"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale" of a time when television shows began with awesome TV Theme Songs. "Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name" and sometimes you want to go back to when TV Theme songs were special. "Here's a story... of a lovely" time when TV Theme Songs served to identify, distinguish and set the stage for the television program that followed. "You take the good, take the bad, take them both and there you have" what unfortunately has become a lost artform. "Believe it or not", sadly it seems no effort or pride is taken in the TV Theme Song ever since Seinfeld proved a short synth-bass riff could be used instead. “Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!” This regular feature may not "make all our dreams come true", but it will remember some of the best TV Theme Songs from years past (with a focus on the '80s decade). "Come aboard, we're expecting you."
This time we will cover the theme song for Punky Brewster titled "Every Time You Turn Around". "Maybe the world is blind, or just a little unkind. Don't know." Punky Brewster debuted in September of 1984 and ran for four seasons and 88 episodes. It starred an adorable Soleil Moon Frye as the title character who is abandoned by her parents as a young child left to fend for herself. She's living in a vacant apartment when she is discovered by the old, grouchy apartment manager "Henry" played by George Gaynes (of Police Academy fame). The two develop a lovely relationship and Henry eventually decides to become Punky's foster father and later adopts her as his own daughter. The show was very popular with a very young audience similar to Punky's age and it even spawned an animated spin-off that aired during Saturday morning cartoons for two seasons and 26 episodes.
The theme song "Every Time I Turn Around" was written by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo and sung by Portnoy himself. Portnoy and Angelo also co-wrote the popular theme song for Cheers two years earlier which Portnoy also performed and you can find out more about that one in our article on "Where Everybody Knows Your Name". There is something about his voice that just makes his lyrics extra comforting. Listen for yourself here are the opening credits for Punky Brewster featuring "Every Time You Turn Around" performed by Gary Portnoy…
I remember watching this show regularly at least for the first couple of seasons, but then maybe grew out of it a little. But it does still give me great nostalgia which is aided by memories of its great theme song. "Everytime I turn around, her spirit's lifting me right off the ground. What's gonna be? Guess we'll just wait and see."
Hope you enjoyed tuning in for another "episode" of TV Theme Songs!
Comments