Death in Deep Water - Series 6 Episode 7 (Saturday 22nd May 1976)

The story...

American Gary Stevens arrives at an airport and sheds a sober disguise. Soon after he is confronted by an assailant but manages to knock him out and catch his plane. His troubles though are not over as in the next scene an unseen figure tells a hitman called Burton that he wants Gary dead.

Gary is next seen in a quiet coastal location in England. He very much keeps himself to himself, his only social contact being a fisherman called Doonan. One day he hears hammering at the door. He is alarmed and takes his gun as he prepares to answer - he knows he is a hunted man. However to his relief the unexpected caller is simply a swimmer in a bikini who wants refuge from a storm.

The swimmer doesn't reveal her name but she knows exactly who Gary is - or was. She knows he has been involved with organised crime and is on the run. Over time she visits on a number of occasions and an emotional and physical relationship develops between them. She is intrigued by his background and believes him to have been a prolific hitman. She quizzes him on this but he gives nothing away. She says little about her own background - only later do we learn her name is Gilly - but does reveal that she is married to a rich old man. Gilly makes it clear that she is motivated by money and is not a pleasant person - "I'm bad news Gary". However he remains fascinated by her and it becomes apparent that he is under her spell. 

Eventually Gilly makes Gary a very dubious proposition that could make them both very rich. However things are not quite what they seem and Gilly may not be the only potential bringer of bad news.....

Review

After watching the home videos back in 1994 I was eager for more Thriller so the Bravo repeats were much anticipated. Frustratingly the first few screened had featured on the tapes. This was the first "new" story and it did not disappoint at all. It has a special place in my Thriller memory, and probably many other "Nineties" Thriller fans.

The final series had overall been a little underwhelming so far with only one really strong story in Dial a Deadly Number and a very solid one in Kill Two Birds with the others below par by the show's high standards. It was fitting then that the very last episode to air in the UK should see such a resounding return to form. Not only is it a daring and innovative effort but it is deeply satisfying.

Kill Two Birds had brought gritty, professional criminals into Thriller and some of its influence lives on here. The teaser, like the one for Birds, involves action but to an even greater degree as we see an apparently sober businessman warily removing his disguise before fighting off an assailant, then taking an international flight. This is easily the sort of sequence one might see in a film or ITC action series. We then learn that an unseen man wants Gary dead. As we later discover Gary is a professional criminal like those in Birds but of a rather different and maybe more Thrilleresque nature - a hitman.

However Gary then goes on to confound our expectations of a brutal, cynical killer. He is living a quiet life, under an alias, trying to keep a low-profile and - it appears - aiming to go straight. When Gilly makes her impromptu call he is visibly shaken at the arrival of a stranger but they seem able to get along. However Gilly proves to be an even bigger enigma. She never even reveals her name to her lover. On the surface she seems quite innocent but there is something amiss. She warns him she is "bad news" but in what way? Despite his background she holds the whip hand. She knows his secret and she plays on his weaknesses, manipulating him into a very dangerous situation. For all that Gary is at risk even if he keeps his head down as the hit-man Burton seeks to track him down but his relationship with Gilly leads him to take chances he can ill-afford. Ultimately it leads to a climax which certainly bucks the low-key conclusions of Series 6 and is one of the boldest and finest, a truly fitting end to the show.

Gary seems in two minds as Gilly makes him an enticing but dangerous offer

There are many fascinating aspects. Unlike other episodes this one does not break down neatly into the three categories of hero, heroine and villain. In fact there is no hero or heroine figure at all. At the outset we have an ostensible villain in the fleeing gangster Gary Stevens. However Gary plays down his past and appears to be trying to go straight. He isn't a hero by any means but does not fit the conventional villain role and it is possible that if he had never met Gilly he would have lived out a quiet, law-abiding life in his coastal retreat.

The young blonde Gilly might seem to fit perfectly the traditional Thriller heroine when she first emerges. However it is soon apparent that she isn't cut out for that role at all. She is certainly a very calculating individual who seems unruffled by events - not the kind of person Gary needs in his life at all. However there is a third villain - the hitman Burton - and it his actions which play their part in the extraordinary conclusion which bucks the usual Thriller conventions.

Thriller was notoriously modest, with even newly married couples routinely sleeping in single beds. Occasionally villains engaged in adultery but that was largely off-screen with no bedroom scenes. However in this episode we see Gilly in bed, apparently topless underneath the sheets, while Gary has just risen. It seems clear that this unmarried pair have been sleeping together. Gary then sits on the bed and they kiss. Gilly is also seen in her bikini in many scenes. By comparison with preceding stories this is quite audacious, although it would be unremarkable today. It is though significant that the two are villains: in Thriller deviance and illicit sexuality are often linked, though not as blatantly as in this example.

The characters are great. It is hard not to feel sympathetic towards Gary. He is a hunted man and whatever his past does seem to be trying to keep out of trouble until Gilly tempts him. Her exploitation of him wins him further support. It is remarkable writing and acting skill that encourages us to feel this way about a killer. Bradford Dillman deserves the highest praise for his display. It is testimony to its quality that this may have the edge on his performance as Stan in The Next Voice You See. Possibly even better though is Suzan Farmer as the duplicitous and scheming Gilly. There are many excellent female characters in Thriller and she ranks with the best. Gilly is a truly original figure and really challenges the stereotypes. Some of her comments do suggest she does feel guilt at the sort of person she is. When it matters though, her conscience comes a clear second-best. 

Burton, the hitman is another fine creation. A more unlikely killer one could not see but maybe a middle-aged, bespectacled, sober-suited figure who feeds the swans and helps his fellow tourists is the best possible cover for a hitman. Although his American accent is shaky Philip Stone is highly impressive. The scenes in which he chillingly discusses Gary with his boss are excellently played and directed. The uncredited Ed BIshop is suitably menacing in his brief unseen contributions as the crime boss. Particularly striking is the scene where Burton and other hired killers each receive a photograph and wads of cash - the essentials for their deadly assignments.

