New Theme: Thoughts?

[FlyingBeastie]

What are your thoughts on Tennant's new theme?

For me, it's a lot like McCoy's, in that it sounds a bit crap lol. I'm sorry but it's waaay too cluttered. It'd be fine if they just had one element or taken another one out- if you're gonna have the new beats n' modern guitar edge you can't keep the full orchestra. It's like they kept his last series' theme n' just tacked on the new guitar n' beats is what I'm getting at.

Besides, why have a new theme? If RTD's legacy will be anything, it'll be inconsistency- inconsistent companions, and inconsistent theme.

(Wow, what happened to me Xmas spirit? lol I'll just put a smiley at the end so the post won't be so bitchy)

[enzo1701]

Dunno if I like it yet. Need to hear it again... but I'm really not sure about the credit cutting at the end. Shortened theme tune and you had to use your pause/slow-motion button to actually read the credits. Hope that's not going to become normal.

[Master_Rose]

As above, got into the opening titles (reminded me a bit of that horrible Mcgann movie)
but the end titles whizzed by like a cheap US comedy show. I am concerned that ideas are running low and gimmicks like Kylie and jazzing up the theme tune are all thats left !

[Zbigniev Hamson]

That's usually a sign that a producer* should probably be thinking of moving on

(of course, JN-T started stuff like that in his first season...)

I was hoping they'd do a remix job of the Peter Howell version, and not just ANOTHER remix job of the original version. But there you go.


*in this context "producer" actually means "big, gay Welshman"

[FlyingBeastie]

Dunno if I like it yet. Need to hear it again... but I'm really not sure about the credit cutting at the end. Shortened theme tune and you had to use your pause/slow-motion button to actually read the credits. Hope that's not going to become normal.

Oh thank gawd, i thought it was just me that noticed.

[Pip Madeley]

Some might not be aware that it was actually 'jazzed up' in this manner for the 'Time Crash' special, but RTD and co decided it was too good to be used for such a short scene and promoted it to 'VOTD'. It's a one-off, apparently. Nothing to get your knickers in a twist about. I rather like the rocky theme, I must admit.

As for the speedy credits, I disliked them too, but I assumed that was because they were trying to fit as much material in as possible and had to make sacrifices elsewhere. Bit like episode three of The Christmas Gnomes (which about 6 people listened to by the look of it ) which also had shortened end credits.

[Lord President]

I would assume that the shortened credits were for time reasons, and hope that they will return to normal for the new series!

As for the new theme, it took me by surprise, and I haven't had a chance to listen again!

[enzo1701]

Hmm the shortened credits look like they're here to stay. SFX has a petition in this issue to stop it. Apparently this is something the BBC have requested from all their shows.

The changing of the feem choon though isn't the end of the world. I remember when Deep Space Nine changed its music and then became completely unmissable (new theme tune = addition of Worf and the Dominion War).

[Logo Polish]

I think the speed of the credits will most likely have been because there was a directive at the BBC in May that closing title sequences should only last 25 - 30 seconds on any of their programmes made after that date, so as to make channel hopping once the credits started less likely. This is the first Doctor Who episode that'll have been affected.

Edited to add: Indeed, Enzo got there before me.

[Lissa]

That makes perfect sense - 30 second credits which make you feel sick are much less likely to make a viewer switch off than 50 second credits which can be read. Modern viewers crave nausea. Focus groups said so.

[Pip Madeley]

Let's hope they're slowed down for the DVDs.

[SiHart]

The theme was a great rocky version, but it didn't work with the titles particularly well.

Si xx

[Larry]

jury is still out for me the opening theme tune/credits are ok but I don't like the end one they have lost that big orchestra epicness feel and the enlarged credits just seem a bit on the cheap and tacky side.

[Si Hunt]

Unneccesary. If there was going to be a one off theme for Christmas, why wasn't it an extra Christmassy version with bells on? I didn't object to it though.

Besides, why have a new theme? If RTD's legacy will be anything, it'll be inconsistency- inconsistent companions, and inconsistent theme.

I do find this comment bizarre though. What does "inconsistent companions" mean? The New Series companions have been more consistent in terms of long running character traits (Martha's unrequited feelings for the Doctor, Rose's development into someone who wants to stay with him forever rather than return home) And because they choose to have a special arrangement for the theme on a special episode does not make that "inconsistent" either! "Inconsistent" means unpredictably variable, it doesn't apply if they decide to change something once.

Si.

[SiHart]

Unneccesary. If there was going to be a one off theme for Christmas, why wasn't it an extra Christmassy version with bells on? I didn't object to it though.

Doctor Who Confidential did that! They had sleigh bells over the main theme, which made me smile.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

I was half-thinking that's what they were going to do with VOTD when I first noticed it was different. Never mind, maybe next year!

We can hardly call the old series titles consistent anyway, the Tom ones were tinted differently every week and what with the different versions of the theme used on every other Troughton story as well...

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

Not to mention the early Pertwee stories - one week it's the Troughton theme, then it's the stuttering start theme, then it's 'the one with the middle 8' theme...

[Dave Tudor]

It's not bad, and the little Howell-esque influences are nice, but it might take a bit of getting used to. They could do with turning the percussion down in the mix slightly, too.

[Dirk Gently]

Well I bloody liked it! So there!!

[Simon R]

I never liked the original "New series" version to start with.

It's ok but a bit bland and TV Movie esque for me. It should be more haunting. I liked the "VOTD" version but can't remember much about it now.

[Andrew Curnow]

At the risk of incurring another "the season 18 and 19 starfields are obviously different you fool" reply, what bits of the theme are Howell-y? Even the BBC site mentions it, but I didn't spot it/them.

[Dave Tudor]

As a musician, I should be able to describe which bit sounded most like Howell's version, but it would be easier if I could hum it to you.

Basically, it's the little flourish (wah-wah-wah-WAH-WAH-WAH-WAAAAH) just after the main melody, as the story title/writer appears.

That doesn't help, does it?

[Simon R]

They should add the "off at a tangent" middle 8 from the extended version of the Howell theme if anyone knows the bit I mean...it all sort of veers off and then it comes back again.

Breakitdown!

[Pip Madeley]

That's the worst bit of the Howell theme, I've always thought... it's synth-tastic and then it just goes terribly high and twee

[Dave Tudor]

Well at at least they didn't bring back the 'wolf-whistle' bit from the end of the theme.