Opening Theme

The Opening Theme is usually one of the first things seen in BBC One's Doctor Who.

## Themes

### Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire (1963-1967)

Although Ron Grainer has always received sole credit for the theme music, Delia Derbyshire with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop was responsible for all the arrangements for Seasons 1 through 17. She was given the composition by Grainer and asked to create the music. The method she chose was to create each sound from scratch using a variety of methods from pure tones to piano strings. Each sound was then changed in pitch and duration using purely analogue equipment. The final arrangement of the theme was made by making a recording of each section (bass line, melody, etc.) and putting them together to form the final mono track. Her first arrangement was released as a single, but never used as the opening title music. It consists of the main theme and the "middle eight" in an ABABA pattern.

Two versions of this arrangement exist, one with the TARDIS' dematerialisation sound and one without. In addition, a variant version was used for the unbroadcast pilot episode version, which incorporates the sound of a thunderclap at the beginning. The studio requested some changes and the second arrangement, used until the middle of Season 4, features some wind/wave effects. The master recording for this arrangement has a section that comes after the second repeat of the main melody (which in turn follows the first instance of the middle eight) where the bassline start a loop of two bars each instead of repeating the main theme or the 'middle eight'. This version was heard through the start of the repeated bass in *An Unearthly Child*. On subsequent episodes, it just faded out as needed.

Grainer attempted to obtain co-writer credit for Derbyshire, but was prevented from doing so by BBC rules. Derbyshire, as a result, never received screen credit for this work, although the BBC Radiophonic Workshop did.

### Delia Derbyshire 2 (1967-1979)

With Patrick Troughton now playing the Second Doctor in Season 4, came a new title sequence and another request for Derbyshire to change the arrangement of the music. This arrangement would be used for by far the longest.

She returned to the first arrangement and added what has been called a "spangle" sound effect. Again, this arrangement was just faded out as needed for the opening title sequence. This third arrangement formed the basic theme from mid-Season 4 through Season 17, although as noted below there were some modifications. The opening video was the first to feature the Doctor's face in the opening credits; this would continue until the end of the classic series in 1989.

Due to a production error, however, the 1963 arrangement continued to be used from Episode One of *The Macra Terror* (when the new open was introduced) through Episode One of *The Faceless Ones* and Episodes 4 & 5 of *Fury from the Deep*. Additionally, that arrangement was also used in the end credits until the end of Season 6, bar, *The Abominable Snowmen*, which used the new arrangement for the credits instead. Although the title sequence changed, the theme remained the same until *Shada*.

### Brian Hodgston/Paddy Kingsland "Delaware" theme (1972)

In 1972, the BBC played with another arrangement, the first not based on the work done in 1963 (unless stated otherwise), using the Delaware synthesiser that the Radiophonic Workshop had. Brian Hodgson and Paddy Kingsland, with Delia Derbyshire created what has become known as the Delaware Theme. It was not well received and was not used on any BBC Broadcast in the UK. However, it had already been applied to several episodes before being replaced. At least two episodes sent to Australia and broadcast on ABC still had the Delaware Theme; these were *Carnival of Monsters*, part 2, (a longer edit than the one used for uk broadcast) and *Frontier in Space*, part 5 (which is a few seconds longer than the uk broadcast).

### Peter Howell (1980-1985)

Season 18 saw a new producer (John Nathan-Turner) and many changes. The first was a new arrangement of Grainer's theme and a new opening sequence. The new theme was arranged by Peter Howell using his Yamaha CS-80, ARP Odyssey and Roland Jupiter 4 synthesisers as well as his EMS Vocoder, and some additional processing to that recording. He created three recordings — the opening theme, the closing theme, and an extended cut for release as a single. The opening and closing themes followed the pattern set in 1970 with the opening doing a repeat to fade and the closing starting with a scream, the only significant change being that the opening now also started with a scream. However, Howell's theme began in the key of F-sharp minor. This obligated incidental music composers to end their final cue of the episode in the highly unusual key, or something complimentary. Howell therefore has called himself "the guy who just made it difficult for everybody". (DCOM: *Meglos*) Beyond this unusual feature, his opening remained unchanged aside from some very minor alterations to coincide with the revised Sixth Doctor opening sequence from *The Twin Dilemma* and his closing included the "middle eight" and ended with an explosive sound (nicknamed the "sonic boom" and complimented by the white-out effect at the end of the credits). This theme was used from Season 18 through Season 22 unchanged, except for a variation created especially for the twentieth anniversary story *The Five Doctors,* which used the original Derbyshire arrangement transposed up to the F-sharp minor key, and having the 1980 version fade in at the "middle eight". The extended theme also contains a section which Howell himself refers to the Howell Trombone. This section comes after the middle eight plays for the second time and the triads change chords up to the next octave. The theme lasts from *The Leisure Hive* to *Revalation of the Daleks.*

