Ronald Erle Grainer (11 August 1922 – 21 February 1981) was an Australian composer who worked for most of his professional career in the United Kingdom. He is mostly remembered for his television and film score music, especially the theme music for ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'', ''

The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...

'', ''

Steptoe and Son ''Steptoe and Son'' is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business in 26a Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC in black and ...

'' and '' Tales of the Unexpected''.

Biography

Early life

Ronald Grainer was born on 11 August 1922 in

Atherton, Queensland Atherton is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Atherton had a population of 7,331 people. Geography Atherton is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. Atherton is joined by the Gil ...

, Australia, the first child of Margaret Clark, an amateur pianist, and Ronald Albert Grainer, a storekeeper and postmaster. For the first eight years of Ron's life the Grainer family lived in Mt Mulligan, a small town built around the extraction of coal from three seams which lay beneath a 400-metre-high sandstone monolith, located 100 km west of Cairns. Apart from the industrial noise and dust, the family sometimes had to contend with the after effects of a high consumption of alcohol by the shift miners. On one such occasion a stray bullet flew through the roof of their home and almost hit the 11-week-old Ron as he lay on his bed. Because of Mt Mulligan's physical isolation, encouraging a sense of community was vital. This was achieved by regularly holding dance and social functions. These public entertainments became very important for bolstering local morale, especially after a massive explosion on 19 September 1921 killed 75 resident mine workersone third of Mt Mulligan's adult population. Concerts in the years following the disaster included performances by a very young Ron Erle Grainer, taught piano-playing from the age of four by his mother "Composer Lumped Coal" Sunday Mail 1 March 1981 p8 and encouraged to learn the violin by an elderly Welsh miner. As Grainer's music skills developed, he started demonstrating an ability to reconstruct tunes he had heard at school or on gramophone records. Mary Wardle, a classical music singer, historian, and former resident of Mt Mulligan, remembers Grainer performing on keyboard instruments "when he could barely reach the pedals."

Education

The Grainer family left Mt Mulligan in 1930. By April 1932 they were living in Aloomba, a sugar-growing rural community on the Far North Queensland coast. Aloomba is situated on the eastern side of another rock monolith, the 922-metre-high Walsh's Pyramid. At the age of 9, as part of the Aloomba school team, Grainer won second prize for solo violin at the inaugural Cairns and District School Eisteddfod. This is the first newspaper mention of him giving a music performance in public. In early 1933, Grainer's family moved to Cairns where, apart from school work at Edge Hill State (1933–1934) and Cairns High (1935–1936), he commenced a serious study of music theory and interpretation. His family relocated south to Brisbane in 1937 where Grainer completed his secondary school education at

St Joseph's College, Nudgee , motto_translation = A Sign of Faith , location = Boondall, Queensland , country = Australia , coordinates = , other_name = St. Joseph's Nudgee College , former_name ...

, matriculating in 1938. He enrolled at the

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

in 1939 to study civil engineering and music, a course which included harmony, counterpoint, and composition as taught by classical musician Percy Brier, a traditionalist educator who encouraged his more talented students to think for themselves. Grainer gained his Associate of Trinity College London Diploma (ATCL) on piano.

RAAF

After the outbreak of World War II, Grainer joined the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF) in December 1940 and was sent to

Amberley, Queensland Amberley is a suburb in the City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. In the , Amberley had a population of 253 people. Geography Australia's biggest air force base, the RAAF Base Amberley is situated here and the Bureau of Meteorology has a we ...