Altogether this is a splendid effort. The ending is utterly superb but even without it this would have been one of the best episodes. Perhaps it was a sign that there was more mileage in Thriller that could have been tapped. Maybe though this was just the right, beautiful note on which to end such a marvellous show.

Notes

Location filming for this episode took place in Devon and this is confirmed by a road sign on-screen. Despite this I struggle to get the idea out of my head that is set in Scotland! This is despite the fact that the only Scottish character is Doonan (played by Ian Bannen). However a leaflet at the hotel where Burton is staying refers to the Scottish ferry port of Stranraer and this may also have encouraged my thought.

Ian Bannen had earlier appeared in Won't Write Home Mom - I'm Dead - both episodes directed by James Ormerod and both rather atmospheric in tone.

A Midsummer Nightmare - Series 6 Episode 6, Saturday 15th May 1976 (ITC movie title "Appointment with a Killer")

The story...

A teenage girl - Annabella Tully - heads happily into a forest on a summer's day only to be stabbed and killed by an unknown assailant. The murder is unsolved after five years so her uncle and guardian, Arnold Tully, visits the office of J. Baxter, a private detective. When he gets there he meets J. Baxter's wife Jody and assumes she is the private eye before she can explain. She takes on the job anyway. Tully tells her that he is convinced that the killer is a local actor called Peter Ingram but there has been insufficient evidence to charge him - her task is to find fresh facts that will bring him to justice. When Jody meets Ingram he immediately makes a play for her and is an unnerving figure but is he also the killer? Jody makes good use of some apparently trivial details mainly related to the interest of Annabella and other characters in Shakespeare and amateur dramatics but her search leads her into danger.

Review

The final series of Thriller had been a little underwhelming so far with only Dial a Deadly Number and perhaps Kill Two Birds rising above the norm. This episode didn't mark a return to stronger form and for a while I considered it my least favourite Thriller but on later viewings its merits have been more apparent; it's still below par by the show's high standards but overall is a flawed but sometimes fascinating and thoughtful production.

The teaser is indicative of the ambivalence it produces. The murder of Annabella, in a very happy mood as she goes to meet her boyfriend, is both poignant but also rather disturbing. She is the youngest victim in the show and one wonders whether this was a good idea. She is not a child but the murder of a teenager is particularly unsettling.

Annabella was the adopted daughter of her unmarried uncle Arnold Tully. Five years later he has a devotion to her bordering on obsession. This obsession, with photographs of her around his house and her bedroom turned into a virtual shrine, suggests a questionable, maybe unhealthy level of involvement. Even the police speculated on whether he might have been her killer. On the other hand - and maybe more reasonably - this devotion might be seen as a response to a terrible tragedy. Loss can make people react in excessive ways - ways that may be misinterpreted by others but which have their own logic.

Annabella came into her uncle's care when her parents were killed in a car crash. This kind of scenario which results in a child coming into the custody of a relative is not uncommon in TV drama and is somewhat unlikely and rather cliched. Maybe this could have been avoided in the story by making him a married man and sharing the sense of loss and devotion with his wife, possibly in a similar way to the Cornfields in In the Steps of a Dead Man. The housekeeper character could have been transformed into his partner. Better still to have had him married and Annabella's natural father. Perhaps the background of deceased parents was done to heighten the sense of loss and tragedy but it seems unnecessary. It may in part have been a product of the tendency then to allocate far more leading roles to men than to women and it may have produced a different and more realistic angle to have had a female character (or a married couple) as the parental / guardian figure who employs Jody.

The attitude towards young women in the story can provoke concern. We are not sure for most of the story of the identity of Annabella's boyfriend but he is clearly a much older man and that always raises question marks. Immediately upon her arrival the young blonde Jody arouses interest from the men and it is a little uncomfortable to watch. Ingram, the chief suspect for Annabel's murder, seems especially predatory. This links to the generally unappealing character of almost all the men in the story. However more open-minded attitudes are also at work. Tully is prepared to accept a female private detective and treats Jody on her merits. He is the one man who doesn't seem to regard her in a sexual way, although once again he gets attached to her in a way that may indicate an undeclared attraction.

References to the stage, acting and Shakespeare are dominant and can become rather wearying. This is not criticism of these themes per se but just the way they are handled. Perhaps if there had been scenes - possibly flashbacks - of the characters including Annabella acting it would have been more effective. The final series saw some experiments in setting - Nightmare for a Nightingale is another example - and these are fairly interesting but not wholly successful.

A curious and not very satisfactory story element is the relationship between Jody and her estranged husband Johnny. There are some good serious points early on as they discuss their lives and potential future. However the injection later of rather weak comedy, notably when Johnny calls her from Italy and a bad line leads to him mishearing her, is ill-advised. The final "tag" scene between them is handled in a lightweight fashion and detracts from a good, if low-key, conclusion to the murder investigation. Tony Anholt is wasted as Johnny and his character could probably have been excised. The serious insights into their relationship are a valuable counterpoint to the atmosphere of loss and loneliness in the main story but the lighter moments really do jar and should have been removed.

The prospect of the pair forming a detective duo though could have had potential if Thriller has moved to another series or been used in a spin-off of some kind. The show had already had a husband-and-wife private detective pairing in K Is for Killing but that had been played in a very light-hearted way (too much so for many viewers if not myself) and maybe the Baxters could have been a more appealing alternative, playing their parts with a touch of humour and some good-natured rivalry while not detracting from the drama.

