Tales of the Unexpected

This old-fashioned British TV serial has a terrific atmosphere . The opening scene with the mysterious dancing woman,the skulls,gun and cards is quite impressive.The plot is strange:different actors play in every single episode which is based on a short story.Many of them are written by the well-known Roahld Dall.The episodes are called horror and triller but in fact there is nothing which can scare you.Yes , there are murders , secrets and twists in the tale,and sometimes a dreadful atmosphere but the violence and assassination are shown very stylish.There are episodes that are really interesting and the end is surprising : The Olderely World of Mr Appleby,Man From South,Edward the Conqueror and many others.Unfortunately there are also episodes which look naive and boring.The actors are excellent:many famous British stars act in this TV series.I must mention the music which is very good.

I was in my teens when these were originally on TV. I think they used to follow the ten o'clock news .... I'm sure I should have been asleep, a school night and all that. They are a bit like a time capsule, fascinating reminder of 40 years ago. Phone acting is totally different when tethered by that curly cord. Kitchens were a bit utilitarian and plates were patterned. Each episode is a standalone story with a twist at the end. So many episodes, it's funny when a familiar face pops up, trying to put the name to the face. having paid no heed to the titles at the start as we're all too busy dancing along with the Princesses Di look a like silhouette. Some episodes a better than others. Some acting is a bit iffy and please don't get me started on any attempts at special effects. I've set the box to record the series. I am enjoying a mini binge of 2 or 3 episodes at a time. I can't just watch one..... my attention begins to travel back to this century during a 3rd. Loving them, but I think you need to have been there.

Regardless of what some viewers may think, I had a great time watching this series as a young adult late in the evenings and before the station screening it closed for the night.

It was brilliantly written by the fabulous Mr Roald Dahl and the theme soundtrack was worth the wait for 'the Unexpected Tale' with a usually camp and fascinating end to unfold.

The series starred many budding and now household names from the British Theatre world and yes, the costumes, sets and furnishings were glam and stylish for the period when the world was a more innocent and romantic place to be.

I wish it could be screened again in Australia for older and even newer audiences to enjoy again; especially now that the 70's are hip and back!

This series was on the air in the U.S. very briefly - about one year only, which is unlike the British series that lasted nearly a decade. I recall watching it, and seeing John Houseman introduce the episodes. The particular one I can recall seeing (I was on a date the night it was being shown) was shown in April 1983 and called THE MEMORY MAN. Colin Redgrave is an expert in helping people improve their memory by various ways, including hypnosis. He discovers that a new customer (Bernard Cribbins) is having problems with his memory, but also seems quite hostile to questions that Redgrave asks innocently enough. Soon Redgrave remembers that Cribbins had another name, and was involved in a violent robbery where he stole thousand of pounds. Redgrave is slowly using his knowledge of hypnosis to extract the information that Cribbins has forgotten (and so has sought Redgrave's assistance to recall). In the end neither man does too well out of the experience.

When Houseman introduced the episode, he tried to illustrate the problem of memory by shooting out one question after another. One he shot out was, "Who was the 14th President of the United States?" I amused my date by shouting out, "Franklin Pierce".

Many of the stories are by Roald Dahl, and I suspect, if they are watched, some of them would have to be compared with versions of the same stories (like "Mrs.Bixby and the Colonel's Coat") that originally appeared on Alfred Hitchcock Presents (in that case, and in "Lamb to the Slaughter", Hitchcock directed the television episodes). One wonders if the image of Hitchcock, with his plump person, and his delivery of his introduction, was behind the use of Houseman (with his plump person and delivery) as the host.

Being a huge fan of anthology series, I'm always on the lookout for ones I haven't seen. I've had some hits (Twilight Zone, Night Gallery) and a few misses, (Thriller, most of Hammer House of Horror) but then I stumbled across Roald Dahl's 'Tales of the Unexpected'

Always being a short story, horror, and sci fi fan, I jumped at the chance to try some programs I had never seen. Having some familiarity with Roald Dahl's work, I was intrigued, having read that he was a cross between Alfred Hitchcock and O Henry. I sat back to enjoy the first story of the series, the fine, 'Man from the South' about a man who bets the little finger on his left hand that he can't light his lighter ten times in a row. Filmed on location in Jamaica, it is a very clever tale that sets the tone of future episodes. Now don't misunderstand, the episodes are not all 10's, but the majority are very, very good, including 'The Landlady', and 'The Flytrap' which is a CHILLER, all the while featuring a wonderful sense of storytelling along with some excellent actors, including Jose Ferrer, Joseph Cotten, and Joan Collins, to name but a few.

If you enjoy really well told tales that hold your attention and are genuinely entertaining, get the first two sets of this series, they really are a wonderful way to spend a few hours.