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Dennis McCarthy

Dennis McCarthy

Jay Chattaway and Dennis McCarthy

McCarthy and Jay Chattaway

For the costumer with the same name, please see Dennis McCarthy (costumer).
For the similarly named Starfleet personnel, see Dennis McCarthy (Crewman), or, please see Dennis McCarthy (Captain).

Dennis McCarthy (born 3 July 1945; age 78) is a composer who has written many Star Trek-related musical scores, including the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine main title theme and the Star Trek: Enterprise end credits theme. He also composed the music for Star Trek Generations and many episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise. He scored the pilots and finales of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Enterprise. McCarthy also wrote and conducted the music for the Star Trek: The Experience movie Borg Invasion 4D and the computer game Star Trek: Borg. Some of McCarthy's TNG and DS9 scores were released as part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation Collection, Volume One and the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Collection.

McCarthy was nominated for nine Emmy Awards for his work, winning in the "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music" category for his Deep Space Nine title theme. He also won (or shared) nine ASCAP Awards, all for "Top TV Series" except for his award for Star Trek Generations, which won in the "Top Box Office Films" category.

McCarthy was once a member of Dick Dale's backing band, which came up while he was scoring the episode "Vis à Vis" which featured two Dick Dale tunes, "Night Rider" and "Let's Go Trippin'". Ronald B. Moore suggested the first song and remembered, "I was told that [McCarthy] heard the music and said, 'I used to be a Deltone.' This is a small world. He suggested that they close the show with another Dick Dale song. They got to [do that]." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 103)

McCarthy started his career as music arranger and moved shortly after this to the position of music composer. His first assignment was the television spinoff series Enos (1980-1981), followed by the series Private Benjamin (1982), Gun Shy (1983), Goodnight, Beantown (1983-1984), and The Barbara Mandrell Show. In early 1984, McCarthy was asked to redo the score for the second and the third part of the television mini series V: The Final Battle, just two weeks before the airdate. His successful scoring for V: The Final Battle including the "Visitor March" lent him to the assignment scoring the following television series V (1984-1985) as well as projects such as Trapper John, M.D. (1986), The Love Boat (1986), Mike Hammer (1986), The Colbys (1985-1987), The Twilight Zone (1986-1987), Dynasty (1985-1989), Falcon Crest (1989), and MacGyver (1985-1991).

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Star Trek credits[]

Awards for Star Trek[]

McCarthy received the following awards and nominations for his work on Star Trek:

  • 1989 Emmy Award nomination in the category Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the episode "The Child"
  • 1990 Emmy Award nomination in the category Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the episode "Yesterday's Enterprise"
  • 1991 Emmy Award nomination in the category Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the episode "Half a Life"
  • 1992 Emmy Award nomination in the category Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the episode "Unification I"
  • 1993 Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
  • 1994 Emmy Award nomination in the category Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the episode "All Good Things..."
  • 1995 Emmy Award nomination in the category Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the episode "Heroes and Demons"
  • 1995 ASCAP Award in the category Top TV Series for Star Trek: The Next Generation
  • 1995 ASCAP Award in the category Top Box Office Films for Star Trek Generations
  • 1996 ASCAP Award in the category Top TV Series for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
  • 1997 ASCAP Award in the category Top TV Series for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
  • 1998 ASCAP Award in the category Top TV Series for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, shared with Jay Chattaway
  • 1999 ASCAP Award in the category Top TV Series for Star Trek: Voyager
  • 2000 ASCAP Award in the category Top TV Series for Star Trek: Voyager
  • 2001 Emmy Award nomination in the category Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the episode "Workforce"
  • 2001 ASCAP Award in the category Top TV Series for Star Trek: Voyager, shared with Jay Chattaway and David Bell
  • 2002 ASCAP Award in the category Top TV Series for Star Trek: Enterprise, shared with Jay Chattaway, David Bell, Paul Baillargeon, and Diane Warren
  • 2003 Emmy Award nomination in the category Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the episode "The Expanse"

Star Trek interviews[]

External links[]

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