Inspector Morse was a huge hit for ITV – and now the detective drama’s catchy theme tune has been voted the nation’s favourite.
The dark, hypnotic theme tune was composed by Australian-born Barrington Pheloung.
And 34 years after its debut on screen, the theme tune has been voted the nation’s favourite in a new Classic FM TV Music Countdown poll in partnership with Radio Times.
Tens of thousands of votes were cast by the station’s listeners and readers of the magazine and RadioTimes.com.
Top shows Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones and Wolf Hall all featured in the top five theme tunes, but it was Barrington’s theme which scooped the top gong.
Barrington sadly died in 2019, but his widow Heather Pheloung thanked all the fans of the show for voting for the theme tune.
“Thank you to everyone who voted for the Inspector Morse theme and Lewis theme,” said Heather.
“I am sure Barry would have been overjoyed and honoured that the Inspector Morse theme has been chosen as the UK’s No.1 favourite TV theme of all time.
“It is such incredible news. I know he would have been quite humbled to be receiving this accolade given the many great, iconic TV themes that have been written for UK television. “
“For Barry, writing music was a way he could bring joy and love to people, his music came from the heart, and composing music and bringing it to life with his colleagues and friends was his passion."
Heather added: “The huge success of Inspector Morse, followed by Lewis and then Endeavour, allowed him to do what he loved in life, which he was always very grateful for.
“Barry regularly listened to Classic FM, and for him to receive the support and love from the Classic FM listeners is very special, and it makes me think of Barry with a lovely, beaming smile on his face.
“Barry’s children and I are so very proud of him.”
Actor Kevin Whately starred as Robert Lewis in both Inspector Morse and Lewis.
And he was understandably proud-as-punch that the show won the prestigious award, especially over three decades after it was first broadcast.
“It’s wonderful that the listeners of Classic FM and Radio Times readers have chosen music from Inspector Morse for this accolade and that Lewis is also in the top 20,” said Kevin.
“It was a privilege to be involved in the making of these programmes, and it’s an honour to the memory of Barry to know that it has such a place in people’s hearts.
“The theme was carefully produced to reflect Inspector Morse’s character, which was threaded throughout the music with an incredible attention to detail.”
Radio Times Co-Editor Shem Law commented: “It comes as no surprise that Barrington Pheloung’s haunting theme for the landmark ITV series Inspector Morse has won Classic FM’s TV Music Countdown with Radio Times.
“It is a show our readers still love, and watch, the theme music set the bar for Sunday night murder mysteries and is still a classic of the genre.”
Aram Khachaturian’s theme tune for Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia, from the ballet Spartacus, was voted the nation’s second most popular choice, having been used in the TV drama The Onedin Line.
Period dramas Downton Abbey (John Lunn), Games of Thrones (Ramin Djawadi) and Wolf Hall (Debbie Wiseman) completed the top five line-up.
Theme tunes for Band of Brothers, Pride and Prejudice, Poldark, Blue Planet 2, Doctor Who and The Vicar of Dibley also featured in the top 20 list of the nation’s favourites, as did Thunderbirds, Miss Marple and Brideshead Revisited.