Much attention has been paid to limitations in the episode but there are real strengths. Tully is an interesting character. The scenes of him reflecting and talking with Jody are melancholy and very effective. Freddie Jones's performance in this challenging role is impressive but the director takes credit as well for the success of these scenes. Ingram initially appears an utterly dislikeable figure. The story very skilfully makes him seem to the obvious, untouchable killer. He protests his innocence but as his case shows a a person doesn't have to be charged, let alone convicted, for the public to decide he is guilty and the court of public opinion can be a harsh one. Jody's conflicting attitudes towards him are well displayed - to succeed in her detective role she does need to deal with him and she shows understandable unease but also fascination and a certain sympathy. Norman Rodway handles this disconcerting character well.

Jody tries to get to know chief suspect Peter Ingram

The climax is well-done and involves not just one but two surprises. The final series largely avoided the dramatic climaxes of before and this is very subdued after at first seeming likely to flare into action. There is a poignancy to events with even a little sympathy for the killer who seems a crushed man. It is testimony to fine writing that the viewer can have these feelings.

Joanna Pettet gives a strong performance as Jody and will be the dominating memory for many viewers. She gives a genuinely affecting display, taking the lead more than in her previous appearance A Killer in Every Corner in which she was also in fine form and across her two appearances she is one of the best transatlantic guest stars She takes a good assertive part, showing how a woman can be a capable investigator. Her desire for independence is another a valuable feature. In other regards she has a fairly conventional role as a heroine who faces danger but doesn't flinch from her enquiries. It is a pity she was saddled with the comic scenes with Johnny and developing further the serious nature of that relationship would have drawn extra dimensions out of the character and the actress.

Overall the episode rewards repeated viewing and has some depth. It's certainly good to see a woman in a private detective role and she has an unusual task in being asked to prove the guilt of a suspect, contrasting well with the earlier The Next Scream You Hear in which the detective was asked to prove his client's innocence. Jody's behaviour also raises some questions as she deceives not just Tully but also the police about her identity, pretending to be a professional private detective when she is not. In a sense she is a fraud like Dave Adams two episodes earlier in Dial a Deadly Number in which he posed as a psychiatrist. However her behaviour - while unethical - is likely to pose much less concern as she wasn't trying to exploit Tully and had better motives, not just in trying to help him but also to prove that she actually had the skills to do the job; also to he credit she does eventually confess her deception to Tully. All these add-up to a thought-provoking and worthwhile outing even if isn't Thriller at its best.

Notes

This was the first Series 6 episode of Thriller broadcast by the ABC network in the USA on 16th September 1975, almost eight months before it first aired in the UK. ABC broadcasts were usually ahead of the UK (especially for Series 6) but this was the most advance screening. It's possible it was selected for an early screening while it was still summer in the USA.

Kill Two Birds - Series 6 Episode 5, Saturday 8th May 1976 (ITC movie title "Cry Terror")

The story...

Charley Draper returns home after ten years in prison for bank robbery. He comes in saying, "Charley's home and Charley's rich," to his friend Busby. However he then finds that Busby has been killed. Some rival criminals, led by the refined but ruthless Gadder, appear. They know that he still has money and want a share of it. Charlie makes an audacious escape but is injured in the process. He gets away to Dorset but has been followed - and not just by Gadder's mob. He is trying to get to his brother who has a garage and cafe there but can he avoid the dangerous Gadder? Also heading there are two American tourists who prove to be in the wrong place at the wrong time...

Review

Excepting the comedy-drama of K Is for Killing this is the most unconventional episode of Thriller. It was one of a number of episodes experimenting in some way with the show's conventions and settings in the final series. This may explain why - to my surprise - it is one of the lowest-rated episodes on the Internet Movie Database. It's an ambitious and fascinating effort – not wholly successful but still making a strong impression. The final series was - with the exception of Dial a Deadly Number and Death In Deep Water - rather pedestrian but this is the strongest of the other six stories.

The standard format of Thriller involved a single villain - occasionally with an accomplice – targeting women. The title alone might have led viewers to think that was on the cards here, especially with very prominent billing given to Susan Hampshire and Gabrielle Drake. Newcomers might then be surprised to encounter a teaser where women are conspicuously absent. Not only do we not see the usual Thriller locales of country houses or smart modern flats but a rather run down London street and a very run-down house. The teaser itself could easily have been from a gritty police drama like The Sweeney as gang members make an "offer" to a newly-released prisoner that they think he can't refuse. The ultimatum is then transformed into violence and the ex-prisoner Charley makes his escape by diving through a closed window - an action sequence hardly expected in Thriller but very well done all the same.

The women do appear soon after. Tracy and Sally are two American tourists - a background typical of many Thriller heroines. They do ultimately become involved in a hostage drama but their parts are almost incidental and a far cry from the normal pattern. It has to be said these are underwhelming characters. A mistake was to cast British actresses. American "impersonators" were not unprecedented in the show. These worked best when supporting a genuine American guest star. When they were on their own it was harder to be convincing, but possible. However two faux Americans is asking too much. Gabrielle Drake and Susan Hampshire make a game effort but it isn't enough. Generally the characters haven't much to offer. Tracy is very annoying with her inane chatter. This is realistic in that such annoying people exist but they do not make for entertaining television. Sally is simply unremarkable. They do improve later in the story as they become embroiled in the deeper drama and involved in some tense scenes but it is hard to avoid the conclusion that they were shoe-horned into the story to provide an American angle when the story is essentially about villains and the police. Possibly the women could have been retained if bona fide Americans had been cast or they had played British characters but these were always likely to be minor parts.

