When spelled out, word that follows the beginnings of the starred answers in a memorable kids' show theme song

Question:

Answer:

MOUSE

Length:

Similar Crossword Questions:

First word in the theme song for "The Banana Splits"
"Moon Over ___" (original theme song for "The Drew Carey Show")
Classic ad line, and question you need to answer to find the hidden theme in four starred answers
"Gosh!" (or, based on the starts of starred answers, one who is expert at solving this puzzle's theme?)
Song that mentions all the starred answers
Massachusetts school ... and a description of the two-word meeting that occurs at the intersections of pairs of starred answers
Show whose originial theme song was done by Bill Haley and His Comets
Overachievers, and a hint to a word that can precede both words of the starred answers
Postseason gridiron game, and a hint to the puzzle theme found in starred answers
Maurice Sendak kids' book, and the starts of starred answers
Number of times this puzzle's theme word appears diagonally in the grid (to complete the puzzle, shade those words plus the Down answers that begin where they meet)
Word in Doris Day's theme song
Word that can bring the ends of the starred answers up to date
Show whose theme song is "Who Are You"
Espresso order, or what each word pair in the theme answers synonymously represents
Former hit TV show with the theme song "Get Crazy"
Word before the first word in this puzzle's theme answers
Cartoon show whose theme song is done by Les Claypool of Primus
Long-running FOX show with "Bad Boys" as its theme song
Word appearing in all nine theme answers
TV show whose theme song is "Baba O'Riley"
Attendance check, and a hint to the puzzle theme in the first words of the starred answers
First word of the theme song title for Archie and Edith
WORD OF CHEER HIDDEN IN THEME ANSWERS
TV show whose theme song was "California"