, posted to 73 Signals, given a course at

Point Cook Point Cook is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Point Cook recorded a population of 66,781 at the 2021 census. Point Cook ...

and assigned to Radar Station No. 58,

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

. While stationed there, and in subsequent similar postings, he contributed to barracks recreation activities by scoring and organising numerous servicemen shows."On The Trail of Inspector Maigret", ''Australian Women's Weekly'', 27 June 1962, p. 42. On March 22 1944 he was transferred to the RAAF entertainment unit. In the official report on his audition performance the only music piece mentioned by title was

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

's ''Bolero,'' a seemingly simple instrumental riff which holds the listeners' attention in a similar manner to Grainer's later themes and signature tunes. Grainer had only a few months performing for his fellow airmen, for in July 1944, a 44-gallon drum fell on his leg while he was travelling in a truck; he sustained a severe injury and was admitted to the 3 RAAF Hospital, seriously ill."Move over Rodgers Here Comes Grainer" Australian Woman's Weekly 5 August 1964 p9 For a while, the air force medical team considered amputation, but Grainer eventually recovered. He was discharged from the RAAF as permanently medically unfit in September 1945. A rehabilitation course took him to the

New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

, where he studied under Eugene Goossens.

Early musical education and career

Grainer received his teaching and performing diploma for pianoforte in December 1949. During 1950 and 1951 he began appearing in a series of solo artist radio shows for the

Australian Broadcasting Commission The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-owned ...

. In August 1951 a presentation of Delius, Faure, and Milhaud compositions by Grainer on piano and Don Scott on violin was ridiculed in a newspaper review for the duo's "uncompromising disregard of mob appeal", "lack of practical concert sense", and "unrelievedly pastel colouring" set list that was "in need of a more impulsive and heartfelt spirit on the well tendered surface" having earlier said "by the time the programme ended the recital badly needed blood transfusion". By the mid-1950s Grainer had abandoned his classical repertoire and live concert work with such a determined change of attitude that he claimed in a 1964 magazine interview that he had "always loathed performing".

London

In 1952 Grainer left Australia for London with his wife Margot and 10-year-old stepdaughter Rel. He managed to find a three-month engagement playing piano in a nightclub along with other occasional jobs, the worst of which became a twelve-month stint with a touring Australian comedy act called "The Allen Brothers and June." This required the classically trained Grainer to be hit on the head nightly by a falling grand piano lid and then to topple over into the

orchestra pit An orchestra pit is the area in a theater (usually located in a lowered area in front of the stage) in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music (such as opera and ballet) or in cases when incide ...

, an experience he later said was even harder to do than a day's fencing in the Australian outback. At one stage, to pay the rent on their room, Grainer and his wife had to work as caretakers of a large block of London flats where he stoked two large boilers, morning and night, whilst Margot washed stairs and cleaned rooms. To increase his public profile Grainer had two attempts at song contests: "England's Made of Us" (1956), an entry with lyricist

David Dearlove David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

for the First British Festival of Popular Song, which received the score of no points from the judges and, the following year, "Don't Cry Little Doll" (1957) (also written with David Dearlove), which reached fourth place in the British

Eurovision The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

entry decider heats. Grainer's most dramatic pre-success music involvement was with ''Before The Sun Goes Down,'' a TV play which caused audience panic and questions to be raised in the British Parliament when it was shown on 20 February 1959. Taking inspiration from

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

' 1938 radio drama of ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

,'' the production used a similar format in which a regular programme broadcast was interrupted by a fake public service announcement. In this instance it was about a mysterious and "terrifying" satellite seen hovering over the city of London.

''Maigret'' and after

In 1960 Grainer achieved public recognition with his theme and incidental music for the TV series ''

Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created b ...

.'' When ''Maigret'' was given the Ivor Novello "Outstanding Composition for Film, TV or Radio" award in 1961, commissions from a wide range of genres poured in: ''Goon Show'' silliness (''

It's a Square World ''It's a Square World'' is a British comedy television series starring Michael Bentine and produced by the BBC. It ran from 1960 until 1964, each episode being of 30 minutes duration. The series gained Bentine a BAFTA award in 1962 for Light En ...

'', 1961), one-off pilots (''

Comedy Playhouse ''Comedy Playhouse'' is a long-running British anthology series of one-off unrelated sitcoms that aired for 120 episodes from 1961 to 1975. Many episodes later graduated to their own series, including ''Steptoe and Son'', '' Meet the Wife'', ...

