Is TV theme music what it used to be? Blogger Lee Harris recalls his favourite opening) and closing fanfares. Roll credits...

Sounding Off

How important is a theme tune for you? When you pop your DVD in and turn down the lights do you set your film or TV programme to fast forward through the credits so you can get to the important part, or do you – like me – grab your snack of choice, lift your feet up onto the sofa, and let the fun begin?

For me, the opening music (and, to a lesser extent, the music that runs over the closing credits) is an integral part of the whole viewing experience. Talented exponents of the art will have created not just an audible filler to cover the silence while the names of the actors appear, but a mood piece – something that sets the scene for the drama about to unfold.

Similarly, at the end of whatever televisual delight you have just experienced, the creators will have included something to continue the feelings you had while you were watching – whether it is a feeling of dread, a feeling of fun, a feeling of high drama; whatever.

Some do this particularly well – Buffy The Vampire Slayer, for instance, Doctor Who, or the new BSG. The long, draw out string sounds at the start of Buffy conjure a feeling of otherness, while the fast-paced beat behind the theme tells us that something exciting is about to happen. With the Doctor Who theme, there is an almost alien quality to the music, while an excited heartbeat plays in the distance. BSG is less a theme tune than a mission statement – it’s certainly not something you could hum along in the street, but the frantic pace suits the style of the opening credits, which serve to tell you that not only are you about to watch something fast-paced and visually exciting, but that you’d better pay attention, or else!

Film and programme-makers are usually less successful at the closing credit themes – perhaps figuring that they’ve already won the audience by now, so why should they bother? This is perhaps most evident in my favourite non-genre show, The West Wing. The opening credits boast an extended fanfare – a salute to the American nation, which is almost regal in its tone. As soon as the closing credits roll, however, our ears are assaulted by a cheap, tacky jingle, which would be better placed in an afternoon soap opera – it jars with the drama that precedes it, and serves only to pull the viewer away from the emotional experience of watching the programme. It’s the musical equivalent of jumping into an ice-cold pool after sunning yourself while reading a favourite novel; except it’s not refreshing,

Favourite theme tunes? That’s quite easy.
Farscape (both versions) – one of the most ambitious TV theme tunes ever recorded.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy – though this one is a bit of a cheat as it was chosen for the show, rather than written for it – it’s called Journey Of The Sorcerer, and originally appeared on The Eagles’ album, One Of These Nights (which I bought just for this tune, and which benefits from listening to in full). It’s the banjos, you know – I’ve never seen a hitchhiker with a banjo (I certainly wouldn’t stop for one) but the banjos just feel right, and feelings are what good opening themes are all about.
The Brightonomicon audio series – again, not a piece of music that you’ll be humming as you do the dishes, but it evokes the atmosphere of the drama that follows it perfectly. It’s Robert Rankin in music form.
Superman – could anything ever capture the hopes and dreams, and the spirit of truth, justice and the American way more than this?

There are oh, so many more, but rather than list all my favourites (and there are oh, so many more!), I’d be interested in hearing about yours. Go on... surprise me...

This is a personal article by Lee Harris, one of our new bloggers - read more about our volunteer contributors on this dedicated page. Go on, surprise him with your favourite theme tunes and credit sequences...