Thriller

Thriller is an anthology TV series that delivers a fresh, standalone story each episode, often ending on a sharp note. Set in varied corners of everyday life, episodes swing from eerie supernatural moments to tidy detective puzzles, with new casts and settings every time. The plots tend to focus on ordinary people caught in troubling circumstances, where tension builds through secrets, lies, and moral choices rather than constant action. Because every episode resets the clock, you can jump in anywhere and expect a tightly plotted mystery or spook that wraps up by the end, with no need to follow a season-long arc.

Created by Brian Clemens, Thriller first aired in the UK from 1973 to 1976. It was produced for British television as a weekly anthology, showcasing different writers and directors across its run.

The series developed a steady following among viewers who like short, standalone suspense, and it’s remembered as part of the era when British TV favored anthology formats. Several episodes stuck in viewers' minds for unsettling premises and surprising conclusions, and the show is often mentioned when people discuss 1970s televised suspense in Britain.

Critical and audience responses were mixed to positive, reflecting the uneven nature of anthology work, with a Vote Average of 6.6/10 from a small sample of viewers. Reviews tended to praise episodes that balanced character detail with a strong plot twist, while weaker entries were criticized for predictable plotting. Common themes include hidden pasts, the limits of trust, and how ordinary decisions can lead to dangerous outcomes.

While Thriller didn't rack up major industry awards, it carved out a place in British TV history as a reliable outlet for short-form suspense drama. Its legacy rests less on trophies and more on the many self-contained stories that entertained viewers and offered steady work to writers, directors, and guest actors during its three-year run.