The life and work of George Fenton (1949–2026), composer of Gandhi, Dangerous Liaisons, Groundhog Day and The Blue Planet.
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Dashed right edge = still ongoing
George Fenton 20
1949George Fenton born in BromleyGeorge Fenton is born George Richard Ian Howe in Bromley, Kent.
1968George Fenton takes his stage name in Forty Years OnActing in Alan Bennett's Forty Years On alongside John Gielgud, George Howe adopts his mother's maiden name Fenton — Equity already had a George Howe.
1974George Fenton scores the RSC Twelfth NightGeorge Fenton's first major commission: composer and musical director for Peter Gill's Royal Shakespeare Company production of Twelfth Night in Stratford-upon-Avon.
1976George Fenton's first television score, Hitting TownGeorge Fenton writes his first television score, for Peter Gill's production of Stephen Poliakoff's Hitting Town.
1981George Fenton writes the Bergerac themeGeorge Fenton composes the theme for the BBC detective series Bergerac, which runs until 1991.
1982George Fenton scores GandhiGeorge Fenton scores Richard Attenborough's Gandhi with Ravi Shankar, earning his first Oscar nomination. The same year brings his first BAFTA TV Award.
1984George Fenton scores The Jewel in the CrownGeorge Fenton writes the music for Granada's serial The Jewel in the Crown.
1987George Fenton scores Cry FreedomGeorge Fenton and Jonas Gwangwa score Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom, Oscar-nominated for both score and song.
1988George Fenton scores Dangerous LiaisonsGeorge Fenton's score for Stephen Frears's Dangerous Liaisons earns an Oscar nomination.
1990George Fenton scores The Trials of LifeGeorge Fenton's first natural history series: David Attenborough's The Trials of Life.
1991George Fenton scores The Fisher KingGeorge Fenton's score for Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King earns his fifth Oscar nomination.
1993George Fenton scores Life in the FreezerGeorge Fenton scores David Attenborough's Antarctic series Life in the Freezer.
1993"Groundhog Day" released in theatersBill Murray comedy popularizes the time-loop narrative device"Groundhog Day," starring Bill Murray as a cynical weatherman who relives the same day repeatedly, opened in US theaters to critical acclaim. The film's premise became so culturally embedded that "Groundhog Day" entered common usage as a phrase for a repetitive situation. It is now widely regarded as one of the best comedies of the 1990s.
1994George Fenton scores The Madness of King GeorgeGeorge Fenton scores Nicholas Hytner's The Madness of King George, the first of many collaborations with Hytner.
1998George Fenton scores You've Got MailGeorge Fenton scores Nora Ephron's You've Got Mail, the same year as Ever After.
2001George Fenton scores The Blue PlanetGeorge Fenton's score for the BBC series The Blue Planet wins a BAFTA and an Emmy.
2006George Fenton scores Planet EarthGeorge Fenton's score for the BBC series Planet Earth wins a BAFTA and an Emmy.
2006George Fenton scores The Wind That Shakes the BarleyGeorge Fenton scores Ken Loach's Palme d'Or winner The Wind That Shakes the Barley — one of 18 Loach films he scored.
2023George Fenton scores Wild IslesGeorge Fenton scores the BBC series Wild Isles, presented by David Attenborough.
2026George Fenton dies in LondonGeorge Fenton dies unexpectedly in London, aged 76.