Eastenders Title Screen

[quote="fanoftv"]

Are they still using those titles? Blimey now they must be looking dated by now! I agree the orchestrated Emmerdale tune does work well - I usually just see the end bit as the camera sweeps over the trees, it reminds me of a series called "Shillingbury Tales" that was on in the very early 80's, I think I have one on video somewhere...

The current theme was recorded beofre the early 1990s. The original version is definatly different somehow to the current one, but I can tell you the current version of the theme tune was in use by the late 70s.

Those black and white clips are to depict different emotions.

Emmerdale themes:

The original theme with the piano and clarinet (my favourite version of the theme), was used from the first episode in 1972 (where an extended version of the theme was heard on the opening titles) to 1992, but was brought back for the end credits of the plane crash episodes at the end of 1993.

The first re-working of the Emmerdale theme came in 1992, a synthesised version, used until 1998, when the current orchestra version (the worst version of the theme IMO) was introduced, along with the very-similar-to-EastEnders logo.

Does anyone remember just before Crossroads got taken off in 1988, they changed the theme tune to a haunting piano piece? It's my all time favourite soap theme.

That would be the 'Crossroads Kings Oak' theme. Not bad, but it was a complete departure from the original, and just wasn't Crossroads.


Why? TV channels in this country allready have a culture of rebranding for the sake of it, I don't want to see it spread to the programmes too.

They allready tried updating Eastenders with the new theme tune, and that was a complete flop and led to another slight reworking of the original (the 3rd in all; there was a slight reworking in the early 90's before the jazzy theme, where the bells weren't so prominent).

The title sequence as it is now is iconic, i'm all up for wheeling out a new version of it every now and then, by replacing it altogether? Replacing the series logo? Why?

Just because something has been in use for a long time (or in this case, the concept has been in use for a long time), that in itself is no reason to replace it.

It's these kids, they want everything changed every five minutes. Changing the titles/logo would be entirely pointless. It would upset (for whatever reason) more people than it would please.

I'm pretty sure that the current recording, as opposed to arrangement which may well have been in use since the 1970s, was done in the 1990s. The quality of the recording is certainly of a higher standard than would be expected of a late 1970s theme.

There's every chance that the theme tune has had some mixing & computer enhancements done to it over time, but it's almost certinally the same recording used since the 1970s. You could tell if it had bene a different recording, there are subtle differences- the 1960 theme doesn't sound too unlike the current one but if you listen closely......

It's the third complete rearrangement of Emmerdale. First, the Tony Hatch version with piano and clarinet, then the early 1990s synthesised version, and then a completely rearranged version for 1998 - there was an arrangement credit for a while after it was introduced. The 1998 version is also completely different in the middle than in the original theme if you listen to the long version used for a while after it was introduced.

The Crossroads Kings Oak theme was introduced in late 87/early 88, after the show's axe was announced. Composed by Max Early and Raf Ravenscroft, and performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Aaaaghhh, its my fault I think as I mentioned half a dozen soaps all in one posting, but when people answer questions please put in the prog you are refering too... Especially as Tony Hatch originally did Emmerdale, Crossroads and Neighbours!!!!

I personally quite liked the Albion Market and Eldorado themes....

Might I suggest that the title of this thread be changed? At present it implies that the thread starter was informing the forum of an actual change of titles, rather than just his opinion that he thinks it should get a new look.

That's why I opened it, and I'd wager that since this thread has at the time of posting been opened 896 times in just over a day yet has only 22 replies, I'm not alone in thinking that.

If Asa is reading this, could we please see a change in forum rules to stop misleading thread titles like this?