Essentially this is a police versus villains - or more accurately police versus villains versus villains - story. Such a scenario would be far more likely in a police drama but in addition both the police and villains are cut from a very coarse, realistic cloth. The characters and the core storyline would not be out-of-place in an aggressive, realistic drama like the contemporaneous The Sweeney. The villains - and the presence of a gang is otherwise absent in Thriller - are robbers rather than murderers although they are clearly prepared to kill if someone gets in their way or crosses them. They are all too willing to use violence as intimidation and punishment, as Tosher's chilling threat to Farrow makes clear - again without precedent in the show. The feeble alcoholic Dr. Kemp is also threatened if he doesn't cooperate. These are not mentally disturbed individuals - they are very rational in their brutality - and that makes them highly unnerving.

The villains have a proletarian nature to them that distinguishes them from their middle-class counterparts elsewhere in the show. Gadder to some degree departs from that pattern. He has a certain urbanity and is well-dressed but this could be the pretension of a working class villain playing up to a refined image rather than someone with middle class roots. Interestingly all his gang are smartly-attired, perhaps showing that ill-gotten gains are allowing them to enjoy the finer things in life or perhaps Gadder has installed some "corporate look" or "uniform" on his men. The police are not much different and have the rough edges and streetwise quality of the realistic cop shows, although without the more daring excesses in behaviour of the likes of Jack Regan. The long-haired, casually-dressed Sergeant Turner rather fits the "trendy copper" bill. As in the cop shows villains and police could almost be interchangeable in terms of their personalities and looks! The dialogue reflects the very different character of this story. There is much more banter and edge than in other episodes, where the dialogue would be darker and more reflective.

Gadder threatens Sonny Draper while Farrow, Sally and Tracy try to keep out of trouble

One frustrating aspect is Sergeant Turner's stereotypical argument that villains like Charley are "only violent to their own" while the likes of Gadder see everyone as fair game and have no criminal "code of honour". As a convicted bank robber it is hard to see how Charley could not have been violent to the public. Maybe he is - or was - less vicious towards public and police than Gadder but he is still dangerous. This romanticising of some villains is really unjustified.

Another similarity with The Sweeney and a big break from the normal style of the programme was a vastly greater amount of location filming. This included a rare visit to an ordinary London street where Busby lived. The interior locations are easily the most down-heel in the show. Busby's flat is pretty shoddy. The doctor lives in a shabby room in a cottage. Sammy's cafe is very plain and basic. Such locations are a far cry from the style and grandeur of other Thriller residents and again are a marked departure.

Although it has much location work on 16mm film and the unusual subject matter this still creates some suspense in the usual Thriller fashion, notably in the night-time shots as Charley closes in on the garage, all very well handled by director Robert Tronson. The kidnap produces its share of tension as well. The ruthless, disdainful Gadder is undoubtedly the outstanding character, and Dudley Sutton gives a very fine account. David Daker is impressive as Charley who does win viewer support. It's unclear whether Charley intended to turn over a new leaf on his release but we do know he is being hunted by the brutal Gadder mob and any enemy of theirs becomes a hero of everyone else. His brother Sammy is very much a sympathetic figure placed in an impossible situation. Bob Hoskins performs well in probably the only Thriller episode one could ever imagine seeing him in. The undercover detective Farrow is a neatly enigmatic character well conveyed by Granville Saxton. The least said though about P.C. Wilson with his dreadfully unconvincing yokel accent the better - a waste of John Flanagan who had performed so well in a very different police role in The Double Kill.

Maybe this more realistic, abrasive drama might have had a more prominent part in the future of Thriller had further series been produced. With some refinement the results could have been more impressive. All the same this one example is a worthwhile addition to the Thriller canon.

Notes

The ITC movie version of this episode renamed at as "Cry Terror!". When I come across that movie title it takes me a while to remember which episode it applies to as is so generic and could apply to just about any Thriller episode. It also meant the loss of the clever punning original title although the thinking may have been that the pun may not have worked outside the UK and the movie versions were very much for worldwide release; non-UK viewers may also not have been familar with the expression "kill two birds" so both issues may have led to the change. "Cry Terror!" is also the name of an entirely different feature film and this led to some confusion in repeat listings in the 1980s with some newspapers believing it was the feature film being shown and therefore giving the wrong synopsis.

Dial a Deadly Number - Series 6 Episode 4 (Saturday 1st May 1976)

The story...

Dave Adams is an American actor living in England. His career is going nowhere, he is broke and it looks like it might be time for him to return home. Then a telephone call changes matters dramatically. A distraught woman, Helen Curry, has misdialled, believing that she has got through to a psychiatrist. At first Dave tries to explain her mistake but she is too upset to listen. He then hits upon the illegal, immoral - but potentially very lucrative - plan of impersonating the psychiatrist.

Dave goes through with this con, to the disgust of his flatmate Tim. He goes to see Helen and even gives her sweeteners claiming that they are tranquilisers. Helen explains that she has terrible nightmares involving her killing a man. Dave thinks these are just neurotic ramblings and can't believe his luck. Meanwhile he starts an affair with Helen's attractive and far more confident and composed sister, Ann.

However things are not as simple as they seem. Dave discovers that a man sent to the Curry's house has been missing although his hat is still there and the grave of Helen's mother has been vandalised. He starts to worry that there is real danger and that he has waded in too deep...

Review

For the great majority of fans this is the one classic from the final series. I was aware of its reputation and came to it with high hopes but when I saw it I found it didn't live up that promise. That view was reinforced on subsequent occasions until I viewed it again very recently after a long gap and was very impressed. Certainly it now strikes me as well into the top half of Thriller episodes and while I don't think it will ever be one of my ultimate favourites it does show the series in fine form.

