Thriller is coming to DVD!!!! (1 Viewer)

[Elena S]

Since I saw this information listed on CD Universe's website, I assume it's true.

The first season of "Thriller" will hit the streets on Sept.27. It's available to pre-order from CD Universe now. Here's the info:

List Price: $79.95 CD Universe price: $55.97
Category: Television/TV Series
Studio: A & E Home Video
CDU Part#: 6883970
Discs: 4
Street Date: Sep 27, 2005

 

[Joe Lugoff]

Before other classic horror fans like me start to get all excited, this is not the Boris Karloff series of 1960-62, which would come from Universal and not A&E.

Amazon says it stars Helen Mirren. It's probably a collection of some British detective/suspense shows A&E showed. as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Elena S]

I should've known it was too good to be true.

Sorry about the mix-up.

[crawling away to a corner]

 

[Elena S]

I just read more about it on IMDB. It ran from 1973-1976 and featured actors such as Donna Mills & Gary Collins. From the review it sounds like it was an excellent show, although I don't remember it. Like the original "Thriller" it was an anthology series. I might pick it up just out of curiosity.

 

[Jeff#]

In a way that's a good thing, because A & E usually doesn't duplicate more than 6 shows to a disc (The Persuaders with nearly a dozen is an exception), so it's best that Universal releases the REAL "Thriller" (with Boris Karloff).

I could care less about some 1970s anthology series (which, by the way, never aired on A & E).

 

[Carlos Garcia]

I never heard of it, and was also very excited thinking the original poster meant the classic Karloff series.

 

[Steve...O]

The English Brian Clemens Thriller series (which apparently this refers to) is very highly regarded by fans of the show. Clemens was the writer behind some of the Avengers shows.

From what little I know, the DVDs were quite popular in Europe and must have had enough of a following in the US to warrant a domestic release. Having never become familiar with this series myself, I may have to check these out.

Steve

 

[Steve Phillips]

The complete 43 episode run is available in the UK in one set.

This series was shot on tape and each show runs about 65 mins. When they aired in the US (usually on ABC's short lived late night movie slot) they were actually expanded to about 75 mins so they could be shown in a 90 min slot. This was accomplished by using flashbacks and really, really long title sequences and weird video effects...pretty lame attempts. The shows work much better in the original form, but even then, many of them are dreadfully dull. There are however, some good ones in there.

Later, some of these "movies" turned up in local syndication. I've got the expanded version of SPELL OF EVIL on tape somewhere.

 

[Jeff#]

Although I've never seen this 1970s series, it's easy to see why it failed: It was shot on VIDEOTAPE rather than film. That's the same reason I could never watch afternoon soaps -- poor production values and that unavoidable staged atmosphere.

From what I've read about this THRILLER the only thing going for it is a double connection to The Avengers. Brian Clemens produced it and Laurie Johnson did the music. Had Clemens ended his association with Albert Fennell by that time?

 

[Steve Phillips]

The UK THRILLER didn't fail; it ran for several years.

Videotape production doesn't bother me as much with drama as it does with sitcoms, but it isn't ideal.

The real problem with the series is that they had half hour plots stretched out to more than one hour.

 

[Jeff#]

I meant that this Thriller series failed because most people never heard of it or saw it. And as somebody who loves classic American and British TV and has gone out of his way over the years to see it, this series is one that went by unnoticed by so many. It is a "cult" series at best.

If Thriller had been filmed it might have worked better, as all action and drama series. My stand on sitcoms is the opposite. I think they are better designed as stage plays (which in most cases they are when taped). All in the Family is the ultimate proof of that.

 

[Jean-Michel]

Rather detailed fansite on the UK series

Regarding the use of videotape: I'm not going to pretend that it looks good, but the use of video has traditionally been more common on UK television than it has in the U.S., so it wouldn't have looked out of the ordinary for a mid-70s UK television audience.

 

[Dorrie_W]

Okay I'm slow. I thought it was the Michael Jackson video until I read the posts more in depth..:b

 

[Carlos Garcia]

At first I was disappointed that this post wasn't about the Boris Karloff series. Having said that, however, I did some research into this "Thriller", and it turns out I remember this show from late night television back in the 1970's. I believe it ran on ABC as part of "ABC's Wide World Of Mystery". The more I think back at the episodes I remember having seen, the more curious I am to watch them again. As I recall, they were very well written, had alot of suspense and shock to them and most of the episodes had a Hitchcockian twist at the end. There are some that stand out like "Someone At The Top Of The Stairs, and "One Deadly Owner" with Donna Mills. I see that A&E only released season 1 for the U.S. market, while they have released the complete series in England (region 2). I would love it if they would release all the episodes of this series to the U.S. market as well. This is one of those "nostalgic" shows that remind me of the days when (as a child) I'd put on the TV late at night, shut off the lights and get ready to be creeped out...It usually delivered. As for the show being shot on video, I think that only added to the creepiness, since it made me feel I was watching something happening live. I think anyone who grew up in the 60s or 70s would appreciate this series. I hope someone releases it to the U.S. in its entirety!

 

[FrosteyV]

Shouldn't the title of the thread be changed to something a little less misleading?

 

[HenryDuBrow]

Carlos, I spoke with A&E back shortly after the first season was released, and unfortunately they had no further plans with it beyond S1. Despite having shot intros for all the episodes with Clemens, as well as interviews with others involved. Beats me why they quit releasing it, many people remember it so the sales couldn't have been that low, it doesn't make much sense to me. The first two seasons have just been released in Australia, and the whole series is coming out in France over the next year (starting in June). Btw, I totally disagree with Jeff here, this show worked because it was videotaped, which adds a tremendous 'live' feeling of being there. The familiar stage feel, which the Brits mastered so well for drama in the 70s.

 

[Mike*HTF]

I second this - let's change the title, please!

 

[Joe Lugoff]

I have to third this -- every time it pops back up I get all excited until I see it's this old thread again.

Moderator, please change the title to something appropriate and not misleading.

 

[Paul_Scott]

I just finished the first two discs courtesy of Netflix. After disc 1 I was seriously considering massaging the budget to get the full series UK set. After I finished the second disc, I no longer feel the urgency but will keep an eye peeled if Xploited ever puts it on sale. As Steve wrote the big problem that is evident across all six eps I saw was that the show is just horribly padded. Especially when the stories are mostly derivative Hitchcock-show style mystery/crime thrillers. The 'twists' you can usually anticipate by the end of the second act, but then you have to stick around another 20 minutes to see them play out. From what I've seen the show still has many good points- great acting, good dialouge, and I was very impressed with the staging of the eps given the videotape shooting. The blocking is done very cinematically, not at all like afternoon 3 camera soaps or sitcoms.. I've seen comments from fans who regard this as Clemens best work. So far nothing I've seen touches what he did with the Avengers, or even Captain Kronos. I would still love to see more at some point, but the padded nature would make a large set very slow going and I just have too much else backlogged right now.

 

[Carlos Garcia]

Henry, I have given up all hope of all the seasons coming to DVD in a region 1 set. However, I recently bought a little device called an Mvix media player, which you can copy region 2 discs to, and the device will then convert and perfectly playback region 2 DVDs on any U.S. TV. I will be buying the complete "Thriller" series release from amazon.uk for about $80. I remember this show as being excellently written and acted, with lots of chills and thrills. I look forward to reliving these great episodes all over again. As for changing the title of the thread...Why should they? "Thriller" was the original British title of the series. Next question? When will the Boris Karloff "Thriller" be released?