Radio Sounds Familiar

Ron Grainer (1922-1981) 

Australian born Ron Grainer (11 August 1922 – 21 February 1981) was a composer who worked for the majority of his professional career in the United Kingdom. He is mostly remembered for his film and television music.

He composed the catchy incidental music to the 1960’s series ‘Man in a Suitcase’ which which gathered cult fame again in the 1990s being adopted as the theme to the popular youth Channel 4 Television show  ‘TFI Friday’.

 Also celebrated  for the memorable theme to Anglia Television's long running series ‘Tales of  the Unexpected’

Television and Film Work

1958 House Of Carols
 
 (Rediffusion)

1958/63 SUNDAY BREAK (ABC)  
  'Johnny's Tune'. For other recordings see 'Some People' (Films / TV Movies).
1959 MOZART (Short)
 
1959 BEFORE THE SUN GOES DOWN (TV)  
  
 1959 The Men From Room Thirteen: The Man Who Sold Romances
 

1960 MAIGRET (BBC)

1960 The Net (BBC TV)
 
 Six-part series of dramatised documentaries about the activities of the Immigration Service. GB. BBC Midlands production.
    

1960 Play Of The Week: A Woman Of No Importance
 
(Rediffusion - Television adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play.)  

1960 Saturday Playhouse: On The Edge (BBC)

1961 TERMINUS (Short - 40 Mins)  
  
     1961 Comedy Playhouse: Lunch In The Park
 
 (Incidental music)  

1962 The Six Proud Walkers (BBC series) 
  
     1962  THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP (BBC Series - mini) 
  
   1962 SOME PEOPLE (Original Title: 'Johnny')  
 

1962 THE DOCK BRIEF 
 
 
   1962 A KIND OF LOVING  
 
 1962 LIVE NOW, PAY LATER  
  
     1962 STATION SIX SAHARA  
  

1962 The Titans: The U.S.A. (BBC) 
1962 Benny Hill: Portrait Of A Bridegroom  
  
   1962 Benny Hill: The Mystery Of The Black Bog Manor 
  
  1962 Late Summer Affair 
  
    1962 It's A Square World 
  
   1962 WE JOINED THE NAVY

1962 STEPTOE & SON (BBC)
 
    (Main Theme Tune)'Old Ned'  
  
     1962 Steptoe & Son - The Bird 

(Incidental music)
  
 1962 Steptoe & Son - The Diploma 

(Incidental music)
  
   1962 Steptoe & Son - The Holiday 

(Incidental music)
  
    1962 Steptoe & Son - The Piano

(Incidental music) 
  
   1962 FIVE O'CLOCK CLUB

1962 COMEDY PLAYHOUSE (BBC) 
  aka 'Happy Joe'

    1963  FANNY CRADDOCK 
 
 ' Buttered Crumpet'

1963 THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS (BBC Series)

(Theme sung by Millicent Martin)

         1963 DOCTOR WHO (BBC Series)

1963 GIANTS OF STEAM (BBC Series) 
  
 1963 MOUSE ON THE MOON (a.k.a. 'A Rocket From Fenwick') 
 
1963 THE KING'S BREAKFAST 
  

1963 THE LAUNCHING (documentary) 
  
 1963 SHOPPING DAY (documentary) 
  
 1963 Steptoe & Son - Full House

(Incidental music) 
  
    1963 Comedy Playhouse: Our Man In Moscow

(Incidental music)  
  
   1963 Comedy Playhouse: And Here, All The Way From …. 
 
 (Incidental music)  

1963 Comedy Playhouse: A Clerical Error (1963)
 
 (Incidental music)   

1963 Comedy Playhouse: The Handy Man (1963) 
 
 (Incidental music)   

1963 Comedy Playhouse: The Chars (1963) 
 
 (Incidental music)

