The 1980s gave us some of the most iconic children’s TV shows and, more importantly, the catchiest theme tunes – why not look at some of the best intros from the decade
The 1980s gave us some of the catchiest theme music for kids to TV ever.
Ok, so that may be a rather subjective statement, given that it was the decade I mainly watched that kind of telly, before I went off and watched some more grown up stuff. That said, when I had children I was once again subjected to telly aimed at younger viewers. But, with the exception of a couple, none were nearly as enticing as they were back in the day.
So I can safely say, in my completely biased opnion, that my generation were treated to some total bangers when it came to intro music.
And to prove it, the Daily Star has gathered up a selection of the decade’s finest for your listening pleasure.
Ulysses 31
It wasn’t until I started pulling together this list that I started to realise how long some of these opening titles were. This space-aged adventure opening is definitely one of them. To help kids who might’ve forgotten what they’re watching in the first place, there’s a 46 second back-story rundown, before the main track kicks in. Magnificent. Ulysses 31 was an anime series based on the Greek Mythology of Odysseues, but updated to the 31st century, and set in space. I remember literally none of the episodes, but I could tell you the back-story verbatim, thanks to the elongated opening. Banger rating 7 – when it finally gets started.
Battle of the Planets
Visually this was a very exciting intro, and very grand to boot. A very space-aged echoey voice-over teases who our heroes are, and who they have to battle against in space to keep our galaxy safe. “Always five, acting as one. Dedicated, inseparable, invinsible.” Battle of the Planets was a watered down version of a 1972 Japanese anime series. Complete with cuts a plenty, which removed graphic violence and profanity for the English audience. But that didn’t mean what we were left with wasn’t exciting, and an absolute buzz when the theme started. Banger rating 5 – Loses marks for constant cheesy voice-over.
Around the World with Willy Fog
For this intro theme it was all about the chorus. Everyone in the show gets to sing their character introduction, including the unusually high-pitched cat “the gentle touch”, then it kicks in. It was so good I remember Andy Peters, or whoever was presenting CBBC at the time, instigating a singalong, which was unheard of. But he knew it was a banger, and that we’d all be singing along anyway. Literal goosebump level nostalgia here. Banger rating 9 – just the chorus, mind.
Dogtanian and the Three Muskerhounds
This is one of those series that just seemed to go on forever, and it had a theme tune that lived on in my head even longer. It was delivered in a kind of barky way, to suit the characters of the show (mainly dogs).This almost two minute opener was just a long-winded establishment of all the characters, coupled with a delightful little ditty that would just stay with you for the rest of the day. Not quite a top banger, but very memorable. Banger rating 4 – a little too yappy.
The Mysterious Cities of Gold
It wasn’t until I started pulling together this list that I began to realise how long some of these opening credits went on for. There is a rather drawn out intro babble, before we get into the main part, which could explain the length here. And it is worth the wait as the magical voices complement the ancient South American imagery on the screen. This 16th century adventure kept kids enthralled for 39 episodes, while it’s intro had them all singing along, once the bloke had stopped rambling. Banger rating 7 – you just need to get over the speed bump first.
Terrahawks
It seems bizarre to think that this futuristic science fiction series from the 80s was actually set in 2020. Things kick off after an alien force has destroyed NASA’s Mars base. leaving Earth under threat. This leaves the Terrahawks, a task force responsible for protecting our planet. The puppet series was a less straight-laced adventure from the bloke behind Thunderbirds. The intro to complement this futuristic adventure was about as much to do with the computer tech graphics, as it was the slight nod to Star Wars intro music. Banger rating 6 – not a standalone classic
Cheggers Plays Pop
This simply rocked. The epilepsy inducing opening animation was pretty basic, and in hindsight the music is fairly rudimentary too. But none of that made any difference to young me, as I stood in the middle of the living room, playing air guitar and headbanging. The show was led by Keith Chegwin, and its format consisted of a series of physical and mental challenges undertaken by two teams of children representing their respective schools. There were also studio performances by contemporary pop music acts, but I suspect none of them could quite match up to the bangability of the opener. Banger rating 10 – simply perfect.
Magpie
OK so this is a little shoe-horned effort, as this show actually finished airing in 1980, but it’s theme tune is why it’s here. Turning and nursery rhyme/old English superstition into a banger was a master stroke by The Spencer Davis Group. The show itself was ITV’s attempt at a more “hip” version of the BBC’s Blue Peter. But, unlike its beeb counterpart, the show was unscripted and the presenters were free to improvise. Magpie played out around 1,000 times over its 12 year run. And I can’t imagine kids ever got bored of hearing its opener during that period. Banger rating 7 – hippy folksy magic.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
