History Main / TruncatedThemeTune

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ultimate Spider-Man}}'' has a full theme song but because of Marvel Mash-Up, Marvel Master Class and the Fury Files portions of Marvel Universe on DisneyXD, it never once got to play as the opening of the show.

* When shown on AdultSwim, ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' and ''[[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood]]'''s opening and ending themes are shortened significantly when compared to the show's original subtitled version on {{Funimation}}'s website.
** AdultSwim has done this with most of their anime openings and ending, with the exceptions of the openings of Manga/{{Bleach}} and Anime/CodeGeass. Most of them get shortened.
* ''Anime/TheBigO''. When it first appeared on AdultSwim it had full opening credits and theme tune, as seen [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdA6iRk94Hc here]]. When it was run later the opening credits were cut down to a couple of seconds and a brief musical phrase. This is a particularly egregious example, as the opening credits for this show were {{Homage}}s to ''Film/FlashGordon'' and ''Space1999'' respectively, and that is lost whenn the theme music is chopped.

* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy,'' when it was put back on CartoonNetwork in 2012.

A show's ThemeTune is the way it gets the attention, and hopefully is good enough to get people {{Earworm}}ed and singing it to get others watching the show.

The title sequence and opening credits, since they often appear simultaneously with the playing of the theme tune are often collateral damage. Shows dating from TheEighties and TheNineties are the first to display this trope; older shows' {{ThemeTune}}s [''GilligansIsland'' and ''ILoveLucy'' for example] tend to be so iconic that they don't usually go under the editing knife.

** AdultSwim has done this with most of their anime openings and ending, with the exceptions of the openings of {{Bleach}} and CodeGeass. Most of them get shortened.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMV8L8Jl-cw Superman]], the ''{{Scrubs}}'' theme, is a casualty of this. The full version is 3:40 and goes from already being fairly short at fifteen or so seconds to a mere echo of the theme at about a second. Fortunately, that doesn't last long.

* SyFy is notorious for this.
** ''{{Eureka}}'' used to have a theme song that lasted about forty-five seconds, and showed Carter walking through town seeing the MadScience applications to mundane tasks. Now it's five seconds long and has just the Title Card and the names of who created it.
** ''Series/Warehouse13'' also has shortened opening credits and theme tune.
** For Season 9 of ''Series/StargateSG1'' and Season 2 of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', the intro credits were cut to a 10-second clip, followed by the credits rolling over the next scene. After the fans rioted, the full intros were replaced halfway through the season. However, the next spinoff, ''Series/StargateUniverse'', had only a brief title card and no full theme song.

* ''Series/FraggleRock'' had a much longer theme song and opening credits sequence (in which the titular Fraggles got to introduce themselves by name) than the one currently showing on The Hub.

* ''Series/{{Charmed}}''[='=]s theme tune is cut down to a 10-second clip with a flash of each main cast member's name for its reruns on {{TNT}}.

* ''Series/TheOuterLimits'' had its title sequence shortened twice during the original series' run on {{ABC}}.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'' is the only show from the franchise that has a ThemeTune with lyrics, so it's particularly noticeable when the second verse of the song is omitted in the Boomerang airings. The {{ThemeTune}}s for ''Alien Force'' and ''Ultimate Alien'' are instrumental and were designed to be very short.

* The theme tune and opening credits to ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' exists in its full form, but there are several diferent cuts to adjust for show length, and extended couch gags to fill time.

* ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'' has a full theme song but because of Marvel Mash-Up, Marvel Master Class and the Fury Files portions of Marvel Universe on DisneyXD, it never once got to play as the opening of the show.

* One infamous example is when ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' was put on syndication for Nickelodeon. The lyrics for one of the opening gags "Shirley Mclaney" was shortented to "Nick-a-laney" in order to fit with the blatant "It's on Nickelodeon now" message (complete with the Nickelodeon logo obnoxiously included in nearly every shot during the opening credits). Other cuts were made to the point that one portion was sped up slightly to edit out a key change.

* One infamous example is when ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' was put on syndication for Nickelodeon. The lyrics for one of the opening gags "Shirley Mclaney" was shortented to "Nick-a-laney" in order to fit with the blatant "It's on Nickelodeon now" message (complete with the Nickelodeon logo obnoxiously included in nearly every shot during the opening credits).

* ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpider-Man'' has a full theme song but because of Marvel Mash-Up, Marvel Master Class and the Fury Files portions of Marvel Universe on DisneyXD, it never once got to play as the opening of the show.

