will and Grace fame and Tom Storke who some of you might remember as Julia Roberts’ love interest in Mystic Pizza. He also played Larry in the TV mini series, The Stand, based on the epic novel by Stephen King. I love that book but I won’t get into that here!
I got to thinking about some of the great theme tunes of TV shows over the years and realised that two shows I’ve watched lately, The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle only have a few seconds intro, and that’s it. Why? Well, that train of thought sent me on a trip down memory lane and I had to look up some of the most memorable themes from paranormal TV shows. They’re listed below.
The X-Files: This music screams paranormal, “doo doo doo doo doo doo”. Go on Mark Snow! I’m eleven years old again when I hear this and cowering on the couch with my sister. Words cannot describe how much I loved this show. School mates and teachers from primary and secondary school will remember me wearing a big silver X cross around my neck. Even my Grandad tuned in to see what Mulder and Scully were up to each week 🙂
The Outer Limits: Freaked me out when I was a kid. “There is nothing wrong with your television set…” The image of the creepy house stretching and becoming distorted evoked a terrible sense of dread in me.
And since I mentioned it at the start of this post. Here’s the opening to Prey. The voiceover is awesome.
Charmed: Sexy, edgy and haunting.
Roswell: Dido’s “Here with Me” introduced us to the aliens and humans in this small, New Mexico town.
Medium: Freaks me out every time I hear it.
Buffy: Brings me straight back to when I was 16.
Dark Angel should be on this list but can’t find find the opening theme on YouTube (bummer): It was a kick ass tune to go with the alpha female, Max.
Ghost Whisperer: Spooky and eerie.
Smallville. A powerful song, quite suitable for a superhero show.
Hex: Sexy and seductive, Gothic horror.
Eerie Indiana: I had a major crush on Omri Katz and was so happy to see him in Hocus Pocus.
Other cool themes I like include The Munsters Today, The Walking Dead, True Blood, Unsolved Mysteries and Kindred the Embraced.
If The Vampire Diaries had a theme song what would you like it to be? I’d have to go with Placebo’s “Running Up That Hill”? What do you think?
Am I missing any other great theme tunes from supernatural/fantasy shows?
Emma's Ramblings on Supernatural Fiction 
I gotta say, out of the ones you featured, TrueBlood has to be my favorite (With Smallville coming in a close second). Just like the show, the theme song is surprisingly addicting. It’s one of the rare times that I actually stay through the opening credits, without wanting to fast forward. I totally want TVD to have a theme song! I think I would pick Muse (If Florence wasn’t available. Lol) to write a new song. They’re epic. The show’s epic. It’s a perfect fit. 🙂
True Blood’s theme is cool. The video to it, depicting scenes from the South is amazing. Muse meets Florence would be epic. It’s really old but “Unintended” by Muse is the first song of theirs to come to mind when I think of TVD.
Oh, so many great ones to choose from! If I have to pick, I guess I would have to choose X-Files. I LOVED that show! I had such a huge crush on David Duchovny. Another one I like, but you’re probably too young to remember it, is Dark Shadows. I loved that one and it’s my current ringtone.
Us X-Files fans have to stick together 🙂 The first meeting between Mulder and Scully still cracks me up, especially when Mulder asks “Do you think I’m spooky?”
I haven’t seen Dark Shadows but I did see it mentioned quite a lot recently with the release of the movie, so I’ll have to check it out now just to hear your ringtone! So many TV shows, so little time….
Great post. I just wish I could add music to my scenes. That would fix the sagging middlitiss that lurks in the shadows.
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I know! Imagine what the scenes are going to play like when your book becomes a movie and that may help 🙂
oh I love that idea.
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X-Files gets my vote for creepiest. Buffy’s though, has to be my favorite, I watched it and Angel. The stories were decent and the eye-candy delicious! 😉
Buffy will always have a special place in my heart. I wanted to post the Angel theme too, but I couldn’t find it on youtube. Agree with you re the eye-candy. I had a big crush on Doyle.
Buffy for the win! Haha. I love True Blood’s too, I like anything with a southern twang. But man…I can’t tell you how many crazy dances I’ve done to the Buffy one haha!
I too have noticed the trend of less shows using a theme tune. I dislike. Just think of all the great ones Vampire Diaries could use….. *sigh*
Have to agree with you, Becky. Buffy all the way! Crazy dances? Ha ha, sounds fun.
I bet fans have made their opening credits to TVD; I’ll have to look them up on YouTube.
Cool post. Outer limits – X Files. A series theme is so important – funny how many of them live on and can summon up memories of those shows
I know, they can take you right back to a certain time/moment in your life.