The story concept is certainly a very good one - a chancer getting caught out when he gambles on manipulating a disturbed person. Not only does it have great potential but also poetic justice. Gary Collins was back for the third of his appearances - curiously all as villains even though his American counterparts were usually employed as heroes or heroines. All three villains were excellent creations of different types. Yet again Gary gives a very fine performance. The notably distinctive angle here is that Dave Adams is not a murderer but a small-time con-man. He is a failed actor who is used to sponging off his flatmate Tim and a wealthy female friend - and maybe others as well. Whether he has any past background in crime is unclear - it is quite possible he has simply seized on what seems like a gilt-edged opportunity for someone on the brink of financial meltdown. It is difficult not to like Dave given his great charm, despite his appalling deception and exploitation of Helen. However he gets himself into dangerously deep waters.

The teaser cleverly creates confusion over whether the attack on Paul Kirby was real or imagined. Is Helen a killer or seriously disturbed - or both? There is no doubt that - whatever she has or has not done - she is desperately anxious and unhappy. Given this background alone Dave was taking a great risk getting involved with her. He should have realised that she needed professional help. However over-confidence is his hallmark and he believes he has everything in hand. Maybe due to his acting background he is able to carry off the impersonation of a psychiatrist and seems to revel in the act and his supposed ingenuity. Cynics might say this says a lot about the superficial nature of psychiatry and possibly the untrained Dave is no worse than a professional therapist. Dave's fees though are all too professional. He believes he is doing some good and maybe there is some truth in his claim. Helen gets a little benefit from having someone to talk to but her nightmares and hallucinations remain and it is evident she needs more help. All the while Tim becomes more and more disgusted - quite rightly - before eventually evicting him.

Dave can scarcely believe his luck when he embarks on a romance with Helen's attractive and confident sister Ann. Ann has none of the hang-ups and terrors of Helen and they seem to make a perfect pair. He is even able to contrive free lodging at the huge house. However it isn't long before he starts to realise that alarming things really are happening and he has overplayed his hand.

When the truth is revealed matters are turned on their head. While the twist may not be entirely unexpected it is still very skilfully done and the "justice" (if that was the motivation) meted out by the villain takes an unprecedented direction in the show - certainly one regular viewers would not have anticipated. The lines between villains and victims become very blurred here and nor is there a hero or heroine in the conventional sense; these nuances are very satisfying to the viewer.

Helen is upset that her sister Ann seems to have forgotten the anniversary of their mother's death

Gemma Jones takes the acting honours with a first-class performance as Helen but she is very supported by Linda Liles playing her sister Ann. Linda was returning after a fine and memorable part in Nurse Will Make It Better and the contrast between her upbeat character and the intensity and anguish of Helen (Gemma Jones) is very striking  The ancillary characters and supporting actors also do an impressive job. Tim provides the moral voice in essential contrast to Dave's amorality and while he disapproves of Dave's behaviour and ultimately tells him to leave he still comes to his aid when he can see he is in trouble. The one curiosity about Tim is his shirt slashed open to the navel. This makes him look like some ageing swinger when in fact he is a deeply serious and principled man. Cavan Kendall is very good in this part. 

Beth Morris acquits herself well as Sally, the sister of the missing Paul Kirby who desperately wants to find him. The private detective O'Hara is a decent man who is very straight with her when she goes to him for help, not wanting to disguise the fact that the chances of him having success when the police have drawn a blank are slim. He offers a striking chance to many other private eyes in Thriller who were either rather shady or very expensive. The trio of Tim, Sally and O'Hara are impressive examples of individuals who have a sense of principle or concern for others. Indeed a notable fact of the episode is that just about every character is able in some way to make a positive impression - Dave and Ann through their warmth and good humour, these three with their concern for others and even Helen because we can see the pain she is going through and the viewer cannot help to sympathise with her. It is evident she has had a troubled life and is deeply unhappy - indeed she doesn't seem to smile at all and ironically only the arrival of Dave as her supposed therapist seems to ease her mind in any way, Unfortunately for her she needed more than Dave to get better and it was an impersonation that he was to regret,

Another significant aspect of this story is the far more graphic approach to violence. Murders in Thriller commonly and somewhat incongruously occurred without blood but here it is very evident. The same applies to the knife injuries shown on screen. The blood-letting and violence though is still quite restrained - thankfully - compared to other productions but was another sign of the final series experimenting in style.

Once again a story featured a cellar full of disturbing secrets. The set is very similar in style to that in one of the first stories - Someone at the Top of the Stairs - albeit the house of the Curry sisters is rather more opulent while still suggesting a place of dark secrets and disturbing events. As in that episode there is a painting of a figure who continues to exert a powerful influence over those in the house, in this case the sisters' mother. This also echoes another painting in Killer with Two Faces where it was evident that the influence of a dead parent greatly troubled his son. All these things add up to a very appealing episode which showed that while Series 6 was far from the highpoint of Thriller it could still hit home.

Notes

Linda Liles rides a horse in this episode as she did in her previous appearance Nurse Will Make It Better.

This was the last new episode of Thriller to appear on the ABC network in the USA on 18th November 1975, over five months before it screened in the UK.

Nightmare for a Nightingale - Series 6 Episode 3, Saturday 24th April 1976 (ITC movie title "Melody of Hate")

The story...

Opera singer Tony Risanti is decrying his own ability to a tramp he has met. He tells the tramp that he will kill him and use his body to fake his own death but the tramp is too drunk to take any notice. Soon after he knocks him out. Tony goes through with his plan and seemingly "dies".

Action then switches to a starring performance years later by another opera singer - Anna Cartell who was married to Tony until his apparent "death". Anna seems to have the musical world at her feet and is soon to marry high-flying American diplomat Hal Bridie. So far, so good. The only slight problem is tension with her protective manager Sam when she tells him of her plans to retire when she marries Hal.

