User Reviews

'A Midsummer Nightmare' is Thriller's penultimate episode and like many of the later stories, is rather weak in comparison to the earlier material. However I would disagree that it is the worst - that accolade would go to 'Murder Motel' - and for a good deal of the 65 minutes, 'A Midsummer Nightmare' is reasonably entertaining, albeit somewhat flat in parts.

Joanne Pettet returns for her second outing (she had played Sylvia in 'A Killer In Every Corner') as Jody Baxter, the estranged wife of a private detective. As she shares the same initial as her husband, Jody decides to assume the part of "J.Baxter' when a client comes calling for assistance in solving the murder of his niece some five years previously.

The client is a sombre bachelor named Tully who remains convinced that the killer was a local man - Peter Ingram. The local police and Tully's housekeeper concur with this opinion but explain to Jody that there are unable to locate any evidence to make the charges stick. During the course of her investigation Jody discovers that while Ingram may be an unhinged individual, he may not be capable of murder. A vital clue from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' paves the way to revealing the real killer but Jody puts herself in grave danger as the story lurches to a conclusion.

The climax is quite understated and somewhat surprising. The performances are reasonable but nothing special. Even Brian Blessed gives off a dour air. Nevertheless this is worth seeing even if it is a remnant of the series' former glory.

I have to disagree with the other reviewers, and stand up for a Midsummer Nightmare, it's true the quality of the series had dipped by this point, but this episode has some real quality. The story is excellent, it's clever and well thought out, the Shakespeare theme was great. Red herrings galore, exactly what you want from a decent thriller. Jody makes a great lead character, she's interesting, and her side story with Johnny is great. Almost every single character is suspected, from the housekeeper to the Uncle.

A great cast, Brian Blessed, Freddie Jones and Norman Rodway are all great, but it is Joanna Pettet who impresses most.

The penultimate episode is a very good one, 9/10

The penultimate outing for "Thriller" is in my opinion its worst, rivaled by "Kiss Me and Die" and "Murder Motel". It was a sign that this splendid series had run its course, at least at that point.

The action opens with the fatal stabbing of a teenage girl in a forest. The murder is unsolved after five years so her uncle and guardian, Arnold Tully, visits the office of J. Baxter, a private eye. When he gets there he meets J. Baxter's wife, Jody. and assumes she is the private eye before she can explain. She takes on the job anyway. She finds that everyone assumes the killer is a local actor called Peter Ingram, but there has been insufficient evidence to charge him. While Ingram is an unpleasant figure with an unhealthy interest in women, Jody is not convinced of his guilt. Jody makes good use of some apparently trivial details but her search for the killer leads her into danger.

Although this story outline could have led to a good episode the actual results are very disappointing. Almost all the characters are dislikeable, with only Jody attracting any positive feeling. While Tully has clearly had a tragic past his obsessive attitude towards his niece is rather creepy and, if not pedophile, is certainly too close. Ingram is one of several characters, including Tully with a tiresome preoccupation with the theatre. The detective George, played by Brian Blessed, is rather boorish. Mrs. Fitch, Tully's Cockney housekeeper, is dismally deferential in a way more suited to the Victorian age. Jody's semi-estranged husband Johnny has nothing useful to contribute.

The acting performances are sound but fail to give a mediocre offering a necessary lift. This is despite the presence of renowned actors such as Blessed and Freddie Jones as Tully, although neither is a favourite of mine with their expansive styles. Joanna Pettet as Jody is quite effective and certainly makes an attractive sight for the male viewer.

Attitudes to women in "Thriller" were frequently patronizing and predatory but here these tendencies become overbearing - the treatment of both the murdered girl and Jody demonstrate this. Given the grim murder storyline the presence of some supposed humour in the interchanges between Jody and Johnny is quite out-of-place. The final scene is a sickly piece of nonsense that would better suit "Hart To Hart".

That last scene is a shame because the climax to the murder story was quite well done. It ends in a fairly low-key but quite poignant fashion. It breaks from the often-clichéd dramatic confrontations that ended many episodes, although a little more "bite" wouldn't have gone amiss.

This is really for "Thriller" completists only but hopefully it makes more impact if you do encounter it.