I am looking for a TV-movie, or an episode of an anthology, that I saw when I was very young. I remember there was a man and woman having a picnic with their dog. The dog ran off and entered a spooky gothic house. The couple followed, there were some scares, and when they tried to leave, they opened the front door to find a brick wall. This aired at night on TV in Southern California, some time between 1981-1983. – R.B.
R.B. I love to work on these, but man, we need some more info here. Anything. The bricked up door thing is a very common horror device. Color program? Remember anything about the dog? The couple?
I'm with Chuckles. I always get excited to help but there's so little to go on. I love the years given but because they mention Southern California is that to say it was local programming? Was this black and white or color? Color would rule out any Twilight Zones or Outer Limits which were only filmed in black and white (OL colorized later).
It doesn't fit your description aside from the bricked up door but the 1984 anthology series Hammer House of Mystery & Suspense had a segment called "Child's Play" that seemed to traumatize a lot of kids who saw it. A couple and their young daughter wake up one morning to find all the doors and windows blocked by brick walls and then things get weirder
https://dn710600.ca.archive.org/0/items/hammerhouseofmysteryandsuspensechildsplay1984/Hammer%20House%20Of%20Mystery%20And%20Suspense%20Child%27s%20Play%201984.mp4
It is probably unrelated, but there is another episode of Hammer House of Horror where a pet store owner, Peter Cushing, traps a couple inside a house. I don't remember the couple owning a dog, or going on a picnic, though. One member of the couple is a very young Brian Cox.
I’m relaying a message from TombstoneCody on IG…
He suggests THE LAKE a UK short from 1978… (or possibly Warlock Moon)
Tombstone also added that THE LAKE was directed by Lindsey C Vickers who directed another NTT, THE APPOINTMENT (’82)