BBC : Simon , you’ve already made the best theme tune of all time but we need you to jazz it up a bit Simon : Hold my prosecco

Sunday night, ready for school next day, and haven't done my homework....

The speed cruiser at the end of the show on the credits, I fitted the engines!!!!!

"Somebody's nicked my bloody boat!" has to be one of the best closing lines ever.

you couldn't get more 80s than this .... fucking loved it

My God, i'm 33 and when the music started my stomach turned - thinking it was nearly time for school in the morning!! Classic sunday night viewing!

Howards' Way, what a series and Simon May's incredible and uplifting music to accompany it. The opening titles and end credits are superb. I wish we could have the quality of this from the BBC now, but I can see that will probably never happen. So I feel extremely privileged that I had the pleasure of watching Howards' Way on a Sunday night in the late eighties and this music brings back many happy memories for me. I will never tire of Howards' Way as for me it is the best TV series ever made

Oh wow... wow... emotional rollercoaster. I LOVED this programme, and the theme tune (both ends) is bloody brilliant, but it meant the weekend was over and a week of school was about to start. It's a really bittersweet memory. Basically this theme tune taught me that life is a bitch.

"Right, time for bed"

As soon as we heard this we knew it was bedtime..... great song but oh those dreaded Sunday Nights!!! Best time of my life though ..... the 80s tv and theme tunes were the best.

One of The UK's most professional and polished Soaps ever, complemented with a cracking theme tune......

Just beautiful, you couldnt think a perfect theme could be topped but he did with this souped up version. Takes me back to the 80s and childhood

Absolutely love this! Barracuda looks amazing

I just love this...every so often I play it if I'm a bit down....

Really don't know how on Earth I got here but what an absolutely stunning theme. Epic. Hats off to Mr.Simon May for that.

I had the oh shit it’s school tomorrow vibe with this music. Back when I used to watch good TV with my parents. Where did all the banging theme tunes go?

It's like the music bloke went 'you want a closing theme too?!' Just speed up the opening theme and insert sexy jazz music

"Somebody has stolen my boat. Does anyone know who??? Don't have nightmares. Do sleep well. Goodnight"!!!

Juliet Bravo, now there's a blast from the past I wasn't expecting

For anybody that wants to know, this track is called "Barracuda" and is available to buy on iTunes and other mp3 websites (hmv, 7digital etc), it's part of the Simon May Collection.

Oh that theme song it's just beautiful!!!

Utterly fabulous!

...The good old days when Simon May was the "go to" man for TV themes. Uplifting and inspirational, we don't see (or hear) his like today!

the "somebody's nicked my bloody boat" enlightens the mood before the actual music

What an absolutely unbelievable banger, my god

Imagine composing that and hearing it back for the first time. Just wow!

In no way am I humble when I say: Quite simply the best TV song made.

I was 11 when HW first aired in 85. I remember it being on a sunday night and id watch it with my mum and dad. So many people have said the exact same thing in the comments section on other vids regarding HW that when the end creds rolled and u got this fantastic tune and the fantastic boat sequence between the yacht and the cruiser, it meant one thing for Rob, me, it meant bedtime and bloody school in the morning 😩☹️ lol.

Lovely memories - and those were the days when end credits were done PROPERLY! Unlike todays crappy standards of squeezing them to a corner!!

80's at their very best!!! If only we could bring it back.

Now this was proper television escapism. Better than all of the X Factor, I'm a Celebrity shite that they show nowadays. Coming from a working class family, this gave me something to dream about, encouraged me to work hard and get my degree and go on to get a good job, so that I could have money. I even took up sailing years later, thanks to watching Howards' Way, albeit in dingies, not yachts. We need a new series of this show.

Strong beat, mandatory sax, Hammond organ, and the sound of seagulls!

bed time! school tomorrow. teeth brushed and bed. lol haha

"Somebody's nicked my bloody boat!"

This brings back memories of Sunday nights in the 1980s 😊

I used to love Howard's Way. It was the nearest thing we had to Dynasty.

ahh, I miss the 80's sooooo much.

Pure 1980s confidence..big shoulderpads and big hair combined with olde english charm!

Omg Howards Way closing creds was one of the very best if not the best theme tune ever created 😀.

That orchestration in the slightly different key from 0:42. Just spectacular.

If there is one show that should be remade it’s this one.. I bloody loved it

Love this music, can't stop playing this clip. It is such an uplifting theme which matches perfectly the action in the end credits.Absolutely marvellous!!

I used to switch to BBC1 just to catch this end theme. Great tune.

Whenever I see a powerboat bouncing across the waves 🚤 this always comes to mind. Very well filmed, even going to the expense of helicopter shots 🚁. That view off the Needles with the sunlight filling the spinnaker ⛵ is beautiful.

