Emmy Theme Song Winners -- with EXTRA BLUE TEXT due to SO MUCH LJ NAMEDROPPING

[spatch]

Well, the guesses are in, the answers tallied, and I discover gosh, this game was tougher than I think anyone expected. But now I am pleased to present the Emmy Theme Song Throwdown Showdown Award for Excellence In The Field of Guessing to...

ubiquity75 and mybadhairlife for their tie for first with 7 correct answers each!

I knew that ubiquity75 would play a strong game, what with St. Bea Arthur, patron saint of sitcoms, smiling over her, but I am quite impressed with mybadhairlife's showing, as she represents the Crazy Cat Ladies of Canada. My scope of uniquely Canadian television pretty much runs from Degrassi Junior High to This Hour Has 22 Minutes to a couple of episodes of Corner Gas (stuff like Kids In The Hall and SCTV enjoyed their own American versions) so I've got mad respect. Congratulations! You may both pick up your free skate passes at the snack bar.

Runners-up, with six correct answers to their credit, are sernin, giantfightbot and scholargipsy. Well done! We'll keep your commemorative T-Shirts at the front gate until you're ready to leave the park for the day.

And I mustn't forget to mention the illustrious Five-Timers Club, as the group of people with five answers correct is the largest number of people in the bunch. duchez, some_kitten, joenotcharles, eyeawry, nolly, luckimunki, elfyone, dogofthefuture and scholargipsy are all proud members of this august institution, and your membership cards are in the mail.

Few bits o' note: marphod mentioned his strategy was to choose the sci-fi/fantasy option whenever possible; it started out quite sound but then fizzled as we approached a post-9/11 world. 3 correct answers.

limax explained his strategy was to use "the Gomer Pyle method" and while I'm not quite sure what that means, it netted him 4 correct answers.

I won't publically point out and laugh at those who didn't get the 2000 question right in spite of the fact that I explicitly named the winner in my opening paragraphs. However, I will giggle at dogofthefuture for this, but only because he admitted and bemoaned his own folly out in the screened comments. You're like the Price Is Right contestant who bids $1 on the item up for bids, and only then realizes they're third in the bidding order. But hey, you made the Five-Timers Club!

Answers are below. The winner of each year is in bold for easy discerning.

1993

Bob (CBS)
Bodies of Evidence (CBS)
Covington Cross (ABC)
Love & War (CBS)
Picket Fences (CBS)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Syndicated)

Yeah, DS9 was a pretty darn good theme as far as shows involving a space station and their wacky inhabitants goes, even if it was more Aaron Copland than anything. Picket Fences got its fair share of guesses, and while I can remember the show, I can't remember its theme at all. Most notable for 1993 is the nomination of Covington Cross, a short-lived medieval Bonanza featuring Ione Skye as a tomboy princess. It ran for all of seven episodes, but apparently wasn't all that bad. One of the nicest things about the Emmy Awards is that cancelled shows are often posthumously nominated, even winning awards, thus justifying the hordes of fans and critics who cry "See? It WAS a good show after all, you programming knobs!"

1994

Frasier (NBC)
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (ABC)
NYPD Blue (ABC)
seaquest DSV (NBC)
The X-Files (FOX)

I wasn't surprised that the X-Files garnered the most guesses, but Mark Snow was denied an award in favor of, well, a show with Roy Scheider and a dolphin voiced by Frank Welker. However, Emmys don't always mean a guaranteed place in the public consciousness; can you sing or hum the seaquest DSV song (I can't even remember if it had lyrics)? Okay, now, can you hum the X-Files theme, do the NYPD Blue drums, or sing the blues about tossed salad and scrambled eggs? Yeah.

1995

Chicago Hope (CBS)
ER (NBC)
Friends (NBC)
My So-Called Life (ABC)
Star Trek: Voyager (UPN)

Once again, the popularity vote loses out, as Friends' catchy ditty loses out to Voyager's theme, which really didn't deserve a win. Voyager's first season was a farce; folks were MSTing episodes online, and the theme... well, at least it was better than Enterprise's. But on the other hand, perhaps everybody was sick as hell of The Rembrandts by the time Emmy votin' time came around. I know I was. I worked in a supermarket and heard that goddamn song about 3 times every shift.

1996

Central Park West (CBS)
Chicago Hope (CBS)
JAG (NBC)
Murder One (ABC)
Nowhere Man (UPN)

Never watched it, but Murder One was apparently good and the highest-scoring contestants nailed it, so good on you all.

