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Dudley Simpson

Dudley Simpson

Composer · Died November 4, 2017, aged 95 · Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Dudley George Simpson (4 October 1922 – 4 November 2017) was an Australian composer and conductor. He was the Principal Conductor of the Royal Opera House orchestra for three years and worked as a composer on British television. He worked on the BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who, for which he composed incidental music during the 1960s and 1970s. When Simpson died aged 95 in 2017, The Guardian wrote that he was "at his most prolific as the creator of incidental music for Doctor Who in the 1960s and 1970s, contributing to 62 stories over almost 300 episodes – more than any other composer." Among his television work was the music for Moonstrike (1963), theme music for The Last of the Mohicans (1971), theme music for The Brothers (1972), The Tomorrow People (1973), Moonbase 3 (1973), The Ascent of Man (1973) and Blake's 7 (1978). He also composed music for several plays from the BBC Television Shakespeare series.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 4, 1922
Died
November 4, 2017 (aged 95)
From
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Works as
Composer
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 112 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Up 26% in 30 days

What are Dudley Simpson's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
26%
Bonds
24%
Morality
16%
Power
15%
Survival
12%
Society
7%
Romantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 3 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 2 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 0 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 0 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Melancholic
5
Dread
2
Hopeful
3
Bittersweet
2
Other
4

How their films linger

Hopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic1

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 Dudley Simpson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Dudley Simpson'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

112 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.

  • The War Games in Colour(2024)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Composer

  • Tales of the Tardis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Evil of the Daleks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Macra Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Composer

  • The ROH Live: The Dream / Symphonic Variations / Marguerite and Armand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Orchestrator

  • Warriors of Mars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Composer

  • Oh Mummy! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Composer

  • The Good Doctor Bodkin-Adams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Composer

  • Blake's 7: Aftermath (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Composer

  • Blake's 7: Duel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Composer

  • Blake's 7: Orac (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Composer

  • Oliver Twist(1985)

    Show 12 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Blake's 7: The Beginning(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Titus Andronicus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Composer · Conductor

  • Love Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Composer

  • Goodbye Mr Chips (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • Amy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Composer · Music Editor

  • Richard III(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Dombey & Son(1983)

    Show 10 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • The First Part of Henry the Sixth(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Stalky & Co (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • The Winter's Tale(1981)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Sense and Sensibility(1981)

    Show 7 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Hamlet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Horns of Nimon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Nightmare of Eden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Creature from the Pit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: City of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Composer

  • The Legend of King Arthur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 8 episodes · Composer

  • Doctor Who: Destiny of the Daleks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Power of Kroll (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Androids of Tara (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Stones of Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Pirate Planet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Composer

  • The Lost Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Composer

  • The Lost Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Ribos Operation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Invasion of Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Underworld (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Composer

  • Blake's 7(1978)

    Show 52 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 4 episodes · Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Sun Makers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Image of the Fendahl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Invisible Enemy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Horror of Fang Rock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Composer

  • Target (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 17 episodes · Main Title Theme Composer

  • Whose Doctor Who (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Actor

  • Doctor Who: The Talons of Weng-Chiang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Composer · as Conductor (uncredited)

  • Doctor Who: The Robots of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Face of Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Deadly Assassin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Hand of Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Masque of Mandragora (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Android Invasion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Planet of Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer

  • Madame Bovary(1975)

    Show 4 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Sontaran Experiment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Ark in Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Robot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer

  • The Venturers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 10 episodes · Composer

  • Microbes and Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Monster of Peladon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Invasion of the Dinosaurs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Time Warrior (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Composer

  • Moonbase 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Green Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Composer

  • The Legend of Hell House(1973)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who: Planet of the Daleks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Frontier in Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Composer

  • A Little Princess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • Doctor Who: Carnival of Monsters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Three Doctors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Time Monster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Curse of Peladon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Day of the Daleks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Dæmons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • The Last Witness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Colony in Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • To Lay a Ghost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Claws of Axos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Terror of the Autons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • The Last of the Mohicans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 8 episodes · Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Ambassadors of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The War Games (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Space Pirates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Seeds of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Fury from the Deep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Composer

  • The Portrait of a Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer · Conductor

  • Doctor Who: The Ice Warriors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Composer

  • Boy Meets Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 24 episodes · Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Evil of the Daleks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Macra Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Underwater Menace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Composer

  • The Fastest Draw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Composer

  • The Last Invasion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Composer

  • The Dead Past (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Composer

  • Out of the Unknown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 4 episodes · Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Chase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Composer

  • Londoners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

  • Doctor Who: The Crusade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who: Planet of Giants (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Composer

  • Doctor Who(1963)

    Show 219 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Moonstrike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 8 episodes · Composer

Career shape

A full career of 112 titles from 1963 to 2024.

Highest rated

The Legend of Hell House (1973)

Midcredits 69th

Most popular right now

Sense and Sensibility (1981)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 112: 1 only acting, 1 with another roleMusic110 of 112: 106 only music, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score76thOther crew4 of 112: 1 only other crew, 3 with another role

112 titles, 4 with more than one role — music and other crew overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1960s21 · crew1970s65 · 2 acting · 64 crew1980s18 · crew2000s1 · crew2010s3 · crew2020s4 · crew

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 Dudley Simpson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 83rd percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 86th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Approval · how many liked their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Reach · how many have seen their films

22ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Midcredits score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 12 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · composer

Blake's 7: The Beginning (1985)

72nd percentile spread · 20% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

Richard III (1983)

Midcredits 93rd · 83% liked

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.

Who does Dudley Simpson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Dudley Simpson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Rodney Bennett shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Editors

Producers