Spell of Evil - Series 1, Episode 10, Saturday 16th June 1973

The story....

The action starts with the sudden and mysterious death of businessman Tony Mansell's wife. Some months later he unexpectedly decides to write to Modernmates, a marriage bureau. Almost as soon as he sends the letter he receives a reply from the seductively-voiced, glamorous Clara Panton. When they meet they immediately hit it off. That same afternoon Tony asks her to marry him.

The marriage seems a happy one. However Tony's housekeeper Mrs Roberts and secretary Liz are both suspicious of Clara whose background is a mystery. There are a few strange events and small accidents. However later things take a much more violent turn. Tony's secretary feels she must investigate while he seems totally unaware of the terrible danger he faces.

Review

This was the final episode in the UK of the first series of Thriller. I first saw it as part of the Bravo repeats in 1996 and remember having high hopes thanks to an enticing story premise. However it didn't live up to that promise and that underwhelmed response is common among fans. Subsequent viewings over many years didn't much change my feelings but on the last couple of occasions I have felt more positive and feel it has more to offer. While it's never been one of the big fan favourites it is fondly viewed by some. What can explain these contradictory opinions?

There are some powerful elements in place but generally the episode has suffered in comparison to the later witchcraft episode Nurse Will Make It Better, one of the best-remembered Thriller outings and certainly one of its most positively regarded supernatural tales. The contrast between the witch characters and actresses playing them in each has been seen as key. In the later story the deeply sinister character of Bessie is played by Diana Dors with remarkable aplomb. Despite the actress's reputation for glamour Bessie is played as a dowdy, androgynous figure and her seeming gentleness and lack of anger make the evil that she does seem much more disturbing. 

By contrast in Spell of Evil, Clara (Diane Cilento) is glamour and sultriness personified and the performance is anything but low-key.  Clara can be extremely warm - indeed seductive - but she is very quick to anger and far more likely to ring alarm bells. This isn't just in terms of personality but also outfit and her clothing make-up and jewellery is distinctly over-the-top - she literally rattles at times! Clara can still be very disturbing, notably when she is casting her spells (these scenes are very skilfully directed) - but the histrionic nature of her character can make her seem hard to take seriously.

An unnerving meeting with Clara for Tony's employees Liz (Jennifer Daniel) and Suzy (Linda Cunningham)

However more recently I've tended to see Clara and the very broad performance of her as much of a virtue as of a vice. The character can be a lot of fun and maybe there is an element of the pantomime villain about her which isn't always a drawback. There's some appealing humour. When Tony's colleague George first hears Clara on the phone he is clearly enthralled but warns Tony "I had an uncle with a voice like that"! Later when Tony tells Clara he's puzzled Modernmates never followed up their meeting she replies jokingly "You mean you got me for nothing!" Most teasingly when he enquires how she managed to find his ex-directory number she tells him, "Don't you know darling I'm a witch? All women are." There's some amusing frostiness between Clara and the other females in Tony's life, most notably housekeeper Mrs Roberts and secretary Liz who are both highly and rightly suspicious of her. Late on there is some black humour with the eccentric witchcraft expert with a broad Welsh accent - it was very unusual to hear any regional accents in Thriller. Actor William Dexter wasn't Welsh so there was a deliberate plan to use the accent for the part. 

Perhaps there is a something of an "end of term" feel to this story. Series 1 was concluding and had been a success and maybe this feeds through into a more carefree approach here. Earlier in the series or maybe in later series this story might have been focused in a much darker, more intense way, not unlike Nurse Will Make It Better. It would be wrong to think that this is a fairly frivolous affair and there is certainly still menace, most notably late in the proceedings, but on the whole it does offer some lightness of touch, whether that is appreciated is very much in the eye of the viewer and even that as in my case can vary over time. Even when one sees an episode can shape its rating. I saw this after Nurse Will Make It Better and it did seem to suffer by comparison but back on original transmission it is this story that came first and for some viewers the later witchcraft tale may have been the one seen as wanting. Whatever the case it's probably for the best that the producers turned out two very different takes on the subject rather than making both very dark - or somewhat light. 

The Eyes Have It - Series 1, Episode 9, Saturday 9th June 1973

The story...