1997

Crisis Center (NBC)
Dark Skies (NBC)
Early Edition (CBS)
EZ Streets (CBS)
The Cape (Syndicated)

Ooh, this was a toughie! I can't ever say I saw an episode of this -- not many did; it only lasted 9 episodes. Another one of those "pretty darn good but cancelled" deals. Apparently the pilot featured Ken Olin as a disgraced detective gone to take on organized crime himself, and good ol' Joey Pants as the crime boss. The series had completely different stars. Only lixie got this one. I'm most impressed. By the way, the show's writer, Paul Haggis, went on to write Million-Dollar Baby and Crash (thus winning two Best Screenplay Oscars back-to-back) and is now writing and directing episodes of The Black Donnellys, which is slowly growing on me.

1998

Fame L.A. (Syndicated)
Four Corners (CBS)
Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict (Syndicated)
Nothing Sacred (ABC)
Sessions at West 54th (PBS)

Another tough one and a trend-bucker extraordinaire; most folks guessed Sessions at West 54th -- except for marphod and his sci-fi party line, I guess. Fame L.A. apparently lasted a full season in syndication land, but I honestly never heard of it. Looked it up on IMDB and nodded sagely at this incredibly glowing double-exclamation review: "It's not one of those stupid cliché dramas either!! No-one is who they seem to be!!! I love all the drama and conflicts!! The actors are great and talented people!! I'm sad that it got canceled!! It reminds me of Beverly Hills 90210!!" All right!! I get it!! You liked the show!! Bang bang!!

1999

Profiler (NBC)
The PJs (FOX)
Trinity (NBC)
V.I.P. (Syndicated)
Viva Variety (Comedy Central)

Another Irish-In-New York show what got the axe before 10 episodes. Are you beginning to see a trend here?

2000

Falcone (CBS)
Jack London's Call Of The Wild (AP)
Jack Of All Trades (Syndicated)
The Pretender (NBC)
The West Wing (NBC)

This was a gimme, yet inexplicably some of you got it wrong. You know who you are. And be sure to bid $1 ONLY WHEN YOU'RE THE LAST CONTESTANT TO BID.

2001

Big Apple (CBS)
Gideon's Crossing (ABC)
Soul Food (Showtime)
Survivor (CBS)
Thoroughbred (AP)

I know some people really liked this show, featuring Andre Brauer and Rubén Blades as doctors in a teaching hospital, yet it only ran for one season. I'm just glad it beat out Survivor's crazy tribal OH WAY OH WAY AH WAY OH WAY AH tune, though guess which one I can sing? Yeah.

2002

A Day In Their Lives (History Channel)
First Monday (CBS)
Justice League (Cartoon Network)
Six Feet Under (HBO)
Wolf Lake (CBS)

Finally! One of those popular shows wins, and with a wonderful theme to boot! As expected, it gained the majority of guesses as well.

2003

Boomtown (NBC)
Everwood (WB)
Miracles (ABC)
Monk (USA)
Penn & Teller: Bullshit! (Showtime)

Mr. Monk wins the majority vote and the Emmy. I wonder how they announced Penn & Teller's show name at the awards ceremony. It's listed in full at the Emmy Awards website, which makes me happy.

2004

Deadwood (HBO)
Monk (USA)
Monster House (Discovery Channel)
Nip/Tuck (FX)
Two And A Half Men (CBS)

Mr. Monk wins again, but how?! His theme song changed between the first and second season. Ah ha... Honestly, though, even though Randy Newman is a classic song'writah with a pianah and a ba-DUMP N'awlins rhythm, I think Deadwood has the better theme here.

2005

Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends (Cartoon Network)
Huff (Showtime)
Justice League Unlimited (Cartoon Network)
Stargate Atlantis (Sci-Fi)

Another popular win, and an adorably precious Danny Elfman tune to boot. However, I am pleased and surprised to see Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends on the nomination list, as it really is one of the niftiest and catchy modern cartoon themes around. In discussing the show's development, creator Craig McCracken has explained the style he was looking for was "psychedelic ragtime" and you know, he pretty much got what he wanted (the ever-so-slightly out-of-tune piano really makes the song, in my opinion.)

