THEME = TV songs: “Cheers”, “Dawson’s Creek” & “The Drew Carey Show”
This week’s edition features full songs of 3 TV landmarks.
#1 “Cheers” | 09/30/1982 – 05/20/1993
The theme song, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name”, was written by Gary Portnoy & Judy Hart Angelo. Portney performed the song, & shortly after the series premiere, he went back into the studio to record the full version of the song, heard in this video.
FYI: to become the series’ theme, the 1st verse was changed to represent something more universally appealing so more people could identify with it. Originally, the 1st verse was: “Singing the blues when the Red Sox lose, it’s a crisis in your life. On the run ‘cause all your girlfriends wanna be your wife. & the laundry ticket’s in the wash.” It became the refrain many know well: “Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away?”
#2 “Dawson’s Creek” | The WB | 01/20/1998 – 05/14/2003
The theme song, “I Don’t Want To Wait”, was written & performed by Paula Cole. It was originally released 10/14/1997 as the 2nd single from her album ‘This Fire’, then later became this show’s opening theme. It reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 & #3 on the Adult Contemporary charts.
FYI: some international versions & DVD releases swap in Jann Arden’s “Run Like Mad” due to copyright issues. The producers originally wanted to use Alanis Morissette’s “Hand In My Pocket” for the opening theme, but she would not grant them permission to use it. The series became a landmark show for the fledgling network, partly due to the critical acclaim & criticism it received.
#3 “The Drew Carey Show” | ABC | 09/13/1995 – 09/08/2004
This series used 3 songs for the opening sequence.
A: The 1st was “Moon Over Parma”, written by Robert McGuire. While the song was trimmed for the opening, this video features the full version.
B: The 2nd was “Five O’Clock World”, written by Allen Reynolds & performed by The Vogues. Originally released in November 1965, it reached #1 on WLS (Chicago IL) 12/17/1965 & 01/07/1966. This song was also featured in the 1987 movie ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ & the 2003 film ‘Big Fish’. Hal Ketchum covered the song for his 1991 album ‘Past The Pont Of Rescue’. This video (with the show characters) features the full version, parts of which were used for the shortened opening.
C: The 3rd was “Cleveland Rocks”, written by Ian Hunter for his 1979 album ‘You’re Never Alone With A Schizophrenic’. WMMS played it every Friday at 6p starting in 1979; the city’s sports teams also use it as a victory song. For this series, The Presidents Of The United States Of America covered it. This video (with the show characters) features the full version, parts of which were used for the shortened opening.
D: For the last 2 seasons, the series rotated several different opening sequences, each a new-different version of the original 3 theme songs. This video shows many of them:
FYI: this series was created, in part, by Drew Carey, with the title character being a fictionalized version of himself. This show was also the 1st to have a simulcast online & also featured several special episodes, both live & “what’s wrong with this?” type.