I just bought the DVD 2-pack set at Wal-Mart:
http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/09/60/09/11/0009600911619_150X150.jpg

So far I like the set, but I hear some banjo music used instead of the original theme song. Was there a different theme song used before the song we all know, or is the song I hear on the DVDs some song used to avoid copyright problems with the original theme song, like some companies do with DVD sets of other shows.

I bought the set too...the epsodes are great, but I do wish they had the theme song! Even if they only had it once, instead of on all of the episodes, that would be fine with me!

I read that it had something to do with copyright law. I don't understand how this works, really. There other series, like "The Lucy Show", which are available on DVD by little unknown companies peddling a few episodes here or there. What I don't understand is why a company like Viacom doesn't prohibit that. They own both shows, why wouldn't they want to package the shows themselves for profit? We, the buying public, would be better off because the DVD would be a higher quality.

I read that it had something to do with copyright law. I don't understand how this works, really.

On some DVD sets for The Andy Griffith Show, that show's theme song holds a seperate copyright, so some companies remove that song a replace it with some lousy electronic tune so they don't have to pay the copyright owners of the original theme song.

I think it's the same way for Beverly Hillbillies.