Leave it to A&E Home Entertainment to once again introduce me to some of the best British TV series of the past. The most recent to hit the DVD market is an old series called "Thriller." The genius behind this Hitchcockian treat was Brian Clemens, who was also responsible for turning "The Avengers" into the cult classic that it is today. Clemens had a style all his own and he was able to infuse "The Avengers" with a mixture of excitement and humor, neither of which ever really went over the top. "Thriller" was quite a bit different however as it did not involve secret agents or villains with plots to take over the world (well, occasionally), instead delving into the world of murder and the supernatural, but placing them in the most innocuous of places. For example, the episode "A Place to Die" features devil worshipers who aren’t Goth looking but rather seem like sweet and simple townsfolk. Or in "The Eyes Have It," we are introduced to a group of assassins who take over a school for the blind. Only the blind are not as helpless as one might think.

The series ran for a total of 3 years, which in Britain is actually considered 6 seasons. The amount of episodes for each season varied, but there were a total of 43 episodes. The 1st season set that A&E has released offers up 10 episodes, and every one of them feels like a mini-movie. The production value is quite high, and as Clemens wrote all but 3 of them, the quality of each episode in terms of plot is amazing. The plot twists are often well enough hidden that this viewer didn’t catch on right away for most of them. I didn’t bother to read any episode descriptions, so I ended up being caught off guard a lot.

The stories are compelling and the series was able to pick from amongst Britain's best actors and actresses, so there were few (if any) weak performances in any of the episodes. Some of the names might not be familiar to you if you don’t know your British actors, but the first season alone boasted appearances from Robert Powell, Linda Thorson, Judy Carne, and Peter Vaughan. And as the series received some of its production funding from the U.S., there were a handful of American actors that found their way into the series. I caught appearances by Barbara Feldon, Donna Mills and Polly Bergen in these episodes.

The 1st season set actually offered quite a few more extra features than I expected. The episodes have introductions by Clemens, who is in his mid 70's and still writing for various TV shows. There is also some interview footage with Clemens, director Shaun O'Riordon and Cinematographer John Cooper.

I really hope that A&E decides to release all 6 seasons of "Thriller." I love Hitchcock films, and from what I've seen so far this series comes about the closest to capturing that spirit as I've seen.

EPISODES:
Lady Killer
Possession
Someone at the Top of the Stairs
An Echo of Theresa
The Colour of Blood
Murder in Mind
A Place to Die
File it Under Fear
The Eyes Have It
Spell of Evil

Extras: Episode Introductions by Brian Clemens, Interviews with Creator Brian Clemens, Director Shaun O'Riordan and Cinematographer John Cooper
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
Studio: A&E Home Entertainment
Release Date: 9/26/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Thriller: Season 1 a B.