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Which 60's series had the best music...


Which show from the 1960's had the best dramatic underscoring?

Not the main theme. I'm not talking about the themes to Andy of Mayberry, Dick Van Dyke theme, the Munsters theme, etc.

I mean the underscoring.

One of my faves is Combat. All the music for that show, the theme and underscoring was done by Leonard Rosenman. It is highly original music, all written just for that series.
Unlike some other shows of the era, the Irwin Allen shows like Lost in Space, which had terrific original music by Johnny Williams, but also used stock cues from the Fox library. Cues from films like The Day The Earth Stood Still and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

A few of my other favorites:

Mission: Impossible - Lalo Schifrin

Thriller - Jerry Goldsmith

The Untouchables - Nelson Riddle

Twilight Zone - Bernard Herrmann, Jerry Goldsmith, Nathan Van Cleave,

Both The Wild, Wild, West and Man From UNCLE had many episodes scored by Morton Stevens.

Ironside - Quincy Jones

The Name of the Game - Dave Grusin

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I loved the incidental music in the Wyatt Earp series. It was all barbershop quartet, acapella, meaning no instruments. I believe that was done by legendary vocal arranger Ken Darby, who had also worked with Alfred Newman on movies like How The West Was Won.

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I agree with you on Ironside and Mission: Impossible, but I would also add The Mod Squad. I always thought the incidental music often (but not always) played in the epilogue was poignant and haunting.

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Perry Mason was good sometimes depending on the episode, but the best and coolest ever had to have been Peter Gunn. M-Squad is pretty cool, too.



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Mission Impossible and Route 66

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Peter Gunn

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Mantovani

Arthur Murray's Dance Party

Hullabaloo

Hootenanny

Grand Ole Opry

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Route 66

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Yogi Bear (Capitol, Fox, Hoyt Curtin for original themes)
Gilligan's Island (recycled original music themes are the most memorable, specifically
when it became all original for the color seasons, including some spooky cues like the one
with the scary lab castle (Season 2, "Friendly PHysician")/

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