Jon Burlingame, a Los Angeles-based journalist and author of "Music for Prime Time," shares insights into the captivating world of television music. He dives into the evolution of TV themes, from the impact of library music to original compositions by legends like Henry Mancini. Burlingame discusses how theme songs shape character narratives, the legacy of composers like David Schwartz, and contrasts modern innovations in shows like 'Game of Thrones' and 'The White Lotus.' A journey through nostalgia and the future of TV sound awaits!
Television themes have evolved significantly from catchy melodies that engaged viewers to more ambient sounds emphasizing overall tone in modern shows.
The budgeting constraints of early television drove producers to use library music, influencing the distinctive soundscape of the medium for years.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Iconic TV Themes
Television themes have undergone significant evolution over the years, with memorable melodies being key to classic shows. The discussion highlights how themes, like the one from The Lone Ranger, became quintessential in the minds of viewers despite originally being a classical overture. Many classic themes were designed to be catchy, allowing audiences to hum them long after the episode had ended. Over time, however, there has been a shift away from strong melodies, reflecting changing trends in television music composition.
Library Music's Role in Early Television
In the early days of television, especially the 1950s, shows often relied on library music due to budget constraints and the desire for efficiency. Producers frequently opted for generic music that was not specifically created for individual shows, which led to a unique soundscape characterized by already available audio tracks. The limited budget meant that classical pieces, such as those by Tchaikovsky and Liszt, were sometimes used as incidental music. This approach laid the groundwork for how music would be integrated into TV shows, showcasing the challenges faced by creators at that time.
The Impact of Songwriting on Show Themes
Songwriting has played a vital role in crafting memorable television themes, especially for comedies and cartoons. Shows like Gilligan's Island benefitted from catchy tunes that succinctly set the backstory and invited viewers into a world where they could easily connect with characters. The composition process often involves collaboration, as seen with the classic themes from Hanna-Barbera, which utilized simple yet impactful tunes to create a sense of familiarity. This reliance on catchy songs not only enhances the viewing experience but also ensures that audiences remember and associate them with specific shows.
Modern Approaches to TV Music
The advent of cable and streaming services has fundamentally altered how television music is composed and used, making it less about immediate recall and more about setting an overall tone. As viewers now tend to binge-watch shows, memorable themes are less essential, allowing for greater creativity in how music is applied. Series like The Sopranos showcase this shift, as they often use licensed music rather than traditional scoring, to complement storytelling without overt emotional cues. This evolution reflects a broader understanding of viewer engagement, with composers exploring innovative sounds and styles that resonate on different levels.
From the rattling charge of The Lone Ranger to the slick, warbling vocals of White Lotus, music for television has been beckoning us to the couch for the best part of a century.
In Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring, Jon Burlingame has charted the history of music for telly in the form of an elegiac sort of look back at the medium as streaming overtook network TV and the 2007 writers’ strike looked to have changed the medium forever. Now a new edition, released in the context of a new and bitterly long writers’ and actors’ strike, may serve as an elegy for the streaming age too.
Jon joins Andy from Los Angeles to fire up the cathode ray and listen to the music of the medium, with plenty of memorable tunes in the mix.
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