''), documentaries (''

Terminus Terminus may refer to: * Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination * Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination Geography *Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...

'', 1961),

kitchen sink drama Kitchen sink realism (or kitchen sink drama) is a British cultural movement that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film and television plays, whose protagonists usually could be described as "angry young men" w ...

('' A Kind of Loving''), quirky domestic sitcoms (''

'' 1962), classic serials (''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'' 1962), teen films ('' Some People'' 1962), late night satire (''

That Was The Week That Was ''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and pre ...

'', 1962), outpost angst (''

Station Six Sahara ''Station Six-Sahara'' is a 1963 British-West German drama film directed by Seth Holt and starring Carroll Baker, Peter van Eyck and Ian Bannen. It is a remake of the 1938 film ''S.O.S. Sahara'', which had been based on a play by Jean Martet. P ...

'', 1962), ballet ('' The King's Breakfast'', 1963), science fiction (''

'', 1963), psycho killers (''

Night Must Fall ''Night Must Fall'' is a play, a psychological thriller, by Emlyn Williams, first performed in 1935. There have been three film adaptations, ''Night Must Fall'' (1937); a 1954 adaptation on the television anthology series ''Ponds Theater'' star ...

'', 1964), children's adventure stories ('' The Moon Spinners'', 1964), patriotic biography ('' The Finest Hours'', 1964), big-budget musicals (''

Robert and Elizabeth ''Robert and Elizabeth'' is a musical with music by Ron Grainer and book and lyrics by Ronald Millar. The story is based on an unproduced musical titled ''The Third Kiss'' by Judge Fred G. Moritt, which in turn was adapted from the play ''The ...

'', 1964), unusual love stories (''Boy Meets Girl'', 1967), acclaimed dramas ''

To Sir, with Love ''To Sir, with Love'' is a 1967 British drama film that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. It stars Sidney Poitier and features Christian Roberts, Judy Geeson, Suzy Kendall and singer Lulu making her film debut. Jam ...

'' (1967), allegorical social commentary (''

'', 1967) and crime-caper movies (''

Only When I Larf Len Deighton's ''Only When I Larf'' is a 1968 British comic thriller describing the activities of a team of three confidence tricksters led by Silas Lowther (late 40s), his girlfriend Liz Mason (late 20s) and wannabe apprentice and Liz-worshipper ...

'', 1968). Grainer also worked with the instrumental group

The Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles and six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s ...

, who recorded a number of his themes. Most of these projects required considerable research, group discussion, and creative team effort. They are only a small sample of work completed by Grainer from 1960 to 1968. He once indicated he felt a "trifle wistful" that so many people just associated him with the ''Doctor Who'' theme, the only tune in his extensive portfolio that had its sound dynamics realised by someone else

Delia Derbyshire Delia Ann Derbyshire (5 May 1937 – 3 July 2001) was an English musician and composer of electronic music. She carried out notable work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop during the 1960s, including her electronic arrangement of the theme ...

of the

BBC Radiophonic Workshop The BBC Radiophonic Workshop was one of the sound effects units of the BBC, created in 1958 to produce incidental sounds and new music for radio and, later, television. The unit is known for its experimental and pioneering work in electroni ...

. The time-consuming work commitments eventually contributed to the breakdown of Grainer's relationship with his wife; he and Margot divorced in 1966. Later that year, he married Jennifer Dodds, a member of the cast of ''

.'' Their son Damian was born shortly afterwards.

Portugal

In September 1968, tired of London traffic jams and worried about his intensifying eyesight problems, Grainer moved permanently to his former retreat property in southern Portugal. He and Jenny started a farm growing organic fruit and vegetables, undertaking the planting and maintaining of 1,000 peach trees. From 1969 to 1975, Grainer composed themes and soundtracks for an average of around one TV series and one film each year.

