memorable tv           

HOME
COMPETITIONS
NEW DVD REVIEWS
TV
INTERVIEWS
MUSIC
ALL REVIEWS
DVD NEWS
BOOKS
MOVIES
FEATURES
SEARCH
BLOG

TELEVISION

GREATEST HITS
UK
USA
AUSTRALIA
CANADA
SITCOMS
COMEDY
CHILDREN'S
DOCUMENTARY
WORLD
SOAPWORLD
QUIZ & GAME
TALK & CHAT SHOWS
EPISODE GUIDES
HALL OF FAME
WESTERNS
CLASSIC UK SCIFI

MUSIC

ARTISTS A-Z
ALBUMS
CLASSICS
LYRICS
GUITAR TABS
1960's SCENE
AUSTRALIAN ROCK
BIRTH OF ROCK
FEATURES

MORE STUFF

LINKS

THE CLIFTON HOUSE MYSTERY

UK / ITV - HTV / 6x25 minute episodes / Broadcast 8 October - 12 November 1978

Writers: Harry Moore, Daniel Farson / Music Advsior: Sidney Sager / Music played by Kenneth Mobbs / Production Design: Ken Jones / Executive Producer: Patrick Dromgoole / Producer: Leonard White / Director: Hugh David

In this scary children's drama serial, the Clare family, led by concert pianist Timothy, buy the run down home of Mrs Betterton. Along with the house they also buy several household items from the house at an auction, including an old army helmet and a strange painting. Daughter Jenny is also given a music box by Mrs Betterton's grand-daughter Emily. Soon strange things are happening and the Clare sons, Ben and Steven discover a secret, walled up room in the house that contains a skeleton!

When ghostly happenings continue to happen, the boys decide to call in ghost expert Milton Guest who is able to get to the bottom of the mystery.

A highly scary and tense atmosphere hangs over the whole series, the whole "occult" thing was in the media a lot at the time with big screen movies like The Omen and The Exorcist being very successful. It's easy to see why The Clifton House Mystery made a lasting impression on younger viewers who saw it at the time and has maintained a solid reputation despite not being repeated (outside of a barely seen satellite channel run in the early 1990's). Whilst this would have been pretty disquieting for a younger audience it is very subtle in the way it shows things whereas something like a modern day equivalent like The Spiderwick Chronicles pulls no punches in its quest to scare the audience.

Peter Sallis, who plays ghost hunter Guest, pops up in a surprising number of classic cult kids shows from The Ghosts of Motley Hall, Catweazle and here as ghost hunter Milton Guest.

cast
SEBASTIAN BREAKS as Timothy Clare
INGRID HAFNER as Sheila Clare
AMANDA KIRBY as Jenny
JOSHUA LE TOUZEL as Steven
ROBERT MORGAN as Ben


THE EPISODES
EPISODE ONE
EPISODE TWO

back to Kid's Shows C Part 2 | Home

RSS FEEDS AND EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to memorable tv for updates,comp news and more or Via Email