What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

The Great 2020 All Time Television Draft: The Simpsons is judged the greatest show of all time (3 Viewers)

mphtrilogy said:
TV Theme

There was a clear cut winner and a close tight grouping for 2,3,4.   What I was looking for was how the tune still resonated with me, how it set the tone for the show, and if still has some legacy value.  Mostly though, if I had a strong reaction when I listened to it.  Everybody has their favorites, but these are the rankings of the three judges @Yo Mama and @rick6668  and a crowdsource score all weighted for 25%.

"The Ballad of Davy Crockett" (1 point) – I have some response to the song, but it was clear cut last amongst the remaining judges scores.  Sorry about that, but here is a nice Wiki note:

Judges: 2           1              1              1
Click to expand...
WTF???

You guys have no taste whatsoever. And this  is an unpatriotic ranking. 

 
TV Theme

Moonlighting – (2 points) - This is a nice jazzy tune, but didn’t resonate for me as a memorable theme song, sorry about that.   Wiki Note:

"Moonlighting" is the theme song to the ABC comedy-crime drama of the same name, which ran from 1985 to 1989 and starred Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd. The theme song was performed by Al Jarreau, who wrote the song with Lee Holdridge; it was produced by Nile Rodgers. The song was included on the soundtrack album for the series.   The theme from "Moonlighting" was released as a single in 1987, where it reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent one week at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.[1]
Click to expand...
Judges: 1             3              2              3

 
TV Theme

The Simpsons (3 points) – Just edged out from the tune above, but I think what dings it a bit may be that the credits are so good, if the credits/theme were combined it would be a higher ranked song that was my thinking anyway…  Wiki Note:

Awards The theme won the National Music Award for "Favorite TV Theme" in 2002, and has won the BMI TV Music Award in 1996, 1998, and 2003. In 1990, the theme was nominated for the Emmy for "Outstanding Achievement in Main Title Theme Music".[6] "The Simpsons Theme", also referred to as "The Simpsons Main Title Theme" in album releases, is the theme music of the animated television series The Simpsons. It plays during the opening sequence and was composed by Danny Elfman in 1989, after series creator Matt Groening approached him requesting a theme. The piece has been noted by Elfman as the most popular of his career.[1]
Click to expand...
Judges: 3             8              4              4

 
TV Theme

Andy Griffith – (4 points) – Just ahead of the song below and just below the song above, a terrific hummable tune that still resonates for fans of the show for sure… No Wiki note, so here is an random internet website Note -

The Andy Griffith Show theme song is one of the most recognizable TV show theme songs of all time. But did you know that the classic tune you've been whistling along with for years has lyrics?  Before playing Sheriff Andy Taylor on the classic CBS sitcom, Andy Griffith was an accomplished singer. In 1961, Griffith released the album "Themes and Laughs from the Andy Griffith Show," which included "The Fishin' Hole," in which Griffith performs lyrics to the show's classic theme song. The tune was composed by Earle Hagen, who you can hear whistling in the original song, and Herbert Spencer. Hagan was an accomplished songwriter, also creating the TV theme songs for the #### Van Dyke Show, I Spy, and The Mod Squad.    The lyrics were composed by Everett Sloane and match the simple tune of the music perfectly. Listening to the song with lyrics makes you look at one of Hollywood's most iconic theme songs in a new way and makes you feel like you're right there with all your favorite residents of Mayberry.   Griffith was known to sing and play guitar on the sitcom that carries his name, often with The Darlins, a family band portrayed by members of real life bluegrass band The Dillards.
Click to expand...


Judges: 4             7              7              2

 
TV Theme

Jeopardy!  (5 points) – An iconic tune, but a tough one to rank as it is one of the most memorable tunes of all time but where does it fit in evaluations next to intro songs?  A tough one to slot. Wiki Note:

Since the debut of Jeopardy! in 1964, several songs and arrangements have served as the theme music for the show, most of which were composed by Griffin. The main theme for the original Jeopardy! series was "Take Ten",[95] composed by Griffin's wife Julann.[96] The All-New Jeopardy! opened with "January, February, March" and closed with "Frisco Disco", both of which were composed by Griffin himself.[97]

The best-known theme song on Jeopardy! is "Think!", originally composed by Griffin under the title "A Time for Tony", as a lullaby for his son.[98] "Think!" has always been used for the 30-second period in Final Jeopardy! when the contestants write down their responses, and since the syndicated version debuted in 1984, a rendition of that tune has been used as the main theme song.[99] "Think!" has become so popular that it has been used in many different contexts, from sporting events to weddings;[100] "its 30-second countdown has become synonymous with any deadline pressure".[101] Griffin estimated that the use of "Think!" had earned him royalties of over $70 million throughout his lifetime.[102] "Think!" led Griffin to win the Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) President's Award in 2003,[103] and during GSN's 2009 Game Show Awards special, it was named "Best Game Show Theme Song".[104]
Click to expand...


