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“Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip. That started from this tropic port, aboard this tiny ship.” That introduction to the classic Gilligan’s Island theme song actually now portends a potentially fateful trip for TV theme songs. As John Berman reported on the Oct. 19th ABC News podcast, the sun appears to be setting on TV theme songs. Why? Networks are afraid viewers don’t have the patience to sit through these catchy tunes.

“Networks are worried that viewers will change channels if they are given one second of down time to see what else is on on another channel,” according to TV critic David Bianculli, who was interviewed for this story.  Add to that viewers’ use of digital video recorders (DVRs) plus audience “attention deficit disorder” and you have the makings for the demise of the TV theme song, according to Berman.

Don’t believe it? The next time you tune into an episode of Lost or Grey’s Anatomy, listen up for the lack of a theme song (provided you can sit still for a few seconds without pressing the fast forward on your remote).

But, if you’re hankering to sing along with the Brady Bunch or to whistle with The Andy Griffith Show theme song, there’s still hope: point your browser here.