History SuspiciouslySimilarSong / LiveActionTV

** A sketch features Creator/JonLovitz as the host of a program presenting an unauthorized adaptation of Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''Snow White'', who explains that it's legally not plagiarism as long as every third note is different.

* Similarly, a ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' sketch featured Creator/JonLovitz as the host of a program presenting an unauthorized adaptation of Creator/{{Disney}}'s "Snow White," who explains that it's legally not plagiarism as long as every third note is different.
** In another ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' sketch, fake soap opera The Californians uses a poor man's version of Music/{{America}}'s "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5J54RVZjYs Ventura Highway]]" during the between-scene bumpers. For those who recognize what the music is supposed to sound like, it also serves as a nice little in-joke... Since the main theme of the sketch revolves around stereotypical surfer-accented blondes making repeated references to the Los Angeles street grid/highway system.

* The theme song to Jeremy Kyle's daytime talk show blatantly copies Kool & The Gang's "Celebration"

* The ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' episode "Murder Among Friends", which is set during the filming of [[Series/{{Friends}} a popular sitcom about "a group of twentysomethings sitting around discussing their sex lives]]" opens with some music that is almost, but not quite, the outro of "I'll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts.

** Related to the copyright issues with the MMPR theme, when Tommy fought the iconic Green Ranger during a dream sequence in [[Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder Dino Thunder's]] Fighting Spirit, the Dragon Dagger's music was this, because Saban owned that music too.

* ''Series/TheSunnySideUpShow'':

* ''Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy'' featured parodies of pop songs with scientific lyrics for its music videos, in addition to Suspiciously Similar Songs to several tunes, e.g. La Bamba, the 007 theme, Wipe Out (the surfing song), etc. Some of the parodies, much like ''Series/SesameStreet'', deviated rather far from their source material, such as "The Moon Cycle" (Music/{{Queen}}'s "Bicycle Race"), "My Favorite Star" (Music/DeepPurple's "Highway Star"), and "G.R.A.V.I.T.Y." (either 2 Unlimited's "Twilight Zone" or Music/TheImmortals' [[Film/MortalKombatTheMovie "Techno Syndrome"]]).

* The first theme song written for ''Series/SigmundAndTheSeaMonsters'' sounded very similar in some respects to ''I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing'' (AKA: the famous Coca-Cola "hilltop song"), so much so, that Creator/SidAndMartyKroft were allegedly sued, leading to the creation of the show's second theme song.

* The theme from the ''Creator/{{Sprout}}'' series ''Series/NoodleAndDoodle'' sounds like the minor enemy encounter (i.e. Hammer Bros.) theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''.
* ''Series/TheGoodNightShow'': According to writer and composer Tim Burns, the 2009 opening song has a [[Music/TheBeatles Beatles]]-style feel to it.

** The "Email or ZMail" song sounds like "Freedom '90" by Music/GeorgeMichael.
** The Season 7 theme song sounds like "Rock Steady" by Music/TheWhispers.

* The second part of the [[https://youtu.be/Om2QfPpgOLo?list=PLO6S2qKFLclow0V9KlkpEwWqjq6pUg86b&t=167 "True Creation Requires Sacrifice"]] from * ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'' sounds suspiciously similar to the second half of [[https://youtu.be/pS-gbqbVd8c?t=284 "Light Of the Seven]] from ''Series/GameOfThrones''. The ominous solo violin with the "impeding doom" crescendo and the epic climax of the cello toward the end have almost same chord progression as those heard in "Light of the Seven".
* The ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' episode "Murder Among Friends", which is set during the filming of [[Series/{{Friends}} a popular sitcom about "a group of twentysomethings sitting around discussing their sex lives]]" opens with some music that is almost, but not quite, the outro of "I'll Be There For You" by Music/TheRembrandts.

* The second part of the [[https://youtu.be/Om2QfPpgOLo?list=PLO6S2qKFLclow0V9KlkpEwWqjq6pUg86b&t=167 "True Creation Requires Sacrifice"]] from * ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'' sounds suspiciously similar to the second half of [[https://youtu.be/pS-gbqbVd8c?t=284 "Light Of the Seven]] from ''Series/GameOfThrones''. The ominous solo violin with the "impeding doom" crescendo and the epic climax of the cello toward the end have almost same chord progression as those heard in "Light of the Seven".

