Season 3 Theme revamp

[The Hooded Man]

I'm on to season 3 of Enterprise now (just watched 'Hatchery' which was one of the weaker episodes of the season so far) and I am really not liking the revamped theme tune. The more optimistic feel of it is totally at odds with the darker tone of the overall story they are telling. Whenever it kicks in I have to FF as it just drops me out of the mood being set up by the pre-credits sequence!

I like the original version of the theme tune and I think it fit with the "finally getting out and exploring" vibe, just so it's on record.

 

[Melakon]

I never liked "Faith of the Heart" as the title song. It made me think they were too cheap to pay Jerry Goldsmith or somebody to compose an instrumental theme, and instead decided to recycle a song from a movie and performed by a cover artist. I also tend to associate sung title themes with comedies. I dislike the song so much, I didn't even notice the arrangement changed.

 

[ihno]

I never liked the theme-song too. I considered it a very obvious attempt to show the audience "Look, we make things differently now."

 

[Mach5]

Yeah, as the show got grimmer and darker, the theme song turned more joyful. Like, what the fuck was that?

 

[Michael]

I always liked the song; both versions. Therefore something must be wrong with me.

At first listening, the upbeat remix might be at odds with the darker direction of the show in season three. But from a real world perspective, the third season was also the moment, at least for me it was, when the show finally found its own voice, its own drive. I like many episodes from the first two years, but season three is really when the series began. So for me it feels fitting to also have music that underscores this change of pace.

Am I making sense?

 

[Lance]

They should've just used Rod Stewart's version.

I mean, it couldn't have been worse, right?

 

[Melakon]

One thing I thought odd was that the composer and the singer both got credit at the top of every episode. Composer I can understand. But the singer? I'd never heard of him before, but that's because I don't watch talent contest game shows.

 

[Lance]

I think I remember reading somewhere that Denis McCarthy had composed a theme for the series, but it got bumped for the ballad by an executive decision.

The end credits of each episode supposedly use a variant of the original McCarthy composed theme music (but not necessarily the exact one that would've been heard on the opening titles).

 

[LMFAOschwarz]

The "changed" theme song wasn't enough of a change to really be a change, though. It reminds me of back (I think) in the late 80's, when Rick Dees had a late night talk show which apparently had ratings issues. I recall TV Guide mentioning that as part of a revamp, the show set was getting a new couch for the guests to sit at.

How this was supposed to attract more viewers, I've no idea...

 

[The Hooded Man]

It is a minor rearrangement, but it was enough to make my jaw drop in disbelief. The tambourine jangle just pushes it over the edge from being cheesily positive to purely saccharine, which just doesn't go with the "BSG-lite" tone I've got from season 3.

As an aside, did they tone down the revamped tune a little for season 4? Either I've got used to it (despite FFing through it for most of my watch of S3) or the tambourine isn't quite so high in the mix. I'm hoping for the latter!

 

[eyeresist]

A while since I watched s3. I don't think I noticed a change in the theme. Then again, I was probably pressing the 'next chapter' button as soon as it started.

 

[Yosam]

i found the theme song depressing

 

[MacLeod]

One thing I thought odd was that the composer and the singer both got credit at the top of every episode. Composer I can understand. But the singer? I'd never heard of him before, but that's because I don't watch talent contest game shows.

What do talent shows have to do with British tenor Russell Watson who sang the theme to Enterprise?

Just because you haven't heard of an artist doesn't mean others haven't, but in this case sure I can understand he might be less well known in the USA than say in his native UK.


As for the theme itself I never had any real hate nor love for it, but I do think the S1-2 version of theme was the better version.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Something to keep in mind: Berman and Braga were ready to wrap up the Xinda arc quickly if it proved very unpopular. Indeed, there were many decisions made about that arc very late. The decision to rearrange the theme song probably occurred long before the length and tone of the Xindi arc became definite.

 

[eyeresist]

I think it's a case of applying network and viewer survey notes without looking at how the different elements relate to each other. Show lacks urgency and gravitas? Let's have the Xindi arc. Viewers find the theme depressing? Make it more upbeat.
Bit of a contradiction there....

And of course they didn't take into account that the problem with the theme wasn't that it was too downbeat, it was that people disliked the song itself (in Trek context anyway).

 

[MacLeod]

ENT had bigger problems than it's theme song. Surely the contents of the show itself matter rather than it's theme song/tune.

 

[eyeresist]

^ But the theme sets the tone, for good or bad. I'm not the only one who groaned involuntarily every time I heard it, and that must have affected audience experience and perception of the show.

Of course, if you are one of those who think that everything except TNG is crap, then it might not make much of a difference either way

 

[Karzak]

"Where My Heart Will Take Me" (the actual name of the song used for the Enterprise opening title sequence that the rest of fandom labels as "Faith of the Heart") was perfectly fine.

The Season Three remix was awful. It sounded like elevator music.