A Shadow behind TV’s classic tunes

MENTION here last week of shows whose theme tunes were the most memorable thing about them brought a flood of mail.

Grange Hill was a great series but did you know its jaunty theme tune is officially called Chicken Man and did double duty as the theme for Give Us a Clue when Michael Aspel was at the helm? It was written by ex Shadows keyboard man Alan Hawkshaw, who also penned the music for Channel 4 News and the Countdown theme.

I find it increasingly hard to tell today’s Top Ten apart but I can hum all the Hawkshaw TV classics – bet you can too!