The Intruder: The Complete Series [DVD]

The Intruder seems to be billed as a children's show, but I'm not sure why. Although the main protagonists are young people, this programme has a darker side than most of the era. It also includes a bit of mild swearing [I certainly don't remember that being allowed in any children's shows in the 70s!]. There's also a suggestive undercurrent with the two lead actors [both were in their 20s at the time]. I can't imagine any of this getting past Mary Whitehouse.Basic plot: a sinister stranger turns up at a desolate but beautiful coastal village. He claims to be related to the protagonist's guardian, and sets about taking over -- both the protagonist's name and place in the world -- before hatching a plan to transform the entire area, destroying its traditions. The first couple of episodes are moderately slow, but the pace [and tension] picks up as it progresses.Some comparisons have been made to the TV series of The Owl Service. I also felt that there were moments when it shared themes with Penda's Fen, albeit in a very simplified way.Network have done a good job with this release. The restored picture quality still has some artefacts -- and in a couple of episodes the audio is a little muffled -- but, in general, the colour is good and it's visually pleasing. At times, the look of it is reminiscent of 1972's 'A Warning to the Curious'. Subtitles are included. There are quite a few errors in them, but not so many that they're annoying. The extras include a great archive interview with the author [I'd love to see those programmes get a full release of their own], and we get a new and interesting interview with Simon Fisher Turner, one of the supporting actors. Commentaries are provided on four episodes, but personally I found those a little irritating. A nice booklet is also included in this edition [not sure if this is a limited run]. A lot of past Network releases I own have nothing much in the way of extras, so this package presented added value.

I have very fond memories of this series because as an adolescent teenager I had a huge crush on Sheila Ruskin. It's early 70s' telly so it's a bit slow and everyone's very moody but it's a strong story with serious themes and some great performances. It looks good, particularly the location shooting. One wonders if modern producers attempting to set drama in the likes of the 60s and 70s ever look at TV produced at the time because life was much grimier and more "ordinary" than they would have us believe. For those of a certain age, this is well worth a watch. The 'extras' aren't great because the chap doing the episode commentaries is an idiot, but there's a real treat in the final episode for fans of Ms Ruskin. Who knows what else we missed in the days before "Pause" and "Rewind"!

Finally...after years of waiting, it's being released by Network DVD for pre order....blu ray. Available from 19th Oct they say.

I watched the Intrude back in 1972 as a 10 year old ,it was brilliant back then.it gave me the creeps,it was atmospheric.,eerie,menacing etc.It stuck in my mind all these years , I have never seen it since ,but I would love to.,i'm not sure if it would have the same effect on a 56 year old .but I would still love to see The Intruder again.I for one would buy it as soon as it is released.

Was reminded of this series recently as I saw on Twitter that it was the 80th birthday of Milton Johns. I'd love to be able to watch this series again. Even after all these years my husband and I both remember it from our teens. Sadly I didn't see the very end, like many other people. In 1972 there were 3 day working weeks and a rota for power cuts. Before the final climax to the programme we were plunged into darkness.I emailed the company, Network, [email protected] who replied"Dear Customer, Thanks for your email. We have no further information to release about future releases in this series at this time....Customer Services."Very disappointing.

Just release it, already!! What could possibly be the hold up!? You have an eagerly awaiting audience!

Waiting over a year for it to come out, dont know what the problem is can't wait to see it again.One of the few series from my childhood that still haunts me, I found it very unsettling even more so than the Owl Service.

I have never before left a review for anything on Amazon until it has been commercially released and I have experienced it for myself, but in this incidence, I felt that I had to write a few things on this page.'The Intruder', a seven-part children's drama serial which ran for one series on ITV in 1972, is something that I have been wanting to see in it's entirety since 2008. I never thought that it would ever secure a DVD release (although the first episode was featured in a compilation of kids' shows from the '70s courtesy of the Network Distributing company), so I was delighted to hear that the same people had decided to issue the complete seven episodes, taking it out of obscurity at last. That was in 2015, and the release was put back to this year, initially April 2016.Alas, the DVD still remains unreleased, and at the moment, the Network website states that it will be available from 31/12/2099, but I won't be around to see it. Either this is a genuine mistake and the release date is still being finalised, or 'The Intruder' has been dropped entirely, I don't know, but I just wanted to add to the other reviews on this page to say that I was really looking forward to this, and to voice my support that I will definitely buy a copy if a release is still on. Please Network, give it the go ahead!Of course, when 'The Intruder' is released (if it ever is going to be), then I will edit the review to talk about the programme, and change the star rating if I feel it has to be done.