Armchair Thriller
A Thames Television drama series of adapted thriller serials.
Armchair Thriller is a British television drama series that aired on ITV in 1978 and 1980 across two seasons. It consisted of unconnected serials adapted from published novels and stories, and while not strictly horror, it occasionally included supernatural elements. The series was primarily produced by Thames Television, with two serials contributed by Southern Television.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Horror, Thriller
- Executive producers
- Andrew Brown
- Theme music
- Andy Mackay
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Series
- 2
- Episodes
- 55
- Producer
- Andrew Brown
- Jacqueline Davis
- Brenda Ennisp
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The ten Thames-produced serials were released by Network in 2008 as separate stories and as a box-set, including the untransmitted six-part version of 'The Chelsea Murders'.
- The Southern Television-produced serials 'Dead Man's Kit' and 'High Tide' were released separately by Simply Home Entertainment in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
Overview
The opening titles showed a shadow-figure walking to an armchair and sitting down, with music composed by Andy Mackay of Roxy Music. Some trailers featured the armchair soaked in blood and a screaming face, drawing criticism for being too horrific for pre-watershed viewing. Thames Television used a night-time version of its usual daytime London landscape station ident for the broadcasts. Ratings exceeded 17 million for the first episode of 'The Limbo Connection' in May 1978. The first series included an adaptation of Antonia Fraser's novel Quiet as a Nun, which introduced the character Jemima Shore, later spun off into her own ITV series, and starred Maria Aitken. That serial featured a cliffhanger with the 'Black Nun', and actors included Ian McKellen and Denis Lawson.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes of Armchair Thriller are there?
Armchair Thriller has 55 episodes across 2 seasons.
When did Armchair Thriller first air?
Armchair Thriller first aired on 21 February 1978.
When did Armchair Thriller end?
Armchair Thriller last aired on 30 December 1981.
More in Television Shows Produced by Thames Television
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced