35 Name That Classic TV Theme Song Trivia Questions and Answers for Seniors

Close your eyes and you can probably still hear them. A few bars of whistling over a father and son walking to the fishing hole. A banjo rolling under a story about a mountain man named Jed. A snappy little tune that let you know, before a single line of dialogue, exactly which show was about to start.

Those theme songs did more than fill thirty seconds of airtime — they called the whole family into the living room. Here are 35 questions about the tunes that opened your favorite programs, from the whistles and banjos of the country comedies to the sing-along stories of the 1970s. The answer sits right under each question, so you can test yourself or read them aloud to a room full of hummers.

Whistles, Banjos and Barnyard Tunes

1. The opening of The Andy Griffith Show is nothing but cheerful whistling over a tune called “The Fishin’ Hole.” Who did that famous whistling?

Composer Earle Hagen, who co-wrote the melody, whistled it himself.

2. The Beverly Hillbillies opened with a story-song about Jed striking oil. What was that theme called?

“The Ballad of Jed Clampett.”

3. Which legendary bluegrass duo recorded “The Ballad of Jed Clampett”?

Flatt and Scruggs — Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs — with Jerry Scoggins singing the vocal.

4. That banjo-driven theme did something no bluegrass record had done before. What?

It became the first bluegrass record to reach No. 1 on the Billboard country chart, where it sat for three weeks.

5. “A horse is a horse, of course, of course” opened which talking-animal comedy?

Mister Ed.

6. The Mister Ed theme was written by the songwriting team of Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. Which of the two also sang it?

Jay Livingston sang the vocal himself.

7. On Green Acres, the two stars sang the theme right at each other — Oliver pining for the farm, Lisa for the city. Which actors were they?

Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor, who played Oliver and Lisa Douglas.

Castaways, Cartoons and the Creepy and Kooky

8. Gilligan’s Island opened with a jaunty sea-chantey that explained the whole setup. What was it called?

“The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle.”

9. Who wrote that theme, telling you about the fateful trip before the show even began?

The show’s creator, Sherwood Schwartz, with composer George Wyle.

10. In the first season the song lumped two castaways together as “and the rest.” Who were finally named by their own titles in later seasons?

The Professor and Mary Ann.

11. Everyone can sing “Meet the Flintstones,” but that wasn’t the original theme. What instrumental tune opened the show’s first two seasons?

“Rise and Shine.”

12. The Addams Family theme is famous for a sound you make with your hands. What is it?

Finger snaps — two of them, right on cue.

13. Who composed that harpsichord-and-finger-snap theme (and, as it happens, the Green Acres tune too)?

Vic Mizzy, who improvised the snaps on the spot and sang the vocal himself.

14. The 1966 Batman series had a theme that mostly just shouted the hero’s name. Who composed it?

Neal Hefti.

The Songs That Told a Whole Story

15. Archie and Edith opened All in the Family by singing a nostalgic duet together. What was the song called?

“Those Were the Days.”

16. Which two actors sang that duet, right there on camera?

Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton.

17. What instrument did Edith plunk away at while the two of them sang?

A piano — a little spinet.

18. The Jeffersons celebrated “a deluxe apartment in the sky” in a gospel-flavored theme. What was it called?

“Movin’ On Up.”

19. Who co-wrote “Movin’ On Up” and belted out that unforgettable vocal?

Actress Ja’Net DuBois, who wrote it with Jeff Barry and sang it with a gospel choir.

20. The Mary Tyler Moore Show opened with “Love Is All Around” — the one where she tosses her hat in the air. Who wrote and sang it?

Sonny Curtis.

21. The first season ended on a tentative note — Mary “might just make it after all.” How did the lyric change in later seasons?

It grew more confident: “You’re gonna make it after all.”

Out on the Range and On the Case

22. The booming “Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’” of the Rawhide theme was sung by which big-voiced pop star?

Frankie Laine.

23. Who wrote the Rawhide theme — the music and the words?

Dimitri Tiomkin composed the music and Ned Washington wrote the lyrics, back in 1958.

24. The Lone Ranger didn’t use an original theme at all. What rousing piece of classical music announced the masked man?

The galloping finale of Rossini’s William Tell Overture.

25. Hawaii Five-O opened with one of the most exciting instrumentals on television. Who composed it?

Morton Stevens.

26. Which instrumental-rock band turned that Hawaii Five-O theme into a Top 5 hit single?

The Ventures, whose 1968 cover climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard chart.

27. The urgent, burning-fuse theme to Mission: Impossible was written by which composer?

Lalo Schifrin.

28. That theme has an unusual rhythm that makes it hard to tap your foot to. What time signature is it in?

5/4 time — five beats to the bar instead of the usual four.

Hits, Heroes and a Neighborly Goodnight

29. “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” was everywhere in 1955. Whose recording of it reached No. 1?

Bill Hayes.

30. Davy Crockett first coonskin-capped his way onto television as part of which Disney program?

Disneyland, the Walt Disney anthology series on ABC.

31. The theme to Welcome Back, Kotter was written and sung by a former frontman of the Lovin’ Spoonful. Who?

John Sebastian.

32. His theme, simply titled “Welcome Back,” did something few TV themes ever do. What?

It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, in 1976.

33. The M*A*S*H theme is an instrumental on TV, but it started life as a song with words. What is that song’s title?

“Suicide Is Painless.”

34. The lyrics to “Suicide Is Painless” were famously written by the teenage son of the movie’s director. Who directed the 1970 film?

Robert Altman — his son wrote the words.

35. Finally, the gentlest theme of them all: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” opened whose program, written and sung by the man himself?

Fred Rogers, on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

Frequently asked questions

How do I play these with a group?

Read a question aloud, give everyone a moment to guess, then share the answer that sits just below it. If someone gets stuck, hum a few bars — a tune the words won’t surrender often comes right back the moment you start the melody.

Did any of these TV themes become real hit records?

More than you’d think. “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” topped the country chart, John Sebastian’s “Welcome Back” hit No. 1 in 1976, and The Ventures took the Hawaii Five-O theme into the Top 5.

Which shows wrote the whole premise into the theme song?

Gilligan’s Island and The Beverly Hillbillies are the classic examples — both told you exactly how the characters ended up where they were before the first scene even started.

Where can I find more TV trivia like this?

Settle in with our old TV show trivia for seniors, or test your memory of the shows themselves with our classic TV trivia questions and answers.

Sources

• The Ballad of Jed Clampett — Wikipedia
• The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle — Wikipedia
• Suicide Is Painless — Wikipedia

How many did you hum along to? Play our trivia quizzes and keep the memories playing.