Return

In April 1974, the

Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution ( pt, Revolução dos Cravos), also known as the 25 April ( pt, 25 de Abril, links=no), was a military coup by left-leaning military officers that overthrew the authoritarian Estado Novo regime on 25 April 1974 in Lisbo ...

in Portugal prompted Grainer and his family to leave the country and return to England until the political climate cleared. Damian went first to

boarding Boarding may refer to: *Boarding, used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals as in a: ** Boarding house **Boarding school *Boarding (horses) (also known as a livery yard, livery stable, or boarding stable), is a stable where ho ...

and then to

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children and adolescents are given instructions during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compar ...

. Grainer was being offered work again so he set up house in

Keymer Keymer is a village in Hassocks civil parish, in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. It lies on the B2116 road south of Burgess Hill. Keymer was an ancient parish that like its near neighbour Clayton was merged into the modern ...

West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...

. In 1976, he and Jenny went through an amicable divorce as she had gone back to Portugal while he'd decided to remain in London. Over the next five years, Grainer had a second round of creativity, scoring the

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

- and BAFTA-winning

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

Edward & Mrs Simpson ''Edward & Mrs. Simpson'' is a seven-part British television series that dramatises the events leading to the 1936 abdication of King Edward VIII, who gave up his throne to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson. The series, made by T ...

'' as well as '' Tales of the Unexpected'' (1979) and ''

Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...

'' (1979).

Final year and death

Grainer had one notable incidental music score and two TV signature tunes debut the year of his sudden illness and death from cancer on 21 February 1981. ''Sunday Night Thriller,'' with its funeral music theme and separation of bodies credits sequence, was broadcast on 18 January 1981. On 17 May 1981, his "All Things Bright And Beautiful" influenced ambient music for "The Sound Machine" episode of ''Tales of the Unexpected,'' accompanied a central character obsessed with "Sounds I long to hear – Songs beyond the planets." The last of Grainer's TV themes, ''It Takes A Worried Man,'' was broadcast on 21 October 1981, and featured a closing credits film clip of the series hero gradually losing pieces of his torso and face until all that is left are his eyes. Grainer died from a spinal tumour on 21 February 1981.

Compilations

Only three compilations of Grainer's output have been released commercially. 1969's ''Themes Like —'' (RCA) was a collection of his better known 1960s compositions. This was followed by ''Exciting Television Music of Ron Grainer'' (RCA, 1980), which covered the 1970s. In 1994 a career-spanning thirty-track CD was released as part of the ''A to Z of British TV Themes'' project on the

Play it Again ''Play It Again'' is a documentary television series on BBC One, featuring celebrities trying to learn to play musical instruments. The series is produced by Diverse Production and started on 25 March 2007 and is narrated by Tamsin Greig. Epi ...

record label.

Awards and nominations

Awards

* ''

'', 1961 Ivor Novello Award Outstanding Composition for Film, TV or Radio * ''

'', 1962 Ivor Novello Award Outstanding Composition for Film, TV or Radio * '' The Home Made Car'' 1963 Silver Bear Award, Short Film, Berlin International Film Festival

Nominations

* '' The Home Made Car''

963 Year 963 (Roman numerals, CMLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 15 – Emperor Romanos II dies at age 25, probably o ...

Oscar, Best Short Subject, Academy Awards USA 1964 * '' Flickers'' (1980), BAFTA Best Television Music Award 1981 * '' Shelley'' (1979), BAFTA Best Television Music Award 1981 * '' Tales of the Unexpected'' (1979), BAFTA Best Television Music Award 1981

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1961) * '' A Kind of Loving'' (1962) * '' Some People'' (1962) * ''

The Dock Brief ''The Dock Brief'' (US title ''Trial and Error'') is a 1962 black-and-white British legal satire directed by James Hill, starring Peter Sellers and Richard Attenborough, and based on the play of the same name written by John Mortimer (creator o ...

'' (1962) * ''

Station Six-Sahara ''Station Six-Sahara'' is a 1963 British-West German drama film directed by Seth Holt and starring Carroll Baker, Peter van Eyck and Ian Bannen. It is a remake of the 1938 film '' S.O.S. Sahara'', which had been based on a play by Jean Martet. ...

