
About this season
Armchair Thriller is a British television programme, broadcast on ITV in two series in 1978 and 1980. Owing something to some of the off-shoots of the earlier Armchair Theatre, the new series used scripts adapted from published novels and stories. Although not properly a horror series it included several supernatural elements. Armchair Thriller was produced by Thames Television, but it included serials made by Southern Television.
Episodes (34)
1. The Victim (Part 1)
Aired 8 January 1980 • 25 min
When kidnappers abduct his teenage daughter, Sue, industrialist Vincent Craig could easily raise the ransom money. But Craig intends to do things his own way.
2. The Victim (Part 2)
Aired 10 January 1980 • 25 min
Craig believes he knows who is behind the kidnapping--and that the motives are personal, not financial. Shaking off the police, he heads to the town of Hepton to begin his search.
3. The Victim (Part 3)
Aired 15 January 1980 • 25 min
Enlisting the help of a local crime reporter, Craig tracks down a disgruntled ex-employee named George Neecham.
4. The Victim (Part 4)
Aired 17 January 1980 • 25 min
While Craig's desperation mounts in his search, Sue seems to become increasingly comfortable with her kidnappers - especially with the young man Frankie.
5. The Victim (Part 5)
Aired 22 January 1980 • 25 min
Detectives trace Craig to Hepton, but he has moved on to the abandoned factory where his daughter is being held.
6. The Victim (Part 6)
Aired 24 January 1980 • 25 min
Craig finally confronts his daughter's captors in their hideout, but Sue - very much her father's daughter - does the unexpected.
7. Dead Man's Kit (Part 1)
Aired 29 January 1980 • 25 min
After shore-leave in Lisbon for the crew of HMS Diana, Master-at-Arms 'Toby' Toberman makes an official complaint to the ship's Captain about the behaviour of an officer he saw in a casino. Following the ship's 'Sod's Opera' party, Toby is reported missing from the deck - presumed lost overboard. Was it an accident or suicide - or was he given the proverbial push?
8. Dead Man's Kit (Part 2)
Aired 31 January 1980 • 25 min
With the ship now docked back at Portsmouth, Toby's friend 'Chalky' White is determined to find out the truth. He returns Toby's personal effects to his widow Jean, but the diary is still missing. They both attend the navy's inquest, but it leaves more questions than answers. Back at Jean's house, a letter from Toby arrives - posted when he was in Lisbon, and backing up his concerns about Kobahl and the casino. Chalky visits Kobahl's girlfriend - and also gets his Wren girlfriend Stephanie to do some digging.
9. Dead Man's Kit (Part 3)
Aired 5 February 1980 • 25 min
Chalky visits Zoë, the girl who seemed to be supplying Kobahl with the money he was losing at the casino. Meanwhile, Steph appears to be in cahoots with whoever is responsible for the cover-up. Chalky nearly becomes the victim of a hit-and-run - and then finds that he's now involved with a plot concerning Naval Intelligence's investigations into Kobahl, and his selling of MOD secrets into enemy hands. When they use him in a sting to try and catch Kobahl, things take on an even more sinister turn.
10. Dead Man's Kit (Part 4)
Aired 7 February 1980 • 25 min
Chalky manages to escape being shot by a gunman in a passing car, but then goes on to find Zoe's body in her flat, the victim of murder. Kobahl appears to have gone to ground, though he soon reappears, determined to find Toby's letter - which is hidden in Chalky's house. Later, Kobahl takes Jean hostage, hoping to use her as insurance in his getaway, as he plans to make his escape to Russia by ship.
11. Dying Day (Part 1)
12. Dying Day (Part 2)
13. Dying Day (Part 3)
14. Dying Day (Part 4)
15. Fear of God (Part 1)
Aired 26 February 1980 • 25 min
A journalist finds his life is in danger when he investigates the death of a woman who was involved with a religious cult - throwing herself from the roof of the building where he is also living in an apartment.
16. Fear of God (Part 2)
Aired 28 February 1980 • 25 min
Paul attends Rosamund's funeral, which is also attended by a leader of the Regiment of God sect - the cult she belonged to. At the service, he meets her sister, Nicola, whom he arranges to meet later to share information. Finding his flat bugged, and hearing of the cult's use of sound as a weapon, Paul is drawn deeper into the mystery of Rosamund's death.
17. Fear of God (Part 3)
Aired 4 March 1980 • 25 min
Paul is 'attacked' by a mysterious noise in his flat, but manages to make a recording of it before finally passing out. He feels there's a link to this and the 'music room' of the Regiment of God mentioned in Ros's diary - and also notices he's being covertly followed by cult members. He and Nicola track down Rosamund's boyfriend, and they all travel to the cult's HQ to try to find out the truth about her and the music room.
18. Fear of God (Part 4)
Aired 6 March 1980 • 25 min
The Regiment of God are still desperate to retrieve Ros's notebook, and forcibly bring Paul and Nicola to the cult's HQ to hand it over. They then get to meet the cult's leader, who insists that Nicola return her sister's ashes to them, as her mortal remains are their property. With the police and the authorities now closing in on the dangerous cult, it seems that events will now lead to an explosive climax.
19. High Tide (Part 1)
20. High Tide (Part 2)
21. High Tide (Part 3)
22. High Tide (Part 4)
23. The Circe Complex (Part 1)
With Tom Foreman serving life for murder, jewellery that he hid before his arrest makes his beautiful wife Val an even more attractive proposition for a string of men.
24. The Circe Complex (Part 2)
25. The Circe Complex (Part 3)
26. The Circe Complex (Part 4)
27. The Circe Complex (Part 5)
28. The Circe Complex (Part 6)
29. The Chelsea Murders (Part 1)
30. The Chelsea Murders (Part 2)
Aired 1 January 1981
31. The Chelsea Murders (Part 3)
Aired 1 January 1981
32. The Chelsea Murders (Part 4)
Aired 1 January 1981
33. The Chelsea Murders (Part 5)
Aired 1 January 1981
34. The Chelsea Murders (Part 6)
Aired 1 January 1981