The Music

(emotional orchestral music) - Hi, I'm Sanjeev Bhaskar, I play Sunny Khan in "Unforgotten" and I'm here at the world famous Abbey Road Studios.

(gentle orchestral music) - Ah, thank you, thank you for coming along.

- [Sanjeev] There we go.

Ah, fantastic.

We are in the legendary Studio 2, so this is hallowed ground for, particularly I'm wearing a Beatles T-shirt at the moment.

- Oh, yes, yeah exactly, it's compulsory.

- [Sanjeev] I have never been to a session before.

It's been such a privilege to sit in.

- This is the best bit of the job.

It's so, so, so remarkable.

I always think it's like Fantasy Football League, because these are the finest players in the world, got the leader of the opera house orchestra and the first cello from this orchestra, so these are extraordinary players.

- [Sanjeev] What surprised me was just how many changes you could still make within it.

- I love the contribution that you get from the musicians and if you can be open enough to have fun and to enjoy it, then they will suggest things that are better, every time.

I do what's called a mock-up.

I mean, they're pretty good now, the technology we've got, so it sounds pretty decent but it doesn't sound like this.

This is so much more emotional and less is hugely more.

A single note played on the computer is offensively dull, it's just like the worst thing (groans) and there's nothing in it at all.

But then when you get in the room with the players, a single note will break your heart.

(sad orchestral music) Where you start and where you stop are the most important things in this, in music for film and TV.

What the music's doing is illuminating the hidden life of what's happening on screen so, often, it can start when a thought starts.

- [John] Right, I'll speak to you later.

I'll let you know how it went.

- Oh God sorry, of course, good luck.

- Thanks, have a good day.

(introspective music) - John, do I seem angry all the time?

- Not all time, no.

- (laughs) I'm sorry.

- It's all good.

See you later, love you.

- And by sort of getting in there, somehow you kind of frame that emotional response.

You have discussions early on with Andy, our wonderful director, and producers, and Chris and everybody, so really there's a lot of tinkering about until the first cut of the first episode lands.

What I do is I try and let myself feel what the characters are feeling.

On something that's great, like "Unforgotten" it's all in there.

It's just extraordinary drama.

- What a privilege to watch these phenomenal musicians and what was incredible was just realizing just how much live musicians, and really good live musicians, give to that process.

They play the emotions differently in the scene.

An amazing thing to experience and actually surprisingly emotional.

(emotional orchestral music)