OTD (30th June) in 1984 LWT repeated the Thriller episode "The Savage Curse" (i.e. Kiss Me and Die). This marked the end of the 1980s repeats across the ITV regions. These repeats were hugely important not just for those who saw them at the time but the recordings which were later seen by many more.

Advert break on Ulster TV, Weds 3rd April 1974. Within this at 3:18 is a caption card and trailer for the UFO episode "The Responsibility Seat", airing for the first time on the channel. This is the first 1970s trailer for the show that I've seen preserved on video www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRlQ...

These grids offer an at a glance guide to the repeats of ATV's Thriller across the ITV regions in the early 1980s. All these appeared in their ITC movie versions which explains why some are under "new" titles with the original in brackets. While some regions showed them all most had some gaps.

This grid offers an at a glance guide to the first broadcasts of Gerry Anderson's UFO across the various ITV regions in the early 1970s. Some remarkable variations in when different regions first aired certain episodes including STV not showing "The Cat With Ten Lives" until 5 years after ATV!

Advert break on Ulster TV, Weds 17th April 1974. The image of an office block after the ads at 2:37 is from the UFO episode "The Psychobombs" which Ulster showed for the first time that evening. In the episode it leads into the scene of Linda Simmons with her boss www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH_4...

Princess Alexandra visits the ATV Crossroads set in 1970. Viewers of Gerry Anderson's UFO will be able to spot Jon Kelley (who played Colonel Masters) alongside co-star Sue Hanson. He had a recurring role at the time in the soap as Frank Adam although I don't think any of his episodes exist

One of the more obscure aspects of the Thriller episode "Death in Deep Water" is a brief and uncredited role for stuntman Marc Boyle who plays the man who attacks Gary (Bradford Dillman) at the start. Stuntmen such as him would often feature in fight and other action scenes & appeared in many shows.

1st June 1996 - satellite channel Bravo repeated the Thriller episode "Death in Deep Water". For those of us who had only just discovered the show via the 4 episodes released on VHS this was the first "new" one we saw. Whether for that reason or not this has always been one of my favourites...

Blake Butler had a small role in the 1965 Out of the Unknown episode "Some Lapse of Time". It was his character's name that was remarkable - Gerry Anderson! He was only billed as "Anderson" on the credits but the dialogue uses the full name, quite striking given the real Gerry's fame at the time.

RIP Michael Beint (1925-2026). He played the butler Hawkins in the Thriller episode "One Deadly Owner" & while not one of the show's best-known actors he was the joint longest-lived having just left us at the age of 100 (the late Geoffrey Chater also achieved that distinction a few years ago).

This chart shows when each ITV region started and ended its first run of UFO episodes. There are some remarkable variations not just in terms of when they started / ended but how long they took - HTV Wales just over 6 months, Tyne Tees almost 5 years. Some repeats did occur during these first-runs.

First broadcast episode order for UFO on STV. The channel was quite a late starter in January 1972 but had broadcast most by August '72. However there was a long wait for the "sensitive content" late night ones, most held back until late 1975. STV became the last region to complete the series.

David Ashford had starred as barrister Charles Lotterby in many stories in the early years of Granada series Crown Court. It therefore seems appropriate that in 1979 he turned up in ATV's Crossroads as - a barrister! Hilary Minster - now best remembered for 'Allo 'Allo - played his opposite number.

These Daily Record listings for 31.5.75 highlight the confusion over which Thriller episode was to be shown in STV (1st image) & adjacent areas. Ultimately it seems to have been more clear-cut: STV - ITV still off-air; LWT - repeat of "The Eyes Have It"; everywhere else "Murder Motel" rescheduled.

Somewhat odd synopsis for STV broadcast of the "Murder Motel" episode of Thriller, 31.5.75. This was a second attempt after it was postponed in most ITV regions a week earlier due to industrial action. However LWT did show it and instead repeated "The Eyes Have It" which may explain the confusion...

Profiles of actors & performers due to play in a charity football match in 1974 - quite a few very familar names who were on screen or on the radio back in the early 1970s.