However when inspecting a new house she hears a man singing and is shocked to see her husband Tony who she had presumed long dead. He tells her that he faked his death and now intends to return, spelling scandal for Anna and her husband-to-be. He will disappear though if she pays him - blackmail. Anna adopts another response but it is one that only deepens her predicament...

Review

My first exposure to Thriller was reading the excellent story synopses in Ian Kerr's Timescreen article. This was one of the very few (A Midsummer Nightmare was another) that I didn't find particularly enticing. It was one of the episodes I was least eager to see and maybe unsurprisingly when I did finally see it some years later my expectations were not confounded; it's also fair to say it hasn't fared too well in the estimation more generally of fans. However it is better than might be supposed and is especially one of those instalments that profits from further viewing.

The comparison with A Midsummer Nightmare is informative. I have always linked these together: In addition to the link mentioned above they both come from the final series and have a cultural backdrop - theatre in the case of Midsummer and opera in this instance. In addition both are quite slow-paced, downbeat tales. Neither has had a particularly good reception although this episode has tended to be even less favourably judged.

For me however this story has the edge although neither enthuses me greatly. I can certainly credit it with inspiring my interest in Mozart arias and listening to some of those superb pieces it's hard not to link them to this episode. The tale of blackmail and guilt is firmly within Thriller territory even if the setting is unusual. Right from the off, a remarkable number of story elements echo previous episodes. Features from The Colour Of Blood, Lady Killer (most notably the faked death at sea), Once the Killing Starts, If It's a Man - Hang Up! and The Next Voice You See can all be found. Viewers may be divided on such recurrences. Some, like myself, may see them as welcome reminders. Others may see them as derivative or examples of uninspired writing. It has to be said that it would be difficult to write entirely original stories but this one probably has the most borrowings.

The teaser is the longest seen in the show - lasting around seven minutes - and is more of a broad introduction than the usual lightning grab for viewer attention. It's a decent start but indicative of the slow pace and atmospheric approach seen later. Tony's return from the dead and subsequent blackmail of Anna are both handled quite well. Tony is a dangerous and exploitative man but one can't help feeling he is trapped by circumstances, even if they are of his own making. Anna is also trapped. She has done nothing wrong but is desperate to protect her future husband and avoid scandal. Like many people in a terrible predicament she attempts to cover up and reluctantly play along with wrong-doing and just digs a deeper hole for herself.

Tony (Keith Baxter) makes Anna (Susan Flannery) an offer he feels she cannot refuse

Anna also has to contend with the questionable motivations of her manager Sam. On the surface Sam is very dedicated towards her (and possibly loves her), His desire for her to keep working and not retire might be seen as him not wanting her musical talent to be lost but his motivation may also be more mercenary - Anna is clearly a very lucrative client. Does he really have her best interests at heart and how far will he go to keep her working?

The story improves as it goes along as Anna struggles to cope with the disturbing events and machinations around her. The climax is interesting but is probably the most low-key ending of all. The final series had a number of endings which were somewhat subdued, moving away from the often very dramatic but also arguably formulaic conclusions that predominated beforehand. The effort to do things differently is commendable but all the same these endings often feel a bit flat and underwhelming.

It is hard not to feel great sympathy for Anna, a genuinely warm person at the peak of her career, who is tormented by two men dear to her. Susan Flannery is very impressive in this demanding part and is one of the unsung (no pun intended) Thriller heroines. Sam and Tony are intriguing characters, particularly the former. Sydney Tafler gives a very fine display and carries off the American accent with tremendous aplomb. For many viewers Stuart Damon as the authoritative Hal Bridie will be a very welcome sight in one of his last roles before returning to the USA.

A very notable aspect is that this must be the darkest - in a literal sense - story. Almost every scene takes place in dimly-lit rooms, theatres or in the unlit house of Hal and Anna at night-time. It does help to create a melancholy ambience in this under-rated if far from outstanding story.

Notes

The ITC movie titles are, along with The Colour of Blood, one of the "hammer" category. This makes even less sense than in the earlier episode. The titles appear to recreate a violent incident from the episode (with lots of pink blood!) but in a quite inaccurate way. The titles appear to be simply offering some cheap, nasty and very misleading violence although as is the way with these things they may for all that encouraged curious viewers to keep watching although what they saw would be far more understated.

In the movie titles' favour though they do feature in my view some fine music including an excellent atonal piano piece over the end credits which unfortunately hasn't yet been identified. The movie title of "Melody of Hate" is probably an improvement on the cumbersome alliteration of the ATV version.

Richard Lewis and Teresa Cahill are credited for supplying the singing voices of Tony and Anna. They are two of three musicians credited in the series (the other being jazz pianist Stan Tracey on The Next Voice You See).

Peter Hill who played estate agent Purvell had previously appeared in another episode directed by John Scholz-Conway - Good Salary - Prospects - Free Coffin. Scholz-Conway had also directed an earlier episode featuring an estate agent and an empty house - Killer with Two Faces.

The Next Victim - Series 6 Episode 2 (Saturday 17th April 1976)

The story

Sandy Marshall is an American woman married to a successful British insurance agent. She has to use a wheelchair after a terrible accident in which her new sports car crashed. A heatwave has hit Britain but she is less than delighted. She cannot get out of her flat and her husband has gone away on business, leaving her alone. A number of local women have been strangled and she is very anxious. She tries to reassure herself but without success. Her friend Betty offers support and promises to meet her for a drink. However Betty never arrives and Sandy fears the worst. A visit from a personable neighbour, Tom, seems to offer protection - or does it?

Review

The story description above suggests classic Thriller territory and even the title was suitably chilling. Unfortunately the results on screen have generally disappointed viewers including myself although - in common with a number of other "lesser" episodes - I have found it far better than I remembered on more recent viewings. Clearly it does have some limitations but it also has virtues that shouldn't be overlooked

The general viewer feeling is that something seems to be lacking in terms of writing, characters, performances and general direction here. There are virtues such as some particularly good direction early on from the killer's perspective, but there is a lack of consistent quality Maybe the problem was that this was exactly classic Thriller territory and finding new inspiration was difficult. 

