First Lines of TV Theme Songs Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Jeffersons

"The Jeffersons" was a spin-off of "All in the Family". The American sitcom aired on CBS from 1975 to 1985. The show starred Sherman Hemsley as a successful businessman who owned a dry-cleaning business. Ja'Net DuBois, who starred in the sitcom "Good Times", sang the catchy theme song entitled "Movin on Up".

Answer: All in the Family

Based on the British TV show "'Til Death Do us Part", the American sitcom "All in the Family" aired on CBS from 1971 to 1978. The show was controversial for Archie Bunker's humorous but bigoted views. The show opens with Archie (Carroll O'Connor) and his wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) sitting at a piano reminiscing about the good old days with an out-of-tune version of "Those Were the Days".

Besides Glenn Miller, the song mentions Herbert Hoover and driving a LaSalle, an American luxury car that was manufactured by General Motors from 1927 to 1940.

The show won twenty-three Prime Time Emmy Awards.

Answer: New Tricks

The British TV show "New Tricks" is a comedy-drama about a group of retired policemen who became a part of a police unit that attempts to solve cold case crimes. The series aired from 2003 to 2015. The only detective to appear in all twelve seasons was Gerry Standing played by Denis Waterman. Waterman also sang the theme song for the show, "It's Alright, It's Okay".

He also sang the theme song for "Minder," a show he starred in for seven series beginning in 1979. That theme song, "I Could be so Good for You", reached the third spot on the UK Singles Chart.

Answer: Cheers

The American sitcom "Cheers" aired on NBC from 1982 to 1983. Cheers was a Boston bar where a group of quirky characters hung out and developed tight friendships. The show was nominated for Emmy awards 111 times, winning 28 Emmys. The show tackled several social issues like alcoholism, depression, and mental health but did so while using humor.

The theme song, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name", was the first recording by singer/songwriter Gary Portnoy. He also wrote several other theme songs for shows like "Fame", "Punky Brewster", and "Mr. Belvidere". During the 1980s, he won six American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) Awards.

In 2011, readers of "Rolling Stone" magazine chose the song as the best theme song of all time.

Answer: Silent Witness

"Silent Witness" aired its 28th series in 2025. The British crime drama, featuring a team of crime-fighting forensic pathologists, was created by Nigel McCreary, who also created the British hit show "New Tricks". The show, while popular, has received criticism because of its use of graphic scenes.

In the second season, "Silencium" became the theme song for the show. It was composed by English saxophonist John Harle. The song features the haunting vocals of English classical soprano Sarah Leonard.

The lyrics, which are in Latin, refer to angels bearing witness in silence, but the meaning is vague.

Answer: The Big Bang Theory

"The Big Bang Theory" is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 2007 to 2019. The show, featured the exploits of four geeky scientists and the women in their lives. After a slow start, the show ranked as one of the top three shows, in terms of viewership, during its last seven seasons.

It won many awards, including six Prime Time Emmys. The fast-moving theme song, which takes the listeners on a fourteen-billion-year scientific history tour, was created and performed by the Canadian group Barenaked Ladies.

Answer: The Addams Family

"The Addams Family" is a fictional family that originally appeared in a comic strip created by Charles Addams in 1938. The success of the long-running comic strip led to the creation of a TV show in 1964. The sitcom followed the adventures of this weird, macabre family. Addams was not happy with the TV show because the characters were funnier and less scary than the characters in his comic strip.

The show aired for only two seasons but became a cultural icon. The "Addams Family" franchise continued to expand with movies, board and video games, an animated TV show, and toys. Songwriter Victor Mizzy wrote the theme song for the show.

The song, which features snapping fingers, zany lyrics, and the use of a harpsichord is still popular.

Answer: Corner Gas

"Corner Gas" is a Canadian sitcom that aired from 2004 to 2009. Set in fictional Dog River, Saskatchewan, Corner Gas is the only gas station for 60 kilometers. It was created by comedian Brent Butt, who grew up in a small town in Saskatchewan. The show uses Canadian culture and stereotypes to celebrate life in a small Canadian town through the antics of Dog River's residents.

The show won nine Canadian Comedy Awards and six Gemini Awards. The theme song "Not a Lot Goin' On" was co- written by American musician Jesse Valenzuela and Canadian singer Craig Northey.

The song lyrics pay homage to the vast flat landscape of the province the show is set in. After all, you can watch your dog run away for three days because the land is so flat.

Answer: Mister Ed

"Mister Ed" is an American sitcom that aired from 1961 to 1966. It featured Ed, a talking horse. The show was based on the stories of children's author Walter Brooks. Ed was a palomino. Western movie actor Allan (Rocky) Lane provided the deep baritone voice for the horse. Ed's owner, Wilbur Post (Alan Young), was an architect. Ed, in most cases, talked only to Wilbur.

The theme song was written by the songwriting team of Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. Livingston sang the lyrics for the show. The song begins with a horse neighing and introducing himself by saying "Hello, I'm Mister Ed".

The catchy tune is one of classic TV's most beloved theme songs.

Answer: Friends

The US sitcom "Friends" aired from 1994 to 2004. The highly successful show ended each season ranked in the top ten in television viewership. The show features the day-to-day life of six friends (three guys and three girls) who live in the same New York City apartment complex. The show won over sixty different awards, including six Prime Time Emmy Awards.

The theme song for the show, "I'll be There for You" was recorded by The Rembrandts, an American pop duo. They reluctantly agreed to record the song, quickly written by two of the show's producers and songwriter Allee Willis, after the rock group REM turned down the request. The song became a hit, and after new verses were added, The Rembrandts released it as a single. The song reached number one on several charts, including the "Billboard Hot 100 Airplay" chart for eight weeks.