The Frighteners (TV Series 1972–1973) Poster

(1972–1973)

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8/10
A dark series that's worth your time.
Sleepin_Dragon15 September 2022
Thirteen thrillers, viewers back in 1972 were treated to a late night chiller, a series of original, one off dramas. Totally unlinked, every episode had a different flavour, considering they're only 2t minutes long, they pack a punch.

The Manipulators and Miss Mouse are the best of the episodes in my opinion, but each one has something to offer, only The Minder I found very disappointing.

You can see that different writers were used throughout, there was definite variety throughout, common factors include menace, revenge, and a general sense of claustrophobia.

Well acted throughout, and well produced, I particularly liked the look and feel of the two black and white episodes.

I do wish there had been another series, the format worked, the show was very different to the likes of Scorpion Tales, Tales of the unexpected etc, but overall it worked.

Well worth seeing, 8/10.
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6/10
Solid series.
southdavid5 February 2021
Having watched "Beasts" and then the "Hammer House of Horror" TV series I decided to keep going with watching of another anthology style show "The Frighteners" - which despite its name didn't delve into horrors any more than the odd murder in the series. Indeed, it's much harder to define a theme that links these stories that it was with say "Beasts" though they are all human based dramas, i.e. with no supernatural elements. I watched about half of these on YouTube in the summer of 2020, then they were suddenly removed. I picked up the rest at the start of 2021, when they returned. There is a dvd of the complete 13 episodes available though.

Produced by London Weekend Television, alongside executive producer Peter Wildeblood, who had curated episodes of "ITV's Sunday Night Theatre" as well as similar but shorter anthology style series "Conceptions of Murder" and "Rogue's Gallery" previously. As with many a series like this, the results can be a bit of a mixed bag. Generally though, looking at the scores I gave for every individual episode, whilst none are particularly outstanding, they are mostly positive.

There are a number of high-profile actors who appear across the run, John Thaw, Warren Clarke, Clive Swift, Brian Glover but perhaps the most high profile is the late Ian Holm, who unfortunately stars in one of the worst episodes of the run, in my opinion. Behind the camera there's not a lot of recognisable names either, although Mike Hodges writes and directs one episode, which was one of the better ones. This was year after "Get Carter" had been released.

As I say then, a mixed bag but some of the better episodes, such as "The Manipulators" and "Bed and Breakfast" have stayed with me.
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9/10
Very dark and original.
czar-1030 May 2017
This show is "Tales of the unexpected" nastier brother. Much darker than anything seen in similar 30 min format TV shows. Some of the endings left me saying "Holy Moly!" When audiences in the USA in 1972 were watching stuff like Night Gallery and saying "Gee, this is great", audiences in the UK were treated to this anthology show that was original, and dark. Not sticking to too well worn TV tropes THE FRIGHTENERS showed what no holds barred TV was all about. Only running 13 episodes, at 24 min each episode, this show is as good as it gets for this type of TV, I wish there was more episodes, but sometimes less is better. The ultimate theme of each episode is Man's malice towards one another, so no ghost stories, or anything dealing with the supernatural, just human's being nasty to each other.
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5/10
Tense, depressing, creepy, sad, no happy endings
texxas-17 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Some were funny, some were weird, some were just pointless, some played on your worst fears.

"Have a nice day at the zoo" This is without a doubt the best of the lot. Intense drama, the end takes a disturbing turn.

"The classroom" was kind of funny. A former student confronts a mean teacher and tries to get her to feel guilty and commit suicide, she turns it into a murder suicide.

The minder, old comrades and firing squad were just boring.

Miss mouse was hilarious. A man murders his annoying wife only to be forced to marry an equally annoying women AND be a slave to her mother. Either that or life in prison.

"The treat" was just weird and pointless. I had trouble making sense of it. A bunch of old men playing silly games and fighting with sticks like children.

My interpretation was a schizophrenic man is tormented by 2 imaginary friends who make him commit murder. Gave me a headache.

"The manipulators" was just disgusting and i couldnt finish it or even make sense of what was going on, I ended up skipping over alot. Apparently it was meant to be an "mind experiment" for the audience. Basically 2 scientists try to push a man over the edge to kill his baby, just because.

"The dissapearing man" was depressing and creepy. The ended played out like an American school shooting. Definitely one of the scarier ones.

"Night of the stag" starts out like some lame soap opera then ends in an unscary horror.

"Bed and breakfast" A couple that attempted murder in their younger years is forced to look after the elderly victim that they crippled.

"Glad to be of help" plays into your worst fear of being stuck with a crazy, dangerous person. A deranged loonatic corners an mp alone in his office and attempts to suffocate him to death with a belt. Watch this before meeting up with anyone online.

"You remind me of someone" was just predictable and lame, and ends in a quick murder...... its always when they're being nice is when they strike.
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