DVD Review: Armchair Thriller - Rachel In Danger (1978)
Armchair Thriller was a little before my time (or rather, before my bedtime), but this series of mini-dramas from ITV pulled in big ratings for ITV in the late 70s - and watching the first of the DVD reissues now, you can see why.
Rather than the one-off suspense/horror shows of the time (Thriller, Tales of the Unexpected and Hammer House of Horror to name just three), Armchair Thriller was broken down into half-hour episodes, each with a cliffhanger ending to keep you coming back for more. And aided by a solid cast, impressive writing teams, some very clever plots, a spooky intro and a catchy theme by Roxy Music's Andy Mackay, it still has much to offer the viewer today.
The first Armchair Thriller to get the reissue treatment is the first one to hit the screen back in 1978, Rachel In Danger. Very much of its time, Rachel In Danger centres around a young girl (Rachel, played by Della Low) who travels London to meet up with the father (Peter Warmington) she hardly knows. He's split up from Rachel's mother and has been working in South America as a university lecturer - this is the first meeting since the girl was aged just two.
But there's trouble on the horizon - Warmington meets up with a university colleague from South America called Juan, inviting him back to his flat. But Juan isn't here socially - he's a terrorist looking to lie low before a 'hit'. Believing Warmington is alone in London, he kills him and assumes his identity. All is going well until the police call round, asking why Warmington hasn't picked up his daughter from Euston Station. Juan is forced to take on the identity of Warmington, using Rachel as part of his cover.
And it's a really well-produced piece of drama. Many aspects of it are dated - the fashions, the cardboard sets, the terrorist angle and the idea of sending your daughter on a train with an attached label - but none of that detracts from a solid piece of storytelling.
The star of the show is Rachel, older than her years and incredibly shrewd, she senses the danger, but doesn't let her fear show - instead, hatching a plan to make good her escape and to adversely affect the terrorists' plans. You do need to suspend belief at times - I'm guessing your average 70s terrorist would have been more clinical in dealing with the child - but there's real suspense in every episode and an ending that offers an unexpected twist. Some great supporting characters too, from the police at Euston through to the fairly rag tag bunch of international terorrists, which includes a German, a South American, a Welshman, Japanese woman and a man in an ill-fitting suit from Birmingham!
All of that adds up to something well worth seeking out for anyone with an interest in quirky 70s drama. And when you've watched this, there's another 20 Armchair Thrillers in the archive - expect to see those appearing on the shelves in the coming months.
Extras on the DVD:
None
Comments