'' (1962) * '' The King's Breakfast'' (1963) * ''

The Mouse on the Moon ''The Mouse on the Moon'' is a 1963 British comedy film, the sequel to ''The Mouse That Roared''. It is an adaptation of the 1962 novel ''The Mouse on the Moon'' by Irish author Leonard Wibberley, and was directed by Richard Lester. In it, the p ...

'' (1963) * ''

The Caretaker ''The Caretaker'' is a play in three acts by Harold Pinter. Although it was the sixth of his major works for stage and television, this psychological study of the confluence of power, allegiance, innocence, and corruption among two brothers an ...

'' (1963) * '' Nothing But the Best'' (1964) * ''

'' (1964) * ''

The Moon-Spinners ''The Moon-Spinners'' is a 1964 American mystery film starring Hayley Mills, Eli Wallach and Peter McEnery in a story about a jewel thief hiding on the island of Crete. Produced by Walt Disney Productions, the film was based upon a 1962 suspense ...

'' (1964) * ''

'' (1967) * ''

'' (1968) * ''

Before Winter Comes ''Before Winter Comes'' is a 1969 British comedy-drama war film directed by J. Lee Thompson from a screenplay by Andrew Sinclair. Plot ''Before Winter Comes'' takes place in the immediate aftermath of World War II. British Major Giles Burnside ...

'' (1969) * ''

The Assassination Bureau ''The Assassination Bureau Limited'' (also known as ''The Assassination Bureau'' in the United States) is a 1969 British Technicolor black comedy adventure film, produced by Michael Relph, directed by Basil Dearden, and starring Oliver Reed, D ...

'' (1969) * '' Lock Up Your Daughters'' (1969) * ''

In Search of Gregory ''In Search of Gregory'' is a 1969 British-Italian drama film directed by Peter Wood and starring Julie Christie. Plot Catherine Morelli goes to the latest wedding of her father, Max, who in turn wants to introduce her there to a potential sui ...

'' (1969) * ''

Hoffman Hoffman is a surname of German and Jewish origin. The original meaning in medieval times was "steward", i.e. one who manages the property of another. In English and other European languages, including Yiddish and Dutch, the name can also be spelle ...

'' (1970) * ''

The Omega Man ''The Omega Man'' (stylized as ''The Ωmega Man'') is a 1971 American post-apocalyptic action film directed by Boris Sagal and starring Charlton Heston as a survivor of a pandemic. It was written by John William Corrington and Joyce Corrington, b ...

'' (1971) * ''

Mutiny on the Buses ''Mutiny on the Buses'' is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Harry Booth and starring Reg Varney and Doris Hare. The film is the second spin-off film from the TV sitcom ''On the Buses'' and succeeded ''On the Buses'' (1971). It was followed ...

'' (1972) * ''Yellow Dog'' (1973) * ''

Mousey ''Mousey'' (released as ''Cat and Mouse'' in theaters and on UK television) is a 1974 Canadian thriller action drama film directed by Daniel Petrie, and starring Kirk Douglas, Jean Seberg and John Vernon. Although made for television, it was ...

'' (1974) * ''

I Don't Want to Be Born ''I Don't Want to Be Born'' is a 1975 British horror film directed by Peter Sasdy and starring Joan Collins, Ralph Bates, Eileen Atkins, and Donald Pleasence. Its plot follows a woman who gives birth to a child that appears to be demonically p ...

'' (1975) * '' One Away'' (1976) * ''

The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones ''The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones'' is a 1976 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Nicky Henson, Trevor Howard and Terry-Thomas. It is an adaptation of the 1749 novel '' Tom Jones'' by Henry Fielding, which follows the ma ...

'' (1976) * ''

Never Never Land Neverland is a fictional island featured in the works of J. M. Barrie and those based on them. It is an imaginary faraway place where Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, the Lost Boys, and some other imaginary beings and creatures live. Altho ...

