ARMCHAIR THRILLER SET 1
Acorn Media US / Region 1 / Out Now
Armchair Thriller is one of the best remembered of all 1970's mysteru series, with its hugely atmospheric opening titles and all star casts these multi episode stories are still a real joy to behold. Acorn have just released set 1 in the series, a four disc set comprising the first four stories in the series.
Like the earlier Thriller and the BBC's Menace (also surely ripe for a DVD release) Armchair tackles the psychological as well as the straightforward. The first story to be broadcast was Rachel in Danger a very cool little four part story about a young girl travelling to London from Scotland, ostensibly to meet the father she hasn't seen since she was a baby but finding herself caught up in a bizarre assassination plot, it's nicely done with a great ending and a very good central performance from young Della Low as Rachel.
Dying Day, another 4 parter, stars a pre-fame Ian McKellan as an office worker who believes he is the target of a murder plot when he receives a strange casette recording, with the police not believing him, he is determined to get to the bottom of things. Highly convoluted and again with a brilliant little tricksy ending.
The Victim, six episodes this time, stars John Shrapnel as a businessman who will stop at nothing to back his kidnapped daughter. This is the most straightforward thriller story in the set, you know what is going on from the beginning but the tension cranks nicely over the six episodes.
Saving the best for last we have four parter The Limbo Connection starring the brilliant James Bolam as a writer whose wife disappears in strange circumstances. The police think he may have bumped her off but he is determined to find out just what is going on. The best plot of the four stories on show here and actually quite reminiscent of the Francis Durbridge classic Melissa. Wonderful stuff.
A very definite must see for fans of the genre Armchair Thriller stands up incredibly well today, the multiple episode format really the stories time to develop. A fabulous release and roll on set 2.
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