Judges: 5             5              3              8

 
TV Theme

Hill Street Blues (6 points) – Mike Post strikes again.  Big Deviation in Judging on this.  For me, this was another fine intro to a terrific Drama and helped set the tone for a groundbreaking show.  It’s also a strong stand alone tune and another Mike Post gem.  Wiki Note:

"Hill Street Blues" is a 1981 instrumental by Mike Post. It is the theme from the TV series Hill Street Blues starring Daniel J. Travanti. The song features Larry Carlton on guitar.The song spent over five months on the charts and reached number 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It became an Adult Contemporary hit in the U.S. (No. 4) and Canada (No. 29). It became Post's second Top 10 hit, matching the performance of his first hit in 1976, "Theme from the Rockford Files". The song also charted in the UK (No. 25).[1]
Click to expand...
Judges: 7             2              11           5

 
TV Theme

Rockford Files (7 points) – I love this tune,  this was Rick’s theme song and his score was averaged from the other three judges.  For me this song transports me to an iconic show and just nails the intro.  Another Mike Post winner.  Wiki Note:

"The Rockford Files" is a 1975 instrumental by Mike Post and co-composer Pete Carpenter. The song is the theme from the TV series The Rockford Files starring James Garner. It appears at the opening and ending of each episode with different arrangements. Throughout the show's tenure, the theme song went through numerous evolutions, with later versions containing a distinct electric guitar bridge section played by session guitarist Dan Ferguson.[1]  The song spent four months on the charts and in August 1974 became a Top 10 hit in the U.S. (#10, for two weeks)[2] and in Canada (#8). It was also a Top 20 Adult Contemporary hit in both nations.  "The Rockford Files" won a 1975 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement.[3][4][5]  
Click to expand...
Judges: 11           4              8              9

 
TV Theme

"Movin' on Up" The Jeffersons – (8 points) – This one is a toe-tapper and gets an instant gut reaction from me, this was yo mama’s theme song choice, so the other three judges scores were used to slot the score on this one.  A couple of points behind the song above and a couple points ahead of the next Mike Post song below. Wiki Note:  

Ja'Net DuBois and Jeff Barry co-wrote The Jeffersons theme song, "Movin' on Up", which was sung by DuBois with a gospel choir.[35] Sammy Davis, Jr. recorded a cover version of the song in 1978.[36]
Click to expand...
Judges: 10           9              5              10

 
If Ramin Djawadi doesn't take top spot here (he won't) I'll be sad (I will).

Edit: GoT not even off the board. Sad state of affairs.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
TV Theme

Suicide Is Painless them from MASH – (9 points) – Safely slotted into this position a couple of points behind the two above and 5 above the song below.  One Judge had this as the #2 theme song.  Sets the tone for the show nicely and very memorable.  Originally used in the Movie, but was allowed to go through for TV theme as it became an iconic memory for one of the great Sitcoms.  Wiki Note:

"Suicide Is Painless" is a song written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Michael Altman (lyrics). It was the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H.[1] Wiki Note 2: ( A bit long but the background is interesting)  - Background - The song was written specifically for Ken Prymus, the actor playing Private Seidman, who sang it during the faux-suicide of Walter "Painless Pole" Waldowski (John Schuck) in the film's "Last Supper" scene.[2][3] Director Robert Altman had two stipulations about the song for Mandel: it had to be called "Suicide Is Painless" and it had to be the "stupidest song ever written".[4] Altman attempted to write the lyrics himself, but upon finding it too difficult for his 45-year-old brain to write "stupid enough,"[5] he gave the task to his 14-year-old-son Michael, who wrote the lyrics in five minutes.[6][7][8];   Altman later decided that the song worked so well, he would use it as the film's main theme, despite Mandel's initial objections.[9] This version was sung by uncredited session singers John Bahler, Tom Bahler, Ron Hicklin, and Ian Freebairn-Smith and the single was attributed to "The Mash". Robert Altman said that while he only made $70,000 for having directed the movie, his son had earned more than $1 million for having co-written the song.[10];  Several instrumental versions of the song were used as the theme for the TV series. It became a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart in May 1980.[11] The song was ranked #66 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs.
Click to expand...
Judges: 6             11           15           7

