14 Mar Sync of the week: Revivals and Reboots
Every now and again a reboot of a previously successful TV series becomes too tempting for a network in dire need of a hit. Some work, many fail. Nevertheless, we’ve decided to discuss a couple of them briefly here (one recently aired, one due soon’ish). Let’s start with this mind-bender of old that is being dusted off as we speak:
Twin Peaks (Showtime)
Composer: Angelo Badalamenti
Badalamenti’s theme tune for Twin Peaks runs like a still nervously twitching vein through the lives of most of us that were watching TV in the early 90s. I remember recording and listening to the track on its own merits because of the tremendous atmosphere it exuded. Badalamenti even (some say naturally) won a Grammy for the track. It has repeatedly been hailed as a supreme example & model of how perfectly music can fit to content. In 2011 director David Lynch put out the so-called Twin Peaks Archives, a collection of previously unused and unreleased tracks from the series, adding to the addictive mystery.
Now a follow up is being filmed with Badalamenti back in the composer’s seat, and David Lynch with a firm grip on the directing reins. Well if anyone can reboot something that is sure to be Lynch, and especially with such a unique series. However, there are rumors of Lynch perhaps having pulled out, which would immediately put the revival on iffy ground. What is going to happen? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
X-Files (Fox)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1SmJUBT5q0
Music Supervisor: Tricia Halloran
The whistling sound of this theme tune is eerie enough to give you a good dollop of the emotions to be encountered within the context of the program. Well at least this was the case initially with the X-Files. It somehow managed to be both cheeky and freaky at the same time. Yet, it gradually dwindled into something quite different. With a few years rest, we were hoping that it would fare better. But has it? After just having finished showing here in Ireland all I guess we can say is: not really. (Although we must point out that the music supervision end of things holds up very well this time around thanks to Tricia Halloran). So I guess the next query would be: has this been the final final installment then? Well, no matter how great the chemistry is between Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny we think that this must be it. There are so many other things out there in the universe that need their, and our, attention. Surely.