Beethovens of the Small Screen - Pop Goes Bach

Television has lost stock recently. Falling advertising revenues and miniscule budgets mean that it is cheap, dominated by quizzes, reality shows and phone ins where money can be recouped.

These cuts in budget are not just evident in what comes on screen, but also in the music used. These days, television rarely has its own music, but instead buys hits from music companies.

In the glory days of course, British television had its own composers. They created music that is instantly recognisable, taut and perfectly made. This week, we celebrate those Beethovens of the small screen, the classic tunes of British television.

We start with the irrepressible "Ski Sunday" by Sam Fonteyn, otherwise known as "Pop Goes Bach" because it resembles Fugue in D Minor. Fonteyn made it a Frug in D Minor. The BBC still show "Ski Sunday" but they've buggered up the theme by making it modern. Gah. And Alberto Tomba, aka "Tomba La Bomba" aka Tomba the Bomb aka the greatest slalom skier of all time isn't in it anymore, which is a shame. Both theme and man exist in perfect harmony. Tomba flinging himself down the mountains of Austria to this theme still lingers in the memory.