I'm guessing, but the various ITV continuity announcers on the 31st probably delivered a spiel something like "and now postponed from last week and in a change to the episode listed in TV Times, it's the final Thriller of the present series, and a story titled Murder Motel". @rozzyc.bsky.social

Maybe the greatest teaser loss was the whole pre-titles sequence of 'One Deadly Owner'? In contrast we basically got the same teaser repeated in quick succession with 'Look Back in Darkness'!! #BrianClemendThriller

Interesting! The 'Earthquake' situation sounds naff and not too respective of the actors involved. #BrianClemensThriller

Getting together original cast/rebuilding sets (even in England, let alone in the US) some 5 years after the event was naturally not feasible. I wonder if what they did do was the best (or only) option or can you think of other ways to conjure up another 7 minutes of footage?? #BrianClemensThriller

2/2 ... but providing a feed to Tyne Tees and Westward outside 'normal arrangements' would have been problematic for LWT, so the two stations aired replacement programming and screened 'Murder Motel' on 31st May alongside most of the returned to air network.

They needed another 7 minutes or so to fit a standard 90 min slot (74 min without ads) in US syndication compared to the 67 min duration originally stipulated for ABC's 'Wide World of Entertainment' (featuring extensive promos alongside ad breaks) ... hence the TVM titles and other alterations.

'The Thrillers' package proved extremely successful for ITC, selling to many US (and some Canadian) stations in syndication - including ABC affiliates! Most broadcasts were late night (or through-the-night) but weekend afternoons were used. Prime-time slots tended to be c1979-81. Sales until mid-90s

Details of the ITV 1975 strike below ... #BrianClemensThriller @alanbriscoe.bsky.social @rozzyc.bsky.social coronationstreet.fandom.com/wiki/1975_IT...

I think Tyne Tees and possibly Westward also avoided the 75 strike. In their case though they couldn't air 'Thriller' on 24th via the network or use a feed from LWT of strikebound shows but provided local programmes around LWT productions, presumably films and repeats alongside extended local shows.

Yes, part of the 'three day week' restrictions due to action by power workers, resulting in power cuts on a regional rolling basis. ISTR three hour blackouts in particular areas of the country. The government restricted broadcasting hours late evening during the action.

I'm not sure if there was a strike with that effect but certainly in early 1974 TV closed down around 10.30pm because of the energy restrictions of the time. That didn't affect Thriller but it will have resticted some of the late-night repeats of shows such as UFO which were happening at the time.

I've four more ... here they are! 😀 Interesting that they *didn't* use images or mention of Carroll Baker for 'The Next Victim', nor indeed Gary Collins for 'Dial a Deadly Number'

Yes, '11 Alive', WPIX Channel 11 New York, a big 'Independent' (non affiliated) station 👍

WPIX Channel 11 New York were one station who aired many episodes in primetime (8pm slot from memory) during 1979/80 - under the 'Mystery Theater' banner; a lot of local stations were already using late night slots though during this period. KCOP in LA and WGN Chicago also aired some early primetime

Yes, 'Murder in Mind' was not networked by ABC-TV unlike the other eps. The likeliest reason was a failure in the original NTSC recording and, unlike Canada, they didn't accept a PAL-NTSC conversion copy. There's no narrative reason ABC would reject it! ABC additionally repeated other eps in lieu.

Indeed, that appears to be the case. No rescheduled slot for Murder Motel on STV in 1975 once they were back on air on June 9th has been found.

Interesting Ros to get a London viewer perspective as they escaped the action on 24.5.75 unlike everywhere else. STV didn't see any Thriller episode or any ITV content on 31.5.75 as they were still affected by the strike, all other regions saw Murder Motel with just LWT getting "The Eyes Have It".

Absolutely! The broadcast feeds during primetime Sat premieres of Thriller were from ATV (the network) and LWT - for S6 - to Anglia and Southern ... STV would have had to arrange a pre-broadcast off-air feed of 'Murder Motel' post strike or have a video copy sent to them. It seems they didn't.

While STV viewers did get to see "Murder Motel" eventually given the long delay and late-night screening probably only a small fraction of those who could have seen it in primetime in 1975.

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...

Missed this reply sorry. 2002 I believe.

Reading about Thriller Fandom in @martinmauthor1.bsky.social excellent reference book A Thriller in Every Corner , it reminded me of the Black Nun site and forum I used to contribute to. I searched for it and low and behold, the reader’s recollections page is still there #BrianClemensThriller

... four ATV programmes shown consecutively on Anglia that evening ... 'New Faces', 'Meet Peters and Lee', 'A Little Bit of Wisdom' and #BrianClemensThriller. Only 'New Faces' was from ATV Birmingham, the others all Elstree productions.