2006

Get Ed (Toon Disney)
Masters of Horror (Showtime)
Over There (FX)
Prison Break (FOX)
Rome (HBO)

Only slakko got this one, and I'm chagrined because I remember hearing that this series was coming to Showtime, but I've yet to see an episode. I want to know how the theme goes, dammit!

Hope everybody had fun playing, and everybody who played gets a nice "PARTICIPANT" ribbon that they can put on their bulletin board, or give to a friend. Whoopee!

Comments

[scout1222.livejournal.com]

Totally agree that Deadwood is better than Monk. I'm a little past tired of Randy Newman in general.

[spatch]

Randy Newman's early stuff is wonderful, but Family Guy nailed it when they had him performing the theme to a new Disney cartoon ("A bear and a bunny are travelin' through the woods... or somethin' like that.")

[ubiquity75.livejournal.com]

Well, I'd just like to thank the Academy, derspatchel, El Guapo and the rest of the Animal Hat Gang, my mom, her mom, my mom's second cousin who is going through some rough times right now, my orthopedist, and Teena Marie - just because. *wink*

I never thought I'd be up here on the stage, and even though I'm sharing it with some ljer I've never heard of, I will graciously accept this award, secure in the knowledge that I am actually the better of us two.

LOLZ and kisses to you all! Signing off and heading to the tub!

[mybadhairlife.livejournal.com]

It's okay, I'm Canadian. We're used to people believing they're better than us. We don't mind, honestly! Sorry for stealing your thunder...

Actually, I tried to guess based solely on which shows were giving the critics damp in the panties for that season. Seems to have netted me a 50% success rate (well, less than that when you count the gimme from Der Spatch.)

I'd like to thank Abbie and all the stripey nosed cats at home.

[limax.livejournal.com]

The "Gomer Pyle" method comes from an episode of that show where he and Sargent Carter were taking the same exam, and Pyle scored higher than Carter. While he was taking the exam, he kept hitting his hand on the table. He explained later what he was doing. He designated one finger as 'true' and one as 'false', when he hit his hand, he'd figure out which one hurt more and put that down as his answer.

[spatch]

That is totally awesome.

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

I'm just pissed because Harvey Birdman wasn't even nominated. Nor was ATHF.

[giantfightbot.livejournal.com]

Man, I kinda miss Viva Variety. We have most of the major players on Reno 911, of course.

At least they've started selling episodes of The State on iTunes.

"Ah, we laughed a lot back then!" "We were high a lot back then."

[spatch]

I totally miss Viva Variety with your cool-ass pal, Johnny Bluejeans, but only the first season. When they took the show from the cheap set and turned it into a Vegas-style presentation, it lost a lot of its charm.

But I still have fond memories of Baby-Needs-A-Shave and the gum with the great taste of nicotine and tequila ("It's like chewing on two of my three favorite things!")

Re: "Ah, we laughed a lot back then!" "We were high a lot back then."

[limax.livejournal.com]

I really couldn't get into Viva Variety, although I really enjoyed The State, and still have most of the episodes on tape somewhere.

Re: "Ah, we laughed a lot back then!" "We were high a lot back then."

[giantfightbot.livejournal.com]

Johnny Bluejeans, spokesman for such wonderful products as Baby-Tastes-Like-Soup ("That's one soupy baby!") and the Whale-y Bar. ("I got a blowhole!)

I don't remember how calculus works but I remember these things. That and the game show "Plant or Animal." Is this noise an animal, or Robert Plant screaming?

[luckimunki.livejournal.com]

My method was to choose my fave theme song of the bunch, or if I didn't know the theme song to any of them (the case in most years), just choosing the show I liked the best or had actually seen.

BTW, "Gideon's Crossing" was a really good show. A precursor to "House, MD," IMO. If you like House, you'd like GC. Was very disappointed when it got canceled.

[dogofthefuture.livejournal.com]

In my defense, the reason I picked "Jack of All Trades" is because you'd been talking about it. Aaaand I'm a dork. There's that too.

[elvisclooney.livejournal.com]

Just FYI, the Survivor theme is "Kurski Funk" by Paul Winter on his Earthbeat album.

[spatch]

*blink*

Whoa!

[jotasbrane.livejournal.com]

Is there a link to the poll? I don't remember what I voted for, and I'm curious just how badly I did. (Also, comments were never unscreened? Aw.)

[scholargipsy.livejournal.com]

Er, not to cavil, but how can I have had both five and six correct answers? Math is hardly my strong suit, and call me Winston Smith, but I am confused.