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New Doctor Who composer revealed for Jodie Whittaker’s first series

New Doctor Who composer revealed for Jodie Whittaker’s first series

Segun Akinola is set to create “a fresh take on the legendary theme tune” as the first new composer the series has had in over a decade

Huw Fullerton

Published: Tuesday, 26 June 2018 at 10:12 pm

While most viewers know that Doctor Who is getting a bit of a makeover with new Time Lord Jodie Whittaker, they may not know that the behind-the-scenes team is changing too, from the writers and producers all the way down to the special effects maestros that make the Tardis fly.

And now the latest new face to join the Doctor Who family has been revealed, with the BBC announcing a brand-new composer who’ll create the score for the new series – Segun Akinola, an alumni of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and a rising star among British composers.

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Akinola has previously worked scoring programmes like Black and British: A Forgotten History, Panorama, The Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed, two-part series Expedition Volcano and various short films, and was part of the BAFTA Breakthrough Brit programme in 2017.

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Now, he’s set to take over the coveted job of Doctor Who composer – and his appointment is particularly momentous given that he’s the first new composer the series has had in over a decade (predecessor Murray Gold stayed in the job from the series’ relaunch in 2005 all the way until last year’s Christmas special).

“Welcome to the Doctor Who family, Segun Akinola!” new Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall said in a release.

Doctor Who composer Segun Akinola

“We’re over the moon Segun's agreed to join us, to provide the score for the next phase of the Doctor Who adventure.

“From our very first conversations, it was obvious Segun was a passionate, collaborative and delightful human being as well as a fantastic and bold composer. We’re looking forward to introducing the world to his exciting and emotional soundtracks for the Thirteenth Doctor.”

“Doctor Who is woven into the fabric of British culture and recognised globally,” Sekinola added.

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“I am absolutely thrilled to be given the privilege of working on such a beloved series and to bring my musical voice to it.”

According to the BBC Akinola will be creating “an exciting and emotional score beckoning in a new era for the show” – but perhaps more excitingly for fans, he’ll also be working on “a fresh take on the legendary theme tune,” something fans have been eagerly anticipating for months.

Overall, then, it’s another fresh face joining the ranks of the revamped Doctor Who, and we couldn’t be more excited to see what he comes up with.

Doctor Who returns to BBC1 this autumn

Authors

Radio Times commissioning editor Huw Fullerton. He sits in front of a shelving unit, looking at the camera and smiling. He wears glasses and has a moustache

Huw FullertonCommissioning editor

Huw Fullerton is a commissioning editor for Radio Times magazine handling comedy, entertainment and specialist drama. In a previous regeneration, he covered all things sci-fi and fantasy for RadioTimes.com.

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