Once upon a time, television shows had theme songs; catchy little tunes that made you all excited because hearing it meant you knew that your favorite show was about to come on. Nowadays, network television is so ad-starved that the old theme song has become something of a distant memory, as a thirty-second song intro would carve up to much valuable advertising time. Or maybe we’ve just become so cynical that a catchy pop tune that has something vaguely to do with the show you’re about to watch is just too quaint.
For the TV Land Awards, however, nothing is too quaint. It’s an awards ceremony that thrives on nostalgia and gives awards out not to the new, now, or next, but to the old and comfortable, all those pop culture nuggets that have proven their worth by still being remembered decades after they aired their last new episode. And the TV Land Awards do love them some old TV theme songs, as shown by this medley from athlete turned actor Terry Crews, currently starring in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, who lip-synced a series of theme songs from classic shows (yes, I said lip-synced. What do you think this is, the Tony’s? We’re on a budget here).
The most adorable moment had to be when Crews lip synced The Golden Girls theme song “Thank You For Being A Friend” to the one and only Betty White, last survivor of the Golden Girls clan, and current “It Girl” at the ripe old age of 93. Just look at how amused Seth Rogen is, who is sitting right behind her. It’s too cute. And if you’re wondering what Seth Rogen is doing there, the TV Land Awards are paying homage to the 15th Anniversary of his short-lived but amazing series Freaks and Geeks. Also in attendance were freaks and geeks Judd Apatow, Paul Feig, Jason Segel, and Busy Phillips, although I guess James Franco is just too big for this show now. Linda Cardellini was probably too busy giving side-eye to Don Draper in an elevator on last week’s Mad Men.
Watch Crews’ opening number in the video above before you catch the whole ceremony on Saturday, April 18, at 9pm.
HT: Vanity Fair