The teaser presents a murder and the body count early on is high. This in itself was probably not a promising sign. The best examples of Thriller might have just one or two killings throughout and much more emphasis on suspense and fear. This is a whodunit but the suspects are not so well presented this time and are barely seen after the first twenty minutes. The obvious candidate is the caretaker Bartlett. This figure, very well played by Ronald Lacey, is lazy and indifferent about his work. More disturbingly he has a dominating obsession with mothers and babies, and the police theory is that the killer is "mother-fixated". He is a shabby, deeply unsettling person and the killer dresses similarly in a brown overall and jeans. There is an interesting comparison to be made with the caretaker Murchison in If It's a Man - Hang Up!. Murchison was another obsessive but far more affable and eager to please (and literally smarter!) Maybe this is a sign of this story trying to up the ante and create a more shocking scenario. Sandy's husband Derek and Spiros attract limited suspicion but there is no other significant suspect until the arrival of Tom Packer halfway through. If It's a Man and File It Under Fear a few years earlier applied the whodunit formula far more successfully.

The heroine and prospective victim is a pivotal figure in this sort of drama but Sandy Marshall doesn't make as much impact as her predecessors. A disabled target adds a fresh dimension. Blindness had been examined as a way of increasing vulnerability and lack of mobility opens up new options. Sandy can see danger but she has little chance of escaping from it. She is clearly anxious and understandably so. The character should work extremely well but comes across as a little underwhelming, although there is an improvement in the final part when she is trapped with the man she believes is the killer. Carroll Baker probably had the most prestigious film background of any US guest but that is not necessarily a recipe for a fine Thriller heroine. Possibly we are too used to seeing younger actresses in these roles. Maybe offering a return to one of the most impressive US guests such as Carol Lynley, Skye Aubrey or Lynda Day George would have been the better option.

Sandy (Carroll Baker) faces a terrifying ordeal

The two detectives have a lot of screen time. The intention was to set up a clear contrast between the older, irascible, sarcastic Inspector relying on intuition (Frampton) and the younger, educated, "scientific" policeman (Small). Needless to say the intuitive detective is the one who gets the answers. Decades ago this combination wasn't quite as clichéd as it has now become but it's still a little predictable. Frampton does fit the usual Thriller mould of the quirky investigator. He seems happy to sit back while his junior detective does all the spade-work although appearances are a little deceptive as he is applying some analysis while Small serves up suspects. He does make some darkly amusing asides and interesting observations including that the rush of killings suggests someone who has just "snapped" rather than had long-standing issues. 

Things do improve somewhat with the arrival of Tom Packer. Tom appears to be very friendly and helpful towards the edgy Sandy but she remains disconcerted by him. Tom reveals a deep devotion to his mother, who was also in a wheelchair before her death. This creates a bond of sorts with Sandy but his level of attachment becomes disconcerting. He reveals both intriguing perceptiveness but also lack of tact in the inferences he draws about Sandy's "accident". He makes some provocative points about scams and how accidents often hinge on serious negligence that gets overlooked or condoned.

There is an impressive twist in the climax (perhaps a little rushed) and a certain irony in how things turn out. There is also some good direction as Sandy tries to make an escape in an unconventional but necessary way. In a better story the twist in particular would have received great acclaim but due to the modest overall quality it doesn't make full impact. Following this, the final shot is simply of police and an ambulance stationed outside the apartment block - this should have either been excised or followed-up with the police dealing with events inside. It is indicative of an untidiness which occurs at various points in the story. Other examples are painfully wooden news reports (even worse than those for The Eyes Have It) and a collection of barely-seen, ill-defined characters, most of whom could easily have been removed and one or two developed further. Indeed Harold Bennett (who had appeared in A Place To Die) is credited but does not appear suggesting some editing was going on or some late script changes but if so it seems to have been inconsistent. Perhaps both the script and the filming were rushed or needed better management - whatever the reason these aspects stand out for the wrong reasons. 

Perhaps this would have been much more successful if produced a year or two earlier with the show at its peak. It definitely had strong facets that could have been exploited better. There had rather been a treadmill of production (Series 6 was produced in Spring-Summer 1975 for US broadcast shortly after though not shown in the UK for almost a year) with barely a break for Brian Clemens and the production team and maybe six months or a year away would have refreshed minds and led to some stronger outcomes for the final outings. 

This also proved to be the last of the more traditional Thriller stories. The remainder of the final run saw experimentation in setting or style, possibly because it was felt the traditional formula needed a rest or had gone as far as it could. It is a shame this last "conventional" offering could not have been better.

Notes

It seems odd that the newsreader is not credited despite having a fair number of lines and appearing on screen. Unusually for Thriller some stock footage (of holiday traffic and crowded beaches) appears during the news reports.

Harold Bennett is listed as "Blind Man" on the credits but doesn't appear on screen - possibly the only example of a credited actor not actually featuring in the show. This may have foxed the producers of the Australian box set who highlighted him as one of the featured actors, noting his Are You Being Served? fame. This anomaly may reflect the general editing issues with this episode. Quite what part his character might have played is unknown but it's possible it was as a neighbour Sandy frantically sought-out for help only to discover he was blind.

A newspaper report Sandy reads about the murders reads refers to a "lady killer". It seems highly unlikely a genuine news report about murder would have used this flippant term (otherwise used about men who easily attract women) so it's possible this was an in-joke referring back to the first episode Lady Killer. 

Anita Sharp-Bolster was the oldest actor to appear in Thriller, aged almost 90 when this episode was produced in June 1975.

