20/20 started using this theme in september 2009. However, the theme was originally used for ABC branding promos starting in 2008. The promo was popular and the network liked the music so much that they asked the composers – DreamArtists Studios – to develop an entire package around it for the ABC newsmagazine.

As one of the first veteran anchors, Barbara Walters chose to (semi-)retire in 2004. While she continued to do The View as well as special reports for ABC, she stepped down as anchor of 20/20. ABC’s rising star at the time, Elizabeth Vargas, was promoted to the position. With a new anchor, they also debuted a new theme. It is composed by the L.A.-based music production team Transcenders. That company, which by the way also composed the theme to Friends-spin off Joey, produced an entire music library for use during broadcasts of 20/20.

This theme, composed by Video Helper, is based off a World News Tonight promo cut in the late 1990′s. Someone at ABC liked it so much that they suggested it would be used as the 20/20 theme. It was used at a time when significant and constant changes in the 20/20 anchor line-up were made. When this theme first started being used, Barbara Walters anchored solo since former co-anchor Hugh Downs had retired in 1999. In early 2002 John Miller, who impressed many with his ability to analyze events during marathon coverage of the September 11th attacks, became co-anchor. But he never got very comfortable in the anchor chair and a year later he jumped at the chance to rejoin law enforcement. So for a few months in early 2003 Barbara Walters anchored solo again. But she was nearing retirement and preferred a co-anchor. In May of 2003 John Stossel, the man behind the controversial though popular “Give me a break” segments, was named co-anchor of 20/20.

Unlike most other newsmagazine, 20/20 Downtown (or later just Downtown) was never carried by any big name anchor. An ensemble team of anchors fronted the broadcast, which was aimed at attracting younger viewers. The anchor and reporting duties were covered by the team of Elizabeth Vargas, Cynthia McFadden, Chris Cuomo, and John Quiñones. It was cancelled in 2002. For the theme ABC turned to Score Productions. This is the full theme. By the way, in 2003 Downtown returned for one season as Primetime Monday–same anchors, same format and same theme package (though slightly different cut).

In the fall of 2000 20/20 with Barbara Walters was given a musical makeover. For the past couple of years they had been using an update to the original 1979 theme but this time they started using something completely new. Although it includes some notes from the original, it is without a doubt more contemporary. Like the previous themes, this theme is composed by Score Productions.

This 20/20 theme is an update of the original theme composed by Score Productions. In case you are wondering, 20/20 vision is normal vision and it is expressed as a fraction because the two numbers have different meanings. The top number means the distance you stand from the chart from which you are asked to read (usually 20 feet). And the bottom stands for the distance at which a person with normal eyesight could correctly read the line with the smallest letters. While it is rare, some people are blessed with even better eyesight. ABC decided to name its newsmagazine 20/20 to drive home the point that it would be a medium to help see viewers the events shaping their lives, clearly. The first executive producer, Bob Shanks, came up with the name.

“From ABC News around the world and into your home, the stories that touch your life. With Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters, this is 20/20.” That’s how every edition of 20/20 in the 90′s started. For this version of the 20/20 theme, all whooshes and pows known to man were pulled out of the archives and used in this theme. Networks, generally speaking, have gone easy on sound effects but cable news has not. Almost all movements and transitions are accompanied by a woosh or other sound effect. That’s what gives it the cable news feel. Why do they do it? Cable news channels feel it makes them look and sound more exciting – like something big is going on – which keeps viewers tuned in.

In June of 1978, Roone Arledge’s news magazine hit the airwaves. It was called 20/20 and created to compete with 60 Minutes. Contrary to popular belief, Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs were not the original anchors of the broadcast; Harold Hayes and Robert Hughes anchored the first show. But that first show was nothing short of a disaster. It featured puppets representing the likes of Jimmy Carter and Walter Cronkite doing short bits and went down from there. Critics were not kind when writing their reviews. As a result, serious changes were made. Downs took on the role of host on the second show as Hayes and Hughes were fired. Walters joined the cast in 1981 as something slightly less than a co-anchor. In 1984 she became Hugh Downs’ equal. This reunited a duo that had already anchored together on NBC’s Today from 1964 – 1971. While the first broadcasts of 20/20 used the World News Tonight theme, in 1979 they started using this variation of that theme.