Back in 2020, just before the world went absolutely bonkers, I stumbled upon a TV series that began and ended before I was even born; that I never got to watch as I grew up, and that I had never even heard mentioned before. This TV show was the brainchild of a man who was a legend when it came to British television, having created or written episodes for shows such as The Avengers; The Champions, Bugs and many, many, MANY more!
The lockdown gave me the chance to become well-acquainted with this show, and I have to say it made a very difficult time a lot less stressful. And from the very first episode, Lady Killer, I was well and truly hooked! I am of course talking about Thriller - the show with opening credits more sinister and unnerving than that of Tales of the Unexpected, and with more famous faces than Madame Tussauds. Welcome to the wonderful world of Brian Clemens's Thriller...
This month, this wonderful TV anthology series with it's well crafted, though macabre and sinister storylines has reached the grand old age of fifty. Yes it was fifty years ago that British viewers first heard those haunting strains of the Thriller theme tune as they settled down to watch a brand new series that dealt with tales of mystery, intrigue and suspense, and was a forerunner for the hugely popular and not too dissimilar Tales of the Unexpected which first aired in 1979.
As someone who is a huge fan of anthologies; seventies TV, and the mystery and suspense genre, why it took me so long to discover this huge bar of TV gold is a bit of a mystery in itself! A collection of self-contained episodes where - as the title of the show suggests - each story revolves around themes of murder, crime, suspense or the supernatural. The first episode I ever watched was the gripping Lady Killer starring Barbara Feldon and Robert Powell - in a role as far removed from Jesus of Nazareth as you could get! Powell played the charming con artist and killer, Paul Tanner, who has a chilling motive for marrying a shy, seemingly naïve, young American tourist, Jenny Frifth. As the opening episode to the first ever Thriller series, it didn't disappoint at all and from that moment on, it became my latest seventies TV addiction!
I can't put my finger on why it is that I absolutely love Thriller. Perhaps it's the trip back to the seventies. Or because mystery and suspense is my thang! Or maybe it's the tantalizingly well- written storylines. The superb acting maybe? (Who said 'wooden'? How very dare you!) As someone who cannot bear the sight of blood and is left virtually traumatized after watching violent scenes (there's a reason why I usually stick to romcoms!) I love that any violence during the scary parts of Thriller are just insinuated and all blood and gore is kept to a minimum. Whatever the reason may be, the series is highly addictive. Just ask the legion of Thriller fans!
Out of the forty three episodes of the show's six series, I've lost count of the number of episodes that I've watched but I know that I still have quite a few that I need to get round to watching. As I've said in previous posts, Thriller fans will have their favourite and not so-favourite episodes (although there's no getting away from the fact that all the episodes are fab!) As I've yet to watch every episode, I can't say what my ultimate favourite episode is - and even after viewing them all, I'm sure I'll still struggle to pick a favourite (yep, the Thriller series is that good!) But out of the ones that I have seen File it Under Fear; Sign it Death; I'm the Girl He Wants to Kill, and In the Steps of a Dead Man are just some that I have enjoyed immensely. No matter how many times I've watched I'm the Girl He Wants To Kill, I still feel that same mounting terror and sense of claustrophobia that I did the first time as I watch the heroine frantically try to escape the clutches of the serial killer who is chasing her. Testament if you ask me, of a good bit of writing, acting and directing!
Two of the most talked about Thriller episodes are A Coffin For the Bride and Nurse Will Make it Better. And it's easy to see why - they really are two stand-out episodes in a series of great episodes. What's all the more interesting with Nurse Will Make it Better, is that it was an episode that dealt with the supernatural. As most Thriller fans will know, the supernatural theme didn't prove to be such a hit, so it was eventually dropped in favour of more 'real world' crimes. But Nurse proved to be an excellent episode, with the late and ultra glamourous Diana Dors playing the sinister nurse to perfection. And as for A Coffin For the Bride... Well hands up who saw that coming at the end - because I didn't! And let's face it, anything starring a certain Ms. Mirren is bound to be good.
Of course once I discovered this great bit of vintage telly, I couldn't very well keep it to myself, and had to tell everyone about it, especially those I thought would be interested in it like my best friends Pancakes and Jay. My fellow suspense fan Pancakes loved the series just as I knew she would. But as for Jay, well not only did he love it, but he had known about Thriller for quite some time as he already had the box set. Of course he would - should've known!
And Thriller has also introduced me to others who are also massive fans of the show, including Thriller superfan, Martin Marshall, whose devotion to the show led to him writing the books A Thriller in Every Corner and In Conversation With Brian Clemens. A Thriller in Every Corner definitely proved to be a real labour of love, as this particular writing endeavour took ten years to complete. Good on you, Martin! Furthermore it was Martin who introduced me to a Thriller forum where the group often participate in Thriller watch-alongs which I partake in whenever I can. Cheers Martin!
Furthermore my good friend Jay managed to pick up a copy of the book Brian Clemens' Thriller which contains stories based on five of the show's episodes, including File it Under Fear (one of my faves) and Thriller's first ever TV episode, Lady Killer. It was great to experience these episodes in book form which gave a little more insight and detail. I understand that there is another Thriller anthology book containing more stories from the series, and I cannot wait to add that to my collection.
Whenever I review a TV series from years gone by, I always ask if such a show has stood the test of time. Call me biased, but while I know that viewing habits, tastes, and trends change, I think there is still an audience for a quality piece of drama like Thriller. Especially when you compare it to a lot of the drivel that takes up so much screen time! It's also a lovely glimpse into the past acting work done by well-known stars, quite often before they made it big such as Dame Helen Mirren; Donna Mills; Maureen Lipman; Jan Francis; Dennis Waterman and Brian Blessed. Plus for those of us who are into the whole mystery and suspense genre, a series like Thriller would definitely still hold a lot of appeal today. And as we all know, there's a very prominent vintage and retro community worldwide who would wholley embrace Thriller for its amazing seventies clothing, décor, cars and homeware that'll have vintage fanatics drooling! I think all of the above contribute to the charm of the series which still makes it a watchable and interesting show even today.
A quality anthology series and a great piece of television history. Happy fiftieth Thriller!
Photos: YouTube
Blog Graphics: Angel Noire
