The BBC have announced today that Segun Akinola will be taking over from Murray Gold as the brand new composer for the new series of Doctor Who.
Ever since it was announced that Murray Gold was leaving Doctor Who as its composer, fans have been eager to hear who the new composer will be. Whoever they were, they had a high standard to live up to.
After all, Murray Gold had worked on every series since Doctor Who came back in 2005. That’s considerably longer than any lead actor or showrunner.
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And with good reason. His music was consistently brilliant and moving to listen to.
Well today, the BBC have finally announced who the new composer will be: Segan Akinola.
If you’ve never heard that name before, don’t worry, you’re not alone. While Akinola has worked on various series and short films, including Black and British: A Forgotten History and A Moving Image, Doctor Who arguably has a much bigger profile than anything else he’s worked on. As such, it’s difficult to know just how well he’ll be able to fill Murray Gold’s shoes.
Segan Akinola will be taking over as composer for the new Doctor Who series.
(Photo credit: BBC.
Image obtained from: BBC Press.)
A bold risk
I don’t want to sound skeptical, of course. I’m sure he’s been picked for a good reason, after all, and I’m curious to see how he’ll be. But it is surprising to know that a completely new talent was picked, instead of someone more familiar to the Doctor Who universe.
For example, Blair Mowat could have been a natural choice for taking over from Murray Gold. Not only has he previously worked on the Doctor Who spin-off series Class. He also works on a number of Big Finish audios, particularly Torchwood. Mowat has even composed his own theme variation for the audios.
So it’s very surprising that, rather than make a very natural decision to follow on from Murray Gold, the BBC have gone with a bold new choice. It’s a huge risk that everyone is taking. A lot of pressure will be on Akinola’s shoulders, after all.
A fresh sound
But perhaps that risk will pay off. Maybe the series could benefit more by having someone completely new to the series. Someone with a fresh ear could provide a brand new sound for the show, after all.
Either way, this particular announcement is another sign that it’s all change for this new era. The show is moving on from the first ten series in a big way. And the new production team clearly want to make their mark.
Will Segan Akinola live up to the brilliance of Murray Gold’s music? Like many of the choices taken this series, only time will tell.
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What do you think? Would you have preferred someone more experienced in the Doctor Who universe to have taken over from Murray Gold? Or are you excited that the BBC is taking such a huge risk? Could someone new to the series provide something fresh? Let us know in the comments below.