BBC has revived its six-part 1996 Dennis Potter series, The Singing Detective, on its BBC4 digital channel. The shows, which were voted #20 in the British Film Institute’s listing of the 100 Best British TV programmes (the shows’ rather better 1978 precursor, Pennies from Heaven, came in at #21), was one of a series in which Potter used popular song dramatically to illustrate episodes from his own life.
Potter’s dramatic use of popular music first came to the screen with Moonlight on the Highway in ITV’s Saturday Night Theatre strand, broadcast in April 1969, centering on a young man’s attempts to blot out memories of the sexual abuse he had suffered as child in his obsession with the music of Al Bowlly. Music also played a significant role in Follow the Yellow Brick Road (1972) and of course the title of Blackeyes (which he directed on 35mm film and narrated, as well as writing the screenplay in 1989), is a reference to the popular Russian song of that name (Ochi chyornye). Other plays using this device were Cream in My Coffee (1980), and Lipstick on Your Collar (1993).
Despite being placed above it in the critics’ poll, Singing Detective, works less well than Pennies from Heaven, mainly because its story of a song plugger is more relevant to the use of period songs. Both were adapted (poorly) in Hollywood productions.
Link to entire show on YouTube
Musical excerpts from The Singing Detective
Dem Bones
Accentuate the Positive
The Teddy-Bear’s Picnic
In comparison: Pennies from Heaven
Al Bowlly and Lew Stone – You Couldn’t Be Cuter
Here is a complete chronological listing of music used in the Singing Detective series:
- “Peg o’ My Heart” – Max Harris& his Novelty Trio (theme song; instrumental)
- “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” – The BBC Dance Orchestra directed by Henry Hall
- “Blues in the Night” – Anne Shelton
- “Dry Bones” – Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians
- “Rockin’ in Rhythm” – The Jungle Band (Duke Ellingtonand his Famous Orchestra)
- “Cruising Down the River” – Lou Preager Orchestra
- “Don’t Fence Me In” – Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
- “It Might as Well Be Spring” – Dick Haymes
- “Frühlingsrauschen (Rustle of Spring) Op. 32 No. 3” – Sinding
- “Bird Song at Eventide” – Ronnie Ronaldewith Robert Farnon and his Orchestra
- “Paper Doll” – The Mills Brothers
- “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen” – Al Bowlly with The Ray NobleOrchestra
- “Lili Marlene” – Lale Andersen
- “I Get Along Without You Very Well” – Lew Stone Band
- “Do I Worry?” – The Ink Spots
- “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” – Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
- “The Umbrella Man” – Sammy Kayeand his Orchestra
- “You Always Hurt the One You Love” – The Mills Brothers
- “After You’ve Gone” – Al Jolson with Matty Malneck‘s Orchestra and The Four Hits and a Miss
- “It’s a Lovely Day Tomorrow” – Jack Payneand his Orchestra
- “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall” – Ella Fitzgerald & The Ink Spots
- “The Very Thought of You” – Al Bowlly & The Ray NobleOrchestra
- “The Teddy Bear’s Picnic” – The Henry HallOrchestra
- “We’ll Meet Again” – Vera Lynn
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