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Shadows
Shadows (TV series).jpg
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of series 3
No. of episodes 20
Production
Producer(s) Pamela Lonsdale (series 1 & 3)
Ruth Boswell (series 2)
Running time 30 minutes
Production company(s) Thames Television
Release
Original network ITV
Original release 3 September 1975 (1975-09-03) – 1 November 1978 (1978-11-01)

Shadows was a British TV show made by Thames Television for ITV. It ran from 1975 to 1978. This series was an anthology, meaning each episode told a different story. It featured exciting ghost and horror dramas especially for children.

Many famous writers helped create the stories. These included J. B. Priestley, Fay Weldon, PJ Hammond, Joan Aiken, Jacquetta Hawkes, and Penelope Lively.

Who Was in Shadows?

Many well-known actors appeared in Shadows. These included John Nettleton, Gareth Thomas, Jenny Agutter, Pauline Quirke, Brian Glover, June Brown, Rachel Herbert, Jacqueline Pearce, and Gwyneth Strong.

The show also brought back a character named Mr. Stabs. He was played by Russell Hunter. Mr. Stabs had first appeared in another TV series called Ace of Wands.

Shadows: Episode Guide

Shadows had three different seasons. Each season featured new and exciting supernatural tales.

Series 1 (1975) Episodes

Episode Title Writer Director First Shown
The Future Ghost Roger Marshall Leon Thau 3 September 1975
Julia is staying in a London hotel in 1875. She hears a girl's voice from a nearby room. Inside, she finds a sick girl in a modern 1970s room. A fire starts, burning Julia's own room. The next morning, Julia is safe. She believes a ghost from the future saved her.

Starring: Jane Wymark, Bernadette McKenna, Daphne Slater and John Nettleton

After School Ewart Alexander Audrey Starrett 10 September 1975
Two schoolboys get locked in their school in a Welsh mining village. Strange things happen. They find an old skull hidden away. After they give it a proper resting place, the doors open, and they can leave.

Starring: Gareth Thomas, Rhys Powys and Lyn Jones

The Witch's Bottle Stewart Farrar Vic Hughes 17 September 1975
Jill visits her uncle's house. She becomes very interested in the story of a witch who was killed there long ago.

Starring: Georgina Kean, Wendy Gifford, Neville Barber and Jasper Jacob

The Waiting Room Jon Watkins Stan Woodward 24 September 1975
Sue and Gerry get stuck in an old railway station waiting room. They suddenly find themselves in 1925. They witness a train crash. When they return to 1975, the same events start to happen again.

Starring: Jenny Agutter, Paul Henley, George Innes and Beth Harris

An Optical Illusion Tom Clarke Peter Webb 1 October 1975
Karen, Dawn, and Phil visit an old Tudor mansion. They decide to stay the night. They start acting strangely. It seems the spirits of the house's past owners are taking them over.

Starring: Pauline Quirke, Richard Willis, James Cossins and Susan Parriss

Dutch Schlitz's Shoes Trevor Preston Stan Woodward 8 October 1975
A man with strange powers, Mr. Stabs, arrives at a house. He finds an old bank robber's shoes. He starts to act like the robber. Then, the bank robber himself returns from the grave.

Starring: Russell Hunter, Barry Stanton, Gordon Gostelow, Ron Pember, Kenneth Caswell, John Abineri and Valentine Dyall

The Other Window Jacquetta Hawkes, J. B. Priestley Darrol Blake 15 October 1975
A man brings home a special lens. He puts it on his window. His children start seeing visions of the past through it. He thinks it's impossible. But then he sees it too. He tells the people in the vision to leave them alone. The lens then melts away.

Starring: Sophie Ward, John Woodvine, Roy Jacobs, Gwyneth Strong and Aimée Delamain

Series 2 (1976) Episodes

Episode Title Writer Director First Shown
The Dark Streets of Kimballs Green Joan Aiken Stan Woodward 28 July 1976
A girl lives unhappily in a foster home. She looks for magical help from an ancient king of Britain.

