Television series
Thriller
Other titles called Thriller: the 1960 series (NBC), the 1979 film, the 2018 film.
- Crime thriller
- Whodunit
- Dip in and out
A 1973 ITV anthology series where each 65-minute episode is a self-contained thriller—supernatural chills, psychological games, locked-room mysteries. British television at its most elegant and economical: no bloat, pure craft. For anyone who loves the architecture of suspense and doesn't need gore to feel genuine dread.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like self-contained stories where a bit of the uncanny sits beside a plain murder puzzle, and you don't need the same characters returning week to week.
Skip it if you want one story that builds steadily, since every instalment starts from scratch with new people, and the 1970s production values can show their age.
What it asks of you: Each episode runs roughly an hour, and the pace is unhurried, with a slow build and little constant cutting, so patience pays off.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Tales of the Unexpected1977
Roald Dahl curated this anthology of darkly witty short stories adapted for television. Each episode twists expectation with malice aforethought. A masterclass in the sting ending.
But The 1980s production values and some dated effects might undercut the tension. A few episodes feel slight after their setup promises more.
Night Gallery1969
Rod Serling's follow-up to The Twilight Zone, leaning harder into horror and the macabre. Atmospheric, ambitious, and willing to let stories get genuinely unsettling. Often brilliant.
But Uneven in execution—some episodes feel padded, and Serling's narration occasionally tells you what you're already feeling. The horror doesn't always land.
The Avengers1961
British spy thriller series with style to burn. Witty, inventive, impeccably made, and anarchic in the best way. Steed and Peel are endlessly watchable together. Pure entertainment.
But Tonally inconsistent across its run, and some episodes veer into camp when you wanted danger. Later seasons lose the elegant restraint that made earlier ones sing.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Thriller
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Stoker2013
Both create suspense through formal control and restraint, trusting the audience to feel the threat without underlining it. Both favour atmosphere and implication over resolution.
Park Chan-wook's Gothic psychological thriller about a girl's dangerous homecoming. Visually sumptuous, architecturally precise, suffused with unease and creeping revelations. It builds dread through space and silence, not sound.
But The pacing is deliberate and cold—some will find it withholding rather than suspenseful. The stylisation can feel removed from genuine emotion.
More like this (6)
Kolchak: The Night Stalker1972
A journalist investigates the supernatural week after week with genuine resourcefulness and fear. Pulpy, atmospheric, and addictive. The 1970s grittiness makes the impossibilities feel plausible.
But Very uneven—some episodes are brilliant, others feel rushed and formulaic. The serialisation can feel repetitive if you binge it.
The Saint1962
Roger Moore as a roguish antihero solving crimes with style and subversive humour. It's sleeker and more enjoyable than it has any right to be. Endlessly rewatchable.
But Moore's charm carries it further than the writing sometimes deserves. The plots can be thin, and it veers toward pastiche when it should stay grounded.
The Outer Limits1963
Science fiction anthology that reaches for genuine philosophical horror and existential dread. Strong episodes feel haunting. American television trying hard to be ambitious and strange.
But Wildly inconsistent in quality—some episodes are clumsy and overwrought. Special effects feel dated and occasionally undermine rather than enhance the terror.
Suspense1962
Half-hour episodes of tight, economical thriller storytelling. British precision applied to locked rooms, betrayals, and moral traps. Elegant and unpretentious, it trusts its own craft.
But The shortness works against cumulative dread. Some episodes feel more like well-made puzzles than genuinely unsettling experiences.
Friday the 13th: The Series1987
An antique shop sells cursed objects, and the owners have to retrieve them. Clever premise generates inventive variations. It's trashy fun with genuine invention in its storytelling.
But Campy 1980s production and acting, and the formula becomes obvious quickly. It prioritises the gimmick over character or atmosphere once you're past the first season.
Ghostland2018
Both move between supernatural and psychological explanations without committing, keeping you off balance. Both trust that not knowing which threat you're facing is more terrifying than being certain.
Pascal Laugier's haunted house film that is actually a twisted psychological game. Don't know what you're watching until you're halfway through, then it rewires itself. Genuinely shocking and structurally audacious.
But Relies on a twist that may feel manipulative on reflection. The violence is real and difficult—some will feel exploited by how it earns its final sting.
People
Production
- Ian FordyceProducer