Thriller - This is a Thriller: An Episode Guide, History and Analysis of the Classic 1960s Television Series

by Alan Warren

McFarland & Company (series)

The late 1950s and early 1960s were the golden years of horror television. Anthology series such as Way Out and Great Ghost Tales, along with certain episodes of "Twilight Zone" and "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," were among the shows that consistently frightened a generation of television viewers. And perhaps the best of them all was "Thriller," hosted by Boris Karloff.

In "Thriller" the horror was gothic, with a darker, bleaker vision of life than its contemporaries. The show's origins and troubled history is first discussed here, followed by biographies of such key figures as producer William Frye, executive producer Hubbell Robinson, writers Robert Block and Donald S. Sanford, and Karloff. The episode guide covers all 67 installments, providing airdate, production credits, cast, plot synopses and critical evaluations.