Three assassins enter a training centre for the blind which they intend to use to launch a missile attack from upon a visiting statesman. The only sighted member of staff is killed almost immediately but it is only much later that the students learn he is dead and of the terrible reason why the men are in the centre. They have to find a way to thwart the killers against all the odds.

Review

This is one of the best-remembered episodes and along with The Colour of Blood considered one of the stand-outs of the first series. I am less convinced - perhaps coming to it with such high expectations meant that it never quite lived up to its promise for me - but it is still a good episode and the ideas behind the story is undoubtedly inspired.

For a long time only the ITC movie version was available and this diluted the impact of the remarkable teaser by placing it after the titles. DVD releases then made the ATV version available and viewers were able to see it in its proper place. This teaser, as George Mullard is shot while Sally looks on smiling, unable to see what had actually happened, is one of the very best. The story premise of blind students at first unaware of assassins in their midst, and then later desperately trying to find them and stop them, is a great one. However I feel the story struggles to fill sixty five minutes and as a result moves very slowly. It's still good but maybe in need of a new story element to offer a different dimension.

Very unusually the heroes and heroines - the blind students - are not directly targeted by the villains. They are at some risk when they endanger the assassination attempt but otherwise the terrorists are content to just keep them out of the way, perhaps feeling that due to their blindness they couldn’t thwart the operation. The target of the assault - the statesman - is never seen. This is an unusual approach in Thriller but maybe if the blind students had been more clearly at risk the tension and power of the story would have been enhanced although that could also have it an uncomfortable watch.

Anderson (Peter Vaughan) forces Sally (Sinead Cusack) into the room with the other students

It's certainly very intriguing that we know very little about the terrorists or their target. We get to see the three assassins setting up their attempt and know they are ruthless but the rationale behind the assassination is never clear. The suggestion is that Jefferies is motivated by money while Moore represents the organisation and maybe has an ideological motive but much remains unexplained. What is clear, and works to great effect on screen, is that Jefferies and Moore are highly suspicious of each other. These sorts of divisions are rarely seen in drama where the impression is usually of villains having a common agenda and unity but are no doubt very realistic.

The mystery about the statesman is very effective as well. He is described as "a man of peace" but other than that nothing is known. It does seem a touch improbable that he would be visiting a small English town, particularly in a motorcade. Perhaps him visiting the blind school might have been a better option.

The acting performances are good, most obviously from Sinead Cusack as Sally. Peter Vaughan is in typically fine form as the terrorist Anderson. The cast generally is very strong with many familiar TV faces in action. The climax is sound but is rather over-extended.  TV reports are heard regularly in the episode and at the end and are rather wooden and unconvincing but maybe it was felt that they were needed to ensure the blind students were aware of what was happening at the event. In spite of this though the episode has made a huge impact on most viewers and will remain a popular favourite.

File It Under Fear - Series 1, Episode 8, Saturday 2 June 1973

The story...

A number of women have been found strangled in a small town. A frightening situation but librarian Liz Morris feels especially on edge and the police are making little headway. When one of Liz's colleagues Gillie goes missing and only her shoe is found everyone fears the worst. Liz though feels she knows who is responsible and takes matters into her own hands...

American airman Gerry Masters is spying on someone through the bookcase - but who and why?

Review

For me this is one of the best episodes of Series 1 and certainly my favourite of its "straight" crime thrillers (i.e. non-supernatural) although it's fair to say that most viewers plump for either The Colour of Blood or The Eyes Have It; this episode though has always been well-regarded in the fan community, and would be close to my top ten overall. 

This is another serial killer tale but this time a "whodunit" - the first one broadcast, perhaps surprising given the popularity of the whodunit style. The suspects are well-set up. There is the socially inept library assistant George who often feels belittled by the women around him and who seems anxious to prove his masculinity. The pleasant but lugubrious divorcee Steve who lodges with Liz and her mother and who goes out in the evening for no clear reason. Finally we have American airman Gerry Masters who was having an affair with one of the murdered women and whose reading choices show an alarming interest in violence. This was one of numerous Series 1 episodes with no American guest star / lead character and the inclusion of the latter (played by British-based US actor Richard Pendrey) ensures that an American angle is retained which was considered important for transatlantic appeal. 

