The Owl Service (1969) Blu-ray Review

4 star restoration of a supernatural classic teen drama.

The Owl Service is a mini series, based on the multi award winning and beloved story of the same name by Alan Garner (Elidor, The Moon of Gomrath), who also wrote the screenplay.

Directed by Peter Plummer (Crown Court, Tickle on the Tum), this ground breaking and influential series was originally aired in 1969. It is available on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK exclusively from Network.

“It’s something trying to get out. The scratching is a bit louder each time and this time is the loudest yet.”

Alison (Gillian Hills – A Clockwork Orange, Nana) is a sickly teenager, staying with her mother Margaret in the Welsh home left to her by her father. Her mother has very recently remarried to Clive (Edwin Rich – Quatermass and the Pit, The Avengers) who is also there with his son Roger (Francis Wallis – The Breaking of Bumbo) in an attempt at a family bonding exercise.

While bedridden, Alison has been hearing strange noises from the attic above her bedroom. As they get louder, she enlists the help of Gwyn (Michael Holden), the son of housekeeper Nancy (Dorothy Edwards – Crossroads) who goes up to investigate.

He can’t see any animals, but he does find a dusty old stack of dinner plates. Alison quickly becomes obsessed with the pattern which she believes depicts an owl. She traces the patterns and turns them into paper owls, which somehow removes them from the plate.

She begins to investigate the local legends of the valley, as the family try to integrate, all watched by their very strange gardener Huw (Raymond Llewellyn – Doctor Who). What secrets will these teenagers uncover?

“I’ll tell you who’s got a scratching in his attic. That man’s gaga. He’s so far gone he’s coming back.”

The Owl Service is an absolutely brilliant series and it’s great to see it remastered and available to enjoy on Blu-ray.

Beautifully written and filmed, this series pushed boundaries in all areas, being filmed mostly on location and also in full colour. It deals with all sorts of issues too, class divisions, sexual tension and the power of belief.

I remember both reading the book and watching this adaptation as a young teenager and being bowled over and it has lost little of it’s impact in the intervening years. A true classic and one well worth adding to your collection.

“Ghosts don’t eat mice. Whatever chewed that mouse, could chew me, or you.”