We caught up with Sam Watts, composer of the gorgeous music on The Sarah Jane Adventures, to ask him a few questions:


What's the best thing about working on The Sarah Jane Adventures?

There are two things that tie for the best thing but they're linked. The first is the team. The cast, crew, directors and producers are fantastic. They all make it so much fun to work on. The second is the end product, which because of the work of everyone is something to be hugely proud of. It also makes my job easier. Because they all get it right, I don't really have much work to do. I just need to enforce what's already there.

What has been your favourite piece that you've written for the show?

I'm not sure. I think there are four. The first is called "The Inner Circle" and is from The Secret of the Stars. It's a long piece that goes across the scene where SJ and Clyde and Rani and Luke go into the theatre to defeat Trueman.

The second is called "The Ultimate Sacrifice" and is from The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith. It's the cue where SJ says goodbye to her parents before they drive off to their deaths. I love that scene and Lis Sladen's performance makes me cry every time.

The third is called "Playtime is Over" and is from The Mad Woman in the Attic. It's the piece that covers the scene where Eve goes outside and loses control of her powers. I love it for a number of reasons; it's the closest thing to a perfect cue I've written, it works so well for the scene. Also, it uses a theme written by my brother Dan who also works on the show and it's a great example of how our music complements each other.

The last piece is from the same episode. It's very short and very simple and is called "I Won't Become Like That". It's where Rani has been shown her future and swears to Eve that she won't let her future turn out that way. It's just piano, cello and strings but it really sits well with Anjli Mohindra's performance.

Do you ever get to hang out with other people working on the production, or are you mostly just in a room by yourself?

I do get a little time with others. Mostly the producers and directors but also the fantastic sound team.

How do you approach writing the score for each episode? Do you have any rituals for when you're working?

I don't really have any rituals but it tends to work in the same way. I'll watch the episode on my own to start getting ideas then sit down with the director and editor and talk through with them what we're aiming for with the score (this is called a Spotting Session). I then work through the episode from start to finish.

Who's your favourite character in the show?

I love Clyde and Rani. Their comedy banter is always great.

What do you think should happen in Series 4?

Well, I know a few things that do happen so I can't really make up my own ideas.

What's the episode you're most proud to have worked on, and which is your favourite just to watch?

That's a tough question. I'm proud of different episodes for different reasons. I'm probably most proud of The Mad Woman in the Attic because I think it's my best score.

I'd probably say that Prisoner of the Judoon and The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith are my favourites just to watch. The former is such a good fun romp, fast paced and really enjoyable and the latter is a great mixture of fun, comedy and proper story telling with real emotion and heart, it really showcases what the show is all about.

How did you get into composing? What tips would you give young people who want to get into writing music for television and films?

I started writing music in secondary school. We had to do it for GCSEs and I found I really liked it. So I went to university to study and happened to meet the composer George Fenton, who very kindly gave me a job. The rest, as they say, is history.

Apart from your work on SJA, what work are you most proud of? What did you enjoy the most?

I actually think that SJA is the thing I'm most proud of. Planet Earth was an amazing experience but I was only a very very small part of that. SJA really allows me to have fun with the music, the stories are great and the team are great fun.

Are you working on anything at the moment? What's coming up? What would you like to be doing in the future?

I'm not working on anything at the moment, there are a couple of things lined up for next year. I'm always looking for new projects to work on, I like variety and to stretch myself professionally.


Thanks very much to Sam for taking the time to answer our questions! If you want to know more about him, check out his website here.