April 12th is significant in Gerry Anderson's UFO as it is the only specific date noted on screen. In the episode "Survival" we learn that astronaut Bill Grant was killed on April 12th 1981. The episode marked the production debut of Michael Billington as Paul Foster who searches for the killer.

Porter Arnold Capper (John Halstead) again in the bad books of the nurses (played by Sally Knyvette, Carol Hazell & Pippa Rowe) in episode 126 of General Hospital, December 1973. The odd look of the image is because the episode exists as that rare thing - a colour telerecording of the original tape.

April 2nd for followers of Thriller is "One Deadly Owner Day". Specific dates were rarely mentioned in the show but model Helen Cook (Donna Mills) discovers it was on that day that Mrs Jacey disappeared and set off the fateful supernatural chain of events which were to put her own life in danger.

Mark Curry meets Bonnie Langford - the new Doctor Who assistant Mel - on Blue Peter in September 1986. Both had many of their earliest TV appearances back in the early 1970s on Yorkshire TV's kids' variety show "Junior Showtime". Janet Ellis had guest-starred in Doctor Who back in 1979.

Colette O'Neil & John Carson in the 1974 Thriller episode "Come Out Come Out, Wherever You Are" & then in rather different garb in the 1983 Doctor Who serial "Snakedance"; a young Martin Clunes is alongside them.

Which series of ATV's Thriller are most popular or least popular with viewers? These results are based on IMDb ratings. Probably not a big surprise that Series 3 is easily the best-rated. Series 6 is lowest, maybe reflecting some changes in style & some more low-key stories.

The viewer ratings for the 43 episodes of ATV series Thriller. It's always interesting to see how these compare to our own opinions - probably broadly similar but with us rating some much higher or lower. "Coffin for the Bride" is clearly in top place with "K Is for Killing" bottom.

One of the notable features of the Jason King TV series (1971-1972) were the mock-up novels written by Jason about his fictional detective "Mark Caine" and which regularly featured in episodes.

Headed notepaper showing the Hereford address of the Bourne family featured in ATV drama "The Cedar Tree" (1976-1978). ATV shows occasionally referred to less well known parts of the region although in this case I'm not sure there was any filming in the Hereford area or anywhere beyond the studio.

Actress Wendy Gifford in Crown Court in 1972. Wendy appeared in many shows but ATV's Thriller was not one of them. Despite this I can't shake off the idea she appeared in the episode "Good Salary - Prospects - Free Coffin", probably because it features characters called Wendy & one called Gifford!

It's always interesting to see pictures - especially in colour - from wiped episodes. These are from "The Old Folks at Home" (August 1973) from Series 1 of ATV police drama Hunters Walk. Actor Ken Jones was best known for his comic roles but like many comic actors acquitted himself well in drama.

Article extract from June 1974 about Mark McManus. Now best remembered as Scottish detective Taggart it's easy to overlook the variety of roles & accents he employed with great aplomb early in his career. In this extract he offers some fascinating thoughts on work, class and politics....

Border TV was the joint first channel to start showing Gerry Anderson's UFO in September 1970. After a strong start though screenings became more sporadic with a few new episodes mixed with repeats. It didn't complete a first run until May 1975, almost 5 years after starting.

Malcolm Terris and James Bate appearing in the last episode of the 1972 Granada TV serial "The Intruder". By coincidence both appeared as detectives in episodes of ATV's Thriller. Both were also originally from the North East (Sunderland & Whitley Bay respectively).

Anthony Ainley & Geoffrey Beevers in a 1976 episode of prison drama Within These Walls alongside regulars Mona Bruce & Sonia Graham. Both actors later played incarnations of The Master in Doctor Who. Anthony was playing an MP here & described himself as "the Shadow Minister for Organised Chaos"!

Special effects were not generally a strength of Thames' 1970 science fiction series The Tomorrow People but it did make some good use of optical effects such as in this colourful, psychedelic image from the 1974 serial "The Blue and the Green".

Crime-writer, crime-fighter and playboy Jason King - or is it?

