Person
Peter Howell
Peter Howell (born 1949) is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Howell's musical career began in the…
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Peter Howell (born 1949) is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Howell's musical career began in the late 1960s working with John Ferdinando in various psychedelic folk bands including Agincourt and Ithaca. Howell and Ferdinando recorded five albums before Howell became a member of the Radiophonic Workshop, with which he would remain associated until 1997. His work on Doctor Who began in 1975 when he provided some accompanying incidental music for Revenge of the Cybermen and special sound for Planet of Evil. When John Nathan-Turner became producer of Doctor Who in 1980, he decided that the music needed to be updated and commissioned Howell to provide a new arrangement of the Doctor Who theme to accompany a new title sequence. Howell's new arrangement first appeared in 1980 on The Leisure Hive, for which Howell had also recorded the incidental score, and was used throughout Tom Baker's final season on the programme as well as Peter Davison's tenure as the Doctor and Colin Baker's first season. Between 1980 and 1985 Howell also provided incidental music for ten stories of Doctor Who. In 1986, Nathan-Turner commissioned a new theme arrangement by Dominic Glynn, ending Howell's association with Doctor Who on television. Since 2013 he has been part of the Radiophonic Workshop Band, touring the UK and abroad with Radiophonic archivist Mark Ayres and other former members of the Workshop. In 2021, Howell published his autobiography Radiophonic Times via Obverse Books.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
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2023
Doctor Who at 60: A Musical Celebration
Movie Himself
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2015
Dames of Classic Drama at the BBC
Movie Sound
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2014
Return of the Unknown
Movie Music
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2013
Doctor Who at the Proms
Movie Self
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2008
The Ties That Bind Us
Movie Theme Song Performance
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2004
A New Beginning
Movie
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2004
From Avalon to Argolis
Movie Music
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2003
The Alchemists of Sound
Movie Self
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2003
Adventures in Time and Spain
Movie Music
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1999
Doctor Who: The Curse of Fatal Death
Movie Original Music Composer
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1996
The Ultimate Guide
TV show Music
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1991
The Dream Machine
TV show Original Music Composer
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1990
Agatha Christie - Unfinished Portrait
Movie Music
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1986
Double Image
Movie Music
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1985
Doctor Who: Revelation of the Daleks
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1985
Doctor Who: Timelash
Movie Theme Song Performance
More credits
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1985
Who, Sir? Me, Sir?
TV show Original Music Composer
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1985
Doctor Who: The Two Doctors
Movie Original Music Composer
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1985
Doctor Who: The Mark of the Rani
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1985
Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1985
Doctor Who: Attack of the Cybermen
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1984
Doctor Who: The Twin Dilemma
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1984
Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1984
Doctor Who: Planet of Fire
Movie Original Music Composer
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1984
Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1984
Doctor Who: Frontios
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1984
Doctor Who: The Awakening
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1984
Doctor Who: Warriors of the Deep
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1983
Doctor Who: The Five Doctors
Movie Original Music Composer
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1983
Doctor Who: The King's Demons
Movie Original Music Composer
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1983
Doctor Who: Enlightenment
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1983
Doctor Who: Terminus
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1983
Doctor Who: Mawdryn Undead
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1983
Doctor Who: Snakedance
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1983
Doctor Who: Arc of Infinity
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1982
Doctor Who: Time-Flight
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1982
Doctor Who: Earthshock
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1982
Doctor Who: Black Orchid
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1982
Doctor Who: The Visitation
Movie Theme Song Performance
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1982
Doctor Who: Kinda
Movie Original Music Composer