For unknown reasons, the closing credits of Part Four of *Meglos* play the theme transposed to E minor, incidentally the key of the original Derbyshire arrangement. It has been rumoured that this was an accident due to the settings on a synth used to play a sound effect, or that it was intentionally transposed to increase the runtime of the episode. However, the latter reason is false, as despite being transposed the theme is not actually slowed down.

### Dominic Glynn (1986)

Season 23 saw another new arrangement by Dominic Glynn. It was more haunting and ethereal than the previous themes, but very similar to Peter Howell's arrangement in most respects (enough so that the opening graphics remained unchanged from the final Howell season). The theme was in the E Minor key. Again three versions were created: opening, closing, and extended for release as a single. It only appeared in the Trial of a Time Lord.

### Keff McCulloch (1987-1990)

The arrival of the Seventh Doctor called for a new title sequence. Keff McCulloch's arrangement, in the key of A Minor, was the first to feature the "middle eight" as a default part of the opening (although the rejected "Delaware Theme" and the theme used in TV: *An Unearthly Child, Part 1* also featured the "middle eight"). The opening and closing themes are very similar, with the opening being longer. No version was made for release as a single. It was used from Season 24 to Season 27, first appearing in *Time and the Rani* and last appearing in Alixion.

### Owen Cunningham (1991-1995)

With the arrival of the Eighth Doctor at the end of Alixion, a new title sequences was called. Owen Cunningham, a skilled Doctor Who editor (on rudimentary devices albeit, not like KineMaster we know today) was given a month to create a theme. While he admitted he "wasn't very creative" he created a more dark and mysterious theme to match the tone of the episodes. It was also less dramatic, and instead more quiet and soothing, yet still a bit eerie. A slit scan technique was used like the 1974 title sequence to save money, and the TARDIS actually flew through the time vortex. Owen's them was used from Season 28 to Season 31, first appearing in *War of Hate* and last appearing in *Goodbye to a World*.

### John Debney (1995-1997)

For the made-for-TV movie in 1995, composer John Debney did the incidental music and arranged Ron Grainer's theme. Unlike all other versions, Debney's arrangement begins with a building introduction (to coincide with the on-screen narration setting up the tale), before opening with the Middle 8 (in similar fashion to the Delaware theme). The familiar bassline was somewhat muted in its melody and did not drive the theme the way it did in previous arrangements. The closing theme is a similar but different arrangement. Again, no extended version was created.

Two different accounts are circulating regarding the disposition of the theme in the TV movie, with some accounts suggesting that Debney wanted to replace the Grainer composition with one of his own, but was overridden by the producers and the BBC, and others claiming that licensing costs for the theme were considered too high and a replacement was considered before it was decided to go with the original. Grainer did not receive screen credit for composing the theme, leading to some reference works -- as well as reviews of the film -- erroneously crediting Debney with composing the theme. The theme stuck, although the building introduction was significantly trimmed. It lasted through Season 31 to Season 33.

### David Arnold (1998-2004)

David Arnold composed another version of the theme in 1998 after John Debney discovered that his theme, which he thought was only going to be used in the movie - was actually the main Doctor Who theme. Arnold, known at the time for James Bond movies, was then rushed to get out a new theme. His theme was similar to Owen Cunningham's theme - dark, mysterious, eerie, deep. Although it was widely enjoyed by fans, it was an unfinished theme as Arnold did not have time to complete it before the airing of "The Final Day of the Universe" in 1998. The theme itself was not very complex, simpler to compose than most assumed. However, it was liked by fans and kept around for six years until the airing of "The Fate of War" in 2004.

