PILOT
MURDER IN SUCCESSVILLE (Pilot Theme)
April 2-19, 2014
MURDER IN SUCCESSVILLE (Original Theme Demo)
March 26-28, 2014
MURDER IN THE LOUNGE
March 31 - April 1, 2014
The main thing I had to remember when writing the music for Murder in Successville
was ‘Score the drama, not the comedy.’ The vast majority of the show was improvised
by comedians, and music would have just got in the way. But these scenes were
framed by dramatic stories, just like a cop show, and that meant every so often, we
needed to hear music: visceral, thrilling music. To start with, this meant applying a
lighter touch: stings and transitions, cementing the scenes together and underlining
key emotional beats. But as the series progressed and the production became more
ambitious in every way, the music had to match that ambition.
Most of the score was written as separate cues of only a few seconds at a time. It’s
only now, in 2023, that I’ve been able to go back to the original cues and assemble
them into suites that make a bit more musical sense. Not everything on this page will
have made its way into the show - there are unused bits and alternate takes alongside
the stuff that did get broadcast. But I wouldn’t be able to tell you which are which.
Murder in Successville
2014 - 2017
MAIN THEME
MURDER IN SUCCESSVILLE (Trailer Mix B)
March 10, 2015
MURDER IN SUCCESSVILLE (Opening Titles)
February 17-18, 2015
SERIES 1
DEAD RICH AND FAMOUS
February 27, March 3-4, 2015
THE MOB
February 13-18, 2015
DR DEATH
March 7 & 8, 2015
MAYOR THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
March 22 & 23, 2015
SERIES 2
MIRANDA
February 18-21, 2016
PRISON BREAK (from ‘Vigilante’)
February 14 & 15, 2016
INCOGNITO
March 3 & 4, 2016
HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES AND TOES
March 10, 11 & 14-16, 2016
TIME CRAWLS (from ‘Memoirs’)
March 17, 2016
SERIES 3
WENGERBEAT (from ‘The Brass Gnome’)
February 23, 2017
FACTORY SETTING (from ‘The Brass Gnome’)
February 24, 25 & 27, 2017
TO THE RATS (unused cue from ‘The Brass Gnome’)
February 20-22, 2017 (new mix March 2, 2023)
EVEN STRANGER THINGS (from ‘I Saw a Monster!’)
March 8-10 & 15-16, 2017
A RAT’S TALE
March 13, 14, 16-21 & 24-25, 2017
A MURDER IN YE OLDE SUCCESSVILLE (Opening Titles)
March 22, 23, 27 & 28, 2017
CREDITS IN YE OLDE SUCCESSVILLE
March 23 & 28, 2017
RAIN MOUTH (from ‘The Big Sleet’)
March 28, 2017
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 31 (from ‘Vigilante’)
February 15, 2016
OLD FRIENDS (from ‘I Saw a Monster!’)
March 6, 9 & 15, 2017
No one was sure what the theme tune needed to sound like - it just needed to say ‘cop
show’. So I went for the most obvious thing first and rustled up a demo blending
Starsky and Hutch with The Bill (or at least, that was my aim). There are two versions
of that tune here - my original demo, which is way too complicated, and the final
version, which simplifies it to a cheesy 70s parody. There’s also a slower, lighter piece
based on the same musical idea called MURDER IN THE LOUNGE - which was briefly
considered for the main theme too.
When it came to the series proper, I don’t remember how we arrived at the eventual
theme - just that it’s much simpler and more direct, we got it right first time and,
crucially, you can sing “Muuurrrrdeeerrrr in Succeeeeessssviiilllle” along to it. TRAILER
MIX B is an extended mix written for a 2-minute series trailer which never actually
went out (though this 50-second edit is the closest thing to it).
THE THEME TUNE
This is the sound of me finding my feet, trying to negotiate my way through the show’s
requirements. Unlike Crackanory, which asked for a wide range of emotional states
and a hefty slab of whimsy, Successville aimed to be a much graver affair, with
atmosphere and mystery alongside genuine thrilling excitement and good old
fashioned cop show grit. My job was to try and convey all that in a series of stings and
transitional pieces which never lasted longer than about a few seconds at most. I
always thought I didn’t really manage it in that first year, but listening to it again now
it’s all been re-assembled as suites, it feels more like actual music and holds up
surprisingly well.