 
TV Theme

Peter Gunn (10 pts) – Has lasting appeal and a strong legacy, but I don’t think enough folks have seen the show to bump it higher, that’s my two cents anyway.  A great theme with great accolades.  Wiki Note:

"Peter Gunn" is the theme music composed by Henry Mancini for the television show of the same name.[1] The song was the opening track on the original soundtrack album, The Music from Peter Gunn, released in 1959.[2] Mancini won an Emmy Award and two Grammys for Album of the Year and Best Arrangement.[3]
Click to expand...


Judges: 9             10           9              13

 
TV Theme

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (11 points) – This theme had a pretty wide deviation and was tied with total score with Peter Gunn, I gave it the tiebreaker edge as the two judges felt more strongly about it then I did.  Music was composed by the legendary Quincy Jones, and lyrics and vocals by star Will Smith, this theme pretty much brings you right into the show from the jump: Wiki Note:

Reception: The single was released exclusively in the Netherlands and Spain in 1992. In the former country, it spent 10 weeks on the Dutch Top 40, peaking at number three.[1] In Spain, it debuted at number two, its peak, and stayed in the top 20 for seven weeks.[7] Although it was not released in the United Kingdom, the song earned a Silver sales certification from the British Phonographic Industry in February 2018 for sales and streams of over 200,000.[8]  An article on the MTV.co.uk website stated about the song, "Say what you want, but considering the sitcom wrapped up over 20 years ago and people are still able to start spitting out those lyrics on cue, its lasting appeal is undeniably impressive."[9] Tom Eames of Digital Spy ranked the song 3rd in a list of 25 sitcom theme songs.[10] and Rolling Stone readers ranked the song 6th out of a list of 10 television theme songs.[11]
Click to expand...
Judges: 8    15    12    6
 

 
TV Theme

I’ll be there for you (Friends) - (12 points) – This song by The Rembrandts had a bit of a variation, coming in low on one judges score, but placing just about in this slot from the other 3 judges scores…  Sets the tone for the show really well and has standalone legacy as well.  Wonder if it would have scored this high without the hand-claps?  Wiki Note:

Chart performance:  When "I'll Be There for You" was released in 1995, it topped the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart for eight weeks and also peaked atop the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Top 40 charts.[8][9][10] On the Billboard Hot 100, it reached number 17 as a double A-side with "This House Is Not a Home".[11] The song experienced the best commercial success in Canada, where it peaked at number one for five consecutive weeks and was the best-selling single of 1995.[12][13] In the United Kingdom, it reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, and it peaked at the same position on the Irish Singles Chart the same year.[14][15] In Scotland, it topped the country's singles chart.[16] In 2009, the song was listed by Blender as one of the "50 Worst Songs Ever".[4] On the other hand, several magazines have listed the song as one of the best TV theme songs, including Paste,[5] Complex,[6] and Observer.[7]
Click to expand...
Judges: 14    12    6    12

 
It was between Fresh Prince and Greatest American Hero for me. They were the only two on my list. Looks like I chose wrong

 
krista4 said:
I'm way late to post this, but based on the 71-90 comedy rankings and shows that were left out, you people are all on my naughty list for leaving out Soap.  It was not only brilliant and hilarious but ground-breaking.  If I were ranking it would have been top five.
Click to expand...
I took a character from Soap, but I had already taken WKRP.  Soap was 3rd on my list after Cheers and WKRP.

 
mphtrilogy said:
TV Theme

Suicide Is Painless them from MASH – (9 points) – Safely slotted into this position a couple of points behind the two above and 5 above the song below.  One Judge had this as the #2 theme song.  Sets the tone for the show nicely and very memorable.  Originally used in the Movie, but was allowed to go through for TV theme as it became an iconic memory for one of the great Sitcoms.  Wiki Note:

Judges: 6             11           15           7
Click to expand...
Couldn't we just use that one 15pt score and throw out the rest?

 
mphtrilogy said:
TV Theme

Jeopardy!  (5 points) – An iconic tune, but a tough one to rank as it is one of the most memorable tunes of all time but where does it fit in evaluations next to intro songs?  A tough one to slot. Wiki Note:

Judges: 5             5              3              8
Click to expand...
In the top 3.  As you said, it is an iconic tune that everyone knows.  I thought the biggest part of a TV theme is that you immediately know the show once the tune starts.  This theme does this.  It has cross over to many other places as it is used anytime someone is thinking about what to do or how to answer.  Everyone knows what this is for.  That is what a theme song should be.  

