February 26, 2026
The series composer shares all on the sofa in the latest episode of The Whoniverse Show…
When Doctor Who first returned in 2005, one of the ways in which ‘New Who’ distinguished itself from the series’ Classic era was its bombastic orchestral score. Composed by Murray Gold, the soundtracks of Series 1-10 and beyond have defined the series for many fans over the last two decades. However, there was once a possibility where things could have sounded much different.
Appearing as a guest in February’s episode of The Whoniverse Show, Murray Gold speaks to Christel Dee and Tyrell Charles about his appointment to the role of the show’s composer, and reveals some lore about what his original vision of the show’s iconic theme song would have sounded like…
“Initially I just did a straight-up remake of Delia Derbyshire’s version”, explains Gold, tipping his hat to the theme song’s original composer. “I was at a screening with Russell and played it to him… and he said ‘It’s a bit like the original’, and I was like ‘Yeah! That’s good right?’
“They definitely wanted something that was galloping along a bit more – something that when you got to the end of Rose, it would take you bouncing up from what had just finished, into the next episode.”
Elevating the theme song to meet this expectation required more of everything in Gold’s original composition – including more instruments, and an elaborate triplet rhythm modified from the original.
“It felt like I was committing a grotesque act of vandalism, like scribbling on somebody’s wall without permission,” jokes Gold. “But that was kind of what they wanted – more maximalist, less spooky, and to hit you over the head with more musical impact.”
What inevitably followed was over a decade of Murray Gold’s music becoming the signature companion to all the Doctor’s adventures, with his recurring themes and motifs informing the plot almost as much as the script. But how easy was it to slip back into the TARDIS jukebox when Gold returned to the series in 2023?
“I just carried on as if there hadn’t been a five-year gap, sort of picked up from where I was – which actually proved to be more difficult than I thought it would be!” admits Gold. “What [composing for Doctor Who] does require is some stamina; but I wanted to just go again and do it better.”
