Syndication may have gotten you used to a particular version of a show's theme song, but some programs had some weird themes before they had an audience. Here's seven alternate themes that probably kept its shows from popularity.
7- Saved By The Bell
With the show running ad nauseum in syndication, people have grown used to the standard intro to "Saved by the Bell,", from the first episodes in an out-of-place Indianapolis junior high to the final wretched episode of The New Class. That's why it's so surprising to see not one, but two alternate intros for the show. The first was for the junior high episodes, which previously existed as a separate TV series called "Good Morning, Miss Bliss." The second was an alternate version of the classic theme with a slightly edgier twist, used only during the first few seasons on NBC.
6- Melrose Place
The first episode of Melrose Place was deeply tied to "Beverly Hills, 90210," and thus had a bit of a lighter approach than the show would adopt once it was picked up. Watch as the characters laugh and get sprayed with garden hoses, not yet realizing the world of backstabbing and drama that would await them. And where the hell is "Special Guest Star" Heather Locklear?
5- Family Matters
It's amazing the difference a theme song will make. While "What a Wonderful World" is a classic song, it doesn't exactly prepare the viewer for a sitcom. Thus, the show soon recieved an original, more upbeat theme. This intro, for the pilot episode, is also missing two other key pieces of the "Family Matters" puzzle, Jamie Foxxworth took over the role of the younger sister for four seasons before leaving and appearing in porno movies, while Jaleel White appeared late in the first season as the show's eventual main character, Steve Urkel.
4- Beverly Hills 90210
Used at the very beginning of the show's first season, this version of "Beverly Hill 90210's" main theme lacks the grunge-y punch of later seasons and features Douglas Emerson as Scott Scanlon, one of the saddest main characters you'll ever see on a network program--the character inadvertently shot and killed himself during the second season. Then there's the out-of-place Minnesota-set pre-title piece, where a postman picks up the Walsh's to-be-forwarded mail. Can you imagine the teenage girls waiting to see Luke Perry surf wanting to suffer through some snow-bitten mailman for ten seasons?
3- Seinfeld
We don't have video of this one, but anyone with a DVD player and access to the third season of "Seinfeld" can check it out. The episode "The Note" features the now-famous theme shown below, with female singers performing over it. With non-sensical scat lyrics like "Easy to Beat" intruding on Jerry's pre-show standup, it's easy to see why the show never used the lyrics again.
2- The Twilight Zone
We expect two things from the Twilight Zone: Rod Sterling, and the ominous theme music. The first episode of "The Twilight Zone" featured neither. Westbrook Van Voorhis originally provided narration on the pilot episode, while the show's memorable theme music didn't accompany episodes until the second season. It's still creepy in it's own way, but not the way we know and love.
1- Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Discovering that the memorable theme song to "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" featured two extra verses is akin to finding out you have a pair of extra limbs that you've never used. Used for the first eight episodes and then excised in syndication, the extra twenty seconds doesn't really add much to the pre-Bel-Air backstory, but it does answer the question many later fans had-- how the heck did he get from Pennsylvania to California?
Honorable Mention: Gilligan's Island
This one doesn't officially count, since it never actually aired on television, but it's worth seeing a different take on the three-hour tour. Apparently island living was equated with Mexican music in the 1950's, as there's no other reason we could see this theme working. Regardless, when the show was finally picked up, the many cast changes required a reshot intro, with the theme we all know and tolerate.