This was my childhood the 80s as i born mid 70s i turned 50 years old two weeks best times ever they were,

It was not until it came onto UK Gold on Sky when I gave it a good go . Could not get enough of it . Took until series three for this version of the music to come . This alone made it worth watching

I'd love to go back to my childhood in the 80s even though I hated school 😕they were the best times 🤗😍

Bloody love this🥰

The theme tune that says "Back to school tomorrow after the summer holidays."

Somebody's nicked my bloody boat

When those end credits rolled I used to think drat time for bed and crummy school tomorrow. A few years ago we went on a rib in the Solent and around the Needles, I couldn't get this jazzy theme out of my head.

Memories of Sunday night and getting ready for school next day

I do wish those wretched continuity announcers would keep quiet while good music plays.

Used to love spending the summers in lower swanwick at the top of the Hamble (tarrent) watching the filming got some great photos and a trip out on barracuda before she sank of bembridge ledge even got my little westerly 21 in a few shots those were the days

Love Love Love it... Thinking of asking it to be played at the end of my funeral.... :)

Sunday night memories watching my late mum idolise Charles frere # happy days x

Unforgettable! Pure, unfiltered 80's aspiration. ...Best theme ever (with the possible exception of Follyfoot) Or Black Beauty....

This music goes well with the speedboat bouncing across the waves

Thank you so much for uploading this video. I used to watch Howards Way in my teens and this was my favourite version of the theme song. This version incidentally is also known as Barracuda (after the Howards' yacht).

Amazing Sunday night viewing, had a rather large crush on lovely Leo. I wonder where they all are now...

Damn you bloody continuity announcer

what a great, catchy tune

That "somebody's nicked my bloody boat always makes me laugh" 😂

i remember to, i feel sad those days are gone forever, very reminiscent indeed.

Brilliant theme tune !

I'm down at moment, depressed, but this always gives me a lift!

love this music

Sunday evenings were never the same after this series ended!! Great version of the theme tune.

this theme tune and ending reminds me of regular family holidays to cornwall we had back then in this era, mid 1980's time.

Loved these, and all we get these days is reality crap!

Some watched Bread.....others watched this!! 😉😉😉😉😉

The inspiration for Fry and Laurie's classic "John and Peter" sketches... "The entire leisure market in the Uttoxeter catchment area goes to the winner. No questions asked."

One of the best them tunes ever written - tremendously up-lifting. And the only drama series in the history of UK television to have over ten million viewers for each of its series.

best tv show... EVER?!?

I never watched the show but was always impressed by the professionalism of the composition and how strong it sounded. A real contender when placed up against some of the American rivals from that era.

Awesome series in a cheesy way. I loved it 😄

Saxophones were all the rage at the end of the eighties.

When ever I go to the Isle of Wight I think of this tune.

love it! Best sundays ever!

That credit ‘Incidental Music by the Simon May Orchestra’ just demonstrates the quality production values. The composer had his own bloody orchestra!

Heavenly

Loved Howards Way we always watched as a family. Happy Days

The tempo change at 1:03 is just awesome. What a theme tune and what a show. Doubt a series would work now,so many major actors arent here sadly, but a one off reunion and round up storyline would be great

I found the bloody boat, it's still in The Hamble, where you left it.

TV music perfection!

Ah, I have great memories of that theme coming on the TV, brillers, thanks for posting!! :)

Brings back memories from long ago. Good fun programme and a really excellent theme tune - cleverly written and complicated.

Holy fukkin shit... blast from the past.

Back when a theme tune was a theme tune! I don't want to be one of these "telly's not what it used to be" people, and there's been some great shows in recent years. But, purely when it comes to music, honestly, can anyone really remember any theme tune of the last 20 years? Certainly nothing as spectacular as this....

Howard’s way is a very good bad soap opera. I’ve only just discovered it and I’m hooked.

Great key change half way through and judicious use of 80s sax.

If anyone wants to track it down on CD, the theme was re-released in 2010 on Simon May's "Eastenders and Other Classic Themes & Songs" (Demon Records, EDSD 2099)

As soon as I heard this I knew it was bath then bed

80stastic

Right! Quick bath then you can watch That's Life

Strange story however the Power Cruiser at the end of the Show was built by Fletcher powerboats at Cannock Staffordshire UK at the time of this series of Howards Way I did a part time job as a marine engine fitter and the boat in the film trailer/credits was a Zingaro 28 and I fitted the engines controls and out drive if I remember properly the boat was fitted with Volvo Penta engines with Duo Prop z Drives!

This is actually called 'Barracuda' and was recorded in 1986 for the album 'Simon's Way' which contained many bits of incidental music from Howards' Way. If you can track it down (on CD) this track sounds amazing in full resolution stereo.

Nice one! More please....

Just before Bread on BBC1 on a Sunday night

I nicked his boat.