Classic TV Theme: McCloud (two & a half versions)

’McCloud’ (1970) is remembered as part of the original ’NBC Mystery Movie’, but it actually began in a somewhat less successful ’wheel’. ’Four-In-One’ was a series that rotated among one-hour dramas, including ’McCloud’, ’The Psychiatrist’, ’San Francisco International Airport’ and ’Night Gallery’. After one season NBC scrapped ’Four-In-One’ and plugged ’NcCloud’ into the new ’Mystery Movie’...and it shot up into the top 15; they moved it to Sunday and it moved into the top ten. All in all there were seven seasons of J.D. Cannon shouting ’McCloud!’ The show had two official themes, plus a kind of almost theme... 0:00 Four-In-One: McCloud opening titles and end credits. David Shire was responsible for this down-home-style guitar theme. It lasted beyond ’Four-In-One’ and was used for ’McCloud’ season two, (season one of the ’Mystery Movie’). 1:08 In season three, Shire’s theme was abandoned, and each episode had its own musical score, including (if the composer wanted) his own take on a ’McCloud’ theme. Lee Holdridge made the best attempt at coming up with a theme; heard here it’s lively and energetic, but producers did not take it any further. Since it actually made it to air (once) we’ll count it as a half-version. 2:31 Season four opening titles and end credits. The most familiar ’McCloud’ theme was introduced here and stayed with the show through the rest of the run. Nobody is credited specifically for the theme on screen, but as Lee Goldberg pointed out in the comments Glen Larson does get an ASCAP credit for ’Mc Cloud Theme’. Thanks to Mr Goldberg for the info!