10. Red Riding Trilogy (Andy Johnston/Dickon Hinchliffe/Barrington Pheloung)
Red Riding, a sequence of three interconnected feature-length storylines set in 1974, 1980 and 1983 Yorkshire respectively (and based on David Peace's Red Riding Quartet books) is probably the least known of the shows on this list. It is an utterly exceptional crossbreed of surreal abstraction and social realist aesthetics, and its three soundtracks are so evocative and mood-defining that anyone interested in TV scores should seek them out. 1974's score, composed by Andy Johnston, is the most romantic and mournful of the three. Given that the episode is largely based around a convoluted love triangle, that is understandable. It's a beautiful set of music that complements the story perfectly. 1983, by Barrington Pheloung, is contrastingly upbeat - it's much lighter (although there are bleak moments) in a deliberate clash with the dark revelations and cover-ups that are exposed throughout the final episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C92M6JJ3534 The strongest, though, is 1980's score by Dickon Hinchliffe (which was latterly released by the Blackest Ever Black label). A sinister, "evil" score, it totally amplifies the horrifying events that mark the middle episode out as the darkest of the three. This is discomfiting listening that perfectly matches the stalking Yorkshire Ripper documented in 1980. Seek it out, and make sure you watch the show if you haven't already seen it.