|
|
|
HOME
| ALIAS | ANGEL
| THE AVENGERS | BUFFY
THE VAMPIRE SLAYER | CHARMED |
DOCTOR WHO | OTHER
FILM & TV | ROSWELL | LINKS
 |
||
|
|
Granada Ventures release of the first season of ATV's Thriller shows just how much DVD of archive television have improved on VHS. On video the most we could have hoped for from a series like Thriller would have been carelessly thrown together compilations, often using the prints that were closest to hand, regardless of their actual quality. However, on DVD not only do we get the complete first season of ten episodes, but Carlton's recataloguing of the ATV/ITC archive means that these are the versions originally shown in the 1970s rather than the versions ITC put together for the US market or the movie formats that did the rounds on late-night ITV during the 1980s. (Although for some bizarre reasons, the final chapter on each episode claims to be the "US credits", when they're actually the original ATV "fish-eye" ones.) Another great thing about DVD is that online pre-order prices can often be ridiculously low - in this case just £12.99 - meaning that it's often worth taking a punt on an unknown series. And as far as I was concerned, at just over a quid an episode, there was certainly no harm in taking a chance on Thriller, even though I was too young to watch it at the time and can't remember catching any of its repeat runs. Spread over four discs, the set comes in the sort of packaging that the Hammer House of Horror set does, with two double-disc cases inside a slip case. The dreadful cover shows Granada playing up the horror aspect of the series, which is only likely to disappoint casual buyers, since the Hammer series is the one to go for if you're after horror (and some female flesh). There are a few episodes that veer towards the supernatural, such as Someone at the Top of the Stairs, A Place to Die and Spell of Evil, but for the most part Thriller is series of thrillers. Strange, huh? Not for nothing did ABC's Howard Thomas accuse Lew Grade of being more interested in Birmingham, Alabama than Birmingham, England, and Thriller reflects ATV's interest in overseas sales by a liberal sprinkling of American guest stars. It almost seems that everyone in the UK has an American husband or wife - can't the Yanks watch something if it doesn't have an American in it? To be fair, the vast majority of the actors involved are British, and there are some big names in there, including Robert Powell, Maureen Lipmann, John Le Mesurier, Peter Vaughn and James Grout. Given a 75-minute slot by ITV, each episode clocks in at around 65 minutes, with only two ad breaks - a sharp contrast to today when you'd expect twice as many. Like all anthology series the quality is variable and, to be honest, some of them do drag slightly. For those more interested in the supernatural side of things, it's worth mentioning that these are probably amongst the weaker stories. On a more positive note, Thriller boasts some excellent production values, with some very impressive sets. After criticising previous releases of ATV series for having their front and endcaps removed, it's good to see the ATV "in colour" zoom frontcap, "an ATV production" and even the adcaps retained on every episode. Extras are non-existent, although at least there are subtitles for the hard of hearing. Thriller might not provide the "11 hours of classic horror" that the sleeve promises, but by and large it is an enjoyable series. The lack of extras is disappointing, but hopefully the bargain price will attract enough buyers to ensure subsequent seasons are released, and with a bit of luck Granada might give us some extras on those. back to the top |
THRILLER |
