Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)
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| Tales of the Unexpected | |
|---|---|
| Format | Anthology |
| Created by | Roald Dahl |
| Starring | Various |
| Country of origin | UK |
| No. of episodes | 112 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV |
| Original run | 24 March 1979 – 13 May 1988 |
Tales Of The Unexpected is a British television series that originally aired between 1979 and 1988, made by Anglia Television for ITV.
The series was an anthology of different tales, initially based on short stories by author Roald Dahl, that were sometimes sinister, sometimes wryly comedic and usually had a twist ending. The light, slightly mocking theme tune to the series which became a hallmark of the show and was written by the prolific film and television composer Ron Grainer.
Contents |
[edit] Format
The series originally adapted various stories from Dahl's anthologies such as Kiss Kiss and Someone Like You. Despite the low budget the series attracted guest stars of the highest calibre, such as Anna Neagle, Timothy West, John Gielgud, Elaine Stritch, John Mills, Derek Jacobi, Janet Leigh and Siobhán McKenna.
Episodes include William and Mary in which Elaine Stritch learns that her husband has cheated death via a brain transplant, The Landlady in which a seemingly charming old lady is really murdering and stuffing her tenants, and The Way Up to Heaven, in which an abusive husband is trapped in a lift, and his long suffering wife deliberately leaves him there to die.
Dahl introduced all of his own stories himself, giving short monologues in he explained what inspired him to write the story; when he introduced the story Lamb To The Slaughter, in which a wronged wife batters her husband to death with a leg of lamb, Dahl explained how the idea came from Ian Fleming (whom he refers to in the introduction as "the James Bond Man"). Having been served a tough and under cooked leg of lamb, Fleming said the cook should be shot - Dahl replied that he had a better idea.
[edit] Later series
Midway through the second series, episodes ceased to be written by Dahl and other authors' stories were adapted for all episodes following. The title reflected this when it became Tales of the Unexpected - Introduced by Roald Dahl. From series three, Dahl no longer introduced the stories and the series continued this way until the end.
By 1988, critics felt that the quality of the series was starting to dip, and after the ninth series in 1988, the series was axed.
In the US, John Houseman succeeded Dahl as the opening narrator.
In 2006, ITV3 began repeating the series. Series 1 to 6 have been released on DVD.
[edit] Way Out
Dahl had hosted a practically identical series for the American CBS network called Way Out in 1961, which preceded the similar Twilight Zone for 14 episodes on Saturday nights and actually used some stories which would later be adapted for Tales of the Unexpected.