The episode also has much to say about anxiety, loneliness and insecurity. Liz and her colleague George are both very insecure individuals with George in particular a deeply unpopular young man who often feels (justifiably) rejected and derided; unfortunately he then tends to compound that by antagonising others which leads to him being further baited. With these two we see what can happen when individuals let their pride race ahead of the and a trivial dispute gets completely out of hand. The characters are well-drawn although Liz's comments about "young people" seem odd given the relative youth of her character and a point remarked upon by Sergeant Truscott.  Maybe an older figure was originally conceived for the role but it does help to paint the picture of someone feeling divorced from their generation and somewhat "old before their time".

Liz (Maureen Lipman) & George (Richard O'Callaghan) at odds again

The two featured detectives fit a common Thriller pattern with an irascible senior and a rather put-upon junior. The latter is often drawn more sympathetically but on this occasion neither plays the "good cop". While both are polite to Liz they mock her behind her back and clearly believe that she is "frustrated" and a fantasist. Senior detectives also often had a quirk about them and in Superintendent Cramer's case that is an obsession with golf. Even after he had learned about the first murder he changes the subject back seconds later to his annoyance about a golf game. Neither officer is particularly insightful or admirable but this wasn't unusual for Thriller where police officers and detectives were not necessarily painted as the brilliant minds and heroes as they were in many other productions. 

There are many great performances. Maureen Lipman, George O'Callaghan and John Le Mesurier are in particularly fine form as Liz, George and Mr Stubbs and there is an impressive early appearance by Jan Francis. A number of these actors (Le Mesurier most notably) had long associations with comedy but all prove their dramatic potential here.

Another interesting theme is the interest of Liz's mother in reading about the murders and her tongue-in-cheek remark that "everyone likes a good murder". While a seemingly macabre comment there is no doubt that many people are fascinated by the topic, reading about news stories of murder as well as crime novels and of course watching dramas like this one. 

The final fifteen minutes or so of the episode are exceptionally good. There are two confrontations (one with disastrous consequences) and the final scenes where the truth is unveiled are excellently done with one involving a phone call one of the most terrifying in the history of the show. The final lines are perhaps a little troubling and these combined with the very last shot offers some mystery about long-ago events involving Liz. Altogether a fine instalment and certainly one of the highlights of Series 1.

Notes 

Design was often a strength of Thriller and the library set is especially fine in this episode - so convincing that many viewers thought it was filmed in an actual library rather than a studio set, The exteriors of the library were shot on location but Thriller did little filming on location and almost all that was done were shots of exteriors and brief scenes around them rather than filming inside real locations as later became common.

A box of UFO sweet cigarettes (below, behind George) can be seen in the sweet shop - perhaps the only example of a TV-related product seen in Thriller. 

ITC movie title-watch

The opening titles have attracted some criticism for apparently "identifying" the killer. The eyes of a man can be seen spying on a young blonde woman in a library. This then leads into the murder in the original ATV teaser. It certainly seems very unlikely that the movie producers wanted to indicate the killer. They were probably trying a different angle to the usual silhouettes and headless figures used to symbolise killers in these titles. However it is a risky strategy as it may seem to give clues as to the killer. How many viewers though would pick this up on first viewing is uncertain. Leaving this aside, these are quite effective, suspenseful if maybe a little voyeuristic (as was often the case with the new titles) and the music is very well-chosen. This is one of the few movie versions that ends on a still frame, in this case of the eyes of the "killer" borrowed from the new titles rather than a painted montage. These still images always seem far better to me than the garish and commonly unrealistic artwork on most of the end titles.

Film-Rite's trailer for this movie curiously includes no action from the original ATV version and instead reproduces its own filmed titles, with no voiceover. This could have misled viewers into believing it was a preview for a film made in the USA rather than a British videotaped production.            . 

A Place To Die - Series 1, Episode 7, Saturday 26 May 1973

The story...

Dr Bruce Nelson is about to start a job as a doctor in what seems like an idyllic English village. For his American wife Tessa this also appears to be a dream location. The villagers are remarkably friendly - too friendly perhaps, especially towards Tessa who they seem to treat with reverence. Although Bruce sees nothing amiss Tessa starts to feel uneasy. One of the villagers Nick - who is mute - behaves very strangely around her. She finds evidence that the previous doctor was very worried by the villagers and starts to fear that his death by falling down the stairs may not have been an accident. She has good reason to worry because the villagers are engaged in devil-worship and believe from her appearance that she is to be a bride of Satan - a "marriage" for which the bride makes the ultimate sacrifice....

