Armchair Thriller
| Armchair Thriller | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Horror, thriller |
| Theme music composer | Andy MacKay |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 55 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Andrew Brown |
| Producers | Andrew Brown, Jacqueline Davis, Brenda Ennisp |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | c. 23–26 minutes per episode |
| Production companies | Thames Television Southern Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | PAL 4:3 |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | 21 February 1978 – 30 December 1981 |
Armchair Thriller is a British television drama series broadcast on ITV in 1978 and 1980 in two seasons. Taking the form of a sequence of unconnected serials, scripts for Armchair Thriller were adaptations of published novels and stories. Although not strictly a horror series, it did sometimes include supernatural elements. Armchair Thriller was mainly produced by Thames Television, but it included two serials from Southern Television. The format was of 25-minute episodes broadcast twice-weekly, usually screened on a Tuesday or Thursday between 8 pm and 9 pm.
Overview[]
The opening titles consisted of a shadow-figure walking to an armchair and then sitting down, accompanied by music composed by Andy MacKay of pop group Roxy Music. Some trailers for the series showed the same armchair soaked in blood and a screaming, maniacal face; these received criticism from those who considered them too horrific for pre-watershed viewing. For Armchair Thriller broadcasts Thames Television changed the station ident it used; normally it showed a London landscape in daytime, but here it was the same view as though seen at night. Ratings reached more than 17 million viewers during the broadcast of the first episode of "The Limbo Connection" in May 1978.[1]
The first series included an adaptation of Antonia Fraser's 1977 novel Quiet as a Nun. This introduced to television the character of Jemima Shore—who was later spun off into her own ITV series—and starred Maria Aitken. "Quiet as a Nun" features a cliffhanger sequence where the 'Black Nun' appeared. Other actors to appear included Ian McKellen and Denis Lawson.[2]
Episodes[]
Series 1[]
| No. | Title | No. of episodes | Directed by | Written by | Cast | Production company | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Rachel in Danger" | 4 | Waris Hussein | John Bowen | Della Low (Rachel), Stephen Greif (Juan), Eiko Nakamura (Aiyako), Neville Jason (Peter), George Waring (Police Sergeant), (C.I.D. Sgt.), Harry Littlewood (Caretaker) | Thames | 21 February – 2 March 1978 |
| 2 | "A Dog's Ransom" | 6 | Donald McWhinnie | John Bowen | Benjamin Whitrow (Edward Reynolds), Zena Walker (Gina Reynolds), Susie Blake (Marion Dowell), Paul Angelis (Tom Choley), (Kowajinski), Prentis Hancock (Desk Sergeant), (Chief Superintendent), David Hargreaves (Ken Holbrook), (Duty Inspector), Linal Haft (Cookson), (Jim), (Inspector Craig) | Thames | 9–23 March 1978 |
| 3 | "The Girl Who Walked Quickly" | 4 | Brian Farnham | Ray Jenkins | Denis Lawson (David Cooper), Phyllida Nash (Liz), Clive Merrison (Godolt), Barry Stanton (Swift), John Gregg (Everly), Oliver Smith (1st Helper), (2nd Helper), Derek Benfield (Mr. Cooper), Colin McCormack (Det. Sgt. Bowen), Martin Fisk (Explosive Officer), Neil Hallett (Commander Lambert), (Sniper No. 2) | Thames | 28 March – 6 April 1978 |
| 4 | "Quiet as a Nun" | 6 | Moira Armstrong | Julia Jones | Maria Aitken (Jemima Shore), Renée Asherson (Mother Ancilla), Brenda Bruce (Sister Elizabeth), David Burke (Tom Amyas), Patsy Kensit (Tessa), (Beatrice O’Dowd), (Joe), Susan Engel (Sister Agnes), James Laurenson (Alexander Skarbek), Sylvia Coleridge (Sister Boniface), John Bryans (Sir Charles) | Thames | 18–27 April 1978 |