THE MOB wasn’t the first episode screened but it was the first I worked on, so the
cheesiest moments are all here. I doubt we actually used that Godfather/Cornetto
stuff at the beginning, but I might be wrong. You can trace my increasing
understanding of what the show needed as this track progresses, from tongue-in-
cheek film parody to atmospheric horror.
DEAD RICH AND FAMOUS was an Agatha Christie style episode set in a country house.
After a couple of overblown missteps, we realised the score worked better here with
just piano cues, so this stuff is pretty bare, but much creepier for it.
The main feeling I get from all this stuff is ‘spooky’. DR DEATH is very spooky indeed.
Even the more uptempo stuff from MAYOR THE FORCE BE WITH YOU - primarily
influenced by the music from 24 - manages to be spooky at the same time. It wasn’t
quite as genuinely dark as the stuff I’d just written for The Ghoul, and at the time, that
felt like a step backwards. But Series 2 would change all that.
SERIES 1
Series 2 was marked by increasing ambition in the lighting, the design, the editing,
every aspect of the show. The production team were very keen it took inspiration from
contemporary crime drama rather than stuff from decades gone by, which affected
every part of the process from the writing all the way up to the music. Each week I was
given a new reading list of new films and TV series to watch, new scores to listen to,
educating me in a lot of stuff I’d otherwise miss. As a result, the music started tilting
more towards electronica and synthwave - something I was dead keen to explore -
alongside much more accomplished orchestral and atmospheric pieces. There was
also more of it, which meant there was more to get my teeth into.
VIGILANTE: This was a full-on electronic score inspired by Cliff Martinez and Kavinsky.
PRISON BREAK is a short compilation of various cues, while ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 31
was a rare chance to score an action scene with synthesisers. The synth explorations
continued through MIRANDA and INCOGNITO, though in different ways.
HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES AND TOES marked the point where the series transcended
itself and broke new emotional ground for the main characters, so I tried to make sure
the music rose to the occasion. It’s a return to the spookiness of Series 1 in many
ways, but more confident and self-assured. I think we knew by this point we had a hit
show so it was a total joy to work on. Definitely a high point.
SERIES 2
The ambition crashed through the roof here, with increasingly elaborate action set
pieces and a superhero spoof alongside an episode set in the 1890s. Each week was a
new Everest-worthy challenge, from John Wick to Stranger Things to Batman and back
again. And naturally, the music had to keep pace. Again, most of these tracks are
suites assembled from shorter cues, but there are a few surprises I’d forgotten about.
Of the three series, I’d say musically, this is probably the best.
FACTORY SETTING is a compilation of various takes I recorded for several similar cues
in the opening episode. There are probably only about six or seven short cues here (a
minute and a half tops), but with all the different takes I’ve managed to spin it out to
six minutes.
WENGERBEAT is an 8-and-a-half-minute dance track I spent way too much time on for
a scene set in an underground S&M club run by Arsene Wenger. You only ever hear
the track faintly in the background, but the original edit of the scene was over eight
minutes long, so I thought I’d better cover it all, just in case. I suppose I could have just
looped the same few bars over and over. Thankfully I didn’t and ended up with this.
TO THE RATS was written for the end credits of ‘A Brass Gnome’, but it didn’t get used.
So this is its first outing, newly remixed from the original elements.
OLD FRIENDS was originally just a couple of short cues but I’ve assembled this song-
length piece from various alternate takes.
EVEN STRANGER THINGS was the first of three episodes in a row with a score based
on the theme tune, but in a different style each week. First, a sci-fi. Then the
superhero episode, A RAT’S TALE. Finally, A MURDER IN YE OLDE SUCCESSVILLE - the
Victorian episode - with a whole brand new theme tune for the opening titles (closely
followed by a sister tune for the end credits).
RAIN MOUTH: from the final episode. The last piece of music I wrote for the show (and
possibly the most tender).
I should probably mention that this particular series won the BAFTA for Best Comedy
Entertainment Programme in 2018. So if you’ve ever wondered what the music for a
BAFTA-winning comedy sounds like, now you know.
Music from Murder in Successville licensed courtesy of Tiger Aspect Productions and
Endemol Shine.