Review

The first series here revisited the theme of Satanism first explored in Someone at the Top of the Stairs but this time focused on a village community rather than the residents of a single house. The earlier episode certainly attracts some criticism (mainly focused on its final stages) while broadly appealing to viewers. This one though produces starker divisions of opinion and in particular seems to have fared less well with new viewers who've discovered it on DVD. It has always though been one of my favourites and still has some strong support.

The story premise is an excellent one. The subject matter is very dark and the community and its practices very strange and sinister. The danger always in these circumstances is that strangeness over-balances into silliness and viewers find events hard to take seriously. There are elements here which risk that, most notably near the end of the story. However for me it stays on the right side of the line.

One of the beauties of the DVD set was finally being able to see the original teaser in full uncut form in its proper place. The teaser is one of the most dramatic, and very powerful in its original form. The story then progresses well, suitably unsettling the viewer. Events are largely predictable but the execution is good. Tessa Nelson performs the standard Thriller heroine role - at first flattered by the attentions of the villagers, then bemused and ultimately very frightened as the evidence of shocking events emerges. Her husband Bruce - again not untypically - plays the entirely rational role, seeing nothing untoward and trying to reassure her - unsuccessfully. 

Alexandra Hay's performance as Tessa divides viewers in a similar way to the episode itself. Some find her highly unconvincing. Others, like myself, feel she gives a good account and capably displays Tessa's range of emotions in a demanding role. Although i feel she does well other actresses may have given a stronger display and maybe this is an episode that didn't require an American guest star - several other Series 1 episodes had proceeded with no American in the cast.

The villagers are very well portrayed. The cast is large with many minor characters but the image of an evil community is very clear. Glynn Edwards is particularly notable as the gamekeeper Lob, with his consultation with Bruce really showing that there is something untoward. This is a rare scene of tension as the friendliness of the community is otherwise stressed, and this makes their evil secret all the more shocking. The character of "Mad Nick", skilfully played by Juan Moreno, is especially disturbing. Making this character mute was a fine decision and makes him all the more unsettling. His scenes with Tessa in her home are very powerful.

Tessa (Alexandra Hay) with Bess (Lila Kaye) & Nick (Juan Moreno)

The final part as the extent of the danger to Tessa becomes apparent is very strong. The climax itself though could be better although it is certainly dramatic. However overall this is a very fine production and another sign of the strength of the first series.

Notes

It appears that this episode (and one scene in particular) was the reason the Series 1 set received a "15" certificate.

The resemblance between this and The Wicker Man, also released in 1973 is difficult to miss. Both productions deal with the theme of a community seeking and finding a newcomer who meets the qualities they require for a sacrifice to their gods. It might be easy to think that A Place to Die was derivative of The Wicker Man. It did actually reach the screen before the film's debut in Autumn 1973 but production of the latter was concluded before that of the Thriller episode. When Brian Clemens wrote the story idea, and Terence Feely the script, is not certain but it is a possibility that they were aware of The Wicker Man and gained some inspiration from it, although it is equally possible that there is no connection at all.

The ITC movie version has some impressive and fitting music and retains the original episode title  but accompanies it with a jaunty font that seems more suitable for a cartoon than a thriller.

Murder in Mind - Series 1, Episode 6 (Saturday 19 May 1973)

The story...

Shortly after a car accident Betty Drew staggers into a local police station and confesses to murdering another woman called Jill. She is very vague on the details and the police can find no evidence that any such crime has been committed - Jill is very much alive and well. Betty is the wife of crime novelist George Drew whose secretary is called Jill and it seems that these links and her confused state have led her to imagine the offence. However Detective Constable Tom Patterson is not so convinced that the crime is all in her imagination and he persists even in the face of opposition from Inspector Terson. Maybe Betty hasn't committed a crime but she has hit on something about to happen...

Review

As it currently stands this is the last episode shown on British TV when it closed Bravo's incomplete run on August 31st 1996. There was a fear at the time it might be the last we would see of Thriller but fortunately that was confounded by the DVD releases of 2004-2005. It is one of those episodes that attracts very little attention among fans, with few strong feelings in either direction about its quality. I find it though a rather impressive effort which, like the first series in general, tends to be somewhat under-rated.