The arrangement of names on the bells outside the apartment block seems to refer to "Martin Marshall" - the writer of A Thriller in Every Corner!

Sleepwalker - Series 6 Episode 1 (Saturday 10th April 1976)

The story...

American writer Dan Summers is having a writing sabbatical in the UK and his daughter Katey is staying with him. However it is a difficult time for Katey who is not just sleepwalking but has bizarre dreams including one in which she sees an old man seeming to pore over a book, a young man in Victorian costume and ultimately the old man having a knife in his back. Katey is understandably troubled and her father worries for her safety while sleepwalking. One day she literally bumps into a psychology student with the odd name of Barnstaple. He is able to lighten her mood and offer some interesting insights on sleep and dreams; a friendship and later romance develops between them.

Matters though take an even more peculiar turn when a stranger calls at her house. He resembles the young man in the dream and tells her amazingly that he has been having exactly the same experience. At last it looks like there may be some answers but these may lead to a nightmare becoming reality...

Katey's vision of a young man - dream, hallucination or reality?

Review  

This was one of the Bravo repeats in 1996. As someone who had only recently discovered Thriller these were tremendous to see and most were a delight but this was one of the small number that left me underwhelmed; subsequent viewings hadn't much changed that opinion but on my most recent viewing I was much more impressed. My views are perhaps now more in line with the general viewer feeling that this is a solid mid-ranking instalment, rarely mentioned as a really big favourite but equally rarely attracting particular criticism. In many ways this episode is symbolic of the final series which it kicked off in the UK in April 1976. It is interesting and quite engaging but a little more low-key compared to the preceding offerings. The mood is certainly different with the emphasis very much on mystery rather than menace. There is no doubt that in the final series there were efforts to find some original angles and maybe depart from the formula to some degree. These moves weren't entirely successful but they did open up some fresh changes of approach and setting.

The most notable thing about this story within the final series is that it is the only one that involves telefantasy with suggestions of supernatural or mystical influence although Katey's experiences may have much more down-to-earth explanations. There is extensive use of dream sequences (more accurately nightmares) - or at least what appear to be dreams. These are filmed well with some astute use of visual effects and music.

Katey (Darleen Carr) pictured during one of her sleepwalks

The story overall has a certain mystery without ever becoming captivating. Katey's experiences are peculiar. Possibly the most interesting aspect is the concern it raises about her mental health, and clearly she is worried about this and the conclusions that others might draw. Most are sympathetic but the maid Esme for one finds it entertaining - and a source of opportunity.

Characters are not particularly striking. Katey's father Dan is clearly a warm man and concerned parent but he doesn't get much scope beyond that. He is a writer on the supernatural but no real use is made of it in the story except as something that might have unsettled Katey and exploring it more may have opened up new and unsettling avenues. The butler Parsons is tiresome with his deference although Esme does her best to bring him into the modern world. One does wonder whether a servant even from the 1970s would be quite so concerned about deferring to his employers even in private. That said Esme does take some liberties and he needs to be vigilant. It is one of the remarkable things about Thriller that despite being so recent so many stories had characters who were waited on hand and foot. These settings do give a certain air of tradition and are the only way many working class figures appeared on screen - essentially in servile roles such as these and in other stories as cleaners and caretakers. While this very traditional world would not have matched the experiences of the vast majority of UK viewers it might have been seen as the one non-UK viewers expected - a society divided between well-spoken men and women of immense wealth living in big houses or ultra-modern luxury flats served dutifully by their much more humble attendants (often Cockneys!)  It would though have been beneficial to have challenged these stereotypes a little. 

The arrival of the oddly-named Barnstaple provides an injection of vigour into events. He provides some humour and romantic interest for Katey but additionally some very useful insights. He has some provocative theories on sleep and dreams on offer which shed new light although they aren't able to solve the mystery of her experiences. Ian Redford was making a return to the show in quick time after his appearance in a minor role in The Next Voice You See. He acquits himself well in this more substantial part.

Another returning actor was Michael Kitchen - previously seen in Once the Killing Starts - as the young man Ian. Matters take on a new dimension when Ian comes on the scene. He provides a sympathetic and constructive companion perspective for Katey but this being Thriller the revelations lead to danger as well as an unexpected connection with another character.

The climax of the episode does offer some surprises in terms of exactly was going on in the dream and the resolution is certainly very different and distinctly low-key compared to what Thriller viewers were used to. Those typical resolutions were certainly dramatic but also arguably overused and formulaic and this should be commended for taking a different path even if it isn't entirely satisfying. In another pattern for the final series the ending also seems a little abrupt and maybe needed even a few more seconds of development. It all adds up to an episode that certainly provides intrigue but just feels a little lacking.

Notes

Darlene Carr was the youngest American lead actor in Thriller, aged just 24 when this episode was produced in June-July 1975. Her British co-star Ian Redford was actually slightly younger and alongside Michael Kitchen and Elaine Donnelly it meant four central characters under the age of 30, probably the youngest set of key figures in the series

Ian Redford's two appearances in Thriller in broadcast order were separated by just one episode - the shortest gap - but given that his appearances were almost a year apart in transmission this wouldn't have been so apparent to viewers.

This was one of two episodes broadcast by Bravo in its ITC movie version (Possession was the other). 

The episode in its ATV version was due to receive a repeat screening by Thames Television on Monday 20th August 1979 but industrial action took ITV off the air and neither this episode nor Thriller was rescheduled when broadcasting resumed in October 1979. The 1980s repeats of Thriller - including this instalment -  were only of the newly-made "movie" versions; ironically there is no record of Sleepwalker being shown in the London area within these repeats and it was generally across the UK one of the least repeated episodes although there is no clear reason why this was so.