Most of us (if you’re the type to read a blog like this one anyway) know plenty of classic TV show themes. But those songs are the openers of the shows–the ones designed to grab you and keep you–and, lets face it, as far as trivia goes TV show themes are low-hanging fruit. But what about the closing credits music? Above is a compilation of classic TV show (and some not so classic) closers. Because the end credits ran longer than the opening credits they gave the composer/orchestrator a chance to ‘stretch out’–to not have to work in tightly bound confines with a super-flashy opening theme. Indeed, one of the nice things about these closing credits arrangements is their somewhat rambling nature as they stroll along filling up the necessary timing to fit the longer end credit roll. Most of them echo the opening theme in style if not in exact content. They have a very definite ‘exit music’ quality, a way of letting you know that all is over but not yet completely forgotten. Many thanks to YouTube poster FredFlix for creating and sharing this beyond-hip reel of the forgotten music of old television.