TV Themes

Isn’t it great to be able to listen to so much music, to be able to search and scroll and find anything you want…? Or to have tracks suggested for you without even thinking about it…? Or is it? Perhaps you miss the days when you had to save up to buy a recording, and you loved it ... Show More

Tom Service discovers the mighty musical power of needle drop - the use of pre-existing music in film soundtracks.From 2001: A Space Odyssey to Barbie, from The Shining to Maestro, Tom listens in to some of the most iconic film scenes using needle-dropped classical music. He expl ... Show More

"For me, the best music is an impassioned argument". So said one of Britain's greatest 20th-century composers, Elizabeth Maconchy. Who?? Despite her many awards and medals - including a damehood in 1987 - and a lifetime spent promoting new music, Elizabeth's work slipped out of f ... Show More

Music absolutely shapes how we process the ache and splendor of our favorite characters on screen. In this episode, Shonda Rhimes -- the empress of knocking us off the couch with music and a word (“...you’re my person,” anybody??) -- talks about the transformative power of a good ... Show More

From 'Jaws' to 'Genevieve', 'Gone with the Wind' and 'Bond', every brilliant movie has to have a great theme tune. But who were the composers who wrote these iconic pieces of music? In this episode, Joanna and Stephen dive into the greatest film scores ever written. 

The history of television and the origins of Star Trek are explored through the life and career of composer/orchestrator Alexander Courage, television star Lucille Ball, and Desilu music director Wilbur Hatch. The main title melodies for Star Trek are analyzed and discussed, alon ... Show More

Examining the power of original scoring for television throughout history, with a particular emphasis on its return to prominence in the era of Peak TV. Plus: an interview with Michael Stein and Kyle Dixon, who wrote the music for Netflix's "Stranger Things."Theme music: "Slinky" ... Show More

From the excitement of natural history programmes to the high drama of the Great British Bake Off, the music we hear can affect everything we watch. But does it enhance the narrative or ruin our viewing pleasure? Composer William Goodchild, Richard Bradley from Lion TV and film e ... Show More

The Netflix series Bridgerton has hooked audiences with its bodice-ripping sex scenes, a colorblind approach period drama casting, and a soundtrack featuring recreations of modern bangers from pop stars like Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish arranged in the style of a classical str ... Show More

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.Dido's Lament is a popular name for a famous aria, 'When I am laid in earth', from the opera Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell, with the libretto by Nahum Tate. Mezzo soprano Sarah Connolly talks about why she find ... Show More

Music By Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams, George Butterworth, John Ireland, Arthur Sullivan, Fredrick Delius and William Walton. Works include: Nimrod, Spitfire, Sea Fever, The Wasps Overture and The Wand Of Youth. 

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal. Fantasia on a theme by Thomas TallisWhen Vaughan Williams wrote his Tallis Fantasia in 1910, he changed the course of British music. Here at last was a piece of music which was no longer under the Teutonic influe ... Show More

This week's mini episode continues our theme of 'unsung heroes'. And today we're diving into the works of another prodigious French composer, Lili Boulanger, celebrating the flourish, colour and romance of her music.