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My delving into TV scores knows few borders and this time I have found myself in the U.K. television realm.
In 1996 a British TV movie called "Bodyguards" was released, starring Sean Pertwee, Louise Lombard, and John Shrapnel.
The series only lasted seven episodes. Despite the qaulity work, for some reason the breif series wasn't released on DVD.
It's good stuff, so I'd suggest watching it as opposed to just skipping to the time stamps I included.
Unfortunately, there was no release of the music and I also have not spoted any promotional CD's. Towns has a website, but there are no clips. Lunn doesn't have a website and his representation doesn't appear to have any samples on his page of anything whatsoever.
"Bodyguards" (pilot film; Colin Towns)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sji_pNwpCCw (new link as of March 25, 2018)
Highlights include:
Right from the opening with the solo violin that eventually leads to a chugging tense string work with various strings and playing methods. It gets interspersed with some piano aroudn the end.
12:32 in: the slower version of the theme music with strings and lower octive piano.
24:02 in: the violin and cello moody string work that leads tp some solo piano with cello piccato.
33:01 in: the swirling and paced frantic strings during a multiple car chase scene.
42:20 in: The moody violin and cello work that opens the cue, followed by some nice marcato cello with cello piccato and low octive piano that builds and then the tense releases for some more string and piano work that kind of vagule reminded me of Herrmann's "Psycho" work for a few seconds. The cue continues with more string playing techniques and some brass which ends the cue.
And at about 49: 35 in: the moody cello strings that close out the episode.
After an explossive goes off ahead of time, "Hum, British made -- clocked off early."
It's a excellent moody and dramatic effort with little in the way of instruments -- I think at best I counted: violins, cellos, a piano, a flute and maybe one or two brass instruments. Even the shorter cues are moody and professional. There are no stingers, that is to say, but there are some breif ten seconds or so cues here and there.
Colin Towns is a name I've encountered before with quality scoring. I've seen people mention his unreleased film score to "Rawhead Rex", but I didn't care for it.
My guess is this was meant as nothing more than a one-shot TV movie but that it garnered such attention that more were ordered. And less than a month later more came out and at steady release dates.
"A Choice of Evils" (John Lunn)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwmSo-4iESI (new link as of March 25, 2018)
John Lunn went on to score all the episodes from here on in, so I won't bother putting his name beside each episode title in the future.
Unfortunately Colin Towns moody theme music was not retained. The new theme music isn't worth bringing up.
Highlights:
The, for lack of a better word, meloncholly work of what sounds like two pianos, and some lights violin strings that open the episode. There's another faster version with only strings and piano around 23:30.
6:50 in: the snare drum, piano tinklings and brass work with some timapni as a dignatary is driven.
10:45 in: the low octive piano rumblings and a solo violin playing a flat lagato as Pertwee character, Ian, is getting a disturbing phone call. There's mroe at about 15:15 in.
17:29 in: the piano work interspaced with some low-octive staccato cello, joined by a solo violin.
29:02: the reserved drama implied by strings with a timpani and staccato cello (or cello bass) playing in unison.
31:05 in: the tense strings and militaristic snare drum with some timapni driving the action on screen.
36:07 in: the tension and building drama on screen is highlighted by more familiar orchestration with staccato cello, snare drum, strings and piano. It's a long theatrical-sounding cue that goes on for several minutes.
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Well, fuck -- could this be moved to General Discussion please?
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"Out of the Mouth of Babes"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5doPdJgqWNE (new link as of March 26, 2018)
Highlights:
Right at the very beginning the repeated solo piano notes, kind of like Philip Glass on speed, with cello underneath.
36:30 in: a softer more hopeful sounding version, I guess I could say.
There are a number of similar cues, so I don't need to give a bunch of times. There's also a long subdued action piece for the climax around the end, but it's kind of here and there, if you know what I mean.
"Know Thine Enemy"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfFjgRW4IUQ (new link as of March 26, 2018)
Highlights:
7:18 in: a steady repeating snare drum pattern, some detache cello and a French horn playing a theme over it as a Presidential candidate is beign transported. It picks up some stream, then settles down over it's three plus minute run.
14:04 in: a more aggressive version of the above cue, but in the middle there's some light ominous string work with a touch of woodwinds, then the snare comes back as there is some breif drama.
18:50 in: there's a slower more pensive version with some lower octive piano and more strings. It's only a little over a minute long, but still good.
About 30:45 in: some tension-filled music for a scene of things to come, with strings and I think a piano on the lower end.
36:29 in: short but sweet, with mroe snare, low cello and strings playing over for some more tension. There's more at 37:48 in.
There's not a bad cue in the whole score really. Good work by Lunn.
"Target"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3iI7zKAPbI (new link as of March 26, 2018)
Highlights:
3:00 in: the montage cue with strings. About half way into the full length of the cue is plesant melodic piano work. There's some more of that piano work, a little faster, about 5:35 in.
29:00 in: the breif though nervous feeling from strings.
39:30 in: a repeating piano motif underlines some string work.
41:27 in: the cue opens with some more string work but then descends into action material in: repeating lower octive piano notes, some breif brass punches (something akin to what Goldsmith would do).
43:35 in: a nice surprise with a long climax scene not being scored balls-to-the-wall or with constant dramatic hits or even any percussion, but rather tense and paced strings: violins and cello, differnet playing techniques (maybe some viola -- I'm not sure).
Just absolute real quality work from Lunn. My only complaint is the editing in the film, which often cuts cues off before a proper fade out or end. Sloppy work in the film editing department.
My next review post will finish off the series.
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"Stand Off"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN3PhB8XPbc (new link as of March 25, 2018)
Highlights:
5:41 in: the low cello bass thundering underneath the snare drum pattern with a repeating piano figure playing as well. There's more at 8:28 in.
17:48 in: the above elements are faster now with some detache cello bass and trembling violins.
About 21:30 in: this time the snare and cello detache are faster, with the violins.
And finally at 41:10 all the orchestration and compositional elements slowly come back in and unfold to a dramatic turn of events for the end of the episode.
Truly the mark of a talented composer who can take so little, but do so much with it just by changing things here and there.
"The Killing Ground" (series finale)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUFyzYuaXF0 (new link as of March 25, 2018)
Highlights:
8:25 in: peaceful piano notes underlining strings, later on with some timapni and marcato string chords.
11:32 in: some drama and suspence with string chords and plucked string, lower octive piano playing about and surprisingly a kick drum used sparingly.
19:21 in: faster snare drum hits with piano strings in the lower octives being played for a dark tone, and some timpani hits.
31:35 in: edgy marcato detache strings snare drum and timpani.
About 38:50 in: pronounced piano hits and dissodent chords for a stand off with terrorists.
Considering worlds events now and the finale episode of the series, I can easily see a series like this coming back, not a reboot, but the characters coming back for more new episodes. Well, at least to me it sounds like a good idea. Seven episodes was certainly not enough.
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