SERIES 3
Murder in
Successville
2014 - 2017
The main thing I had to remember when writing the
music for Murder in Successville was ‘Score the
drama, not the comedy.’ The vast majority of the
show was improvised by comedians, and music
would have just got in the way. But these scenes were
framed by dramatic stories, just like a cop show, and
that meant every so often, we needed to hear music:
visceral, thrilling music. To start with, this meant
applying a lighter touch: stings and transitions,
cementing the scenes together and underlining key
emotional beats. But as the series progressed and
the production became more ambitious in every way,
the music had to match that ambition.
Most of the score was written as separate cues of
only a few seconds at a time. It’s only now, in 2023,
that I’ve been able to go back to the original cues and
assemble them into suites that make a bit more
musical sense. Not everything on this page will have
made its way into the show - there are unused bits
and alternate takes alongside the stuff that did get
broadcast. But I wouldn’t be able to tell you which are
which.
No one was sure what the theme tune needed to
sound like - it just needed to say ‘cop show’. So I went
for the most obvious thing first and rustled up a
demo blending Starsky and Hutch with The Bill (or at
least, that was my aim). There are two versions of
that tune here - my original demo, which is way too
complicated, and the final version, which simplifies it
to a cheesy 70s parody. There’s also a slower, lighter
piece based on the same musical idea called
MURDER IN THE LOUNGE - which was briefly
considered for the main theme too.
THE PILOT
This is the sound of me finding my feet, trying to
negotiate my way through the show’s requirements.
Unlike Crackanory, which asked for a wide range of
emotional states and a hefty slab of whimsy,
Successville aimed to be a much graver affair, with
atmosphere and mystery alongside genuine thrilling
excitement and good old fashioned cop show grit. My
job was to try and convey all that in a series of stings
and transitional pieces which never lasted longer
than about a few seconds at most. I always thought I
didn’t really manage it in that first year, but listening
to it again now it’s all been re-assembled as suites, it
feels more like actual music and holds up surprisingly
well.
SERIES 1
Series 2 was marked by increasing ambition in the
lighting, the design, the editing, every aspect of the
show. The production team were very keen it took
inspiration from contemporary crime drama rather
than stuff from decades gone by, which affected
every part of the process from the writing all the way
up to the music. Each week I was given a new reading
list of new films and TV series to watch, new scores to
listen to, educating me in a lot of stuff I’d otherwise
miss. As a result, the music started tilting more
towards electronica and synthwave - something I was
dead keen to explore - alongside much more
accomplished orchestral and atmospheric pieces.
There was also more of it, which meant there was
more to get my teeth into.
SERIES 2
The ambition crashed through the roof here, with
increasingly elaborate action set pieces and a
superhero spoof alongside an episode set in the
1890s. Each week was a new Everest-worthy
challenge, from John Wick to Stranger Things to
Batman and back again. And naturally, the music had
to keep pace. Again, most of these tracks are suites
assembled from shorter cues, but there are a few
surprises I’d forgotten about. Of the three series, I’d
say musically, this is probably the best.
SERIES 3
THE GHOUL
(ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK)
Available for streaming and download
exclusively on Bandcamp
MURDER IN SUCCESSVILLE (Opening Titles)
February 17-18, 2015
MURDER IN SUCCESSVILLE (Trailer Mix B)
March 10, 2015
MURDER IN SUCCESSVILLE (Original Theme Demo)
March 26-28, 2014
MURDER IN SUCCESSVILLE (Pilot Theme)
April 2-19, 2014
MURDER IN THE LOUNGE
March 31 - April 1, 2014
THE MOB
February 13-18, 2015
DEAD RICH AND FAMOUS
February 27, March 3-4, 2015
DR DEATH
March 7 & 8, 2015
MAYOR THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
March 22 & 23, 2015
PRISON BREAK (from ‘Vigilante’)
February 14 & 15, 2016
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 31 (from ‘Vigilante’)
February 15, 2016
MIRANDA
February 18-21, 2016
INCOGNITO
March 3 & 4, 2016
HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES AND TOES
March 10, 11 & 14-16, 2016
TIME CRAWLS (from ‘Memoirs’)
March 17, 2016
FACTORY SETTING (from ‘The Brass Gnome’)
February 24, 25 & 27, 2017
WENGERBEAT (from ‘The Brass Gnome’)
February 23, 2017
TO THE RATS (unused cue from ‘The Brass Gnome’)
February 20-22, 2017 (new mix March 2, 2023)
EVEN STRANGER THINGS (from ‘I Saw a Monster!’)
