Shadows

A wonderful collection of atmospheric tales of the Supernatural penned by the likes of J.B. Priestley and Roger Marshall not to mention Ace of Wands creator Trevor Preston.

Featuring tales of long dead witches, ghosts from the future and my personal favorite featuring a very young Pauline Quirke a story about 3 teenagers and a old haunted Tudor mansion.

There are all 7 episodes of the first series shot in 1975 on the network DVD release. Some great actors feature like Jenny Agutter, Russell Hunter John Nettleton and a very young Sophie Ward.

Some stories stronger than others; but series one is by far the best. Sadly the writing became poorer and the acting hammier in later series.

But takes you back to the day's before children's TV became Americanised, patronizing and bland.

I can vaguely remember the TV series 'Shadows' from the seventies, in particular the episode entitled 'The Other Window', which gave me nightmares for a week or two when I was an impressionable eight year old. I seem to think the window of the title was circular and when one looked through it, one saw strange and often scary things happening. I cannot remember the other episodes of this series, although if anyone can recall the plot lines of any of them it may well help to jog my memory. I think it aired on the BBC, but I don't ever remember it being repeated. I would love to know if this series is available either on video or DVD. Does anyone else remember this one?

Currently being reaired in the UK be the Talking Pictures TV channel. Taking into account it dates from the early 70's, I watched it objectively (so forget any special effects!).

Interesting to see a number of actors and actresses before they became famous.

Some stories are stronger than others, ranging from very good to very poor. S2 ep6 "The Eye" is an example of the latter. The least said the better.

A series well worth a view, if only for the few memorable episodes, rather than the forgettable others. This in mind gave it a mid-way 5 star score.

I vaguely remember the series too - I remember one episode about a woman staying at a hotel and met a ghost from the past, who hadn't heard of Heathrow Airport.

There was also an episode of a girl left home in the dark alone, and her Dad returns, acting strangely, and quite scarily in his motorbike helmet. The house looked quite eerie in just the flashing lights of a pedestrian crossing outside.

I have even hazier memories of another episode where a child shrinks to the size of his/her toy soldiers and dolls, and they come alive.

Not much help I know, but maybe it might trigger a few more memories for people? I remember the story of "the other window" as being the scariest episode for me.

The first two series were very good for children and adults alike. I loved seeing the future stars of stage and screen including Jenny Agutter, Pauline Quirke and Sophie Ward and a few who became Children's TV presenters. The third series was pretty awful. Bad acting, stories and a lot of green screen scenes. It turned into a pantomime or even a parody of itself. It just became too silly for a fourth series to be made.