'' (1980)

Television
election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
/h1>
* ''
The Widow of Bath ''The Widow of Bath'' is a crime-thriller novel published in 1952 by the Scottish author Margot Bennett (writer), Margot Bennett. Premise Hugh Everton, who is struggling to readjust to normal life after serving several months in prison, re-enc ...
'' (1959) * ''
Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created b ...
'' (1960) * ''
Comedy Playhouse ''Comedy Playhouse'' is a long-running British anthology series of one-off unrelated sitcoms that aired for 120 episodes from 1961 to 1975. Many episodes later graduated to their own series, including ''Steptoe and Son'', '' Meet the Wife'', ...
'' (1961) * ''
That Was the Week That Was ''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and pre ...
'' (1962) * ''
Steptoe and Son ''Steptoe and Son'' is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business in 26a Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC in black and ...
'' (1962) * '' Giants of Steam'' (1963) * ''
The Home-Made Car ''The Home-Made Car'' (1963) is a short, silent film directed by James Hill about a young man who rebuilds a vintage car and finds love. The film was nominated for an Academy Award (Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects), and won a Silver Bear (S ...
'' (1963) * ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' (1963) * ''
Man in a Suitcase ''Man in a Suitcase'' is a British television private eye thriller series produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment. It originally aired in the United Kingdom on ITV from 27 September 1967 to 17 April 1968. ABC broadcast episodes of ''Man in a ...
'' (1967) * ''
The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...
'' (1967) * ''
Paul Temple Paul Temple is a fictional character created by English writer Francis Durbridge. Temple is a professional author of crime fiction and an amateur private detective. With his wife Louise, affectionately known as 'Steve' in reference to her jo ...
'' (1969) * ''
For the Love of Ada ''For the Love of Ada'' is an ITV sitcom that ran between 1970 and 1971. Although not seen on British TV for over 30 years, the complete series began airing again in late 2018 on Talking Pictures TV, albeit edited with certain offensive words ...
'' (1970) * ''
The Train Now Standing ''The Train Now Standing'' is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1972 to 1973. Set in a quiet country railway station, the series starred Bill Fraser, known by that point for playing Snudge in the sitcoms ''The Army Game'' and ''Bootsie a ...
'' (1972) * '' South Riding'' (1974) * '' Edward & Mrs. Simpson'' (1978) * ''
Malice Aforethought Malice aforethought is the "premeditation" or "predetermination" (with malice (law), malice) required as an element of some crimes in some jurisdictions and a unique element for first-degree or aggravation (law), aggravated murder in a few. Insof ...
'' (1979) * '' Tales of the Unexpected'' (1979) * ''
Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...
'' (1979 miniseries) * '' Shelley'' (1979) * '' Flickers'' (1980) * '' Saturday Night Thriller'' (1981) * ''
It Takes A Worried Man ''It Takes a Worried Man'' is a British TV sitcom. It was made by Thames Television and ran for three series, broadcast from to . The first two series were broadcast on the ITV network, and the third and final series on Channel 4. Most episode ...
'' (1981)

Musicals

*1963 – '' The King's Breakfast'' *1964 – ''

'' *1966 – '' Take A Sapphire'' *1966 – ''

On the Level ''On the Level'' is the eighth studio album by English rock band Status Quo. It features Francis Rossi, Richard Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan. The album's cover art features band members in an Ames room, and on the original vinyl rel ...

'' *1970 – ''

Sing A Rude Song Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung accompaniment, wi ...

'' *1975 – '' Nickleby And Me''

References

External links

Ron Grainer website
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Ron Grainer The Australian Years - The European Years blogAll Music Guide to compilation CD with music samples
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grainer, Ron 1922 births 1981 deaths 20th-century Australian male musicians 20th-century Australian musicians 20th-century classical musicians Australian emigrants to the United Kingdom Australian male composers Australian musical theatre composers Australian people of English descent British television composers Neurological disease deaths in England Deaths from cancer in England Deaths from spinal cancer Male television composers Music based on Doctor Who People from Far North Queensland People from Hassocks Royal Australian Air Force airmen Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II Sydney Conservatorium of Music alumni