Starring: Alex McCrindle, Barbara Keogh, Hannah Isaacson, Joan Scott, Karen Archer, Pat Beckett, Andrew Paul

Time Out of Mind Penelope Lively Audrey Starrett 4 August 1976
A girl imagines she is a maid. She works in a Victorian doll's house.

Starring: Coral Atkins, Sally Lahee, Neville Barber, Brenda Cowling, Elaine Button, Katrina Rose, Craig McFarlane

The Inheritance Josephine Poole Peter Webb 11 August 1976
A retired gamekeeper tells his grandson about a special "horn dance".

Starring: John Barrett, Priscilla Morgan, Dougal Rose

Dark Encounter Susan Cooper Leon Thau 18 August 1976
A man was sent away from London during World War II. He returns to the countryside to face his old fears.

Starring: Alex Scott, Shelagh Fraser, Brian Glover, Hugh Morton, Margot Field, Carolyn Courage, Graham Kennedy

Peronik Rosemary Harris Vic Hughes 25 August 1976
A schoolboy relives the journey of a Grail knight.

Starring: Paul Aston, Zelah Clarke, Ann Lynn, Tim Barrett, Norman Rossington, Chris Cregan

The Eye Ewart Alexander Neville Green 1 September 1976
A house is haunted by a blind Greek man named Stratos.

Starring: John Sanderson, Julia Lewis, Murray Brown

Series 3 (1978) Episodes

Episode Title Writer Director First Shown
Eleven O'Clock Ewart Alexander Joe Boyer 20 September 1978
A man and his daughter wait for a homing pigeon in a French farmhouse.

Starring: Ronald Hines, Tina Heath, Anna Korwin, Stephen Galloway

The Rose of Puddle Fratrum Joan Aiken Neville Green 27 September 1978
A TV producer visits a village in Dorset. He is looking for a former ballerina.

Starring: Christopher Lillicrap, Joan Greenwood, Bryan Pringle, June Brown, Duncan Lamont, Vicky Spencer, Noel Johnson

And Now For My Next Trick PJ Hammond Michael Custance 4 October 1978
An old magician learns a brand new trick.

Starring: Clive Swift, Caroline Embling, Jacqueline Pearce

The Boy Merlin Stewart Farrar (story by Anne Carlton) Vic Hughes 11 October 1978
Young Merlin is in danger from a Saxon lord.

Starring: Donald Houston, Rachel Thomas, Archie Tew, Margaret John, Cassandra Harris, Ian Rowlands

The Man Who Hated Children Brian Patten Neville Green 18 October 1978
An old man plans to damage a park. He wants to blame it on children.

Starring: George A. Cooper, Brian Wilde, Paul Watson, William Smoker, James Ottaway, Charles Morgan, Niall Padden

The Silver Apple Roy Russell (story by Philip Glassborow) Gabrielle Beaumont 25 October 1978
Two princes are sent on a quest. They must find magic to save their kingdom.

Starring: Peter Duncan, Prue Clarke, Simon Turner, Rachel Herbert, George Claydon, Brian Peck, Olaf Pooley

Honeyann Fay Weldon Pamela Lonsdale 1 November 1978
A girl gets a job as a maid in a manor house. A very strict nanny controls the house.

Starring: Madge Ryan, Gwyneth Strong, Adrienne Posta, Jeanne Watts, George Waring, Paul Angelis, Joshua White, Julia Swift, Timothy Stamp

Awards and Recognition

In 1976 and 1977, Shadows was nominated for a special award. This was the Harlequin BAFTA TV Award. It was for the Drama/Light Entertainment category. However, the series did not win either time. Ballet Shoes and The Multi-Coloured Swap Shop won instead.

Other Shows and Books

Spin-off TV Series

A TV series called The Boy Merlin was made in 1979. It was based on an episode from the third season of Shadows with the same name.

Books About Shadows

A book called The Best Of Shadows was released in 1979. It was a "tie-in" book, meaning it was connected to the TV show. It included stories from seven different episodes. These were The Dark Streets of Kimball's Green, The Inheritance, Eleven O'Clock, And Now For My Next Trick, The Rose of Puddle Fratrum, The Eye, and The Man Who Hated Children.

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