Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK EIGHTEEN - TV and Radio
Following the success of our Advert Week (16) this week we are looking at music used in TV and radio programmes.
Monday July 13
Jonathan Creek was a British mystery crime drama series produced by the BBC and written by David Renwick. It starred Alan Davies as the title character, who works as a creative consultant to a stage magician while also solving seemingly supernatural mysteries through his talent for logical deduction and his understanding of illusions. (Wikipedia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WMR5x5Mr8U
Dance macabre is a tone poem for orchestra, written in 1874 by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. It has been used for many films and TV programmes including Jonathan Creek. For me one memorable use is as the music for one of the songs in Sesame Street, sung by The Count. An impersonation I used many times to amuse the family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kqz-6LqX7M
And here is the real thing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71fZhMXlGT4
Tuesday July 14
Just a Minute is a radio panel game in which the contestants are challenged to speak for one minute without hesitation, deviation or repetition on a given subject. It has been running since 1967.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05rf7sv
Minute Waltz (Chopin)
Although it has long been known as the 'Minute waltz', this nickname was intended to mean 'small' in the sense of a miniature waltz. It was an obvious choice for the intro music for Just a Minute. Chopin did not intend for this waltz to be played in 60 seconds. A typical performance of the work will last approximately two minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKILwVH_MdM
Wednesday July 15
This Week was a British weekly current affairs television programme that was first produced for ITV in January 1956, running until 1978, when it was replaced by TV Eye. In 1986, the earlier name was revived and This Week continued until Thames lost its franchise at the end of 1992.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JngBrG0CGvk
The Karelia Suite was written by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius in 1893.
Here is the Intermezzo which was used for the opening titles music of This Week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYoJ4fhMlC0
(the opening bars are very quiet)
Short background from ClassicFM
https://www.classicfm.com/composers/sibelius/music/jean-sibelius-karelia-suite/
Thursday July 16
May to December was a British sitcom which ran for 39 episodes, from 2 April 1989 to 27 May 1994 on BBC1. The series was created by Paul Mendelson, yet another past pupil of Harrow County Grammar School for Boys (Philip's and Bryan's school). The series was nominated for the BAFTA award for "Best Television Comedy Series" in 1991. It was set and filmed in Pinner, where Paul lives. The titles of all of the episodes are taken from songs, mostly from musicals. Paul is a great fan of musicals and has an extensive collection of recordings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnbdjwIck4A
(watch first few seconds of the first episode for a view of Pinner High Street)
September Song is an American standard popular song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Maxwell Anderson.
It is sung over the credits of the sitcom May to December.
I have chosen a recording by Andy Williams who was a favourite of mine in the distant past.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uWZ7RGRh5o
Friday July 17
The Onedin Line was a BBC television drama series, which ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was set in Liverpool and covered the rise of a fictional shipping company named after its owner James Onedin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F13CcJZbckw
(watch the first few seconds of the first episode as a reminder)
The Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia is the source of the music for The Onedin Line. It is part of the ballet Spartacus which was composed by Khachaturian in 1954. The key moment in Act II sees Spartacus managing to free his wife Phrygia, the lovers celebrating to this music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmWv9-a1RSk
Short background from ClassicFM
https://www.classicfm.com/composers/khachaturian/music/spartacus/
Weekend July 18/19
Going for a Song was an antiques quiz show broadcast by the BBC from 1965 to 1977. It was revived in the 1990s and was a forerunner of the Antiques Roadshow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaTTW6SjKa4
(watch the first few seconds of this episode as a reminder)
Gli Uccelli (The Birds) is a piece by Ottorino Respighi. The 'Going for a Song' theme comes from the Prelude. The piece continues with sections for the dove, hen, nightingale, and cuckoo. Thanks to Bryan for suggesting this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YJ55DWCc-s
Jonathan Creek was a British mystery crime drama series produced by the BBC and written by David Renwick. It starred Alan Davies as the title character, who works as a creative consultant to a stage magician while also solving seemingly supernatural mysteries through his talent for logical deduction and his understanding of illusions. (Wikipedia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WMR5x5Mr8U
Dance macabre is a tone poem for orchestra, written in 1874 by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. It has been used for many films and TV programmes including Jonathan Creek. For me one memorable use is as the music for one of the songs in Sesame Street, sung by The Count. An impersonation I used many times to amuse the family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kqz-6LqX7M
And here is the real thing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71fZhMXlGT4
Tuesday July 14
Just a Minute is a radio panel game in which the contestants are challenged to speak for one minute without hesitation, deviation or repetition on a given subject. It has been running since 1967.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05rf7sv
Minute Waltz (Chopin)
Although it has long been known as the 'Minute waltz', this nickname was intended to mean 'small' in the sense of a miniature waltz. It was an obvious choice for the intro music for Just a Minute. Chopin did not intend for this waltz to be played in 60 seconds. A typical performance of the work will last approximately two minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKILwVH_MdM
Wednesday July 15
This Week was a British weekly current affairs television programme that was first produced for ITV in January 1956, running until 1978, when it was replaced by TV Eye. In 1986, the earlier name was revived and This Week continued until Thames lost its franchise at the end of 1992.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JngBrG0CGvk
The Karelia Suite was written by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius in 1893.
Here is the Intermezzo which was used for the opening titles music of This Week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYoJ4fhMlC0
(the opening bars are very quiet)
Short background from ClassicFM
https://www.classicfm.com/composers/sibelius/music/jean-sibelius-karelia-suite/
Thursday July 16
May to December was a British sitcom which ran for 39 episodes, from 2 April 1989 to 27 May 1994 on BBC1. The series was created by Paul Mendelson, yet another past pupil of Harrow County Grammar School for Boys (Philip's and Bryan's school). The series was nominated for the BAFTA award for "Best Television Comedy Series" in 1991. It was set and filmed in Pinner, where Paul lives. The titles of all of the episodes are taken from songs, mostly from musicals. Paul is a great fan of musicals and has an extensive collection of recordings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnbdjwIck4A
(watch first few seconds of the first episode for a view of Pinner High Street)
September Song is an American standard popular song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Maxwell Anderson.
It is sung over the credits of the sitcom May to December.
I have chosen a recording by Andy Williams who was a favourite of mine in the distant past.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uWZ7RGRh5o
Friday July 17
The Onedin Line was a BBC television drama series, which ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was set in Liverpool and covered the rise of a fictional shipping company named after its owner James Onedin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F13CcJZbckw
(watch the first few seconds of the first episode as a reminder)
The Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia is the source of the music for The Onedin Line. It is part of the ballet Spartacus which was composed by Khachaturian in 1954. The key moment in Act II sees Spartacus managing to free his wife Phrygia, the lovers celebrating to this music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmWv9-a1RSk
Short background from ClassicFM
https://www.classicfm.com/composers/khachaturian/music/spartacus/
Weekend July 18/19
Going for a Song was an antiques quiz show broadcast by the BBC from 1965 to 1977. It was revived in the 1990s and was a forerunner of the Antiques Roadshow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaTTW6SjKa4
(watch the first few seconds of this episode as a reminder)
Gli Uccelli (The Birds) is a piece by Ottorino Respighi. The 'Going for a Song' theme comes from the Prelude. The piece continues with sections for the dove, hen, nightingale, and cuckoo. Thanks to Bryan for suggesting this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YJ55DWCc-s