Theme Songs From US Sitcoms (1985-1989) Quiz

Answer: Life Goes On

Lasting for seven seasons and 170 episodes, "Empty Nest" was the story of a Miami pediatrician who was widowed and had adult children. The series was a spin-off of "The Golden Girls" and characters from that series (particularly Sophia) sometimes appeared on "Empty Nest". The show was in the Top 10 of the Nielsen ratings for its first three seasons.

"Life Goes On" was the theme song for "Empty Nest" and was written by John Bettis and George Tipton. It was performed in the show's credits by Billy Vera.

Answer: As Days Go By

"Family Matters" (1989-1998) was spun off from "Perfect Strangers" and lasted for nine seasons and 215 episodes. It was the story of an African-American family in Chicago headed by police officer Carl Winslow. The character of Stevie Urkel would be a breakout character on the series. The series moved from ABC to CBS for its last season.

"As Days Go By", performed by Jesse Frederick was the theme song for the series. The song was written by Frederick, Bennett Salvay, and Scott Roeme.
In the series original run, the first five episodes used "What a Wonderful World", performed by Louis Armstrong, as the opening theme.

Answer: Everywhere You Look

"Full House" would spend the majority of its run in the Nielsen Top 30. The series lasted for eight seasons and 192 episodes. "Full House" (1987-1995) was the story of a widowed father in San Francisco who raised his three daughters with the help of the girls' uncle and a family friend. This show was the vehicle to fame for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

Jesse Frederick (who also performed the theme for "Family Matters") sang the theme song "Everywhere You Look". He composed the song along with Bennett Salvay.

Answer: Thank You For Being a Friend

"The Golden Girls" (1985-1992) was the story of four older women in Miami who were friends and roommates. The show lasted for seven seasons and 180 episodes. Many scenes were set in the kitchen, and food - particularly cheesecake - played an important role in the plot. When the series ended, most of the principal cast continued in the spin-off "The Golden Palace", set in a Miami hotel.

A truncated version of "Thank You For Being a Friend" was performed by Cynthia Fee as the theme song for "The Golden Girls". The song was composed by Andrew Gold and originally appeared on his 1978 album "All This and Heaven Too". As a single, the song reached Number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Answer: Together Through the Years

Before the series was called "The Hogan Family", it was first known as "Valerie" and then "Valerie's Family". The changes were caused by initial star Valerie Harper leaving after the second season. The series (1986-1991) lasted for six seasons and 110 episodes. Sandy Duncan would later play the main female character in the series.

"Together Through the Years", the theme song of the series, was composed by Charles Fox and Stephen Geyer. It was song by Roberta Flack.

Answer: Doin' It the Best I Can

"Just the Ten of Us" (1988-1990) was a spin-off of the series "Growing Pains". The series was the story of a large family with mostly daughters whose father took a job as a physical education teacher at an all-boys school. The series lasted for three seasons and 47 episodes. The series won the 1990 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lighting Direction.

The theme song, "Doin' It the Best I Can", was performed by Bill Medley, one half of the Righteous Brothers. Steve Dorff composed the song.

Answer: Love and Marriage

"Married...With Children" (1987-1997) was the first long-running from the FOX television network. The series focused on the dysfunctional Bundy family. It lasted for eleven seasons and 259 episodes. While the series had staying power, it was not particularly popular during its original run. In addition, the series sometimes was seen as controversial because of its content.

The theme song for the series was "Love and Marriage", written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen. The song, performed by Frank Sinatra, was originally used in the 1955 television version of "Our Town".

Answer: According to Our New Arrival

"Mr. Belvedere" was the story of an Englishman who worked as a butler for an upper middle-class family in the Pittsburgh area. The series (1985-1990) lasted for six seasons and 117 episodes. A familiar scene in many episodes was the titular character summarizing the events of the day in his journal. The character of Mr. Belvedere originated in a novel and a series of films.

Judy Hart Angelo and Gary Portnoy composed the theme song "According to Our New Arrival". The song was performed by an unknown vocalist in the pilot episode and by Leon Redbone in every other episode of the series.

Answer: You Can Count on Me

"My Two Dads" (1987-1990) ran for three seasons and 60 episodes. In the series, the two dads were uncertain which one was the biological father of Nicole as her deceased mother had been intimate with both of them in close proximity. "My Two Dads" had more than one crossover with the series "Night Court" while both were on the NBC schedule.

"You Can Count on Me", the theme song for "My Two Dads", was performed by Greg Evigan (who also portrayed one of the two dads). The song was written by Evigan, Lennie Macaluso and Michael Jacobs.

Answer: Swinging on a Star

"Out of This World" (1987-1991) was about a young girl who has one human parent and one alien parent, which gave her supernatural powers. The series managed to last for four seasons and 96 episodes despite largely negative reviews. It was described as a television series which emphasized moral lessons over humor.

The theme song for "Out of This World" was "Swinging on a Star", which was originally written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke for the 1944 film "Going My Way".

Answer: Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now

"Perfect Strangers" (1986-1993) described the interactions of American Larry Appleton and his foreign-born cousin, Balki Bartokomous. The series ran for eight seasons and 150 episodes. The series was set in Chicago. One of the best known features of the series was Balki's "Dance of Joy".

"Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" was written by Jesse Frederick and Bennett Salvay. The opening credits featured a version with lyrics performed by David Pomeranz.

Answer: You're Thinking Right

"The Tracey Ullman Show" (1987-1990) was one of the first programs to air on the FOX television network and may be best known as the origin of the long-running animated series "The Simpsons". The variety show lasted for four seasons and 81 episodes and mixed sketch comedy and musical numbers. Each episode would end with a bathrobe clad Ullman telling the studio audience to "Go home".

The theme song of the series, "You're Thinking Right", was composed and performed by George Clinton.

Answer: With a Little Help From My Friends

"The Wonder Years" (1968-1973) was set roughly twenty years before the then-present as it told the coming-of-age story of Kevin Arnold. The series lasted for six seasons and 115 episodes. It was a Top 30 Nielsen hit for its first four seasons. The series featured a large of amount of period music during its initial broadcast.

The theme song for the series, "With a Little Help From My Friends", was composed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The song, performed by Joe Cocker, had reached Number One on the UK Singles chart back in 1968.

Answer: Shine on Me

With five seasons and 110 episodes, "Amen" starred Sherman Hemsley, best known for "The Jeffersons". Hemsley's character was a deacon at the First Community Church of Philadelphia. Episodes often focused on the interactions between the deacon, the minister of the church, and the deacon's daughter. The series was a Top 20 Nielsen hit during its first two seasons.

Andrae Crouch composed the show's theme song, "Shine on Me" (which was sung by gospel singer Vanessa Bell Armstrong).

Answer: These Are the Best of Times

"Good Morning, Miss Bliss" (1987-1989) starred Hayley Mills as a junior high school teacher. The series was relatively unsuccessful in its initial run of a pilot episode and 13 regular episodes over one season. When the show was repackaged as "Saved By the Bell: The Junior High Years" as part of the "Saved By the Bell" franchise, it was more successful. The characters of Zach, Lisa, Screech, and Mr. Belding would carry to the main series.

"These Are the Best of Times", written by Charles Fox, was used as the theme song for "Good Morning, Miss Bliss". When the episodes were later shown as "Saved By the Bell: The College Years", the usual "Saved By the Bell" theme was used.