| 5 | "The Limbo Connection" | 6 | Robert Tronson | Philip Mackie | James Bolam (Mark Omney), Rosalind Ayres (Annabella Fraser), Michael Culver (Dr. Walcott Brown), Beatrix Lehmann (Blanche Terraine), (Soames), Alan Ford (Bill), Christopher Benjamin (Det. Inspector Tarrant), Peter Welch (Mechanic), (Mrs. Franklyn), Arthur Blake (Mr. Dyer), Milton Johns (Tim Kennaway), Rosamund Greenwood (Mrs. Woldingham) | Thames | 2–18 May 1978 |
Series 2[]
| No. | Title | No. of episodes | Directed by | Written by | Cast | Production company | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | "The Victim" | 6 | Gareth Davies | Michael Ashe | David Beckett (Frankie Martin), Lorna Yabsley (Sue Craig), Steve Morley (Len Trace), John Shrapnel (Vincent Craig), Paul Jerricho (Harry Turner), Godfrey James (Chief Supt. Lewis), Edward Burnham (Professor Manson), Alan Bennion (Praed), Bernard Kay (Neecham), (Betting Shop Assistant), Jerold Wells (1st Dosser), (Chief Prison Officer) | Thames | 8–24 January 1980 | |
| 7 | "Dead Man's Kit" | 4 | Colin Bucksey | Tom Clenaghan | Larry Lamb (CPO Chalkey White), Philip Locke (Cmdr. Lloyd), Maurice Colbourne (Lt. Cmdr. Kobahl), Clive Merrison (Commander Maybury), (Peters), Jamie Foreman (Operator 1), (Operator 2), (Winterman), William Russell (Senior Officer) | Southern | 29 January – 7 February 1980 | |
| 8 | "Dying Day" | 4 | Robert Tronson | John Bowen | Ian McKellen (Anthony Skipling), Maurice Kaufmann (1st Interrogator), Prentis Hancock (2nd Interrogator), Patrick Malahide (Police Sergeant), Michael Troughton (Police Constable), Peter Childs (Sellars), Cyril Shaps (Mountjoy) | Thames | 12–21 February 1980 | |
| 9 | "Fear of God" | 4 | Robert Tronson | Troy Kennedy Martin | Bryan Marshall (Paul Marriot), Alun Armstrong (Trahearne), Peter Cellier (Maitland), Michael Sheard (Colonel Morgan), Garrick Hagon (Walters), Roger Brierley (Vic), David Graham (Vicar), David Healy (Anvil), Laurence Harrington (Sub-Editor), (Ambulance Man), Susan Sheridan (Voice of Rosamund) | Thames | 26 February – 6 March 1980 | |
| 10 | "High Tide" | 4 | Colin Bucksey | Andrew Brown | Ian McShane (Peter Curtis), Wendy Morgan (Celia), Terence Rigby (Matthews), John Bird (Cyril), Malcolm Terris (Maxwell) | Southern | 11–20 March 1980 | |
| 11 | "The Circe Complex" | 6 | Robert D. Cardona | David Hopkins | Beth Morris (Val Foreman), Trevor Martin (Tom Foreman), Alan David (Ollie Milton), James Hazeldine (Dave), (Prison Governor), (Mr. Evans), (Policeman), Derek Ware (O’Brady), (Det. Sgt. Rees), Victor Winding (Det. Insp. Sayers) | Thames | 25 March – 10 April 1980 | |
| 12 | "The Chelsea Murders" | 1 | Derek Bennett | Jonathan Hales | Michael Feast (Steve), Guy Gregory (Artie), (Summers), (Publican), Lucy Griffiths (Mrs. Bulstrode), Doug Sheldon (Otto), David Yip (Denny), (Editor), (Policeman), Ishaq Bux (Arab Servant) | Thames | 30 December 1981 | |
| Originally made as a 6-episode story, but unscreened in this form; eventually broadcast edited into a single feature-length (104 mins.) standalone programme (i.e. not under the Armchair Thriller umbrella title). | ||||||||
DVD releases[]
The ten Thames-produced serials were released by Network in 2008, both as separate stories and as a box-set. The Southern Television-produced "Dead Man's Kit" and "High Tide" were released separately, in 2009 and 2010 respectively, by Simply Home Entertainment.
References[]
- ^ "Armchair Thriller (1978)". Television Heaven. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011.
- ^ Armchair Thriller fansite
External links[]
- 1970s British anthology television series
- 1980s British anthology television series
- ITV television dramas
- Television series by Fremantle (company)
- 1978 British television series debuts
- 1981 British television series endings
- 1970s British drama television series
- 1980s British drama television series
- English-language television shows
- Television shows produced by Thames Television
- Television shows produced by Southern Television