British long-running series, Doctor Who, is getting a revamp and a Nigerian composer has been picked to be a part of that change. The time-travelling series has picked British-Nigerian Segun Akinola to do the score for its iconic theme song.
He would be taking over from Murray Gold who has been composing te score since the show’s revival in 2005. With this new direction it is taking – the first time a woman would play the title role- a new twist and take on the score has been called for.
Akinola, an alumnus of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and a part of the BAFTA ‘Breakthrough Brit’ program in 2017, will score all 10 episodes of season 11, and also put his personal touch to the theme song.
Speaking with BBC about working on the upcoming season, Akinola said:
“‘Doctor Who’ is woven into the fabric of British culture and recognised globally.
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 show’s new runner, Cris Chibnall, Akinola’s previous work on shows like David Olusoga’s four-part documentary series, Black and British: A Forgotten History and Shola Amoo’s 2016 debut feature film, A Moving Image, are what attracted him.
Chibnall said:
“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.”
For a young prodigy also holds on-screen composition credits for the currently airing Expedition Volcano, as well as movies A Moving Image and Dear My Shakespeare.
We bid in Godspeed as he adds another feather to his cap.