Torchwood: Why the theme tune used for Big Finish is the best
By James Aggas
The theme tune used for Big Finish’s many Torchwood audios isn’t just incredibly faithful to the original version. It might also be the best version of the theme tune.
When Big Finish first started making Torchwood audios back in 2015, they decided not to go with any version of the theme broadcast on TV. Instead, a brand new version was created by Blair Mowat. Not just the composer for Torchwood on audio, Mowat has also composed music for Class, both on TV and on audio.
We’ve had quite a few versions of the Torchwood theme tune. TV wise, the best one was the closing theme used for the first two series and Children of Earth. The theme used for the intro of series one and two was only ten seconds long and really only a taster of the closing theme.
Which was considerably more than the intro themes used for both Children of Earth and Miracle Day. These had hints of the original closing theme, but no more than that. In the latter series’ case, it didn’t even share the original closing theme like the former series did. Instead, a new and distinct version of the theme was used, one noticeably slower than the original. (Which kind of fits Miracle Day, thinking about it.)
A fresh take
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For Big Finish’s audio adventures, composer Blair Mowat went back to basics. Essentially, the new theme tune combined the tune used for the original intro of the TV series with the music used for the closing credits.
Of course, that’s putting it in very basic terms. The merging from two themes into one is seamless, and there are subtle deviations from the original theme that somehow enhance it. Later series tried too hard to reinvent the wheel, but Mowat’s theme sticks very close to what made the original theme so great. It’s fast and energetic, while still keeping things fresh.
If Torchwood ever returned to TV, it should use this version of the theme tune. Big Finish have used it for almost all of their Torchwood audios, regardless of era. (The one exception to this is The Victorian Age, which uses a brilliant variation that fits the Victorian period.) It’s a theme tune that suits Torchwood‘s past, present and future, and I hope Big Finish continue to use it for a long time to come.
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What is your favorite version of the Torchwood theme tune? Are you a fan of Blair Mowat’s theme used by Big Finish? Let us know in the comments below.
