In 1960 Grainer achieved public recognition with his theme and incidental music for the TV series "Maigret." When "Maigret" was given the Ivor Novello "Outstanding Composition for Film, TV or Radio" award in 1961, commissions from a wide range of genres poured in: "Goon Show" silliness ("It's a Square World", 1961), one-off pilots ("Comedy Playhouse"), documentaries ("Terminus", 1961), kitchen sink drama ("A Kind of Loving"), quirky domestic sitcoms ("Steptoe and Son" 1962), classic serials ("Oliver Twist" 1962), teen films ("Some People" 1962), late night satire ("That Was The Week That Was", 1962), outpost angst ("Station Six Sahara", 1962), ballet ("The King's Breakfast", 1963), science fiction ("Doctor Who", 1963), psycho killers ("Night Must Fall", 1964), children's adventure stories ("The Moon Spinners", 1964), patriotic biography ("The Finest Hours", 1964), big-budget musicals ("Robert and Elizabeth", 1964), unusual love stories ("Boy Meets Girl", 1967), acclaimed dramas "To Sir, with Love" (1967), allegorical social commentary ("The Prisoner", 1967) and crime-caper movies ("Only When I Larf", 1968). Grainer also worked with the instrumental group The Eagles, who recorded a number of his themes.