ETA:  Go back to your crowd sourcing and play the initial snippet of all the theme songs and ask them what show it belongs to.  Jeopardy would be known by everyone asked.  That is the point of a theme song.  

 
Last edited by a moderator:
ageism, pure & simple - Cheers theme, #83 on the charts, Friends theme #17, Davy Crockett held the Top Ten for a season. Y'all arent even as woke as me and i fall asleep in front of the TV alla time.

 
Gally said:
In the top 3.  As you said, it is an iconic tune that everyone knows.  I thought the biggest part of a TV theme is that you immediately know the show once the tune starts.  This theme does this.  It has cross over to many other places as it is used anytime someone is thinking about what to do or how to answer.  Everyone knows what this is for.  That is what a theme song should be.  

ETA:  Go back to your crowd sourcing and play the initial snippet of all the theme songs and ask them what show it belongs to.  Jeopardy would be known by everyone asked.  That is the point of a theme song.  
Click to expand...
yep agreed, tough one to slot....

 
Sports Personalities - Tier 5 (cont)

12 POINTS - Bob Costas
 

Career timeline

1974–1976: Spirits of St. Louis Play-by-play, KMOX radio

1976–1981: Missouri Tigers men's basketball Play-by-play, KMOX radio

1976–1979: NFL on CBS Play-by-play

1979–1980: Chicago Bulls Play-by-play, WGN-TV

1980–2018: NBC Sports Play-by-play & studio host

1980–1983: NFL on NBC Play-by-play

1983–1989: MLB on NBC #2 play-by-play

1984–1992, 2006–2016: NFL on NBC Studio Host

1988–1994: Later Host

1990–1997, 2002: NBA on NBC Studio Host

1992–2016: Summer Olympics Primetime Host

1993: Notre Dame Football on NBC Alternate play-by-play

1994–2000: MLB on NBC Lead play-by-play

1997–2000: NBA on NBC Lead play-by-play

2001–2018: Thoroughbred Racing on NBC Lead host

2001–2009: On the Record with Bob Costas and Costas Now Host

2002–2014: Winter Olympics Primetime Host

2002–2008: Inside the NFL Host

2003–2014: U.S. Open host, NBC Sports

2008–2012: NHL Winter Classic Host

2009–present: MLB Network Studio 42 with Bob Costas Host (2009-2014), Thursday Night Baseball Play-by-play

2016: NBC/NFL Network Host, Thursday Night Football

2017: MLB Network play-by-play, 2017 MLB Postseason

2020: CNN contributor

 

Early career

In 1973, Costas began his professional career at WSYR TV and radio in Syracuse while still completing his communications degree at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. His sportscasting career began while attending Syracuse University, serving as an announcer for the Syracuse Blazers minor-league hockey team playing in the Eastern Hockey League and North American Hockey League.

After graduating in 1974 at the age of 22, Costas went to KMOX radio in St. Louis, Missouri, calling play-by-play for the Spirits of St. Louis of the American Basketball Association in 1974. He was a prominent contributor to the ABA book Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association. He is extensively quoted on many topics. The book includes his reflections of ABA life during his tenure as radio voice of the Spirits of St. Louis.

Later, Costas would call Missouri Tigers basketball and co-host KMOX's Open Line call-in program. He did play-by-play for Chicago Bulls broadcasts on WGN-TV during the 1979–1980 NBA season.[2][3] From 1978 to 1981, Costas worked as a fill-in play-by-play man on St. Louis Blues radio broadcasts on KMOX whenever the regular play-by-play announcer, Dan Kelly, was unavailable. He was also employed by CBS Sports as a regional CBS NFL and CBS NBA announcer from 1976 to 1979, after which he moved to NBC.

 

NBC Sports

In 1980, Costas was hired by NBC. Don Ohlmeyer, who at the time ran the network's sports division, told 28-year-old Costas he looked like a 14-year-old. Costas would recite this anecdote during an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Ohlmeyer based his reaction on Costas' modest stature (Costas is 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)) and boyish, baby-faced appearance.[citation needed]

For many years, Costas hosted NBC's National Football League coverage and NBA coverage. He also did play-by-play for National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball coverage. With the introduction of the NBC Sports Network, Costas also became the host of the new monthly interview program Costas Tonight.

