Doctor Who: The Theme

The Definitive Guide to the Doctor Who Theme Music

Welcome to the definitive guide to the original theme music for long-running BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, composed in 1963 by Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Authors

All content on this site was authored by Danny Stewart, Ian Stewart, and Josef Kenny, unless otherwise noted. The site is maintained by Danny Stewart.

Sources

The majority of the information presented here is taken from independent study and analysis of the original themes, carried out predominantly by Danny Stewart, Ian Stewart, and Josef Kenny.

Some information comes from independent interviews carried out between 2006 and the present.

In addition, the following published sources were used for reference:

  1. Niebur, Louis. Special Sound: The Creation and Legacy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. New York: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.

  2. White, Ray. "BBC Radiophonic Workshop." BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society, 2004. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.

Software

The synthesised audio demos on this site were produced using u-he Zebra in Logic Pro.

CORRECTIONS

Thanks to Francis Loch for pointing out a misplaced note in the second layer notation of the bassline.

If you notice anything that appears to be in error, please contact us.

Thanks

Thanks to Dominic Glynn for his unwavering support, assistance, and encouragement with all of our work on the theme for almost two decades, not to mention his steadfast friendship and just being a thoroughly great person.

Thanks to Dick Mills for his assistance and support with our efforts both on this site and in study of the theme.

Thanks to Segun Akinola for taking time out of his busy schedule to grant us an interview, and for his exceptional contribution to the theme.

Additional thanks to Chris Adams of HardWire Productions, and Alexis Glass for his phenomenal work on Whomix.

Finally, our biggest thanks go to Delia Derbyshire, Dick Mills, Brian Hodgson, Paddy Kingsland, Peter Howell, Dominic Glynn, Keff McCulloch, Segun Akinola, and all those responsible for creating the very legacy that we are able to celebrate here. Without you, our lives would not be the same.

Site content © 2009-2023 Danny Stewart, Ian Stewart, and Josef Kenny. Doctor Who and its theme © BBC and BMG. This site is unofficial and not associated with the BBC or Doctor Who. No infringement intended.