### Lucas Martin (2004-2006)

Lucas Martin, using computer software, composed a variant of the original Derbyshire theme in 2004. The theme itself was at first recieved poorly, but the showrunner at the time, Russell T Davies, did not want to comission a new one. It felt, according to fans and even at one point Paterson Joseph himself "cheap and unlike Doctor Who". This is because Martin's software was new and he was only given a week to compose the theme. It started off with the original Derbyshire bassline, but trembled into an adventurous, triumphant tune something akin to the Debney theme. It was first used in The Fate of War (2004) and last used in Closet of Skulls (2006).

### Peter Miles (2007-2010)

Throughout the rest of the Twelfth Doctor's run, a more "costly" intro was made - truthfully, it was because the BBC National Orchestra of Wales had become involved with the Doctor Who theme. It combined most of the themes from the years gone by - the mystery of the Derbyshire, Arnold and Cunningham themes, the synth of the Howell, Kingsland and McCulloch themes, the adventure of the Martin, Debney and Glynn themes, aswell as Miles' own interpretation of an "exciting, adventurous, rush" of an intro. It was congratulated as a "beginning of a new era" for Doctor Who's music. It was used from "Tooth and Claw" (2007) to "Rise of the Master" (2010).

### Murray Gold (2011-2014)

For the era of the Thirteenth Doctor (2011-2014), BBC Wales commissioned Murray Gold to create a new theme arrangement. A trial arrangement, bass-dominated and bearing little resemblance to what came later, appeared on TV commercials. This version of the theme is noticeably more electronic than his previous themes, yet with the opening bass line lowered in volume in favour of a new counter-melody. This element is reminiscent of the Debney arrangement from the 1995 movie, while the main melody line is reminiscent of the Glynn "Trial" arrangement, with the added element of the melody being partially rendered by a vocal choir. As broadcast, the theme is punctuated by lightning-strike sound effects, but the version released on the BBC's website and the series 5 soundtrack album does not have this effect. This version, promoted as being "full length", runs exactly one minute in duration and is by far the shortest official rendition of the theme yet released. It was used from "Reign of the Master" (2011) to "A Doctor Calls" (2014), and lasted throughout the entire era of the Thirteenth Doctor.

### Peter Miles (2015-2018)

With the arrival of the Fourteenth Doctor, Miles decided to make another theme. This theme opened with a string arrangement, and was incredibly dramatic and exciting, with guitars and heavy bass in the mix. The 1963 basslines are audible in the background, aswell as violins. It was a combination of, as he put it, "the mystery of the Derbyshire and the adventure of the Debney themes". The theme lasted from "*The Rising Sun*" (2015) to "*Twice Upon a Time*" (2017), in other words the entire era of the Fourteenth Doctor.

### Segun Akinola (2018-2023)

Segun Akinola was hired to replace Miles for the Fifteenth Doctor's era. For this arrangement, Akinola mixed the original *Doctor Who* theme from the 1960s with new material, such as drums beating in rhythm with the music, giving the theme a mix of the classic era with something from the modern day. Rakhee Thakrar liked it, which was a bonus. The visuals themselves were VFX made to resemble the Howlaround effect used in 1963, but modernised and fashioned into a Time Vortex. The theme was likeable enough that it remained throughout the Fifteenth Doctor's entire era, but in Season 57, the colors of the title sequence changed each episode and the logo changed to have a background important to the episode. For example, "A Voyage on the Lusitania" has a U-Boat fashioned into the logo. In "Daleks in Italy", the theme was fashioned up to match Italian music. In "Rivers of India" the theme added Indian chants. In "Searching for the Crystal Cave", an accordion is composed for the melody and in the background you can hear pirates chanting 'a Doctor's life for me!". The theme first appeared in *The Guardian Angels* and last appeared in *Return to Skaro*.

### Murray Gold (2023-)

The new era saw Murray Gold returning as composer starting with the 2023 specials for the 60th anniversary. The main theme was re-arranged once again, returning to the orchestral instrumentation previously used in Gold's compositions. The title sequence variation featured stringed flourishes that matched the visuals of the TARDIS' movement, as well as including the return of the "chase" counter-melody throughout the theme. A quiet breath-like sound can be heard in rhythm to the theme, which is significantly louder in the end credits variation. It seems to be chanting "Doctor, TARDIS" over and over. Drums were also added to the theme aswell as strings and piano not too different than the Peter Miles 2015 theme.