Terrifying TV (for a child of the 70s or 80s)
This was the golden age for psychiatry, with children in their millions getting terrorised by perfectly reputable TV stations. I revisited my old haunts, to see if they were as good as I remembered.
https://youtube.com/?#/watch?v=SwT0wLnT7Rc
Children of the Stones. Interesting premise, not your usual paranormal thriller. Some of the special effects are dated, obviously, along with the props. But I have to say the atmosphere is still chilling.
https://youtube.com/?#/watch?v=-hYJumW_G8E
The Tripods. Cue dramatic music and the BBC's most expensive production until the mid-2000s. The atmosphere is good, the story translates well from the novels and the only downsides are that a key actress was killed in a road accident between seasons and the BBC cancelled season 3 due to being idiots.
https://youtube.com/?#/watch?v=9I1czijHavk
Moon Stallion. The acting, in my opinion, is very strong in this but the special effects just aren't up to it. The story is well-written, but not strong enough to necessarily grip people. A nice period piece but it lacks oomph.
https://youtube.com/?#/watch?v=-9VVYRrrtOY
Sapphire and Steel. Slow, but claustrophobic, dark and cynical. I think that if this had been broadcast at the same time The X-Files came out, in a much earlier slot obviously, it might have done well. The effects are primitive, even by the standards of the time, but still acceptable for children's horror.
https://youtube.com/?#/watch?v=MyEPMIT4P90
The Tomorrow People. Very weak acting, very cheap props, totally naff effects, but this hooked kids back in 1974. It was probably the first time most had been treated with a modicum of respect in terms of writing. The story is sophisticated for the age group intended. The title sequence was the only scary bit, though.
https://youtube.com/?#/watch?v=DYUlr1mIC40
Ghost in the Water. A decent story, under-developed but still respectable. Scary if you grew up with it.
https://youtube.com/?#/watch?v=Ak1SrFGXgA4
Survivors. Dark, menacing, totally believable, became incredibly dull after the second episode. Dalek's creator Terry Nation ran out of ideas quickly.
https://youtube.com/?#/watch?v=BmFcfdqKWQY
The Dark Tower. This was a brilliant story for teaching 5-6 year olds basic English, which is what it was written to do. The whole Words and Pictures/Look and Read series was about using very basic techniques to convey word meanings to very young kids. It's too light to be real horror, but it's respectable enough to get a mention.