Inside the Human Body
[4x60min BBC1, 2011] Executive Producer: Andrew Cohen, Series Producer: Alice Harper
I recently finished writing the score for this great four part series for the BBC, which explores the inner workings of the human body from conception to death. Combining human stories with a lot of amazing biology, the series is presented by ex-doctor Michael Mosley.
Fierce battles between phagocytes and bacteria taking place within us on a daily basis are dramatically brought to life with amazing CGI. It was a pleasure to write music to incredible shots of blood surging around the body, sperm on their perilous journey towards the egg, or the workings of the inner ear, but also the human stories, including that of Gerald, an 84-year-old man who allowed himself to be filmed in the final moments of his life.
The score ranges from intimate acoustic lofi tracks to epic cinematic pieces. The orchestral cues were recorded with a live orchestra at Abbey Road, which was, as ever, a fantastic experience. The lovely Simon Whiteside conducted the players and the session was engineered by Andrew Dudman.
Thank you to the people who have already emailed me about getting hold of the soundtrack for the series. At the moment there are no plans to do this. However, if there is enough interest in it, I may be able to persuade the BBC to make a digital release of the music, so do get in touch if you are interested. This is what happened on my earlier show, Richard Hammond’s Invisible Worlds, for which a soundtrack will soon be available.
I have uploaded several video clips from the series, so take a look at them below:
If you did miss out on the series, I really recommend it. Unfortunately it’s been taken off iPlayer now, but there’s always Amazon! The critical response to Inside the Human Body has been brilliant and it was made Choice or Pick of Day in every newspaper. Here are a selection of quotes…
The Times: “It is hard to see how Michael Mosley’s new series about the human body could be bettered. With the help of sophisticated imaging technology, it succeeds in being admirably clear and entertaining without talking down to the viewer. “
The Mirror: “Michael Mosley’s superb new series.”
Independent: “The birds and the bees have never been explained like this before. Seen in this sort of detail human conception looks strangely beautiful as well as monumentally unlikely.”
The Observer: “Packed with surprising facts and far more exciting than any biology textbook.”
The Guardian: “Fascinating and brilliantly informative. The science is remarkable but the human angle even more so.”
Express: “I like a good travel show and this one takes us on a particularly intriguing journey.” Five stars.
Radio Times: ”I doubt you’ve ever seen the story of a baby’s development, from fertilisation to birth, told this well.”
TV Times: “We all might think we’re clued up on the birds and the bees but this is wonderfully educational and really quite magical.”
For people who understand these things, the second episode of the series (’First to Last’) had the highest Audience Appreciation figures for any programme in any genre on the BBC so far in 2011. I think that means lots of people said they enjoyed it.