* Around its fifth season, ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' had it's theme song shortened and sped up. The original theme came back for season six.

* The ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Thundercats 2011}} [=ThunderCats (2011)=]]]'' theme is a [[RearrangeTheSong rearranged]] version of the 1985 ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Thundercats}} [=ThunderCats=]]]'' ThemeTune, now made [[InstrumentalThemeTune lyricless]] and consisting solely of the original's {{Fanfare}}, its signature "''[[ThemeSongAssonance Thunder thunder thunder ThunderCats!]]''" EpicRiff, and a finishing [[RoarBeforeBeating roar]]. All ''ten seconds'' are performed by a ''[[OrchestralVersion full orchestra]]'' while the assonances are called out by an EtherealChoir. This makes for a surprisingly effective aural AdaptationDistillation.

* Midway through its run on FoxKids, ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'' had its opening shaved in two-thirds.

''Series/TheOuterLimits'' had its title sequence shortened twice during the original series' run on {{ABC}}.

* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddAndEddy,'' when it was put back on CartoonNetwork in 2012.

* ''HappyDays'': when the show dropped off [=ABC=] and began showing up on syndicated TV, the song was shortened and the lyrics changed.

* TwoAndAHalfMen: To the point where NeilPatrickHarris made a joke about it while MC'ing the Emmies. He played the show's original themesong. ''"Men, men, men, men, manly men, men men!"'' Then he played the shortened version of the song: ''"Men!"'' And suggested that the show's theme song in its next season would simply be ''"Meh--*"''

* ''Wings'' (from the creators of ''{{Cheers}}'') used to have a title sequence with a tune by Chopin, but that later got ([[IncrediblyLamePun ahem]]) chopped.

** ''Warehouse13'' also has shortened opening credits and theme tune.
** For Season 9 of ''StargateSG1'' and Season 2 of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', the intro credits were cut to a 10-second clip, followed by the credits rolling over the next scene. After the fans rioted, the full intros were replaced halfway through the season. However, the next spinoff, ''Series/StargateUniverse'', had only a brief title card and no full theme song.
* ''{{Smallville}}'' averted the trope for its entire run, using the same, uncut ThemeTune.
* ''FraggleRock'' had a much longer theme song and opening credits sequence (in which the titular Fraggles got to introduce themselves by name) than the one currently showing on The Hub.
* The US version of ''TheOffice'' features this in syndication, truncating most of the theme song beyond the first eight bars and the final chord.

* TBS goes back and forth between airing the full ''{{Friends}}'' theme including the verse, and a version with just the chorus
** They do the same thing for ''{{King of Queens}}''

* The theme tune and opening credits to {{The Simpsons}} exists in its full form, but there are several diferent cuts to adjust for show length, and extended couch gags to fill time.
* An interesting variation: sometimes the opening theme is ''sped up'' to save time rather than truncated. This happened noticeably, for example, in ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited''.
* DannyPhantom has at least two other verses of his ThemeTune, the musical riff usually played over the title card, and the bridge played at the end credits right before the Billionfold logo. Both were cut before the show went to production to leave the opening credits as we know them today(at least in the US - this may differ for other countries). See the variant [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiokCOOL1CU here]].
* In the Comedy Central revival episodes of ''{{Futurama}}'', several seconds of music toward the end of the theme have been cut out. The original episodes remain unchanged.

* When several episodes are strung together for a block or marathon, ''Nickelodeon'' will usually lop off the entire title sequence for ''AvatarTheLastAirbender''.
* Around its fifth season, ''FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' had it's theme song shortened and sped up. The original theme came back for season six."
* ''KaBlam'' had its theme song shortened for season three onwards.
* In syndication, the closing theme to ''[[ScoobyDoo The New Scooby Doo Movies]]'' would sometimes cut from the gang yelling "Hey Scooby!" to the final chord, omitting Shaggy's "Where are you?" and Scooby's "Over here!", while the Hanna-Barbera "Swirling Star" logo appeared.
* ''EdEddAndEddy,'' when it was put back on CartoonNetwork in 2012.

* ''GreenLanternTheAnimatedSeries'' also has shortened the theme tune down to 3 seconds and its title card, also to make room for the DCNation shorts.
* Midway through its run on Fox, {{Beetlejuice}} had its opening shaved in two-thirds.

