Image Credits: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. Videos from YouTube. Screenshot taken by me, Allison Symes. One image directly from Pixabay.
In my recent post about Books, Movies, and Music, which was a joy to write, I focused on the link between classical music and films/stories on which the movies are based. For this post, I thought I’d take a look at those stories which have inspired wonderful TV series, with superb themes bringing them to life musically.
The TV Crime Wave
For me the actors, David Suchet and Joan Hickson brought Agatha Christie’s stars, Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple, to life so well I find it hard to envisage anyone else in those roles. I know in the case of Miss Marple, there have been further adaptations but I couldn’t bring myself to watch them, simply because Joan Hickson performed the role so well.
I believe Agatha Christie did tell Joan Hickson she saw her as playing Miss Marple at some point. I like to think the great crime Dame would have been pleased with the TV adaptations and the theme tunes that accompanied them.
The Poirot one works especially well. It, for me, conjures up the era, Art Deco, and the characters. The theme is an elegant one which benefits the renowned fictional Belgian.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRo7tMnM60I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knll8abXcbI&list=PLr0MsaDpKsY-dTlsrAiSTm1W7Ckn-6dVd
And then if we move to Oxford, we have the wonderful Inspector Morse books by Colin Dexter, who famously had a cameo role in the TV version of his works. The theme here is often played on Classic FM and is just brilliant. There is also a lovely guitar version of it. Worth listening out for.
Again I feel it sums up the nature of the character (and I think it hints at tragedy which is borne out by last episode, The Remorseful Day). I still find it ironic the much missed John Thaw played two iconic police characters – Jack Regan (The Sweeney) and Endeavour Morse who, if they were in the flesh, would have hated each other. Hard to imagine more polar opposites in terms of attitudes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u20sVtCxf_8
Science Fiction
Sometimes it is the case a renowned TV series encourages the writing of books to go with it. This is the case for Doctor Who. There are many novels available based on various of the stars who played the Doctor over the years. We have many of them!
As for the TV series, the theme tune is a stand out one and I admire the Radiophonic Workshop and Delia Derbyshire for her work here. She was ahead of her time. There’s something appropriate for that for this show. Two versions of the theme tune below – one is the 1963 original and the other is the Murray Gold reworking from 2005-2007.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75V4ClJZME4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CYDgezeQas
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
The books by Douglas Adam were first adapted for radio (and are still recognised as one of the best BBC radio adaptations) and later for TV. There is a nice nod to these books in an episode of Doctor Who where the Doctor, played by David Tennant, refers to Arthur Dent as a nice man, having first referred to himself as being very Arthur Dent given in The Christmas Invasion 2005 special the Doctor saves the world in his pyjamas.
There is another nice link here given Douglas Adams was a scriptwriter for Doctor Who. But again I would hope that having listened to the radio show/watched the TV version/did both, many would have gone on to check the books out (assuming they hadn’t done so first).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cMRNup4BWg
Sagas
Now I must admit these are not my cup of TV tea but my mother was glued to Poldark back in the 1970s. Would she have watched the remake? Yes. She also had some of the original books by Winston Graham. I suppose the way a saga is written – there have to be cliffhangers – helps with adaptations. You know where each episode will end with enough of a hook to get people tuning in again. For the books, it would have meant keeping them reading on chapter after chapter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biUK5yNjvBI
A Famous Bear
I watched the original series of Paddington before the BBC news in the 1970s. I also read the books by Michael Bond. Other members of my family are huge fans of the recent films too. Plus there is that wonderful clip with the late Queen. Lovely stories. Lovely TV series and I suspect a lot of the fans of the films also recall that series. Sometimes nostalgia helps sells books!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZfxvqhCGBY
The Wombles
I also watched The Wombles before that BBC news! Based on the original books by Elizabeth Beresford, the TV animations were a huge hit and even now I can hum the theme tune! This was brought back to mind recently because there is a fabulous picture showing the London Overground sign directly above a London Underground one. That is my cue to start humming “Overground, Underground, Wombling Free, the Wombles of Wimbledon” etc etc!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNvMa9aNhn8
The Famous Five
I recall Southern TV produced an adaptation of this not long before they lost their right to broadcast and those rights went over to TVS. The books were re-released with pictures of the actors in this adaptation on them (and they included Timmy the dog). I don’t recall if all of the books were filmed. I have the feeling the loss of the right to broadcast scuppered this as well as poor old Southern TV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3zjoN6-ddQ
Thomas The Tank Engine
The lovely books by the Reverend W. Awdry inspired the renowned TV series. Ringo Starr was narrator for many of the shows. I do wonder how many youngsters started by reading the books and went on to the TV series. Equally how many loved the TV series and then wanted to read the books. A great series will inspire wanting to find out more and how better to do that than by going back to the original book material? I know here the books (especially the collected sets) made great Christmas presents.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v6W5LS_CTA
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
One of the best BBC series, I think, was the 1970s adaptation of John Le Carre’s novel, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, starring Sir Alec Guinness in the lead role of George Smiley, Hywel Bennett, George Sewell, and many others. The music for the series was brilliant too especially Nunc Dimittis composed for the show. It is, again, often played on Classic FM (especially at their “calm classics spot” after 7 pm Sunday to Thursday) and is a moving piece. As for the story, it was gripping.
Confession time: I’ve not read the book but for the TV series to be this good, the original source material has to be too. I wonder what the TV series did for Le Carre’s sales. I did watch the update with Gary Oldman and it was fine but there is nothing to beat the 1970s series. Even the follow up Smiley’s People pales in comparison with this one. But again a wonderful series all thanks to a book. The YouTube clip below combines the opening and closing theme music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35neN-cHkok
Conclusion
TV (and indeed film) can bring books and stories to life for so many. What I want to see in such things is that the adaptations are faithful to the original books. I would hope the TV series do encourage people to go back to the books (and yes it can work the other way around where the books would drive people to see the TV version. I often do this. I want to see how good or otherwise a job has been done of the adaptation!).
I see good adaptations as alternative ways of people taking in the stories and if they go on to read the original books, even better.
Do you have favourite books which were adapted well for TV? Did they have good theme tunes? Do share any thoughts in the comments box and I hope you’ve enjoyed a book and music related trip down Memory Lane!
Related Posts:-
Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.
Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.
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