Bongos are the key to great TV theme music

I just happened to run across a nice live version of Lalo Sschifrin’s Mission Impossible theme, noting its jazz influences:

I was really taken with the bongo providing rhythm. It made me think so I went to one of my other favorite theme – from the Prisoner. Yep, bongos.

Then onto another favorite – from The Avengers.

And one of the best, Hawaii Five-O, uses bongos for dramatic emphasis

Bongos again. And it is not just jazzy 60s shows. The great theme from the Six Million Dollar Man has bongos.

Even first TV show to really use current music for dramatic purposes during episodes, Miami Vice, used bongos in the opening theme.

And the show that looks like it will never die uses bongos

Now I know why I like the theme from Archer.

Image: Raymond Bryson