Sherlock has two theme tunes – the “Main Theme,” which plays over the opening credits, and sounds like this:
– and “Sherlock’s Theme,” which pops up at various points during the show, and sounds like this:
My question is: why on earth do they use the first theme for the opening credits when the second theme is so much cooler?
Because you’re going to end up hearing the second far more often.
This is a really common structure. The credits should be far more rich and immersive, the character theme should be simpler, shorter and more catchy. Limited use and relative uncertainty over when you’ll hear it next makes those little fanfares into a payoff. Compare the Doctor Who credits with 11’s awesome theme that plays when he gets cocky. Or ‘Enterprising Young Men’ in the latest Star Trek…
The jauntiness of the second theme sounds like a really old fashioned BBC production. Who wants that?
As for myself I wondered if the composer had been inspired by Uematsu Nobou.