Boxing

On March 30, 2015, it was announced that Costas would join forces with Marv Albert (blow-by-blow) and Al Michaels (host) on the April 11, 2015, edition of NBC's primetime PBC on NBC boxing series. Costas was added to serve as a special contributor for the event from Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He would narrate and write a feature on the storied history of boxing in New York City.

Golf

Costas has also hosted NBC's coverage of the U.S. Open golf tournament from 2003 to 2014.
 

Major League Baseball

For baseball telecasts, Costas teamed with Sal Bando(1982), Tony Kubek (from 1983 to 1989), and Joe Morgan and Bob Uecker (from 1994 to 2000). 
 

National Basketball Association

When NBC gained the NBA network contract from CBS in 1990, Costas hosted the telecasts and was teamed in the studio with ex-Lakers coach Pat Riley. He also hosted the studio program Showtime and did play-by-play for the 1991 All-Star Game. In 1997, Costas began a three-year stint as the lead play-by-play man for The NBA on NBC. 
 

Professional football

In 2006, Costas returned to NFL studio hosting duties for NBC's new Sunday Night Football, hosting its pre-game show Football Night in America. Costas last hosted NFL telecasts for NBC in 1992 before being replaced in the studio by Jim Lampley and subsequently, Greg Gumbel. Before becoming the studio host for The NFL on NBC in 1984, Costas did play-by-play of NFL games with analyst Bob Trumpy.

National Hockey League

Costas hosted NBC's coverage of the 2008, 2009, and the 2010 NHL Winter Classic.He was scheduled to host coverage of the 2011 event as well but, due to the game's postponement, Costas hosted only pre-game coverage before leaving to go to Seattle for his duties with NBC's NFL coverage the next night. He hosted the event in 2012 as well as a post-game edition of NHL Live on the NBC Sports Network.
 

Olympics (1988–2016)

Costas has frontlined many Olympics broadcasts for NBC. They include the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Barcelona in 1992, Atlanta in 1996, Sydney in 2000, Salt Lake City in 2002, Athens in 2004, Torino in 2006, Beijing in 2008, Vancouver in 2010, London in 2012, Sochi in 2014 and Rio in 2016. He discusses his work on the Olympic telecasts extensively in a book by Andrew Billings entitled Olympic Media: Inside the Biggest Show on Television. A personal influence on Costas has been legendary ABC Sports broadcaster Jim McKay, who hosted many Olympics for ABC from the 1960s to the 1980s.
 

HBO Sports

In 2001, Costas was hired by HBO to host a 12-week series called On the Record with Bob Costas.On the Record with Bob Costas was similar to the format of the old Later program as they both concentrated on in-depth interviews. In 2005, On the Record with Bob Costas was revamped to become Costas Now, a monthly issue-oriented sports program that occasionally employed a town hall style format.

In 2002, Costas began a stint as co-host of HBO's long-running series Inside the NFL. Costas remained host of Inside the NFL through the end of the 2007 NFL season. He hosted the show with Cris Collinsworth and former NFL legends Dan Marino and Cris Carter. The program aired each week during the NFL season.

Costas left HBO to sign with MLB Network in February 2009.

MLB Network

At the channel's launch on January 1, 2009, Costas hosted the premiere episode of All Time Games, a presentation of the recently discovered kinescope of Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. During the episode, he held a forum with Don Larsen, who pitched MLB's only postseason perfect game during that game, and Yogi Berra, who caught the game.

Costas joined the network full-time on February 3, 2009. He hosted a regular interview show titled MLB Network Studio 42 with Bob Costas as well as special programming and provides play-by-play for select live baseball game telecasts.In 2017, Costas called Game 1 of the American League Division Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros on MLB Network. The Astros went on to win 8–2. Unfortunately, Costas and his color commentator Jim Kaat received criticism for their "bantering about minutia" and misidentification of plays. Costas also went on to become an internet meme after using the term the "sacks were juiced" to describe the bases being loaded.

NFL Network

As aforementioned, Costas hosted Thursday Night Football on NBC and NFL Network in 2016, having returned to broadcasting after a brief absence. He was replaced by Liam McHugh in 2017.

Other appearances

Costas provided significant contributions to the Ken Burns, PBS mini series Baseball as well as its follow-up The 10th Inning. He also appears in another PBS film, A Time for Champions, produced by St. Louis's Nine Network of Public Media.

