Possession

No US import in sight, and yet predictably it doesn't diminish the impact of this haunted-house tale in which Carson and Dunham purchase a dilapidated country manor only to discover it may have been the scene of a ghastly crime many years before.

Eerie and unsettling at times, Dunham manages to avoid blind paranoia long enough to learn the truth, whilst Carson fortunately doesn't spend too long as the doubting husband, averting a well-worn cliche in favour of watching something a lot more interesting unfold.

Theatre & TV actress Hardiman is effective as the clairvoyant whose concerns grow each time she enters the tainted house, her suspicions of the cause becoming increasingly more vivid with each subsequent visit. Some audiences might also recognise James Cossins who appears in the bookends as the real estate agent.

As with all 'Thriller' episodes, 'Possession' features elaborately detailed sets, a haunting score and rapidly evolving tension even if there are some revealing clues for the savvy viewer to spot.

'Possession' was the second episode of Thriller to be aired and consolidates the impressive beginning made by 'Lady Killer'.

John Carson excels as Ray Burns, a successful businessman who moves into a stylish country house with his wife Penny (played by Joanna Dunham). However the house holds a grim secret which reveals itself as being the site of a shocking murder some twenty years before. Naturally such an event does not occur without consequences and the house gradually takes on a haunted air.

The supporting cast is well served by Hilary Hardiman who plays the psychic medium called in to investigate the strange going-ons and James Cossins as the fussy and officious estate agent Kellet. Many viewers will recognise him as a particularly awkward guest in 'Fawlty Towers'.

The conclusion while not wholly surprising, is entertaining in its lead-up and the overall story makes for compulsive viewing.

Videotaped TV thriller is undeniably familiar material, and often looks like one of those low-budget Dan Curtis/supernatural horror flicks popular on television in the '70's. But the British cast is pretty good, and there are some effectively creepy moments. As far as an evening's worth of amateurish entertainment goes, you could do much worse.

Don't expect something exceptional in this overused plot, scheme, where a couple have bought an old house in which there were horrible events that happened several years before. A plot seen thousands of times before. This story is solid though, thrilling, everything is made to include a creepy and taut atmosphere. But it will not make you forget THE HAUNTING, AMITYVILLE, LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE. For those who like creepy, spooky material, I advise you to watch it at night, alone to emphasize on the terror atmosphere. After all, it is the purpose of this series, and this episode in particular. Just try for yourself.

A couple buy a house in the countryside not knowing it was a scene of a brutal murder several years earlier . Right away with a premise like this and with a title like that you're expecting all types of supernatural horror . The problem is with THRILLER you get the impression the show is pulling its punches when it attempts an out and out supernatural tale almost as if Clemens and co are terrified of the show being labeled horror . That said I'm not watching the series in chronological order and had to remind myself this was the second broadcast episode and the show is probably still trying to find its feet

The other problem is that not a lot happens and this might be the problem in having a show running in the region of 70 odd minutes an episode . Say what you like about HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR but those episodes had a run time of 50 minutes per episode which meant the storytelling was more compact and streamlined . That show also benefited from being shot on film and while scenes were no doubt written as being spooky and atmospheric with a mysterious whistling of Greensleeves the fact that the episode is filmed on videotape means atmosphere is missing