This show started out as a thriller/crime show, but changed to horror after their Halloween episode in 1960. It went on to become a classic of it's time with many, many memorable episodes.
THE TWISTED INAMGE 9/13/60...Leslie Nielsen stars as a man whose life takes a bizarre turne when rwo mentally ill people either want to become him or marry him. Natalie Trundy and George Grizzard also star.
CHILD'S PLAY 9/20/60...A young boy is caught in a fantasy world and he takes a rifle from his father to hunt for someone he calles "Black Bart".
WORSE THAN MURDER 9/27/60...A woman's dead husbands uncle doesn't leave her any momney so she uses a diary to blackmail her sick mother-in-law. Constance Ford stars.
MARK OF THE HAND 10/4/60...A young girl is accused of murder and refuses to speak to anyone again.
ROSE'S LAST SUMMER 10/11/60...Mary Astor stars as Rose French, an aging actress who is murdered and members of her family know more about her death than they are willing to tell.
THE GUILTY MEN 10/18/60...A man tries to get his portion of the syndicate out of the narcotics business but finds his friends have betrayed him. Everett Sloane, Frank Silvera and Jay C. Flippin star.
THE PURPLE ROOM 10/25/60...This started the show on it's way to becoming a horror classic. A skeptical man must spend a night in a haunted mansion willed to him by his brother. Rip Torn, Richard Anderson and Patricia Barry star.
THE WATCHER 11/1/60...A deputy sheriff starts investigating a muder that was covered up during the summer in a small town, and finds even more corruption.
GIRL WITH A SECRET 11/15/60...A young woman must keep the whereabouts of her new husband a secret, but finds pressure from all sides. Interesting story with Rhodes Reason and Myrna Fahey.
THE PREDICTION 11/22/60...Boris Karloff stars as a man whose predictions in a stage show start coming true. He has visions of people's deaths and also tries to stop those, with bad results.
THE FATAL IMPULSE 11/29/60...A woman has a bomb secretly planted in her handbag by an assassin, and the police must find her before time runs out.
THE BIG BLACKOUT 12/6/60...A recovering alcoholic cannot remember his past finds himself confronted by criminals who want revenge. This is a pretty good episode starring Charles McGraw.
KNOCK THREE-ONE-TWO 12/13/60...Bizarre tale of a man who needs money so bad he enlists the aid of a serial killer to rid him of his wealthy wife.
MAN IN THE MIDDLE 12/20/60...A man overhears a murder and kidnap plot and as much as he tries to avoid it, he becomes caught in the middle.
THE CHEATERS 12/27/60... Great tale about a pair of glasses that allows the wearer to see what others are really like. Based on a story by Robert Bloch.
THE HUNGRY GLASS 1/3/61 William Shatner and Joanna Hayes star in this chilling episode about a married couple that move into a house and are terrorized by images in the mirrors. Russell Johnson also stars.
THE POISONER 1/10/61...A man uses his collection of poisons to try and rid himself of his in-laws and an abusive uncle.
MAN IN THE CAGE 1/17/61...An American in Tangiers finds himself involved in the search for cocaine. Excellent crime drama!
CHOOSE A VICTIM 1/24/61...Larry Blyden stars as a beach bum who latches on to a lovely, but lonely woman. Lots of twists and turns in this episode which also stars Susan Oliver and Vaughn Taylor.
HAY FORK AND BILL HOOK 2/7/61...A Scotland Yard inspector is called in on the case of a man accused of witch craft being murdered in a small Welsh village.
THE MERRIWEATHER FILE 2/14/61...An intruder in the home of Ann Merriweather (Bethal Leslie) fails to kill her and then soon after she is murdered and her husband is arrested. It's up to a lawyer to unravel a very twisted plot of revenge.
THE FINGERS OF FEAR 2/21/61...The police arrest a metally challenged brute named Ohrback in connection with the murders of several children. A police inspector begins to believe they have the wrong man.
WELL OF DOOM 2/28/61...Excellent episode about two men kidnapped by a being called Moloch (Henry Daniell) and his hulking assistant Styx (richard Keil) and taken to an old estate. This is a great example of television terror.
THE ORDEAL OF DR. CORDELL 3/7/61...Robert Vaughn stars as a man who, thanks to a gas chemical he ingested, turns into a raving maniac killer whenever he hears a bell ring.
TRIO OF TERROR 3/14/61...Three short tales of terror involving murdered warlocks, wanted criminals and living dead killers. Michael Pate, John Abbot and Robin Hughes star.
PAPA BENJAMIN 3/21/61...John Ireland stars as a composer who steals a voodoo tune and is cursed by a voodoo believer.
LATE DATE 4/4/61...A man helps his brother cover up the murder of his wife by blaming it on her lover. Another well written and acted show with a great twist.
YOURS TRULY, JACK THE RIPPER 4/11/61...John Williams stars as Sir Guy, who believes that a string of violent murders is being committed by the original Jack The Ripper.
THE DEVIL'S TICKET 4/18/61...Excellent tale about an artist who pawns his souls to the devil and can only get it back when he paints a picture of another intended victim. Macdonald Carey, Patticia Medina and John Emery star.
PARASITE MANSION 4/25/61...A young woman is held captive in a mansion by a twisted family with a very dark and deadly secret,
A GOOD IMAGINATION 5/2/61...A avid reader uses plots from the books he reads to do away with his wife's lovers. Another top notch episode.
MR. GEORGE 5/9/61...A young girl is seemingly watched over by the spirit who protects her from her greedy relatives.
TERROR IN TEAKWOOD 5/16/61...Guy Rolfe stars as a concert pianist who is so obsessed with playing a certain piece that he robs a dead man of his talented hands. Hazel Court also stars.
PRISONER IN THE MIRROR 5/23/61...A professor allows the spirit of Cagliostro (Henry Daniell) to escape from a haunted mirror and take over his body. One of the best episodes of the entire series in my opinion.
DARK LEGACY 5/30/61...Harry Townes stars as a second rate magician who uses magic with the help of a demon, but finds there is a horrible price to pay. Henry Silva also stars.
PIGEONS FROM HELL 6/6/61...Two young men who are stranded stay in an empty mansion and find nothing but terror. A local sheriff is also pulled into the demonic web. Brandon de Wilde, Crahan Denton and David Whorfe star in the episode many, including myself consider to be the best piece of TV horror ever made. A MUST SEE.
THE GRIM REAPER 6/13/61...The final episode of season 1 stars William Shatner as a man who warns his aunt of the curse on a painting of the Grim Reaper she just purchased. A great episode with a shocking ending.
So, Season 1 ended on a super high note and Theriller had finally found it's feet and became a top rated show for NBC. Boris Karloff would return as the host for the second season which had a great number of all time classic horror episodes.
The qualitry of each episode on this set is beautiful and if you get a chance, check these out. You'll have no regrets.
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