Beasts

[staffslad]

Beasts was a six-part horror anthology series that was broadcast on ITV in October/November 1976. It was created and written by Nigel Kneale. The episodes were:

Special Offer. Set in a supermarket, Pauline Quirke played an employee whose unrequited love for her manager appears to trigger poltergeist activity.

During Barty's Party. A middle-aged couple are trapped in their rural home by rats.

Buddyboy. A disused aquarium is haunted by the spirit of a dolphin. Martin Shaw starred.

Baby. A couple find a strange object in their home.

What Big Eyes. An RSPCA inspector investigates a man who may be a werewolf.

The Dummy. An actor who plays monsters in horror films is psychologically affected by his roles.

I think the series was shown on saturdays, and so far as I am aware has not been repeated. I remember watching the episodes and think the best were Special Offer, Baby and During Barty's Party.

[tex]

Re: Beasts

Beasts was a six-part horror anthology series that was broadcast on ITV in October/November 1976. It was created and written by Nigel Kneale. The episodes were:

Special Offer. Set in a supermarket, Pauline Quirke played an employee whose unrequited love for her manager appears to trigger poltergeist activity.

During Barty's Party. A middle-aged couple are trapped in their rural home by rats.

Buddyboy. A disused aquarium is haunted by the spirit of a dolphin. Martin Shaw starred.

Baby. A couple find a strange object in their home.

What Big Eyes. An RSPCA inspector investigates a man who may be a werewolf.

The Dummy. An actor who plays monsters in horror films is psychologically affected by his roles.

I think the series was shown on saturdays, and so far as I am aware has not been repeated. I remember watching the episodes and think the best were Special Offer, Baby and During Barty's Party.

The only one i remember watching was Special offer but not as far back as the 70s, must have been repeated.

[akb48fan]

Re: Beasts

I bought the DVD a couple of months ago as I like Nigel Kneale as a writer. The best one of the lot has to be Barty's Party. I found it to be nerve wracking as you realise that the couple are trapped and there's no way out of their house. You don't see a lot of rats in the programme but just watching the reaction of the couple as they watch their next door neighbours who are trying to flee and are killed by the them is enough to make you know how bad the situation really is. And the horrible sound that the rats make add to the tension as well. Great stuff.

[staffslad]

Re: Beasts

I bought the DVD a couple of months ago as I like Nigel Kneale as a writer. The best one of the lot has to be Barty's Party. I found it to be nerve wracking as you realise that the couple are trapped and there's no way out of their house. You don't see a lot of rats in the programme but just watching the reaction of the couple as they watch their next door neighbours who are trying to flee and are killed by the them is enough to make you know how bad the situation really is. And the horrible sound that the rats make add to the tension as well. Great stuff.

That's a great episode. Hardly anything is actually seen, but the tension is built up so well. The episode was on Youtube a while ago, and watching it made the memories of seeing it for the first time flood back so strongly. Superb TV.

[Donald the Great]

Re: Beasts

I watched and enjoyed this show some time ago. Only wished they had made more. During Bartys Party & Baby were the pick of the crop for mine.

[zabadak]

Re: Beasts

The only one i remember watching was Special offer but not as far back as the 70s, must have been repeated.

Same here!

[ericthecavalier]

Re: Beasts

The Witch at the end of Baby is very disturbing.....and I very much enjoyed Pauline Quirke's performance in Special Offer - the supermarket setting really took me back as well

[beccabear67]

Re: Beasts

This was a great and very memorable series I think, too bad they can't make more like it today with stand alone stories. I have the DVD and have saved a couple of the episodes as I like to have something good that's old I haven't seen on hand.

[Donald the Great]

Re: Beasts

This was a great and very memorable series I think, too bad they can't make more like it today with stand alone stories. I have the DVD and have saved a couple of the episodes as I like to have something good that's old I haven't seen on hand.

There is nothing today that comes near shows like Beasts and similar during that era. Shades of Darkness,Hammer House of Horror.. Hammer House of Mystery, Tales of the Unexpected, Armchair Thiller, Supernatural. The pick for me was the exceptional THRILLER series.

[beccabear67]

Re: Beasts

There is nothing today that comes near shows like Beasts and similar during that era. Shades of Darkness,Hammer House of Horror.. Hammer House of Mystery, Tales of the Unexpected, Armchair Thiller, Supernatural. The pick for me was the exceptional THRILLER series.

Even the kids' versions like Shadows and Dramarama: Spooky are good. I have the Supernatural DVD set from Network too, but I'm pretty sure I've watched all of the episodes in it. It had a sort of framing device that ran through the series if I'm remembering it properly.

[Donald the Great]

Re: Beasts

spookyis good. I belong to several other forums.. rather did.. and my username was spookiemoviemania. Just love a good chill down the spine.. something that has meat on the bones. I must have watched those Hammer television series a dozen times.. never tire of their stories. Same as Thriller. Good gripping television.. some with excellent whodunnit value. There was another chilling anthology made in the late 70s I think. was it Chiller ..rings a bell?

[beccabear67]

Re: Beasts

There was another chilling anthology made in the late 70s I think. was it Chiller ..rings a bell?

I have a DVD for a series titled Shadows Of Fear (not to be confused with the one for younger viewers titled just Shadows). I don't have something with a Scorpion or Zodiac theme but which was individual stories, but I did see the DVD for that when I was looking for other shows. Also not to be confused with the Zodiac series starring Anton Rodgers as a detective partnering with a woman psychic.

[marc]

Re: Beasts

I well remember the episode Baby, it frightened the life out of me. More of these should have been made.