'Twas FA Cup final earlier that day. Here is the full evening line-up on #AngliaTelevision ... Anglia and Southern were both taking the LWT feed for #BrianClemensThriller throughout Series 6. The networked ATV feed began an hour later at 9.15pm and was taken by all the other ITV regions.

That first sentence in the synopsis reads like something Alan Partridge would say 😆

Helen Curry (Gemma Jones) near the climax of 'Dial a Deadly Number' from 1st May 1976, as she confronts Sally Kirby (Beth Morris). What might this interestingly framed shot suggest about the character and what is about to happen? My #BrianClemensThriller rewatch this evening 50 years + 1 day on. 🙂

This is true 😆😆😆

😂

This reminds me of a great line in Martin Marshall's Thriller book. He referred to a repeat of "Kill Two Birds" (renamed "Cry Terror") in which the listing referred to David Daker as "David Darker" with Martin wryly commenting "well it was a late night screening"!

Watching Parkins Patch last night and David Daker joins John Flanagan on the right side of the law unlike his appearance with Flanagan in #BrianClemensThriller episode Kill Two Birds @martinmauthor1.bsky.social @rozzyc.bsky.social

Quite. Not sure how many runs would be under the original contract with ITC before a renewal was required.

Indeed 👍. Here is the whole evening schedule on #YorkshireTelevision for that day, courtesy of 'TV Times'

A rewatch this evening for me of another classic #BrianClemensThriller with 'Nightmare for a Nightingale' starring Susan Flannery, originally shown on ITV on Saturday 24th April 1976. Pictured here in its 9.15pm time slot. 50-years & one day on & these super plays have lost none of their edge.

#SundayDelight with @rozzyc.bsky.social next on Gateway playing songs from 1984, the year we watched 'We Love TV' on LWT & tried to get those tricky questions about television programmes right. My gues is presenter & personality Gloria Hunniford.

'The Little Black Bag' had previously also been dramatised for 'Out of the Unknown' (BBC2)

LWT that night from 'The Times' - New Faces just before #BrianClemensThriller and repeats of Upstairs Downstairs at 9.15 (which Yorkshire I think showed on Sunday afternoons)

The full #YorkshireTelevision line-up for that evening #BrianClemensThriller

Tonight I delve into another classic #BrianClemensThriller, & a rewatch of 'The Next Victim', exactly 50-years plus one day on. Today I still have my complete ATV edition of TV Times I bought that week while on my Easter holiday when I watched it in b/w, & in the later 9.15pm time slot. 🙂

It was. It helps if I read things correctly 😄 Hopefully on TPTV Encore.

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.

I’ve never heard of this Brian Clemens penned film on Talking Pictures TV tonight. The plot definitely sounds like a #BrianClemensThriller episode. @martinmauthor1.bsky.social @rozzyc.bsky.social

.. and I found my comment right above that of @rozzyc.bsky.social That’s as spooky as Someone at the Top of the Stairs 😂

Yes, utilising a publicity still from 'Spell of Evil'. The original Granada (Carlton) S1 DVD set went for the overtly 'horror' motif too - all down to the marketing bods no doubt as 'horror' was one of the key cover art themes of 'sell-thru' (sic) going back to the early 80s and rental videos.

It was a challenge, but fun! About a decade later, tape swapping with Australia - where the series was being extensively repeated in TVM format - filled a lot of gaps in British fans collections. #BrianClemensThriller

2/2 Some region didn't appear in as much in the national press and TVT were rare - like Ulster - so it's possible many were missed. Also, undoubtedly some TVM repeats aired as late replacements for other programming e.g. during news or sport events and may never have been billed.

1/2 By (known) listings (TVT, national/ local press), the regions that apparently *did* repeat every TVM (1980-84) were ATV/Central, Border, Channel (who took Westward/TSW schedule), Southern/TVS, Westward/TSW and Yorkshire with Anglia just one short. Ulster had the fewest listings with 30 (of 43)

The Bravo 1996 screening of 'Sleepwalker' was one of two that aired in the extended TVM format (the other being 'Possession') as seemingly there wasn't a PAL format sales copy of the episode in its original form available at the time. #BrianClemensThriller

It’s such a haunting episode. Another that I remember on original broadcast. The dream sequences are quite nightmarish.

Just checked and she’s 75. Looks good for it. Seems a lifetime ago watching her sing Devil Gate Drive on TOTP.

Nice one. On Gateway? I’ll have to try and catch it Ros.