The basic premise, of a woman confessing to an apparently non-existent murder, is a very good one. It is then well-developed. It may strike some viewers as rather slow and this may have been a factor in its very short running time - maybe Brian Clemens or the producers felt they could not extend it further without a further loss of pace. However the studied approach works fine in my view. The small cast also allows the story and characters to be carefully developed. The twist is a good if not an entirely surprising one. Zena Walker gives a strong performance as the hapless Betty who spends much of the story confused, upset and insecure and as a result finds it difficult to be taken seriously. Richard Johnson does a good job as her husband who struggles to make sense of her behaviour.

Trying times for Betty Drew (Zena Walker)

The focus on Detective Constable Tom Patterson is unusual in Thriller where the featured detectives were predominantly Inspectors or higher. As a low-ranking officer Tom has to accept being over-ruled and even being berated and hung out to dry by the aggressive Terson, who fits the Thriller detective bill more closely. Donald Gee and Ronald Radd are impressive in these respective parts. The issue of rank adds new dimensions and is very welcome. Tom is the only officer who takes Betty at all seriously but as a result he finds his own credibility at risk. Bravely he pursues the enquiry, even after being demoted back to the beat. He realises there is a real pattern to all the strange coincidences and trusts to intuition. Ultimately he is vindicated.

The amount of attention to police station scenes - in particular a small, otherwise incident-free station - is also unusual and refreshing. Sergeant Frost is a warm, jokey, avuncular figure rather different from the more abrasive, unsympathetic Thriller norm and Detective Patterson is also positively portrayed as a supportive and astute officer with Terson conforming more to the standard pattern. The sergeant acts as something of a buffer between the senior and junior detectives, getting along with both of them and offering good advice to his young colleague. It's also clear that despite his severe manner Terson does see promise in Patterson.

Sergeant Frost, Tom Patterson and Inspector Terson at the station

The final part of the programme as murder is being prepared is extremely atmospheric and very well performed and directed. The scenes in the house take place in near darkness and silence, with only a little whispered dialogue between those involved. One can really sense the fear. This is neatly interspersed with scenes of Tom Patterson putting together the pieces of his detective work.

Maybe elements of the climax are a little predictable, but of course it makes for great drama. The choice of murder weapon is odd for someone who has planned a crime and presumably wants to make a "clean kill" to reduce their chances of detection although it fits with the description given by Betty. The last scene is also a rather poignant one.

 All considered this is a very professional and capable offering. Music, design and direction are all of a high order. If it does prove to have been Thriller's British TV swansong it is a good finale and deserves further recognition.

Notes

Although only his surname appears on the end credits Dr. Sammers (played by Robert Dorning) is named Arthur on screen.

This episode - in its original ATV format - was due to be repeated by Thames TV on Monday 13th August 1979, the first sighting of the show since it concluded in May 1976. Sleepwalker was due to follow the following Monday suggesting a longer repeat run. However industrial action took the whole of ITV off-air from Friday 10th August and when programmes resumed in October Thriller was not rescheduled. A year later repeats of the show in its ITC movie format started to be shown with this episode ultimately broadcast in the London area on Friday 23rd October 1981 (London Weekend Television).

The Colour of Blood - Series 1, Episode 5, Saturday 12 May 1973 (ITC movie title "The Carnation Killer")

The story...

Serial killer and psychopath Arthur Page is nicknamed "The Carnation Killer" after the "trademark" carnations he wears and leaves after every murder. He has just been convicted but the prison van crashes and he is able to escape and is now on the loose, Meanwhile legal secretary Julie Marsh is due to hand over a briefcase of cash to a client called Michael Graham and then transport him to a country house, both of which he has inherited. However a terrible misunderstanding results in her mistaking the escaped Page for her client and then boarding a train to the house. Julie cannot be contacted and both her solicitor employer Baverstock and Mr Graham are fearing the worse - Baverstock fearing for the safety of Julie; Graham fearing for his money. The police are searching for the pair but it's a bleak scenario unless Page can somehow be stopped.

Review

Among fans in general this along with The Eyes Have It are considered the "classics" of Series 1 and two of the most popular and best-remembered in the show's history. While I am a little lukewarm about The Eyes Have It this leaves me with fewer doubts. it is undoubtedly very strong and memorable. The "psychopath" is one of the chilling staples of the thriller and suspense genre and while viewers had to wait a few weeks for Thriller's first venture into that territory they were certainly not disappointed and this is probably the show's best psychopath story. 