Since 1980, Costas has been at the forefront of all major TV sports.  I enjoyed his contribution to the Ken Burns Baseball mini-series I watched last week. 

The winner of Tier 5

 
Last edited by a moderator:
1971-1990 Supporting Woman Final Rankings - UPDATED

The triumvirate discussed the Jackie Harris misplacement issue and we decided to move her down 3 spots (one judge wanted a 5 spot drop, one wanted 3, one wanted 0)  

16 pts - Carla Tortelli (#1)

15 pts - Maj. Margaret Houlihan (#2)

14 pts - Rhoda Morgenstern (#3)

13 pts - Margaret Pynchon (#4)

12 pts - Esther Walton (#5)

11 pts - Phyllis Lindstrom (#6)

10 pts - Sue Ann Nivens (#7)

9 pts - Sgt. Lucille Bates (#8)

8 pts - Jackie Harris (#9)

7 pts - Florence Johnston (#10)

6 pts - Florence Jean Castleberry (#11)

5 pts - Daisy Duke (#12)

4 pts - Sandra Clark (#13)

3 pts - Marcia Brady (#14)

2 pts - Willona Woods (#15)

1 pts - Nurse Dixie McCall (#16)

@AcerFC are you doing the ranking collections?  The rankings from 11 points to 8 points all changed (#6-#9), nothing else changed. Sorry for the update - should have noticed it earlier. 

 
Yo Mama said:
1971-1990 Supporting Woman Final Rankings - UPDATED

The triumvirate discussed the Jackie Harris misplacement issue and we decided to move her down 3 spots (one judge wanted a 5 spot drop, one wanted 3, one wanted 0) 
Click to expand...
Ultimately, you reached a fair decision. I--not @Gally--moved her there to accommodate another pick and knew I was pushing the envelope. Just glad calmer heads prevailed and didn't give her a 0.

 
Tier 6 - Mt Rushmore's

These guys were all incredible in their work and their personalities helped change the way things had been done before them.

13 POINTS - Chris Berman

Before ESPN took the air, getting sports news on TV was seen on the 5pm and 11pm local news. For me, that meant Stu Nahan, Jim Hill and Fred Roggin. That changed forever when ESPN came along and Berman was a huge part of why it worked so well. I still watch SportsCenter just about every night.

He has been an anchor for SportsCenter on ESPN since 1979, joining a month after its initial launch, and hosted the network's Sunday NFL Countdown program from 1985 to 2016. He has also anchored Monday Night Countdown, U.S. Open golf, the Stanley Cup Finals, and other programming on ESPN and ABC Sports. Berman calls play-by-play of select Major League Baseball games for ESPN, which included the Home Run Derby until 2016.
 

Style

Berman is well known for his various catchphrases and player nicknames.

His mid-play prediction of a touchdown run as "He could...go...all...the...way!" is perhaps his most famous phrase, and one of the first he adopted.

His home run calls of "Back, back, back, back...Gone!", which he implements most commonly during the MLB Home Run Derby, are drawn from Red Barber.

A "Whoop!" is uttered during highlights when a player makes a quick move or causes someone to miss or make a mistake.

"Tick, tick, tick, tick tick tick tick..." during a post-game recap, for a play or moment in which the clock is a factor.

When a large player such as a lineman runs with the football, Berman describes him as "rumblin', bumblin', stumblin'".

Berman is known for integrating puns into player nicknames, dubbing former Minnesota Twins pitcher Bert Blyleven "Bert Be Home Blyleven".  Top 50 Bermanisms

Berman adopts the persona of his alter ego, "The Swami," to make predictions on Sunday NFL Countdown. For seven consecutive years "The Swami" predicted a Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and the Buffalo Bills, one or the other – but never both – making it during that span.

 

Career timeline

1979–present: SportsCenter anchor (occasionally since 1990)

1985–2016: Sunday NFL Countdown host

1985–2016: NFL Draft host

1986–2014: U.S. Open nightly show host

1987–2005: NFL Primetime host (Postgame host during playoffs, 2017–present)

1987–2005: ESPN Sunday Night Football halftime host

1990–2016: Baseball Tonight host (occasional)

1990–present: MLB on ESPN play-by-play (selected games)

1986–2016: Home Run Derby play-by-play

1996–1999, 2006–2016, and during NFL playoff between 1998 and 2005: Monday Night Football halftime host

1999–present: Master of Ceremonies for the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction

2003–2014: U.S. Open host

2003–2004: NHL on ESPN and NHL on ABC studio co-host (Stanley Cup Finals)

2006–2016: Monday Night Countdown host

2012–2016: ESPN Monday Night Football No. 2 play-by-play

2017–present: Monday Night Countdown panelist

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Gally said:
In the top 3.  As you said, it is an iconic tune that everyone knows.  I thought the biggest part of a TV theme is that you immediately know the show once the tune starts.  This theme does this.  It has cross over to many other places as it is used anytime someone is thinking about what to do or how to answer.  Everyone knows what this is for.  That is what a theme song should be.  

