EastEnders

You'll notice when they've gone stereo… the theme tune gets a remix for stereo and the first version is noticeably different. However they revised it so it sounded more similar to the original, before the 1993 version was introduced.

Well technically we've already heard that version of the theme tune on a handful of episodes in 1988-89, in fact a couple of those episodes were in stereo too (quite distractingly so too), possibly early experiments?

Must have been. I don't watch these repeats and AFAIK this news wasn't posted on here otherwise I would have checked at the time.

Edit: Actually it was posted about back in April but I guess I forgot all about that. I was more interested in when TOTP went stereo it seems

I do remember mentioning it at the time, but it might have been on the thread on Digitalspy rather than here.

Whether those episodes were actually broadcast in stereo at the time is of course something we don't know. Though if it was, it would only have been from the transmitters that were transmitting NICAM tests (probably only Crystal Palace at the time) and only heard by people who had NICAM equipment (virtually nobody). Would have been the same for the pre-September 88 stereo episodes of TOTP we've seen on BBC4.

Here's the first two stereo versions, although they are presented here in mono! The uploader has labelled these the wrong way round - 'Version 2' was used first and was replaced by 'Version 1'.

Going back, looks like I did mention it at the time.

Yes, sorry, I completely blanked it from my mind.

The fact that "Version 1" has a 1992 copyright date and "version 2" a 1991 copyright really should have been a clue to them of the order they should be in.

Today's second episode (18/7/91) had the remixed version of the theme tune, possible the point where they started using it regularly... for a few months anyway.

It won't be long now until we get to see the relatively short-lived jazzy theme tune from 1993.

I signed up to UKTV Play just to check this… well, it is the new version on the end credits, but not on the opening titles, and the whole episode was still in mono.


No matter, as I've just found this video with that particular end credits theme in proper stereo. Even the 'doof doofs' are in stereo going from right to left.

https://youtu.be/2VGfkdYTrmw?t=228

TV themes are an interesting one really. Except the short spell of the jazzy theme, the EastEnders theme tune has largely remained unchanged and if you played the 92-93 or even the original from launch, most people could identify it.

But take The Bill for example. The original version of Overkill wasn't very memorable. But the 88-late 90s remixed version with the extra keyboard elements is the one most people are likely to remember as the theme tune, if you were to play them both to the general public.

https://youtu.be/wc4Hqde7aDA

Then there's Grange Hill. Where 2 generations will recognise two completely different themes as being from same programme.

https://youtu.be/-SlvZF6k5bE

https://youtu.be/zwuJfJLtusg

Brookside is also an interesting one. The two episodes I was in during the late 90s had the more memorable musical arrangement. When my Gran dug out an old VHS cassette earlier this with the episodes from 1997 on it she said the music sounded weird and it wasn't how she remembered it. I would assume she recalled this version of the theme.

https://youtu.be/d_3GJzFlsgA