A bumper 54 track digital album of vintage telly tune nostalgia featuring music from an era when British TV promised quality productions, star names and instantly recognisable themes. The collection spans over half-a-century of classic British TV themes - from the pirate accordion of Captain Pugwash through to Barrington Pheloung’s distinctive music for Lewis and covers all elements of the genre, from the deceptive strings of Fawlty Towers to the strident military march of Monty Python’s Liberty Bell to the sombre and chilling theme to the WWII documentary series World At War. Includes worldwide TV smashes Danger Man, The Avengers, The Saint, Man In A Suitcase, The Prisoner, Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased), UFO and The Persuaders, all TV classics still regularly appearing on the screen 40 years later...

Great British TV Themes is a bit of misleading title. Maybe 'Great British TV Themes Before 1990' might have been more apt. And I couldn't work out why 'Cadburys Milk Tray: The Night Rider', or are we including the themes to TV ads under the "Great British TV Themes" banner?

This album also seems to be a repackaged and slightly different edition to 2010's album of the same name. The only difference I could see was that this new edition has left off 'BBC's Planet Earth - Hoppípolla' and added 'Lewis' and some others I couldn't be bothered to double check (the original collection featured 50 tracks, while this new edition features 54).

This is a nostalgic trip down memory lane for anyone born before 1970. Anyone born between 1971 and 1980 will remember about a third of the themes, and anyone born after 1981 will probably not have a clue. Okay, to be fair there are arrangements of 'Lewis' and 'Big Brother UK TV Theme', but that's about your lot.

Long gone, it would seem, are the days when compilations like this would be churned out with a single orchestra (or, heaven forbid, a guy with a synthesiser) working from their own arrangement loosely based on the original. Sadly though there is no substitute for the original recordings, but I've yet to see a compilation of that sort. So, if you want a collection of your favourite TV themes then you have to make do with a compilation like this.

Thankfully this album collects together some pretty faithful arrangements by London Music Works, The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. And in some instances the versions here sound meatier than the original. For example The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra's version of 'Space 1999: First Series' is big and bold - when the orchestra kicks in - while remaining incredible faithful to the original.

Other highlights include faithful reproductions of 'Fawlty Towers'; 'The Good Life'; and 'Inspector Morse'.

There are arrangements that provide interesting takes on the originals. For example 'Tales of the Unexpected' is a little more jazzy with it's saxophone; while 'The Magic Roundabout' not only sounds nothing like the original, but it has also been designed to sound like it's playing on an old crackly, jumpy record.

But for every track that hits the right note, there are three that don't. 'Eastenders' doesn't quite work unless London Music Works were going for that 'Christmas Special' feel. Other tracks that don't really work include 'Only Fools and Horses' (which is almost, but not quite authentic enough); 'Minder - I Could Be So Good For You' (which only fails because the singer isn't even close to the warbling of Dennis Waterman); and 'Red Dwarf' (which is a pretty poor copy and goodness knows what they were thinking when they recorded the rather strange ending). Then there's tracks like 'The Professionals' which starts well but then goes a little funky (in a bad way) which just sounds silly.

Some tracks have been lengthened to incorporate new material while others (like 'Countdown' and 'Blockbusters') are as short as the originals.

It's a shame that it's so much hassle and expense to collect together the original recordings of these themes. Generally, and I include myself here, people don't want to hear inferior copycat recordings. There are a few gems hidden in this collection, but probably not enough for it to warrant you buying the entire collection. You're probably best advised to head over to iTunes, preview each track and just buy the ones you like the sound of.

5

Darren Rea