ETA:  Go back to your crowd sourcing and play the initial snippet of all the theme songs and ask them what show it belongs to.  Jeopardy would be known by everyone asked.  That is the point of a theme song.  
Click to expand...
The problem is,  The Theme song is for the opening of the show, not the music the plays during final Jeopardy. 

Since Jeopardy! debuted in 1964, the series has had different theme songs.

https://jeopardyhistory.fandom.com/wiki/Jeopardy!_Music

This theme below with Alex hosting doesn't even have the "Think" music. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pv4gVBNDDA&ab_channel=Thefamilyalbum

 
Last edited by a moderator:
1971-1990 Supporting Man Rankings

Criteria

Same as Supporting Woman.  Combined rankings with @mphtrilogy and @rick6668 .  Our rankings had a little more variability here, but ultimately used similar criteria.  Popular culture recognition was weighted as importantly as impact/performance within the series.  Awards recognitions within the category (particularly Emmy awards), were also heavily used in all our rankings.  This was an incredibly deep category that broke into some distinct groupings in the combined rankings.  Ties in the combined score were broken by who was ranked highest by the most rankers.  Also of note, we had two characters in Fonzie and John Boy who were more recognized as lead characters than as supporting in their awards nominations and in how a couple of us viewed their roles.  They were both dropped in the rankings a bit for that.

Notable exclusions that may have scored very well include  Col. Sherman Potter (MASH), Woody Boyd (Cheers), Sgt, Phil Esterhaus (Hill St. Blues), and Victor Sifuentes (LA Law).  Like I said, super deep category.

The Bottom Two

One was all substance and no character, one was all character and no substance.  Neither did well in awards recognition.

16 - Data (1 pts)

Played by Brent Spiner on Star Trek TNG - 0 Emmy nominations, with 0 wins

(Individual rankings - 1/2/1)

15 - Roscoe P. Coltrane (2 pts)

Played by Bruce Atkins on Dukes of Hazzard - 0 Emmy nominations, with 0 wins

(Individual rankings - 2/1/3)

*** Biggest faller in the rankings – was the 7th selection in this category ***

 
1971-1990 Supporting Man Rankings – Part 2

The Really Good, But Not Quite Great

This was a really hard category to judge since there are so many good options.  Some were incredible performances within their series, some were more well known in pop culture, some had a solid Emmy resume, none were enough of all of those things to break into the massive top tier.

14 - John Boy Walton (3 pts)

Played by Richard Thomas on Waltons - 2 Emmy nominations, with 1 win (for lead)

(Individual rankings - 3/8/2)

13 - Jonathan Higgins (4 pts)

Played by John Hillerman on Magnum, P.I. - 4 Emmy nominations, with 1 win

(Individual rankings - 4/6/5)

12 - Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III (5 pts)

Played by David Ogden Stiers on M*A*S*H - 2 Emmy nominations, with 0 wins

(Individual rankings - 6/4/7)

11 - Dr. Johnny Fever (6 pts)

Played by Howard Hesseman on WKRP in Cincinnati - 2 Emmy nominations, with 0 wins

(Individual rankings - 5/7/6)

10 - Dr. Victor Ehrlich (7 pts)

Played by Ed Begley Jr. on St. Elsewhere - 6 Emmy nominations, with 0 wins

(Individual rankings - 8/3/9)

 
Yo Mama said:
1971-1990 Supporting Woman Final Rankings - UPDATED

The triumvirate discussed the Jackie Harris misplacement issue and we decided to move her down 3 spots (one judge wanted a 5 spot drop, one wanted 3, one wanted 0)  

16 pts - Carla Tortelli (#1)

15 pts - Maj. Margaret Houlihan (#2)

14 pts - Rhoda Morgenstern (#3)

13 pts - Margaret Pynchon (#4)

12 pts - Esther Walton (#5)

11 pts - Phyllis Lindstrom (#6)

10 pts - Sue Ann Nivens (#7)