The opening teaser is arguably the best - at first bizarre, then utterly chilling - and does a great job of capturing the viewer. The story is a strong one and really sets the style for the show - an attractive young woman, menaced by a deceptively charming but ultimately dangerous man. However the marvellous character of Page, brilliantly conveyed by Norman Eshley, makes this truly memorable. Such is the quality of his performance it can lead the remarkable display of Katharine Schofield as the understandably nervy Julie to not receive the great acclaim it deserves. Her character's discomfort and vulnerability are all too evident. Her performance is even more remarkable given that she was a late replacement for the intended lead actress (possibly an American guest star - this is one of the few stories with no American actor) who had to drop out, The scenes involving the pair are superb and exceptionally directed.

Julie (Katherine Schofield) feels uncomfortable with travelling companion Arthur Page (Norman Eshley)

The masterstroke is the extraordinary twist late on. Page is also not a straightforward villain. He does largely seem to delight in his toying behaviour but it is also clear near the end that he is a tortured soul and this evokes some viewer sympathy. It requires great writing skill to do this and it is interesting that even at this early point Brian Clemens was happy to present a more nuanced picture.

Page's escape at the start is rather unlikely, but if such a device were fine for The Fugitive then why not for Thriller? In this era of the mobile phone of course it would be very unlikely that someone like Julie would be incommunicado but this makes for such great drama. It does seem remarkable though that her employer and client would be happy for her to hand over money with almost no security or identity checks at all. However realism can be the kiss of death to great drama and this is an acceptable plot device to place her in such a predicament.

There are some small limitations. The patronising attitudes to women are present right from the beginning with numerous references to Julie as a "girl" and stress placed on her prettiness, and this remained a hallmark throughout the show. Thriller though was far from alone in its era in this kind of depiction of women and largely reflected the less than progressive culture of the early 1970s. The solicitor Baverstock is the chief offender in this regard and the character is not a strong one. The scenes in his office and the police station are patchy partly for this reason but still have their moments. They are definitely lifted by the character of the client - Michael Graham - who is suitably shady and his frustration and tactlessness are purveyed excellently by Geoffrey Chater (an actor more commonly seen as upright, establishment types). There is great natural humour in Graham's bluster but impressive drama as well. Graham cares far more for his money than Julie's safety and this sets up some biting exchanges with Baverstock. 

Thriller detectives were generally either rather conventional, "by the book", unremarkable types or eccentric or even unscrupulous. The latter were usually rather more engaging viewing but here we have the former. The Detective Superintendent (played by Malcolm Terris) is unquestionably competent but not particularly memorable - indeed he isn't even named on-screen or on the credits perhaps indicating the generic nature of the character - and that applies to his colleagues except one. The blundering Detective Forbes does make the wrong sort of impression when he manages to confuse Michael Graham with the escaped Page and arrests him to the understandable chagrin of Graham and the embarrassment of his colleagues. This not entirely flattering depiction of police officers and detectives did mark Thriller out from police and detective shows of that time which tended to portray officers in a much less critical or ambivalent manner.

Although this was the fifth episode broadcast in the UK it was the first one produced and shows that all concerned had hit the ground running. The early episodes of a production - and especially its very first - often have their problems as cast and crew try to get to grips with a new show. This is especially so for a series with ongoing characters and situations; as an anthology series Thriller didn't have that problem but it still had to get the mood and style right and this episode does so with great skill. Director Robert Tronson deserves particular credit but everyone involved on both sides of the camera contribute to delivering a "model" Thriller outing. This would have been a fitting choice for the first broadcast but maybe the lack of American presence on-screen led to others such as Lady Killer appearing earlier.

The climax is first-class. The final scene in the station is superbly done and is then followed by another briefer one which has very much stuck in viewers' minds, rounding off a deservedly acclaimed tale.

Observations

This is the only episode to feature ethnic minority characters, both very briefly during the train journey. It is also one of only two episodes to feature a court verdict (the other is A Coffin for the Bride.)

Geoffrey Chater died a few years ago at the age of one hundred and - as far as we know - the only Thriller actor to reach that remarkable age.

