Howard Goodall was educated at New College School, Stowe School and Lord Williams's School. A boy chorister, he studied music at Christ Church, Oxford, where he achieved a First. He became known to the public for composing the theme tunes to popular BBC comedy series such as The Black Adder (1983), Red Dwarf (1988) and The Vicar of Dibley (1994). He has also presented educational programmes on music, such as 20th Century Greats (2004) and Sgt Pepper's Musical Revolution with Howard Goodall (2017). He is particularly noted as an expert on the music of The Beatles.
Read moreShow less
Biography from IMDb.
- May 26, 1958 (68)
- Bromley, England, UK
- Composer and actor
- 15 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
What are Howard Goodall's films like?
Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 1 · Earnest 11
Light 11 · Serious 0 · Dark 2
Grounded 10 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1
Gentle 8 · Charged 5 · Intense 0
Steady 10 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 5
A split, not a type: Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1
Casual 9 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 11 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 1
Resolved 13 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy10
- Bittersweet3
- Ambiguous1
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Howard Goodall's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on BritBox (3).
- BritBox
Subscription and free streaming for Howard Goodall's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
37 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 13 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Red Dwarf: The Promised Doc (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Red Dwarf: The Promised Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Diamonds are a Bean's Best Friend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
The Spa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
QI (SE) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Into the Storm(2009)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Red Dwarf: Back to Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Mr. Bean's Holiday(2007)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
How Music Works with Howard Goodall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
20th Century Greats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Don't Drop the Coffin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Red Dwarf A–Z (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
The Gathering Storm(2002)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Songs of Praise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Big Bangs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Blackadder: Back & Forth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Bean(1997)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
The Story of Bean(1997)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Rowan Atkinson Live: Invisible Drum Kit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Rowan Atkinson Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Bernard and the Genie(1991)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Mr. Bean Takes an Exam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Mr. Bean Goes to a Première (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
No Job for a Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Mr. Bean(1990)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Red Dwarf(1988)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
What If I'm Gay? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Murder by the Book(1986)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
The Black Adder(1983)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Dead on Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
The Candidate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 35 titles, 34 of them dated from 1983 to 2023.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Howard Goodall's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 80th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 77th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up10
- 50th to 74th4
- 25th to 49th1
Shape of the crowd
8 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved6
- Crowd Pleaser8
- Mixed1
Reviewers score the sound and music 65/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 70, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Howard Goodall's work okay for kids?
Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run lighter than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Howard Goodall work with?
People who share at least 2 of Howard Goodall's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Rowan Atkinson shares the most, 10.
Directors
- Paul WeilandShared titles: Bernard and the Genie (1991), Mr. Bean (1990)See all 2 shared titles with Paul Weiland
Writers
- Richard CurtisShared titles: Blackadder: The Lost Pilot (2023), Happy Birthday Mr Bean (2021), Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008), Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007), Bean (1997), Bernard and the Genie (1991), Mr. Bean (1990), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988), The Black Adder (1983)See all 9 shared titles with Richard Curtis
- Robin DriscollShared titles: Happy Birthday Mr Bean (2021), Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007), Bean (1997), The Story of Bean (1997), Mr. Bean (1990)See all 5 shared titles with Robin Driscoll
- Rowan AtkinsonShared titles: Blackadder: A Cunning Story (2023), Happy Birthday Mr Bean (2021), Johnny English Strikes Again (2018), Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008), Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007), Bean (1997), Bernard and the Genie (1991), Mr. Bean (1990), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988), The Black Adder (1983)See all 10 shared titles with Rowan Atkinson
- Ben EltonShared titles: Blackadder: The Lost Pilot (2023), Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008), Mr. Bean (1990), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988)See all 4 shared titles with Ben Elton
Actors
- Tony RobinsonShared titles: Blackadder: The Lost Pilot (2023), Happy Birthday Mr Bean (2021), Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008), The Story of Bean (1997), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988), The Black Adder (1983)See all 6 shared titles with Tony Robinson
- Matilda ZieglerShared titles: Happy Birthday Mr Bean (2021), The Story of Bean (1997), Mr. Bean (1990)See all 3 shared titles with Matilda Ziegler
- Jim BroadbentShared titles: Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008), The Gathering Storm (2002), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988)See all 3 shared titles with Jim Broadbent
- David MitchellShared titles: Blackadder: The Lost Pilot (2023), Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008)See all 2 shared titles with David Mitchell
Producers
- Eric FellnerShared titles: Johnny English Strikes Again (2018), Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007), Bean (1997)See all 3 shared titles with Eric Fellner
- Tim BevanShared titles: Johnny English Strikes Again (2018), Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007), Bean (1997)See all 3 shared titles with Tim Bevan
- Peter Bennett-JonesShared titles: Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007), Bean (1997), The Story of Bean (1997)See all 3 shared titles with Peter Bennett-Jones
- John LloydShared titles: Blackadder: The Lost Pilot (2023), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988), The Black Adder (1983)See all 3 shared titles with John Lloyd
