Shadows 1975 to 1978 Thames TV

 

Shadows was a Thames TV supernatural/mystery series that ran for 3 series from 1975 to 1978. All the stories were supernatural/Ghost/Fantasy/Mystery based. Shadows featured a superb array of actors including John Nettleton, Jenny Agutter, Jacqueline Pearce, Gareth Thomas, Brian Glover, June Brown, Russell Hunter (as Mr Stabs this character was also in Ace of Wands) George A Cooper (Caretaker Grange Hill) Brian Wilde (Mr Barraclough, Porridge) Norman Rossington, Gwyneth Strong and Joan Greenwood.
Writers for the series included Fay Weldon, J.B.Priestley, Susan Cooper, Joan Aiken.
What is also rather wonderful about Shadows was the exceptionally good intros to the series. A total of 3 different intros were used. My Personal favorite was the intro to the 2nd series with the animated bird flying, high contrast tower blocks and the creepy girl standing still whilst her shadow skips on a pale blue landscape. Always thought the intro to the 3rd series had a Box of Delights feel to it.
Some of the stories are perhaps a bit obvious/cliched and samey (After School & Waiting Room) some are fun (Dutch Schlitz's Shoes, The Man Who Hated Children) The Inheritance is a personal Favorite and definitely has a Folk Horror edge to it. A very fine and often over looked series.  If you do get the chance all intros are here on YouTube

The Horn Dance from The Inheritance

Shadows was a Thames TV supernatural/mystery series that ran for 3 series from 1975 to 1978. All the stories were supernatural/Ghost/Fantasy/Mystery based. Shadows featured a superb array of actors including John Nettleton, Jenny Agutter, Jacqueline Pearce, Gareth Thomas, Brian Glover, June Brown, Russell Hunter (as Mr Stabs this character was also in Ace of Wands) George A Cooper (Caretaker Grange Hill) Brian Wilde (Mr Barraclough, Porridge) Norman Rossington, Gwyneth Strong and Joan Greenwood.
Writers for the series included Fay Weldon, J.B.Priestley, Susan Cooper, Joan Aiken.
What is also rather wonderful about Shadows was the exceptionally good intros to the series. A total of 3 different intros were used across all three series. My Personal favorite was the intro to the 2nd series with the animated bird flying, high contrast tower blocks and the creepy girl standing still whilst her shadow skips on a pale blue landscape.
Some of the stories are perhaps a bit obvious/cliched and samey (After School & Waiting Room) some are fun (Dutch Schlitz's Shoes, The Man Who Hated Children) The Inheritance is a personal Favorite and definitely has a Folk Horror edge to it. A very fine and often over looked series.  If you do get the chance check out all three intros here.

The Horn Dance from The Inheritance

 

Woman in Black. A Fine Edition

My friend Mr Palmer has just recently loaned me a copy of Susan Hill’s Woman in Black. I have read the book and seen the film….plus seen the stage version, but I was rather taken by this hard back copy 1st published in 1983. The Illustrations are by John Lawrence and at first they might seem a bit light in style and at times even jovial, more fitting a lighter tale. But the illustrations are in fact quite lovely and are definitely a bonus which add to the whole reading experience of this classic story;  The Woman in Black has many elements of other classic ghost stories. An old house, a causeway, a village were the locals mutter into their pints at the mention of the house, an unsuspecting hero, eerie sounds in the night, spooky children, fog/mist, secrets, vengeance, a locked room, rocking chair and of course The Woman in Black. All this is used to great effect as the mystery unfolds and the suspense builds and reaches a climax.
I have seen both the BBC adaption (Screenplay by Nigel Kneel) and the 2012 film with Danial Radcliffe. Both quite good in their own right; even though the film does change the story quite a bit, but both are very enjoyable and def worth a watch.