A Place to Die

As I've mentioned in previous reviews, each Thriller episode has thus far been totally unique, no two episodes feel the slightest bit similar. If you thought Someone at the Top of the Stairs was a little different, then this one is off the scale. Broadening the premise of the Thriller series, which have largely been crime thrillers. A Place to die establishes a really creepy village, a set of very odd locals, and totally bizarre behaviour by all when The Doctor and his good lady arrive. It could only have been made in the Seventies, it's so typical of many horrors from that era, Satanic rights etc. A worthy cast including small roles for Harold Bennett (Young Mr Grace) and Arnold Ridley (Godfrey, Dad's Army.) If I'm honest I prefer the more psychological, earthly episodes of Thriller, but this one has many strengths. 7/10

A Memorable episode that my family & I enjoyed immensely in the 70s and it has always stuck in our memories; especially the local imbecile "Nick" with his g---s foot. :) My family would always turn-off the lights & call out 'Nick' 'Nick' get so 'n' so for eg. It was terrifying. Although looking back on it today, it is hardly frightening at all...Suspenseful however though... I do believe after arriving in the village to take up his new post as the Doctor, the newly married couple (Dr Bruce Tenner and his wife Tessa) should have realised sooner rather than later what was going on; especially after being greeted by the most peculiar looking old people, all with walking sticks & limping left foots? That is as far as I go....😲 One to watch...👌

This literally is a limp version of The Wicker Man. Initially I thought it my also be a riff on The Straw Dogs.

Doctor Bruce Nelson (Bryan Marshall) and his American wife Tessa (Alexandra Hay) move to the countryside where he takes over as a rural GP. The last doctor died by an unfortunate fall.

Tessa has a limp due to a minor accident, she walks with a cane and her foot is bandaged.

There is something about her limp that attracts the locals attentions. It might be many of them also have a limp, Dr Nelson puts that down to congenital deformity due to inbreeding.

Tessa is rather put out by the over friendly locals, they seem to be more interested in her than their new GP. Then there are also some peculiar things the previous doctor left behind. A cross for example.

Of course these locals believe in devil worshipping and Tessa has the right look to be satan's new bride.

Not much thrills or surprises. Every villager is a stereotype. Marshall has to do a lot of heavy lifting because Hay is just pretty to look at and does not offer much else.

'A Place To Die' saw Thriller dipping heavily into the supernatural world with a reasonably gripping tale of devil worship and sacrifice.

Alexandra Hay plays Tessa Nelson who, along with her doctor husband, Bruce are the new arrivals into a rural village. Almost immediately we see that the locals are in a kind of mystic awe in Tessa's presence and gradually make her feel welcome while covertly discussing her satanic potential amongst themselves. To them she is 'The Lady', a chosen disciple who will give them unlimited powers.

Tessa soon grows wary of the constant attention and when she happens upon a bunch of unposted letters written by the previous doctor while outline in no uncertain terms the nature of the villagers beliefs, the tension is upped considerably.

The villagers are not dissimilar to those in 'The Wicker Man' and are somewhat caricatured - although Lila Kaye's Bess is enjoyable to watch. An interesting tale but somewhat overblown.

Following the sudden death of the local GP in an accident Doctor Bruce Nelson and his new bride Tessa arrive in a village eagerly anticipating their new lives as husband and wife . Dr Nelson is intrigued that the villagers seem to have a uniform limp which he jokingly mentions to his wife who has a sprained ankle . The villagers are friendly and do take a notice that she too limps but does their initial friendliness mask a dark secret

You have to take each episode of THRILER on its own terms and perhaps have to remember the period of when it was made . The early 1970s did see an upsurge of movies featuring Satanists and Satanic rites as a theme . For example Dennis Wheatley was a very popular author and is forgotten now almost as though he never existed . The Hammer Dracula franchise got in on the act but the 1974 Dracula film featuring Satanic rites is considered a nadir of the series and the 1971 Doctor Who story The Deamons featuring a black magic cult led by the Master was considered the zenith of the Pertwee era for many many years until it became available to fans via video and is now merely considered a merely above average tale from the era . In other words Satanism is a victim of fashion and like all victims of fashion it quickly dates . This should be borne in mind when watching this episode

To be fair it is a relatively engaging story and does contain rational basis for its explanations . It also contains a superb soundtrack by Laurie Johnson that shows the composer has given some thought to the on screen action and also for once the American marketed specially made title sequences are very impressive setting up the mood of the episode perfectly . Where the episode is lacking is in the visual format where videotaped studio interiors look like they were filmed inside a studio set which doesn't lend itself to the atmosphere the story needs . This would have worked very well as a cinematic production but suffers from being disposable television on a Saturday night