Thriller

Amazing how many of you remember the "Hungry Glass" episode. I was only about 9 years old at the time, and still vividly remember it as the scariest TV show I ever saw. What astounds me is that, with all the cable channels and all the JUNK programmed on them, they don't seem to find a slot to rerun these Thriller classics. It's a shame.

This humble fan of Boris Karloff's Thriller will side with the great horror writer Stephen King who calls "Thriller" the scariest show ever on television. Well, I will back off a little from Mr. King as "One Step Beyond" get's my vote as scariest TV show followed by "Ghost Story/Circle Of Fear", but "Thriller" ranks right up there with the aforementioned two. It's been a while since I have scene many of these episodes as they really haven't run anywhere on TV that I has acces too. Most of my memories come from the 1970's when local station WOR-TV aired the show. Recently I saw an episode on video entitled "The Premature Burial" and man, even at age 30 plus, it scared the pants off of me and made the goosebumps rise! Erie intro by Boris Karloff, moody black and white photgraphy, creepy scripts and big name stars make this a TV gem! I cannot recall the name of this particular episode but I believe it was directed by and starred Ray Milland and it was about "Jack The Ripper". I haven't seen it in years but I still remember it from seeing it in the 70's. scary and proof positive that this show was memorable and has staying power. Highly recommended!

Never saw this series before I watched the DVD set, I was mostly impressed by it, though it took a awhile to find its way. It started out with crime "thrillers", which ranged from moderately interesting to instantly forgettable, though when it showcased horror, it really hummed, with presentations like 'The Hungry Glass', 'The Grim Reaper', & 'Pigeons From Hell' being the standouts.

Boris Karloff presented all 67 episodes, and was as effective a host for this, as Rod Serling was for "The Twilight Zone". Karloff was in my view the greatest horror film actor who ever lived, and appeared in several episodes, the best of which was 'The Incredible Doktor Markensen'.

Not as moralizing as "The Twilight Zone", this series was noticeably grimmer in tone, though wonderfully filmed in Black & White.

If you can get past the crime episodes, this is well worth viewing.

There are many "Thriller" episodes that raise the goosebumps, but the one I will never forget, "La Strega" (Italian for "The Witch") remains to haunt me to this day. Starring the great Jeanette Nolan, Ursula Andress and Alejandro Rey ("The Flying Nun"), it told the story of an artist (Rey) who falls in love with the granddaughter (Andress) of a witch (Nolan). When I saw this, back in the late sixties, it was on late night TV. Just the truly evil appearance of Nolan gave me nightmares for a week. Every few years it would be broadcast again (always late at night) and I would always watch. And the nightmares would return (no other film, TV show or book ever scared me as much} stronger than ever. A few years ago, thirty years since the last time I saw it, it was shown on the Sci-Fi channel. No nightmares this time, but I made a point of making sure every door and window was locked before I went to bed because this time, like all the previous ones, I happened to be alone.

"Thriller" in the 60's would air on the Local NBC affiliate, Saturday nights at 9 PM. Of all the episodes, and I think I saw them all, had to be "A Wig for Ms. DeVore". Following Marie Antoinette's execution on the gallows, her hair was removed and made into a wig. The owners, of which there were many, all fell under a horrifying curse.For those of you who might come across this episode, BEWARE of the ending. If there was ever an episode of "Thriller" that would cause one to hide their eyes, this has to be the one, hands down.