9 pts - Sgt. Lucille Bates (#8)

8 pts - Jackie Harris (#9)

7 pts - Florence Johnston (#10)

6 pts - Florence Jean Castleberry (#11)

5 pts - Daisy Duke (#12)

4 pts - Sandra Clark (#13)

3 pts - Marcia Brady (#14)

2 pts - Willona Woods (#15)

1 pts - Nurse Dixie McCall (#16)

@AcerFC are you doing the ranking collections?  The rankings from 11 points to 8 points all changed (#6-#9), nothing else changed. Sorry for the update - should have noticed it earlier. 
Click to expand...
Got it. Will edit shortly

 
rick6668 said:
Yeah, This was hard.  Supporting from both Comedy and Drama over that span was not easy.  
Click to expand...
Agreed, plus as I’ll mention with the top tier (taking a dramatic pause), some of my all time favorite tv characters were in this category. 

 
Wrapping up TV Theme with the Final Four

Greatest American Hero - (13 points) – This tune transcends a decent show, jumped over into the mainstream as a massive hit with a greater legacy than the show itself which was not picked in this draft.  Just edged out by the two tunes ahead of it, but a super close call.  Tough to not hum this tune after you have heard it…. By the way Mike Post is the man!  Placing 3 songs on this list. Wiki Note:

The theme song (and variants of it) have been used frequently outside of the show. "Believe It or Not" was composed by Mike Post (music) and Stephen Geyer (lyrics) and sung by Joey Scarbury. The theme song became well known during the show's run. "Believe it or Not" debuted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 2. It also peaked at the No. 1 position on the Record World Chart. 
Click to expand...
Judges: 12           13           13           11

 
TV Theme

Hawaii 5-0 - (14 points) – Classic tune from The Ventures holds up extremely well, setting the pace for this Classic show and captures the intended energy and excitement of the show.  Very much neck and neck with the one above in how it sets the mood and brings you right there.  They were picked back to back I believe and they finish back to back. Wiki Note:

The Ventures' version "Hawaii Five-O" The Ventures' cover of the song spent 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, peaking at no. 4 on May 9, 1969,[6] and 11 weeks on the Billboard adult contemporary chart, rising to no. 8 on May 16.[7] It was also the title track of their 1969 album Hawaii Five-O. In Canada, it peaked at no. 5 in the May 12, 1969, issue of RPM magazine.
Click to expand...
Judges: 15           6              14           15

 
TV Theme

Mission Impossible - (15 points) – This was my selection, I removed my score and replaced it with an average of the two judges and the Crowdsource score.  It edges out Hawaii 5-0 by 1 pt.  For me, I chose this song as it sets the tone of the thriller action show, is used throughout the show to build and create suspense and tension in key moments and has a stand-alone value as a legacy tune.  The entire soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin is well worth seeking out.  Still used with great effect in the M-I Tom Cruise movies.  Wiki Note:

Chart performance;  The instrumental became a hit in the United States, peaking at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and receiving a gold certification, selling 500,000 copies there.[5][6] It additionally peaked at number one in Finland, Hungary and Iceland, number two in Australia and Ireland, and number seven in the United Kingdom.
Click to expand...
Judges: 13    14    10    14
 

 
TV Theme Winner

"Where Everybody Knows Your Name" Cheers – (16 Points) - The clear cut winner, sweeping all judges and crowd source, with a perfect score of 64.  Everything you can ask for in a Theme Song.  A song that sets the mood for the show, has legacy value as a stand-alone tune, brings you to the exact moment of getting ready to dig into Sam Malone and Co. a truly wonderful tune.  Wiki Note:

The song received an Emmy Award nomination in 1983 for Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics.[3] In a 2011 Readers Poll in Rolling Stone magazine, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" was voted the best television theme of all time. In 2013, the editors of TV Guide magazine named "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" the greatest TV theme of all time.[4]
Click to expand...
Judges: 16           16           16           16

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

timschochet
The Great 2020 All Time Movie Draft- The judging is heavily biased against me. It’s a hoax! Fake news.
212 213 214
Replies
11K
Views
236K
Don Quixote
Don Quixote
timschochet
2020 Greatest of All Time Sports Draft-Zow wins, Judges still suck
120 121 122
Replies
6K
Views
164K
joffer
joffer
BobbyLayne
The 25 Greatest Films of the 21st Century So Far
2 3 4
Replies
155
Views
6K
El Floppo
El Floppo

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 4 (members: 0, guests: 4)
Top