The X-Files, for me will always remind me of childhood and sitting down each week to see what Mulder & Scully were getting up to with my Dad and older sister.
Hmmm, I’m going to have to say X-Files and Buffy are my two faves. I met my Hubs at an X-Files season finale party, so you know it has special meaning for me just for that alone. Then, the Hubs introduced me to Buffy and subsequently my girl crush of Angel began. I miss Angel. Good Angel, not creepy wrinkle faced Angel. And Spike. I really liked Spike because he was such a cranky/funny guy.
That is such a cool way to meet!
I really liked Spike too. In fact I’d choose him and his charming, if dodgy, English accent over Angel any day 🙂
Though I never watched the show, I’d have to say The Addams Family had one of the best theme songs.
I agree, David. Spooky but fun.
I was trying to find the theme music for the old Werewolf show (ca. 1987) but I couldn’t find it, nor really remember it. Guess that means it wasn’t that great 😦
You can’t think of the name of the show? The only other, older werewolf show that comes to mind is She Wolf of London.
No, the name was just “Werewolf” — but the theme music escapes me. There was going to be a DVD release a few years ago, and I wanted to see whether the show was as goo as I remembered it (fully expecting it to be cheesy in hindsight), but music rights issues apparently put the kibosh on it.
I looked it up on youtube and can’t believe I hadn’t heard of this show before. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
You’re welcome! There used to be a very good, informative fansite but the person running it recently shut it down. I was able to find a not-very-good-quality version of the two-hour pilot and it still held up. Chuck Connors still very creepy as the main villain.
Such a great share, thanks for this! Smallville remains my favorite, but I gotta love Hex just because they feature Garbage 😉
Love the lyrics for #1 Crush, so dark, yet sexy, lol
Yes, they are 😉
Out of this list, X-Files and Smallville are my favorite theme songs. I actually currently have the Smallville theme set as my ringtone! I also really like the Veronica Mars theme song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yulQo5MZeJM
Great ringtone, Shannon. I rarely bought CD singles back in the old days, but I went out and snapped up “Save Me” by Remy Zero since I loved the Smallville theme song so much. I never watched Veronica Mars but checking out the theme now, thanks.
My fave theme tunes would be Angel, Roswell, Charmed, Hex, Full House, Cheers, Hawaii5-0, Dallas *cue “JR, JR, Sue-Ellen and Bobby, they all live by the sea………………” 🙂
I’m a huge Buffy fan (you well know that), but would you believe that as soon as I read the title of the post I thought “Oh, Roswell!”? LOL
What about Game Of Thrones? I really think that theme is great!
I like all your choices and Medium’s theme freaks me out every time, as well!! It’s curious you suggested “Running Up That Hill” for TVD because not only I think it’s perfect, but it’s one of the songs you can hear in the pilot! (It starts when Zach confronts Stefan and then it goes on until Stefan looks at Katherine’s picture.) So, a veeeery appropriate choice, Emma! 😉
There are so many of us Buffy fans still around, Silvia, even 8 years after it finished, which just goes to show what a cool TV show it was.
Roswell’s song was the first time I ever heard Dido and then she exploded onto the music scene with the Eminem duet.
I have never seen Game of Thrones 😦 I don’t have the channel so I’m going to have to buy the DVD.
I chose “Running up That Hill” because I remember being on YouTube a few months before the show started and lots of fans had created preview videos of The Vampire Diaries to Placebo’s song. It’s on the soundtrack too. It has a moody, vampire vibe to it. Thanks for stopping by.
“They live in a palace and that’s called Dallas, made by RTE…”
Good choice, Laura. I haven’t watched Full House in more than 20 years. Does that make you feel old? It makes me feel ancient.
Yes it does unfortunately make me feel ancient! 😦 but have a listen anyway 🙂 it’s gd “everywhere u look, (everywhere) there’s a heart (there’s a heart)…..”
ah balls it won’t come up!! 😦 take 2
OK I give up. Watch on youtube 😦
I can see it, Laura, cheers! When I listen to that theme, I’m back in primary school.
What about “I’ll Be There For You” from the show Friends girls? can you recall that. its was very catchy.
Great theme song and one of my favourite TV shows. I watch re-runs all the time.
Charmed and Smallville’s opening always got me excited for the upcoming episode. You know what else? Hawaii Five-0!!!
And now Dallas. 🙂
Definitely Dallas!
X-Files for me 🙂
There is nothing wrong with your television. . . . The Outer Limits wins, it’s the control voice — gets me every time.
Great voice. It demands you sit up and take notice.