In its two-season history, the anthology TV series Thriller, hosted by Boris Karloff, swung from episodes of mystery and suspense to gothic horror.
It’s thought by many that the horror episodes are much stronger than the mystery and suspense ones.
But Thriller is an outstanding series as a complete package, with nearly every episode telling a compelling story about people in tight places, either of a person’s making or of a power beyond.
Series is now available on DVD
At times Thriller rivals the much-more-famous anthology series The Twilight Zone in terms of memorable stories told and quality production values.
Both seasons of Thriller, 67 episodes in total, are now available on DVD.
The series originally aired from 1960 to 1962 with horror veteran Boris Karloff as host, and featured episodes based on stories from such esteemed writers as Robert Bloch and Cornell Woolrich. The majority of the stories used for episodes were originally published in a pulp magazine called Weird Stories.
The commentaries on the DVDs, and there are many of them, provide valuable insight into all different aspects of the show, including the its history, process of story adaptation, music creation and makeup. A few of the commentaries are with stars from a particular episode.
Memorable episodes of Thriller
Here are some of the more memorable episodes of Thriller:
- The Watcher: A serial killer preys on the young girls of a small seaside town.
- The Cheaters: A mysterious pair of eyeglasses causes tragedy for its wearers throughout the decades.
- Well of Doom: Two men en route to a fancy party are stopped on the road by two hideous characters who demand the men accompany them to a nearby castle.
- Late Date: A man murders his wife, and his younger brother decides to help cover up the crime, facing escalating hurdles in the process.
- Parasite Mansion: A young woman is held captive in an old mansion by a man, his two children and his creepy, menacing grandmother.
- The Terror in Teakwood: A concert pianist, obsessed with his deceased rival, suddenly announces he will be playing a piece of music that was specially composed for his rival’s oversized hands.
- Pigeons from Hell: In this episode, often cited as Thriller’s best and most famous, two stranded men take refuge for the night in a long-abandoned plantation mansion. They soon suspect they’re not alone.
- The Grim Reaper: A young businessman, played by William Shatner, is shocked to find his horror-novelist aunt has purchased an infamous painting of the Grim Reaper that is said to sometimes bleed from the scythe.
- A Third for Pinochle: A man who plots to kill his wife underestimates the observant powers of his two elderly female neighbors.
- The Incredible Doktor Markesan: Penniless newlyweds ask to stay in the decaying mansion of the groom’s uncle, Dr. Markesan, a noted university professor whose health has vastly deteriorated.
Another good anthology horror series: Night Gallery
Mandy Higgins - Mandy Higgins is a blogger and writer who lives in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. She has a Bachelor of Journalism (Honours) degree, and ...
