Back in 2011 the actor Alfred Burke passed away. Alfred was probably best known for his portrayal of the Private Detective Frank Marker in the ABC/Thames TV series Public Eye and also of course Herbet from Tales of the unexpected episode Flypaper. Public Eye ran from 1965 to 1975 and the Frank Marker Charecter was very unlike other TV Detectives.  His world was at times dark and seedy,  his cases were often fraud, deception, divorce cases, handling stolen goods, blackmail, missing persons. BFI Screenline describes the Marker character as this "At the start of season one the hangdog Marker, played with understated perfection by Alfred Burke, is an unmarried loner scraping a living as a private investigator in London" The locations for the series later moved from London to Birmingham, Brighton, Eton/Windsor and Chertsey.

I remember seeing the later episodes of Public Eye in the mid 70s with my parents. What stuck in my mind most about this often very dark and to my young mind gloomy series was the intro and the fantastic but melancholy intro music which was composed by Bob Sharples under the name of Robert Eardley. A number of variations of this intro music would continue throughout all 7 series.

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

Noahs Castle 1980