I remember Armchair Thrillers, even the opening credits creeped me out as a young kid when it was originally screened on TV. Anyway I have just finished watching the six individual episodes thanks to Talking Pictures (UK). This looks so dated now, not just visually but also some of the language used (for example in relation to race). Plot and acting is on the whole pretty amateur and some of the sets look flimsy. However the unknown masked killer really is very creepy, as is the theme tune. If you lose track of what happened in the previous episode a narrator recounts the events. I'm sure an uncredited Ade Edmondson has a small part working in a newspaper office, though I could be wrong.
4 Reviews
Kitchen sink murder mystery
Leofwine_draca26 September 2021
I'm not familiar with the ARMCHAIR THRILLER TV series, but I managed to catch the original six-part series of THE CHELSEA MURDERS thanks to the 2021 broadcast on Talking Pictures TV. It's an eventful little murder mystery in which detectives tangle with a creepy masked killer who selects his victims based on their initials linked to famous British poets. Certainly an odd set-up there, but it works thanks to a small cast and a number of suspects allowing the viewer to make plenty of guesses as to the killer's identity before the reveal in the last episode. Cheap certainly, but that adds a certain kitchen sink grittiness to the proceedings.
Not good at all.
teachermarkthailand19 September 2021
A six part entry into the successful genre of scary telly the Brits were very good at, at the time. Unfortunately, this story is badly written, horribly acted and all of this is badly edited together.
There are some familiar faces, none of whom would put this on their CV. The only points are for the nostalgic value that old folk like me would enjoy.
Many experienced mystery watchers will have sniffed the villain out early, mainly because the lack of subtlety surrounding the red herrings.
I sat through the entire six episodes, but it was hard work.
There are some familiar faces, none of whom would put this on their CV. The only points are for the nostalgic value that old folk like me would enjoy.
Many experienced mystery watchers will have sniffed the villain out early, mainly because the lack of subtlety surrounding the red herrings.
I sat through the entire six episodes, but it was hard work.
It wasn't really like a man at all.
Sleepin_Dragon26 December 2017
The Chelsea Murders is very much the runt of the litter, so much went wrong, it wasn't fully produced, it wasn't released in its original format, instead it was shown as a feature length program a year after the Second series has ended. A shame, because it's a good one, the second series wasn't a patch on the first, the quality just wasn't there, however, The Chelsea Murders is one of the best. The killings and notes have an almost Victorian feel to them. The killer's mask is so creepy, very theatrical, wonderfully dark. It's really well acted, Miranda Bell and Michael Feast in particular are excellent. I'm surprised by such a low rating, it's a really good murder mystery, way better then most of Series two. 8/10
''It was horrible, it was a mask, its lips were all funny like rubber and its face was white with wavy hair.''
Very underrated. 8/10
''It was horrible, it was a mask, its lips were all funny like rubber and its face was white with wavy hair.''
Very underrated. 8/10
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