* ''GreenLanternTheAnimatedSeries'' also has shortened the theme tune down to 3 seconds and its title card, also to make room for the DCNation shorts.

* ''{{Charmed}}'''s theme tune is cut down to a 10-second clip with a flash of each main cast member's name for its reruns on {{TNT}}.

* The ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'' theme is a [[RearrangeTheSong rearranged]] version of the 1985 ''{{Thundercats}}'' ThemeTune, now made [[InstrumentalThemeTune lyricless]] and consisting solely of the original's {{Fanfare}}, its signature "''[[ThemeSongAssonance Thunder thunder thunder ThunderCats!]]''" EpicRiff, and a finishing [[RoarBeforeBeating roar]]. All ''ten seconds'' are performed by a ''[[OrchestralVersion full orchestra]]'' while the assonances are called out by an EtherealChoir. This makes for a surprisingly effective aural AdaptationDistillation.

* ''YoungJustice'' came back from its second season hiatus with a 3 second riff and its title card, but this was at least in part to make room for the DCNation shorts.

* ''YoungJustice'' came back from its second season hiatus with a 3 second riff and its title card, but this was at least in part to make room for the DCNation shorts.

Once a show has gone into syndication or jumped channels, though, the ThemeTune is one of the first casualties. It will get edited, shortened, or otherwise truncated so as to leave room for more commercials. Occasionaly, if the show is on the air on its original channel more than a few years, they'll maim the theme tune for more commercial space while it's still in its original airing. Also, the lyrics of the theme song, where present, may be changed a little.

The title sequence and opening credits, since they often appear simultaneously with the playing of the theme tune are often collateral damage. Shows dating from TheEighties and TheNineties are the first to display this trope; older shows' {{ThemeTune}}s [GilligansIsland and ILoveLucy for example] tend to be so iconic that they don't usually go under the editing knife.

* ''EdEddAndEddy,'' when it was put back on CartoonNetwork in 2012.

* When shown on AdultSwim, Anime/FullmetalAlchemist and [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood]]'s opening and ending themes are shortened significantly when compared to the show's original subtitled version on {{Funimation}}'s website.

* When shown on AdultSwim, FullMetalAlchemist and FullmetalAlchemistBrotherhood's opening and ending themes are shortened significantly when compared to the show's original subtitled version on {{Funimation}}'s website.

** For Season 9 of ''StargateSG1'' and Season 2 of ''StargateAtlantis'', the intro credits were cut to a 10-second clip, followed by the credits rolling over the next scene. After the fans rioted, the full intros were replaced halfway through the season. However, the next spinoff, ''StargateUniverse'', had only a brief title card and no full theme song.

* In syndication, the closing theme to ''[[ScoobyDoo The New Scooby Doo Movies]]'' would sometimes cut from the gang yelling "Hey Scooby!" to the final chord, omitting Shaggy's "Where are you?" and Scooby's "Over here!", while the Hanna-Barbera "Swirling Star" logo appeared.

* ''TheBigO''. When it first appeared on AdultSwim it had full opening credits and theme tune, as seen [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdA6iRk94Hc here]]. When it was run later the opening credits were cut down to a couple of seconds and a brief musical phrase. This is a particularly egregious example, as the opening credits for this show were {{Homage}}s to ''Film/FlashGordon'' and ''Space1999'' respectively, and that is lost whenn the theme music is chopped.

* ''[[BenTen Ben 10]]'' is the only show from the franchise that has a ThemeTune with lyrics, so it's particularly noticeable when the second verse of the song is omitted in the Boomerang airings. The {{ThemeTune}}s for ''Alien Force'' and ''Ultimate Alien'' are instrumental and were designed to be very short.

* One infamous example is when ''{{Animaniacs}}'' was put on syndication for Nickelodeon. The lyrics for one of the opening gags "Shirley Mclaney" was shortented to "Nick-a-laney" in order to fit with the blatant "It's on Nickelodeon now" message (complete with the Nickelodeon logo obnoxiously included in nearly every shot during the opening credits).

* ''TheBigO''. When it first appeared on AdultSwim it had full opening credits and theme tune, as seen [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdA6iRk94Hc here]]. When it was run later the opening credits were cut down to a couple of seconds and a brief musical phrase. This is a particularly egregious example, as the opening credits for this show were {{Homage}}s to ''{{FlashGordon}}'' and ''Space1999'' respectively, and that is lost whenn the theme music is chopped.