Today, I explain why Quantum Leap really should be using the classic theme song.
This is “Could Have Been Better,” a feature where I note an alternate route that a TV series or film should have gone (and could have easily gone, so no, like, “ER should have not let George Clooney leave”).
Listen, I get it, I absolutely get it. Modern television has shrunken the amount of time that TV shows have to tell their storied to an absurd degree due to the constant increase in commercial time before hour. This reduction in time has led to the near erasure of theme songs from television drama because, well, why have a theme song when you can use those 15 seconds to get one last scene added to an episode?
So I totally understand how difficult it is for the new version of Quantum Leap. I really do. At the same, I also acknowledge that they are already behind the eight ball by giving over a whopping TWENTY-FIVE seconds per episode for the description of the series, about how Ben Song is leaping throughout history. I get that, as well. It is a lot of time. It must kill them every episode.
At the same time, come on, people, the original Quantum Leap had an iconic theme song, and I think that it is worth it to lose another fifteen seconds for the theme song. I think I even found the exact 15 seconds you can use. From 1:11 to 1:26 on this video below…
15 seconds is, itself, way too short, but MUCH better than no theme song at all. A new version of a show like this has to do its best to appeal to the original audience, while selling the new audience on the concept, as well, and using the classic theme (rework it if you want) just makes too much sense to me to not do, even if I freely admit that giving up 40 seconds per episode is a TON of time (the original series went over two minutes each episode, though, so even with lost time, I think it scales out).
Okay, this is a bit more of a me-specific topic, but if you’d like to send in suggestions, feel free to drop me a line at brian@popculturereferences.com
I am with you on this. I think many producers of both film and TV completely underestimate the lasting power of an iconic theme song. Sometimes it isn’t just about time; sometimes they may have to pay royalties for a theme or, heaven forbid, credit someone else (even someone who may have retired or died since). I doubt I have to tell you about how senior people in showbiz can be absolute immature babies about the most trivial, mundane stuff.
Y’know which producers get it? The ones behind James Bond. No matter who is Bond, or who is M or Moneypenny, etc., even when they’re doing a reboot, y’know what you will always hear eventually? The James Bond theme.
Even the absolutely terrible 1999 Disney movie version of “INSPECTOR GADGET” kept the ironic theme from the DIC cartoon, because even they knew they couldn’t improve on perfect. They just remixed it a little. It was the best part of the flick.
But I have lost count of how many reboots or relaunches of various franchises ditched the memorable theme, whether on TV or film, and it is pretty lame. Especially since the new QUANTUM LEAP is actually a sequel, since it acknowledges the existence of the previous show. It makes even less sense to ditch the theme song in that context. I imagine part of it is that a show’s composer may feel they want to do “their” version of things, not simply remix a piece of music from someone else (unless it’s a master from the 17th century, then no composer has an ego problem about it). I find it ironic that there is so much focus on branding and capitalizing on nostalgia (otherwise why to a relaunch or a sequel to a show from over 25 years ago), yet they absolutely don’t get how music can be a simple, primal way to achieve both. Humans were linking sounds to memory before we could even speak or walk fully upright. It should be a no brainer.
If nothing else, they could have the theme playing quietly under the intro while they explain the show’s concept.
Obviously I agree. I tweeted the very same thing. The remake of Quantum Leap is very good but their refusal to use the titles, theme song and even the logo font is very odd. It’s a very fun show but these things make it seem like it’s more serious than a heart attack.
I suspect it comes down to two things including the whole real estate issue of amount of time as you say Brian:
1) it’s not an easy song to condense into 20-30 seconds like they did with Magnum and Hawaii Five-O.
2) Music licensing is hugely expensive and Quantum Leap seems like a ridiculously expensive show. Better to spend the money on screen I suspect is the thinking.
I must say even with these aspects I wish they would have used that sweet Mike Post theme.
In contrast James Gunn said in an interview he put a lot of effort into the opening titles of Peacemaker so that people didn’t click ‘skip intro’ I feel the show needs all the elements to give it heart. There’s something very bland about the way the new series approaches giving us the feelings of being related to the original series.
Completely agree. I was hopeful they would add it for the second episode but ..they didn’t.