Sugar and Spice
- Episode aired Jan 12, 1971
- 51m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
64
YOUR RATING
A family are forced into conflict when their son disappears one night, and their daughter is behaving very oddly.A family are forced into conflict when their son disappears one night, and their daughter is behaving very oddly.A family are forced into conflict when their son disappears one night, and their daughter is behaving very oddly.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe pop / rock group pictured in a magazine when Judy and Mary are talking is Dutch band Shocking Blue, best-known in the UK for their track "Venus" which much later was covered by Bananarama.
- SoundtracksSixth Sense
(uncredited)
Performed by David Lindup
Heard twenty minutes into the episode
Featured review
It's Dark Inside...
"Shadows of Fear" was an excellent but sadly largely overlooked series. This episode kicked-off its regular run after a strong initial episode (possibly a pilot) the previous summer and really sets the mood for the series as a whole. Unlike many suspense productions this wasn't set in country mansions or luxury apartments and the menace was not provided by psychopaths, serial killers or demons but instead from apparently ordinary people living in places very similar to those of the vast majority of viewers. This helps to give it a realistic edge over many of its better-known counterparts.
A bleak domestic picture is painted in this episode. Anne Brand (Sheila Hancock) is an exasperated, demoralised wife. The most obvious source of her frustration is her heavy-drinking, faithless husband (played by Ronald Hines) who has apparently ended an affair but she remains unconvinced. Her young son Michael has failed to return from school, something which his older sister Judy (Suzanne Togni) seems to know something about but isn't telling - but why?
Almost the whole episode is occupied by these three characters and all the scenes take place at night in the humble family home or on its doorstep (filmed in the studio rather than an exterior). This gives the setting a claustrophobia and intensity than isn't present on a more expansive production with many sets or outside filming. This could easily have been performed in the theatre. A dripping kitchen tap and a stagnant pool of washing-up help exemplify the humbleness of the setting and stand as a symbol or the deterioration of the household as a whole.
The title "Sugar and Spice" is certainly an ironic one. Judy is anything but nice and while she does crack an occasional smile it always seems to be at someone else's expense. Her moodiness is something that many parents of teenagers will be all too familiar with but it's clear that problems run deeper than that. Judy is devious, sometimes defiant and certainly manipulative. One can understand why her parents find her so difficult to deal with. However there are also a few moments when she shows a more vulnerable side - troubled and not just troubling. The viewer is left to speculate on how the family - especially Judy - has come to this and what she actually knows or is capable of doing.
Sheila Hancock and Ronald Hines give strong accounts as the parents with Sheila giving a particular fine performance as the dispirited wife and mother. However the most memorable acting display is by Suzanne Togni as Judy. Before this she was largely best-known for appearing in visual, slapstick-style comedy such as one of the team in "The Magnificent Six and a Half" children's films (precursors to "Here Come the Double Deckers") and Ronnie Barker's dialogue-free short film "Futtock's End". This role is far removed from such humour and she showed great potential as a dramatic actress here. However for whatever reason her screen career ended very shortly after this episode. This isn't so unusual for child / teenage actors but in this instance at least it seems unfortunate she wasn't seen in future productions.
"Shadows of Fear" also defied many of the suspense conventions in its endings and this is also seen here. It's a dark and troubling conclusion typical of a series that didn't try to have everything neatly wrapped-up and the viewer is left to ponder what would have happened to the characters afterwards. An excellent offering but the series had many in store.
A bleak domestic picture is painted in this episode. Anne Brand (Sheila Hancock) is an exasperated, demoralised wife. The most obvious source of her frustration is her heavy-drinking, faithless husband (played by Ronald Hines) who has apparently ended an affair but she remains unconvinced. Her young son Michael has failed to return from school, something which his older sister Judy (Suzanne Togni) seems to know something about but isn't telling - but why?
Almost the whole episode is occupied by these three characters and all the scenes take place at night in the humble family home or on its doorstep (filmed in the studio rather than an exterior). This gives the setting a claustrophobia and intensity than isn't present on a more expansive production with many sets or outside filming. This could easily have been performed in the theatre. A dripping kitchen tap and a stagnant pool of washing-up help exemplify the humbleness of the setting and stand as a symbol or the deterioration of the household as a whole.
The title "Sugar and Spice" is certainly an ironic one. Judy is anything but nice and while she does crack an occasional smile it always seems to be at someone else's expense. Her moodiness is something that many parents of teenagers will be all too familiar with but it's clear that problems run deeper than that. Judy is devious, sometimes defiant and certainly manipulative. One can understand why her parents find her so difficult to deal with. However there are also a few moments when she shows a more vulnerable side - troubled and not just troubling. The viewer is left to speculate on how the family - especially Judy - has come to this and what she actually knows or is capable of doing.
Sheila Hancock and Ronald Hines give strong accounts as the parents with Sheila giving a particular fine performance as the dispirited wife and mother. However the most memorable acting display is by Suzanne Togni as Judy. Before this she was largely best-known for appearing in visual, slapstick-style comedy such as one of the team in "The Magnificent Six and a Half" children's films (precursors to "Here Come the Double Deckers") and Ronnie Barker's dialogue-free short film "Futtock's End". This role is far removed from such humour and she showed great potential as a dramatic actress here. However for whatever reason her screen career ended very shortly after this episode. This isn't so unusual for child / teenage actors but in this instance at least it seems unfortunate she wasn't seen in future productions.
"Shadows of Fear" also defied many of the suspense conventions in its endings and this is also seen here. It's a dark and troubling conclusion typical of a series that didn't try to have everything neatly wrapped-up and the viewer is left to ponder what would have happened to the characters afterwards. An excellent offering but the series had many in store.
helpful•40
- alanbnew
- Aug 26, 2021
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