1964 THE CARETAKER (US: The Guest)
 
 Effects scored by Ron Grainer  

1964  THE MOON SPINNERS  
 

1964 THE FINEST HOURS (TV Documentary)  
  

1964 NIGHT MUST FALL  
  
   1964 NOTHING BUT THE BEST  
     

1964 NOT SO MUCH A PROGRAMME, MORE A WAY OF LIFE 
      

1965 THE FLYING SWAN (BBC Series)

1965  THE LEGEND OF YOUNG DICK TURPIN (John. E. Clay)  
  
 1965 PROMISE HER ANYTHING  
       

1966 All GAS AND GAITERS (TV Series - pilot episode)  
 
 
     1967 A MAN IN A SUITCASE (ITC Series)
 

    1967 THE RELUCTANT ROMEO (TV) 
  
 
    1967 THE OLD CAMPAIGNER (TV series) 
  
 1967 PRISONER (ITC Series) 
 
 Prisoner Main Title Theme)
       

1967 DANGER ISLAND (Southern TV)

1967 ANDORRA (Stage / TV Play) 
    

1967 ALAIN CALMAT 
  
    1967 BOY MEETS GIRL - LUCINDA LUCINDA (TV)
 
 
1967 TO SIR WITH LOVE 
       

1967 Wednesday Play: Death Of A Private (BBC)
         

1968  DETECTIVE (BBC Series)
 
1968 ASSASSINATION BUREAU 
 
 1968  BEFORE WINTER COMES  
  
 1968  THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL? - MONEY FOR CHANGE (YTV) 
  
     1968 ONLY WHEN I LARF 
  
 1968 HOME-MADE CAR 
  ( A trade test colour film)

1968 THE JAZZ AGE (BBC Series) 
  
 1969 PAUL TEMPLE (BBC Series)
 
 1969 DESTINY OF A SPY 
  
 1969 THE GAUNT WOMEN  
  
     1969  LOCK UP YOUR DAUGHTERS  
  
     1969  PLAY OF THE MONTH: MAIGRET AT BAY (BBC) 
  
     1969 IN SEARCH OF GREGORY  
 

1970 FOR THE LOVE OF ADA (Thames Series)

1970 HOFFMAN
 
1970 IN SEARCH OF OREGO 
  
 1971 THEATRE MACABRE (NBC Series) 
  
1971 THE TROUBLE WITH YOU LILIAN 
 
1971 THE OMEGA MAN  
 
 1971 THIEF  
  
   1971  THE TRAIN NOW STANDING 
 
 ‘1972 AND NO ONE COULD SAVE HER  
  
   1972 MUTINY ON THE BUSES  
 
 1973 YELLOW DOG  
  

1973 THE FALCONS
 
 (Ministry of Information of the United Arab Emirate)  

1974 CAT & MOUSE

1974 SOUTH RIDING (Yorkshire TV Series)
 

975 I DON'T WANT TO BE BORN (US Title: 'The Devil Within Her')  
 
     1976  THE BAWDY ADVENTURES OF TOM JONES  
  
     1976 A STORY OF TUTANKHAMUN
 
 .    1977 THE BLACK KNIGHT (TV) 
  
     1977 A HOUSE FULL OF MEN (TV) 
  
     1977 RATHER REASSURING PROGRAMME (ATV TV series)  
  
 1978 BORN & BRED (Thames Series) 
  
 1978  EDWARD & MRS. SIMPSON (Thames Series)         

1979  MALICE AFORETHOUGHT (BBC Series)

1979 REBECCA (BBC Series) 
  
 1979 TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED (Anglia Series) 
 
 1980 SHELLEY (Thames Series) 
 

1980 FLICKERS (ATV Serial)

 
  1980 PLAYHOUSE: THE GATE OF EDEN (Yorkshire TV series) 
  
1980 A QUESTION OF GUILT (BBC series) 
  

1981  IT TAKES A WORRIED MAN (Thames TV)

1982  SATURDAY NIGHT THRILLER (London Weekend Series) 
   

1988 RETURN OF SHELLEY (Thames Series) 
  
 1996 TFI FRIDAY (TV series)
 
 (Theme from "Man in a Suitcase")