* The theme song to ''Series/FullHouse'' sounds like a low-pitched version of ''Delicate Ni Sukishite'' from ''Anime/MagicalAngelCreamyMami''.

* The InstrumentalThemeTune that ''Series/GeneralHospital'' used for their famous "ambulance" opening in TheEighties (called "Autumn Breeze", complete with ForgottenThemeTuneLyrics), is an obvious pastiche of Music/BurtBacharach's musical style (the horns, the syncopation, the big buildup toward the end).

* In the ''Series/Kindergarten'' episode "Movin' Up", an offbeat version of Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" plays as the class recalls past memories. Given that the piece is public domain, it's unknown why they did this.

* ''Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy'' featured parodies of pop songs with scientific lyrics for its music videos, in addition to Suspiciously Similar Songs to several tunes, e.g. La Bamba, the 007 theme, Wipe Out (the surfing song), etc. Some of the parodies, much like ''Series/SesameStreet'', deviated rather far from their source material, such as "The Moon Cycle" (Music/{{Queen}}'s "Bicycle Race"), "My Favorite Star" (Music/DeepPurple's "Highway Star"), and "G.R.A.V.I.T.Y." (either 2 Unlimited's "Twilight Zone" or [[Film/MortalKombatTheMovie The Immortals' "Techno Syndrome"]]).

** As in DinoThunder, when Overdrive did a teamup episode featuring MMPR's Adam plus four rangers from Disney seasons, each fought to theme music from their show...except for Adam. Disney wasn't willing to cut the check to Saban.

** Related to the copyright issues with the MMPR theme, when Tommy fought the iconic Green Ranger during a dream sequence in DinoThunder's Fighting Spirit, the Dragon Dagger's music was this, because Saban owned that music too.

* The theme song for ''Series/GoodLuckCharlie'' sounds very similar to "Sk8er Boi" by Music/AvrilLavigne.

* Series/DoctorWho's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7VmOZ4Ppj8 I Am The Doctor]] and ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTsD2FjmLsw Suicide Mission]] have parts that sound remarkably similar to each other.
** Speaking of I Am The Doctor, it also sounds similar to the beginning of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWWfjK0v8eM His World]] from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006''.

** Also, the ''NFL on FOX'' theme bears a very close resemblance to the bridge of Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride".

** The famously [[SingingSimlish unintelligible]] closing theme song strongly resembled "China Grove" by The Doobie Brothers.

* In the ''Series/Kindergarten'' episode "Movin' Up", an offbeat version of Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" plays as the class recalls past memories. Given that the piece is public domain, it's unknown why they did this.

----

* The opening theme song to ''Series/{{Touch}}'' sounds quite a bit like Radiohead's "Everything In Its Right Place". This similarity is practically confirmed by the original closed captions used on the pilot episode (and still present on the Hulu stream); suffice it to say, apparently the version submitted for captioning ''did'' use the Radiohead track, before it was overdubbed for the final broadcast.

* ''Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy'' featured parodies of pop songs with scientific lyrics for its music videos, in addition to Suspiciously Similar Songs to several tunes, e.g. La Bamba, the 007 theme, Wipe Out (the surfing song), etc. Some of the parodies, much like ''Series/SesameStreet'', deviated rather far from their source material, such as "The Moon Cycle" (Music/{{Queen}}'s "Bicycle Race"), "My Favorite Star" (Music/DeepPurple's "Highway Star"), and "G.R.A.V.I.T.Y." (either 2 Unlimited's "Twilight Zone" or [[Film/MortalKombat The Immortals' "Techno Syndrome"]]).

* The opening theme to ''Series/{{Alcatraz}}'' resembles the main synth riff on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gjI67KBbRg "The Brazilian"]] by Music/{{Genesis}}.

* The theme from the ''Creator/{{Sprout}}'' series ''Noodle and Doodle'' sounds like the minor enemy encounter (i.e. Hammer Bros.) theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''.

* The pilot to ''Series/MarryMe'' has "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes as its theme song. From the second episode on, it has a vaguely similar generic song that evokes "Home", but most certainly is not.

* The theme song for ''Series/good luck Charlie'' sounds very similar to "Sk8er Boi" by Music/AvrilLavigne.