Spin City had a few theme songs in its run. Above, its best, for season 2-3, was a song written by The Spin Doctors (YUP), and featuring the whole cast wearing flannel and doing mugging-for-the-camera things (for more on this era, please see). What an era to be in the sitcom business! Syndication money was raining from the sky, and everyone was having fun.

Seriously, though, here’s the first season opening, composed by Shelley Palmer:

Like, what is that? A freaking sewer? Is this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Whatever.

When Michael J Fox left the show after the fourth season (Parkinson’s and so forth), they brought in Charlie Sheen, and had to change their opening credits to something much worse:

The song is serviceable, written by Danny Pelfrey, and basically has an urgency like “if we don’t get through this music quick enough Charlie Sheen will hit us.” Visually, though, it looks like what if the movie Crooklyn had been made before the invention of zoom lenses, you know (REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS ONE)? I have to admit, though, that I love the shots of Richard Kind and Alan Ruck, who apparently have no idea that they’re being filmed, or even that some people consider “staying in one spot and looking blankly in a direction” to be somewhat strange and upsetting behavior. On a side note, I’m weirdly enthusiastic whenever I see Alan Ruck in anything, like he’s hurting for work or something. He’s doing fine.