[wilber]

e.g. Law & Order, CSI, Sopranos, Six Feet Under

All the uk stuff seems trite by comparison - Morse, Silent Witness etc etc.

Music plays a really important part in film and tv, but it seems to me that uk program makers don't place as much importance on it.

[James45]

Hate to harp on about my avatar-sake but the theme to Angel by Darling Violeta is simply amazing.

When it comes to TV in general the US do things much better than the rest of the world. Ok so there may be 150 channels of dross but they also churn out well-above average drama and comedy on a regular basis while the last time the Beeb turned out a classic most of us were still in short trousers!

Just look at the Beeb they are still relying on Only Fools and Horses, Steptoe and Son and The Good Life to fill their schedule between all the DIY programmes I really can't think of a good reason to pay the license fee (read TV tax), apart from the going to jail part.

[cessquill]

Having not done any research I'm obviously talking out of my hat here, but I'd guess that we have a similar dross:quality ratio to the US - it's just that we only see the good stuff (well, we did until Sky got the rest of it).

Some themes, IMO, have been excellent in the UK. League of Gentlemen springs to mind. Sure, there is a whole shed load of knocked up pap though. I do like Morse, I have to say.

I was in the US earlier this year and was astounded by the amount of appaling tv there. Good stuff too, obviously, but they've got their fair share of pointless drivel. Economies of scale, I guess.

[Boink!]

The Sopranos' theme is by British band Alabama 3. Originally the idea was for each episode to have different music over the opening scene/credits, but after hearing "Woke Up This Morning" they stuck with it.
The rest of the Alabama 3's output is excellent too.

Boink!

[wilber]

Not criticising UK music - A3 are a fab band (La Peste was just about my fave album of 2000) & so are The Who, responsible for CSI. I just feel the our American cousins make better use of music. A further example from Oddyssey 5 was using Coldplay's "Beautiful World" over the opening credits for the pilot episode.

BTW anyone who likes A3 may like to know that their new album is out on 28/10 (although you probably knew already)

[rob j]

Will soon be able to once again hear that sweet tune every week to a new episode - Series 4 starts on E4 next week on the 24th October.

WooHoo!

[Garrett]

I think some of the best tunes were in the 60/70s My favourite tune was for the first series of The Man From UNCLE by Jerry Goldsmith, (later the same tune was jazzed up and became a shadow of the original as with the majority of tunes that go through this process), Best music in all for a series Dominic Frontiere’s score for The Outer Limits. But we sill had some great tunes over here Ron Grainer did some sterling stuff Man In A Suitcase for example, and there was John Barry with Vendetta and The Persuaders. Or Laurie Johnson with The Avengers. I do find the British tunes bland today as to what they use to be but then again so are the programs.
Although I do have a Mike Post theme tune LP the tunes do tend to be repetitive.

[Lex]

British themes suck? What are you talking about - Eastnders is a classic!

I agree about Angel - great theme. I also like Goldsmith's theme for Voyager.
I think the problem for british composers is that there aren't many descent British TV shows.
Stargate is a great theme - David Arnold (British)

[James45]

What about the bang up job Russell Watson did on Enterprise... what the hell were they thinking??

[Lex]

Originally posted by James45
What about the bang up job Russell Watson did on Enterprise... what the hell were they thinking??

Is this the same Russel Watson who sang that awful duet with Faye from steps?!