March 8-10 & 15-16, 2017
OLD FRIENDS (from ‘I Saw a Monster!’)
March 6, 9 & 15, 2017
A RAT’S TALE
March 13, 14, 16-21 & 24-25, 2017
A MURDER IN YE OLDE SUCCESSVILLE (Opening Titles)
March 22, 23, 27 & 28, 2017
CREDITS IN YE OLDE SUCCESSVILLE
March 23 & 28, 2017
RAIN MOUTH (from ‘The Big Sleet’)
March 28, 2017
When it came to the series proper, I don’t remember
how we arrived at the eventual theme - just that it’s
much simpler and more direct, we got it right first
time and, crucially, you can sing “Muuurrrrdeeerrrr in
Succeeeeessssviiilllle” along to it. TRAILER MIX B is an
extended mix written for a 2-minute series trailer
which never actually went out (though this 50-second
edit is the closest thing to it).
The main feeling I get from all this stuff is ‘spooky’. DR
DEATH is very spooky indeed. Even the more
uptempo stuff from MAYOR THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
- primarily influenced by the music from 24 - manages
to be spooky at the same time. It wasn’t quite as
genuinely dark as the stuff I’d just written for The
Ghoul, and at the time, that felt like a step backwards.
But Series 2 would change all that.
THE MOB wasn’t the first episode screened but it was
the first I worked on, so the cheesiest moments are
all here. I doubt we actually used that
Godfather/Cornetto stuff at the beginning, but I
might be wrong. You can trace my increasing
understanding of what the show needed as this track
progresses, from tongue-in-cheek film parody to
atmospheric horror.
DEAD RICH AND FAMOUS was an Agatha Christie
style episode set in a country house. After a couple of
overblown missteps, we realised the score worked
better here with just piano cues, so this stuff is pretty
bare, but much creepier for it.
VIGILANTE: This was a full-on electronic score
inspired by Cliff Martinez and Kavinsky. PRISON
BREAK is a short compilation of various cues, while
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 31 was a rare chance to score
an action scene with synthesisers. The synth
explorations continued through MIRANDA and
INCOGNITO, though in different ways.
HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES AND TOES marked the
point where the series transcended itself and broke
new emotional ground for the main characters, so I
tried to make sure the music rose to the occasion. It’s
a return to the spookiness of Series 1 in many ways,
but more confident and self-assured. I think we knew
by this point we had a hit show so it was a total joy to
work on. Definitely a high point.
RAIN MOUTH: from the final episode. The last piece of
music I wrote for the show (and possibly the most
tender).
FACTORY SETTING is a compilation of various takes I
recorded for several similar cues in the opening
episode. There are probably only about six or seven
short cues here (a minute and a half tops), but with
all the different takes I’ve managed to spin it out to
six minutes.
WENGERBEAT is an 8-and-a-half-minute dance track I
spent way too much time on for a scene set in an
underground S&M club run by Arsene Wenger. You
only ever hear the track faintly in the background, but
the original edit of the scene was over eight minutes
long, so I thought I’d better cover it all, just in case. I
suppose I could have just looped the same few bars
over and over. Thankfully I didn’t and ended up with
this.
TO THE RATS was written for the end credits of ‘A
Brass Gnome’, but it didn’t get used. So this is its first
outing, newly remixed from the original elements.
OLD FRIENDS was originally just a couple of short
cues but I’ve assembled this song-length piece from
various alternate takes.
EVEN STRANGER THINGS was the first of three
episodes in a row with a score based on the theme
tune, but in a different style each week. First, a sci-fi.
Then the superhero episode, A RAT’S TALE.
Finally, A MURDER IN YE OLDE SUCCESSVILLE - the
Victorian episode - with a whole brand new theme
tune for the opening titles (closely followed by a sister
tune for the end credits).
I should probably mention that this particular series
won the BAFTA for Best Comedy Entertainment
Programme in 2018. So if you’ve ever wondered what
the music for a BAFTA-winning comedy sounds like,
now you know.
Music from Murder in Successville licensed courtesy
of Tiger Aspect Productions and Endemol Shine.