The US titles are some of the most amateurish and tasteless, which is unfortunate as they have a certain tension and excellent music. "Page" drags a woman who is visibly distressed up to a room . A hammer is foregrounded yet there is no evidence in the episode that he ever used such a weapon. The woman is heard sobbing but when sat at a table while "Page" makes her a cup of tea she is absolutely motionless, even though someone distressed would be visibly trembling. Finally Page moves to strangle her - even though her neck is already lolling back suggesting she is dead.

The credits incorrectly bill Derek Smith as "Dereck" on the openers and Roy Sone as "Stone". Two extra actors are credited as policemen (Barry Ashton and Michael Stainton). This is the only instance of different actors being billed on the ATV and ITC credits.

An Echo of Theresa - Series 1, Episode 4, Saturday 5 May 1973 (ITC movie title: Anatomy of Terror)

The story....

Brad and Suzy Hunter are on holiday in London. Soon after they arrive Brad starts to behave strangely include some disturbing outbursts that greatly worry his wife. Reading The Times newspaper seems to trigger these events and at these points he also seems to believe he is an English "gentleman" called Charles Merrow who is married to someone called Theresa but he has no idea who these people are. The pair call in unconventional - but certainly talented - private detective Matthew Earp to try to find answers - it seems events from decades earlier on another continent offer the key but the danger to Brad and Suzy is very much in the present...

Brad (Paul Burke) confronted by Sagar (Larry Taylor)

Review

This had the honour of opening Thriller in the USA (indeed its first broadcast anywhere) on 15th January 1973. This was certainly not a random choice as it is one of the most transatlantic stories with plenty of nods to American and more generally international viewers. It is the only episode with two American guest stars with Paul Burke and Polly Bergen having joint-top billing but it also makes great use of central London locations most likely to be familiar to those outside the UK. The references to "the English gentleman" would also be very familiar to non-UK viewers as well as broader references to English and American "character" that were to recur throughout the series.

This was the second-ever episode I saw courtesy of it being on the first Thriller VHS tape I bought back in 1994. The first I saw was Someone at the Top of the Stairs and it's fair to say this outing always seemed an anti-climax compared to the great drama and boldness of that outing. That has largely been shared by other viewers with An Echo of Theresa striking most as an undoubtedly well-produced and cleverly-written story but one that doesn't really grip them. I will say though that watching it again for the first time in many years I was highly impressed and while it is best-remembered for introducing the memorable character of Matthew Earp it has plenty of other virtues and rather more to offer than initially seems and no worse for its emphasis on mystery and intrigue rather than high drama.

The first series is sometimes criticised as being rather slow and this episode certainly has faced that accusation. The story creates intrigue through Brad's peculiar and troubling - and in one case dangerous - behaviour and this takes up most of the first half. This can be heavy going, especially for the casual viewer, but not unlike other "slower" stories the relative lack of pace allows time to build the mystery. 

The second half sees the arrival of Matthew Earp and and there is a universal sense that the exceptional quality of that character makes a great impact. Earp is the only character to reappear in Thriller (in The Next Scream You Hear at the end of Series 3) and one can see why he deserved that honour. The character is superbly drawn but the performance by Dinsdale Landen is excellent. Earp is brilliantly witty but has a razor-sharp mind and physical prowess that ensures he must always be taken seriously. The private detective duo of the Buckleys in K Is for Killing also have immense wit and style but are played far more obviously for laughs, to the frustration of many viewers (although not myself). However there is no question that Earp, thanks to Landen's skill, stays on the right side of the dramatic fence.

The episode does become more gripping as it progresses, not just through Earp's arrival but also the emergence of the villains. As in the other two Thriller espionage stories ordinary people are unfortunate enough to be targeted by international agents. Their exact motives and missions are never truly explained and it is useful to have this enigma. 

Brad Hunter finds himself under interrogation by Charles Merrow (Basil Henson) and Bannerhein (Vernon Dobtcheff)

The climax sees more questions being answered. It offers a dramatic ending to a generally low-key outing and the final line is one of the best in the show's history. It is always good to end on a high note and while the episode is unlikely ever to come a major fan favourite it does deserve further appreciation.

Notes

This was one of the favourite stories of Brian Clemens and he chose it for the first video release. The ITC movie version of this episode had the curious title of "Anatomy of Terror". Intriguing and unnerving perhaps but "terror" seems to be overstating events in a tale far more about mystery; it is probably the only film or TV title containing the word "anatomy"!