I have an affection for cult and offbeat TV shows and films from days of yore as consistent followers of this blog know. I've found that many still stand up to today's scrutiny and often they are full of great ideas which are earnestly acted. Usually I pick up DVDs at random from CEX but in this case it was whilst I was browsing through Amazon, checking through the recommended links for 'Children of the Stones’, an atmospheric and eerie series that I'd picked up earlier and loved, that I came across 'The Clifton House Mystery'. The series was produced by HTV, the production company that had made ‘Stones,’ and so, based on the strength of that series I took the plunge and bought the DVD set for £4.99. It has sat on my pile of shame for a couple of years but sans WiFi and access to premium channels, I thought I'd finally work my way through this series.
The story is about the Clare family, who move into a mysterious old townhouse in Bristol. The previous family had lived in the house for generations but decided to leave under mysterious circumstances. The contents of the house are auctioned off but there are secrets attached to the items and the abode that haunt the new occupants. When they find a skeleton in a sealed room the mystery deepens and they hire an eccentric ghost hunter Milton Guest, to put the spirits to rest.
The series was aimed at school children so don't expect anything too ghoulish or scary but it is effective in its own way. The economy of sound and set design adds to the slightly unnerving nature. The story is quite straightforward and a lot of Bristolian history is thrown into the mix, which I found quite good as I’m a bit of a history buff.
The cast are relatively unknown, at least to me, however, they all play their roles with surety and earnestness. The only recognisable face is Peter Sallis who plays Guest. He would later go on to voice Wallace in 'Wallace and Gromit' and find fame as one of the old codgers riding a bathtub down many a hill in 'Last of the Summer Wine'.
Overall, the series is not as enthralling as 'Children of the Stones' or as scary as 'Moon Dial' but it is still worth a watch and, at just under 2 and a half hours, it's a nice way to while away a lazy afternoon.
LINK- The Singing Ringing Tree: Cult TV Review
LINK- Jim Henson’s The Storyteller
LINK- The Secret Garden (BBC)- Cult TV Review
LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review
LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review
LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review
LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review