diff --git a/crates/television-screen/src/colors.rs b/crates/television-screen/src/colors.rs
index 3264864..bcdf6ba 100644
--- a/crates/television-screen/src/colors.rs
+++ b/crates/television-screen/src/colors.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ pub struct Colorscheme {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct GeneralColorscheme {
     pub border_fg: Color,
-    pub background: Color,
+    pub background: Option<Color>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
diff --git a/crates/television-screen/src/help.rs b/crates/television-screen/src/help.rs
index 930f1e9..99f14bf 100644
--- a/crates/television-screen/src/help.rs
+++ b/crates/television-screen/src/help.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ pub fn draw_logo_block(
         .style(
             Style::default()
                 .fg(mode_color)
-                .bg(general_colorscheme.background),
+                .bg(general_colorscheme.background.unwrap_or_default()),
         )
         .padding(Padding::horizontal(1));
 
@@ -45,7 +45,10 @@ fn draw_metadata_block(
         .border_type(BorderType::Rounded)
         .border_style(Style::default().fg(colorscheme.general.border_fg))
         .padding(Padding::horizontal(1))
-        .style(Style::default().bg(colorscheme.general.background));
+        .style(
+            Style::default()
+                .bg(colorscheme.general.background.unwrap_or_default()),
+        );
 
     let metadata_table =
         build_metadata_table(mode, current_channel, app_metadata, colorscheme)
@@ -64,7 +67,7 @@ fn draw_keymaps_block(
         .borders(Borders::ALL)
         .border_type(BorderType::Rounded)
         .border_style(Style::default().fg(colorscheme.border_fg))
-        .style(Style::default().bg(colorscheme.background))
+        .style(Style::default().bg(colorscheme.background.unwrap_or_default()))
         .padding(Padding::horizontal(1));
 
     let table = keymap_table.block(keymaps_block);
diff --git a/crates/television-screen/src/input.rs b/crates/television-screen/src/input.rs
index 479e071..bb1892a 100644
--- a/crates/television-screen/src/input.rs
+++ b/crates/television-screen/src/input.rs
@@ -33,7 +33,10 @@ pub fn draw_input_box(
         .borders(Borders::ALL)
         .border_type(BorderType::Rounded)
         .border_style(Style::default().fg(colorscheme.general.border_fg))
-        .style(Style::default().bg(colorscheme.general.background));
+        .style(
+            Style::default()
+                .bg(colorscheme.general.background.unwrap_or_default()),
+        );
 
     let input_block_inner = input_block.inner(rect);
     if input_block_inner.area() == 0 {
diff --git a/crates/television-screen/src/preview.rs b/crates/television-screen/src/preview.rs
index ed1f70d..528b9a8 100644
--- a/crates/television-screen/src/preview.rs
+++ b/crates/television-screen/src/preview.rs
@@ -283,7 +283,10 @@ pub fn draw_preview_content_block(
         .borders(Borders::ALL)
         .border_type(BorderType::Rounded)
         .border_style(Style::default().fg(colorscheme.general.border_fg))
-        .style(Style::default().bg(colorscheme.general.background))
+        .style(
+            Style::default()
+                .bg(colorscheme.general.background.unwrap_or_default()),
+        )
         .padding(Padding::new(0, 1, 1, 0));
 
     let preview_inner_block =
diff --git a/crates/television-screen/src/remote_control.rs b/crates/television-screen/src/remote_control.rs
index 6c0aa84..06fd79e 100644
--- a/crates/television-screen/src/remote_control.rs
+++ b/crates/television-screen/src/remote_control.rs
@@ -72,7 +72,10 @@ fn draw_rc_channels(
         .borders(Borders::ALL)
         .border_type(BorderType::Rounded)
         .border_style(Style::default().fg(colorscheme.general.border_fg))
-        .style(Style::default().bg(colorscheme.general.background))
+        .style(
+            Style::default()
+                .bg(colorscheme.general.background.unwrap_or_default()),
+        )
         .padding(Padding::right(1));
 
     let channel_list = build_results_list(
@@ -98,7 +101,10 @@ fn draw_rc_input(
         .borders(Borders::ALL)
         .border_type(BorderType::Rounded)
         .border_style(Style::default().fg(colorscheme.general.border_fg))
-        .style(Style::default().bg(colorscheme.general.background));
+        .style(
+            Style::default()
+                .bg(colorscheme.general.background.unwrap_or_default()),
+        );
 
     let input_block_inner = input_block.inner(area);
 
@@ -156,8 +162,11 @@ fn draw_rc_logo(
     mode_color: Color,
     colorscheme: &GeneralColorscheme,
 ) {
-    let logo_block = Block::default()
-        .style(Style::default().fg(mode_color).bg(colorscheme.background));
+    let logo_block = Block::default().style(
+        Style::default()
+            .fg(mode_color)
+            .bg(colorscheme.background.unwrap_or_default()),
+    );
 
     let logo_paragraph = build_remote_logo_paragraph()
         .alignment(Alignment::Center)
diff --git a/crates/television-screen/src/results.rs b/crates/television-screen/src/results.rs
index 242fed2..6112a42 100644
--- a/crates/television-screen/src/results.rs
+++ b/crates/television-screen/src/results.rs
@@ -157,7 +157,10 @@ pub fn draw_results_list(
         .borders(Borders::ALL)
         .border_type(BorderType::Rounded)
         .border_style(Style::default().fg(colorscheme.general.border_fg))
-        .style(Style::default().bg(colorscheme.general.background))
+        .style(
+            Style::default()
+                .bg(colorscheme.general.background.unwrap_or_default()),
+        )
         .padding(Padding::right(1));
 
     let results_list = build_results_list(
diff --git a/crates/television/config/themes.rs b/crates/television/config/themes.rs
index 1b41c23..9a7ce61 100644
--- a/crates/television/config/themes.rs
+++ b/crates/television/config/themes.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ impl Color {
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct Theme {
     // general
-    pub background: Color,
+    pub background: Option<Color>,
     pub border_fg: Color,
     pub text_fg: Color,
     pub dimmed_text_fg: Color,
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ impl Default for Theme {
 #[serde(rename = "theme")]
 struct Inner {
     // general
-    background: String,
+    background: Option<String>,
     border_fg: String,
     // info
     text_fg: String,
@@ -132,8 +132,14 @@ impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for Theme {
     {
         let inner = Inner::deserialize(deserializer).unwrap();
         Ok(Self {
-            background: Color::from_str(&inner.background)
-                .ok_or_else(|| serde::de::Error::custom("invalid color"))?,
+            background: inner
+                .background
+                .map(|s| {
+                    Color::from_str(&s).ok_or_else(|| {
+                        serde::de::Error::custom("invalid color")
+                    })
+                })
+                .transpose()?,
             border_fg: Color::from_str(&inner.border_fg)
                 .ok_or_else(|| serde::de::Error::custom("invalid color"))?,
             text_fg: Color::from_str(&inner.text_fg)
@@ -197,7 +203,7 @@ impl Into<Colorscheme> for &Theme {
 impl Into<GeneralColorscheme> for &Theme {
     fn into(self) -> GeneralColorscheme {
         GeneralColorscheme {
-            background: (&self.background).into(),
+            background: self.background.as_ref().map(Into::into),
             border_fg: (&self.border_fg).into(),
         }
     }