Strangely I was pondering this very thought today. I've got work to do and this could occupy my entire night, so I'll leave it at three nominations that come to mind (all children's programmes):
Feel the anarchy of the "Roobarb and Custard" theme...

The pure first-day-of-the-holidays joy of the "Banana Splits" theme...

...And the most exciting piece of music ever written, "Stingray":

Three classics there for sure Nick. Love the guitar on Rhubarb, a filthy sound indeed!

Many thanks Nick. I'll celebrate by posting the theme tune to Follyfoot, from the same era as the previous posts! Cheers.

Real craftsmanship!!

(it's from "The Two Ronnies")

Z

...but only the ones of the 60s and 70s. I hated the 80s versions, which have dated FAR more, IMHO.

Other favourites:

The Avengers
The Professionals
Man In A Suitcase
Department S
The Sweeney
The Persuaders

At least one of those on JJ's list is worth a revisit, I reckon:

A friend and I, once refreshed, would sing the title and new words to the tune - which often works (maybe it is how they compose it in the first place) "The Sweeney, the Sweeney, this programme is called the uh Sweeney" etc. "Dallas, Dallas, this programme's called Dallas, it's about Ewing oil" etc. Possibly more hilarious after a few pints of Pride....try it!

...oh what's it called?! Help!

How about the Route 66 theme by Nelson Riddle?

Children of the Stones (with hubble bubble HTV ident)

Thriller (forward to 00:18)

http://www.divshare.com/download/3649479-d98

Some great clips so far and remember this one?I always found the creepy synth chord at the end very chilling.

Apparently by John Williams (Star Wars not Sky)

And keeping with that theme...

And what great visuals too...

As young Mr Grace used to say, "You've all done very well."

OR

Cagney & Lacey - that sax solo in the intro was pure class (and pure 80s, as well).

And for the big kids among us, this is another unsung classic.

Check out the warp speed running in this one:

And to round off, a bit more sax... and I haven't even mentioned Hart to Hart!

This thread seems to have turned into a bit of a Peter-Kay-style nostalgia-fest, wouldn't you say? I know the TV shows from one's childhood always seem to have been better than modern stuff, but like the idea that Wagon Wheels were the size of serving platters, it may be the rosy-tint of nostalgia.

There are many great recent TV theme tunes - Curb Your Enthusiasm's instantly recognisable, as were the themes for Six Feet Under, and Twin Peaks. Coronation Street and EastEnders are identifiable from a couple of notes, and one could argue that the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire theme does a good job of suggesting suspense (even if it's artificially created in the show itself with flashing lights and verbal padding from the host). I'd also point to the theme from 30Rock as being fast and fun, which is appropriate.

Granted, there's an american bias to the above, but I'll cheerfully admit this is because I watch previous little homegrown TV. But I'm sure someone more au fait with UK stuff could suggest themes from shows like Waking The Dead or something...

Still, does anyone remember spangles? Eh? Eh? Raleigh Choppers, eh?

In 1981 I wanted to be Andy Renko. Still do really.

who use'd to sing "Flipper Flipper Flipper the bush Kangaroo"

I even get confused myself now.

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship.

The mate was a mighty sailing man,
The skipper brave and sure.
Five passengers set sail that day
For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.

The weather started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed,
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The minnow would be lost, the minnow would be lost.

The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle
With Gilligan
The Skipper too,
The millionaire and his wife,
The movie star
The professor and Mary Ann,
Here on Gilligan's Isle.

So this is the tale of the castways,
They're here for a long, long time,
They'll have to make the best of things,
It's an uphill climb.

The first mate and the Skipper too,
Will do their very best,
To make the others comfortable,
In the tropic island nest.

No phone, no lights no motor cars,
Not a single luxury,
Like Robinson Crusoe,
As primitive as can be.

So join us here each week my friends,
You're sure to get a smile,
From seven stranded castways,
Here on "Gilligan's Isle."

...I've always loved the theme tune from the BBC's Holiday Programme from that era - Heartsong by Gordon Giltrap. Gotta love Simon Phillips' huge drum fill that started, finished and punctuated it.

Couldn't find the original on YouTube but here's the guitar maestro himself, Mr Gordon Giltrap, performing in on solo guitar on the telly a few years ago. Gotta love that whammy bar effect he gets at the end - from an acoustic!!

Catweazle - with great graphics too. How to screw with young minds in a one easy lesson.

Jeeves and Wooster - Absolutely topping, what ho!

Not sure if it quite qualifies, but the opening for Looney Tunes cartoons is quite beyond wonderful.

And we could start a whole new thread on great appropriations for themes:
The Sopranos for starters...

And I'm kind of over You-Tube right now. Look it up for yourselves. You won't regret it...

if you find yourself sitting at a Fender Rhodes or similar software-based plug-in:

(well, either that or Fagen's "New Frontier")

Z

I'm struggling slowly through the box set; the years haven't been kind.

I'm only on dial-up so can't check out those recommendations at the moment, but here are some unforgettable TV ear worms, nothing to do with nostalgia, but pure, lasting emotional reaction to music:

Robinson Crusoe from c1968 (by Gian-Piero Reverberi)
The World at War (by Carl Davis)
'Ashokan Farewell' used in Ken Burns' Civil War

and, just to get a little funky:
Barney Miller (bass by Jim Hughart)
and Ironside, by Quincy Jones

Alan Hawkshaw's Grange Hill theme tune was all that and a cup of tea:

And according to Sportsnight, early 80's British sport was all about the big band jazz sound.

Bergerac always conjures up images of THAT red leather blouson

But the finest, some say premier TV theme tune... The Littlest Hobo. Guaranteed to make me weep like Gazza on a second yellow card.

Even the titles wobbled

There are some upstanding contemporary equivalents.

AND

AAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNDDDDDDDD

Well, of course, The Sopranos is a contemporary classic. That opening sequence is a perfect lead-in and scene setter to the show. Another good one was Roddy Frame's 'Small World', used for Early Doors. But, in general, the kind of writers who could write jazz-inflected scores for orchestras don't exist anymore.

With a name like Lalo Schifrin, Quincy Jones, Henry Mancini or Nelson Riddle, how could you be expected to write anything other than jazz-inflected scores for orchestras?