The Archers Rich (piano) and Norman Parker (percussion). Robert Robinson once compared the tune to "the genteel abandon of a lifelong teetotaller who has suddenly taken to drink". On April Fool's Day 2004 both "The Independent" and "The Today Programme" claimed that BBC executives had commissioned composer Brian Eno to record an electronic version of "Barwick Green" as a replacement for the current theme, while comedian Billy Connolly included in his act the joke that the theme was so typically British that it should be the national anthem of the United Kingdom. In 2009, comedian Rainer Hersch conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra in
The Science Fiction Radio Show from the raw interview tapes, spliced them into the recorded script, added theme music and segues, and mailed the finished product off to Longhorn, Any radio station in the country could subscribe to the show through Longhorn and many did. The Longhorn Radio Network estimated that between 100,000 to 200,000 persons a week heard the program. "The Science Fiction Radio Show" had clear educational value. For newcomers, it provided an introduction to a vital literature of their time. For hardcore fans, it supplied insights and background to what they were reading in books and magazines or seeing on the screen.