ABSTRACT
The music of Doctor Who (1963–1989, 1996, 2005–present) has long been a source of fascination and interest for audiences. In 1964, Delia Derbyshire’s extra ordinary realization of Ron Grainer’s main theme for Doctor Who prompted an episode of Information Please to discover how electronic music was made at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Years later, Peter Howell’s synthesized reworking of Grainer’s theme in 1980 resulted in other factual programs visiting the Workshop to reveal its secrets. Meanwhile, tie-in LP and cassette releases ensured that the music (and sound effects) of Doctor Who could readily be heard in isolation from the program. Murray Gold’s music for the revitalized Doctor Who, from 2005 onwards, has maintained that tradition, with successful CD releases on the Silva Screen label. Awareness of Doctor Who’s music was taken a remarkable stage further when, on July 27, 2008, Gold’s music was featured in a Doctor Who-themed concert as part of the annual BBC Proms season at the Royal Albert Hall. Yet the use of music in the new Doctor Who has not been without its critics and has even been deemed worthy of (mild) satire in the mainstream topical comedy sketch show Dead Ringers (2002–2007). Criticisms of Gold’s music have tended to relate to the perception of excess, whether that is the music’s perceived excessive loudness (the target in the Dead Ringers sketch), or tendency to over-emphasize dramatic and emotional scenes, or its use of recurring musical themes. For better or worse, audiences are aware of the music in Doctor Who.