John Le Mesurier, Carol Lynley and Francesca Annis in "Death of an Old-Fashioned Girl", an episode of Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (Anglia). All three also had starring roles in ATV's Thriller but unlike Thriller OWGM wasn't networked & this episode appeared at various points in 1975 & 1976.

Ulster TV did not start showing UFO until Friday 29th September 1972. An overall broadcast order is impossible as most of the earlier screenings had no episode title but it it possible to identify when the "late night", "sensitive-content" episodes were first broadcast.

"The Vampire from Space" - the original name for the 1971 Doctor Who serial "The Claws of Axos". It isn't unusual in TV for stories or episodes to have originally had different titles but it's quite rare to have on-screen evidence of the original.

Colourful ident for Trident Television. Trident was a company that handled sales for both Yorkshire Television and Tyne Tees. The three prongs of the trident represented these two companies and Trident's extensive other business interests.

Nicholas Pennell, "Gail" aka Helen Worth and Bernard Kay in the Doctor Who serial "Colony in Space" broadcast in May 1971.

Thames TV ident from its earliest days in 1968, very different to its later, best-known incarnation but still accompanied by the famous fanfare. New ITV channels often had at least one ident before reaching the versions for which they are best remembered.

First broadcasts of Gerry Anderson's UFO on Grampian spanning three and a half years from mid 1971 to late 1974. This was a difficult region to compile with the show disappearing for long periods and with repeats mixed with first broadcasts. Grampian did not start colour broadcasts until 30.9.71.

The 1974 Thriller episode "Death To Sister Mary" focused on the targeting of an actress playing a nun in a TV series set in a convent. A seemingly improbable setting for a drama but it had been used in the 1967-1968 Rediffusion series "Sanctuary" starring Joanna Dunham - only one episode exists.

Listing for the episode "Nowhere for the Kids" from Series 2 of LWT's prison drama "Within These Walls", 24th January 1975. Curiously this episode is missing and it's uncertain how it happened with all other episodes of the show's five series in existence, possibly a case of accidental wiping.

Listing from September 1969 for the first episode of "Parkin's Patch", a series about ruling policing and an early YTV production. This notes that lead actor John Flanagan was himself the son of a police officer. He went on to play detectives or police in later shows such as The Sweeney & Thriller.

Actresses Barbara Mitchell and Polly James as guest storytellers on Rainbow in late 1972. The show was then its early days but lasted another 20 years. Also lasting those 20 years was its famous theme tune which was never re-recorded or "updated" as other long-running themes have been.

Listings for Ulster TV for 20th December 1973. An odd feature is the reference to "The World of Jason King" - the original name for the Jason King series but dropped before screening. The show had been on TV for two years by this time so it's puzzling the old name was used.

Sheila Fay and Sarah Greene in a publicity picture for Southern TV daytime soap "Together" (in which they played mother and daughter) as it started its run in January 1980. Sheila was a well-established actress; Sarah was very early in her career but later that year moved on to present Blue Peter.

Evening listings for HTV West on 2nd March 1973 including a very late screening for new sitcom "The Upper Crusts" starring Charles Gray about an upper class family forced by debts to move into a council house. Some other new shows ended up in graveyard slots in various ITV regions.

UFO was first broadcast in 3 areas (ATV, Border, Tyne Tees) OTD (16th September) in 1970. To mark this it's interesting to see the rank order of episodes on the IMDb. Obviously for this or any series our own preferences may be very different but it's always useful to see what others think.

A 1972 credit highlighting that Larry Grayson was appearing at the Golden Garter club in Wythenshawe - a reminder of the days when light entertainment or comedy programmes often had this or a voiceover about a star appearing in some show or venue. The Golden Garter is also long gone.

Peter Cellier & Alethea Charlton in the 1971 Shadows of Fear episode "Repent at Leisure". Two years later they appeared in the Thriller episode "Someone at the Top of the Stairs" in distinctly sinister roles. Alethea sadly died quite young in 1976 but Peter is still with us and nearing 100.