Original title
Tales of the Unexpected
Released
3/24/1979
Origin country
GB
Genre
Drama
Production companies
ITV, Anglia Television
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
9
Number of episodes
112
A British television anthology of stories, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, and a twist at the end. With early episodes written and presented by Roald Dahl, the series featured a plethora of big name guest stars.
A young American couple on holiday meet a mysterious old gentleman who makes them a macabre wager.
Unable to show her dentist husband, Cyril, the fur coat her lover has given her, Mrs Bixby pawns it and pretends that she found the ticket.
When her husband William dies, Mary Pearl is shocked that his will stipulates that his brain should be kept alive.
An enraged detective's wife kills her husband by smashing in his skull with a heavy blunt instrument - but no murder weapon can be found, and the police are baffled.
When a young man arrives in Bath, he is shocked to find his seemingly charming landlady has a dark side.
A lady is cut down to size by her husband’s loyal butler when it is discovered she is having an affair.
When Edward grows tired of Louisa’s obsession with a stray cat and decides to get rid of it, she exacts her revenge.
An American gambler must come up with a cunning plan to slow down a ship at sea in order to win a bet.
Mrs Foster exacts an intriguing revenge on her husband after his dawdling causes her to miss a flight.
Mabel’s baby is sick and her bee obsessed husband thinks he has found a remedy. Will he get the baby buzzing back to health?
An old street beggar, a former tattooist, was a friend of the famous artist, Soutine. On his back, he has a tattoo by the artist, which is now priceless.
A man starts to suffer when he becomes haunted by the memory of the brutal treatment he received in his childhood.
When a driver picks up a hitch-hiker in his car, his journey turns into a thrilling ride.
A poisonous snake keeps a teacher prisoner in India. How can he escape from its evil glare?
The husband of a fat, greedy woman has a clever plan to get rid of her - but the plan is flawed.
A dinner party takes a surprising turn when one pretentious guest is challenged to a wine tasting contest.
When Pamela and Arthur invite a young couple over for the weekend, things take a surprising turn.
George has problems with female attention, but when a beautiful woman joins his congregation things are set to change.
An art collector finds himself drawn into an unusual struggle with two beautiful women.
A con man arrives in town and starts his scam.
A pregnant lady is worried that she may miscarry for the fourth time. Can her doctor reassure her?
A jaded businessman sells his company and attempts to change his life for the better by buying a strange piano.
A philandering physician with an obsession for orchids cultivates a deadly plot to see off his wife.
A man married three times might be lucky for the fourth time when he meets a new interest.
A young, unemployed seaman kills someone in a botched robbery. Convinced the police will trace the knife used back to him, he turns to his friend, Diane, for help.
With a 12-year-old found dead and a killer perhaps on the loose, a young girl becomes paranoid.
Hazel is a gullible, old widow whose farmhouse is full of antiques, and Merv is a charming conman who buys a valuable picture from her for a knockdown price. But all is not quite as it seems.
Hard-bitten police inspector Walters has a murder on his hands that he can't crack. The prime suspect is George Stamford, who was alone in a locked room with the dead man when he was shot - but he is admitting nothing, and there is no evidence against him.
Mrs Wilbur gets more than she bargained for when she calls upon the unusual services of Tom and George, starving writers turned entrepreneurs.
Struggling actresses Suzy and Pat meet Herbert, a wealthy widower. Seductive Suzy enjoys his money, but things soon don't look so rosy.
Cyril makes a profitable living as a rogue antiques dealer, but when he buys a farmer’s valuable furniture item, his luck may be about to run out.
When millionaire Jack runs into Harold, a boy he bullied at school, he gives him a job. But Harold soon suspects his wife of having an affair with his new boss.
When Roland leaves his cruel, millionairess wife Vivien for a fresh start with his mistress Anna, the snubbed spouse plans to make his life a living hell.
When disgruntled factory manager Harry is left feeling undervalued by his colleagues, he decides to take revenge.
Two archaeologists working in Jordan get more than they bargained for when they decide to smuggle the statue of a mysterious woman over the border to Israel.
An old lady catches Rex Tobin, a young burglar who was planning to rob her, and makes friends with him. But what is she really up to?
When David rescues a giant turtle, it looks as though he's found a new friend, but there could be more to his pet than meets the eye.
Desperate to win the affections of his boss’s daughter, Arthur accepts the help of his friend Charlie. But is he ready to count the true cost of love?
Henpecked Arthur decides to get rid of his demanding wife once and for all, so long as he gets her money. Unfortunately, his wife has a few secrets of her own.
Property tycoon Gerry Williams is married to the beautiful but unhappy Ellen, and somewhere the marriage has gone terribly wrong. Then an assassin is hired to kill Gerry, and he makes the mistake of getting too friendly with his target.
A botanist has invented a machine that translates the sound of plants into speech. What he hears gives him a shock.
David is accused of murder when his wife Irene vanishes. Her promiscuous lifestyle made her the talk of the town, but the gossip has escalated.
Harry Flock has had a temporary promotion as acting manager of a branch bank. He is honest and meticulous to a fault, but in danger of losing his job when head office gets anonymous complaints about alleged embezzlements. His accounts are immaculate - in fact, they seem too good to be true.
Kyros plans on giving his wife a priceless bottle of wine for their anniversary, but he has no intention of drinking to her health.
Madame Lagrue runs a smart but commercial art gallery in Montmartre, Paris, getting rich at the expense of struggling artists. Then one of her victims falls in love with Fatima, an artist's model, and Lagrue is up against someone even more cunning than she is.
The very rich Joe Brisson is a self-made man with a number of enemies - including Lisa, his elegant but dangerously dissatisfied wife.
Arthur and Margaret are a quiet couple. When she inherits £50,000, he reluctantly agrees to gamble it all on a dubious property deal.
Nell and Emma are old school friends who are reunited after years apart. However, things quickly turn sour.
Jack and Betsy are lovers. That is until Jack decides to go halfway across the world to be with his new Australian girlfriend. But Betsy isn't going to make it easy.
The casino offers Roger an escape from his domineering aunt. He has a love for both gambling and a pretty hostess, but the casino boss has a score to settle.
A hijacker on an aeroplane takes a stewardess hostage before demanding a million dollars and a parachute. Will the captain give in to his demands?
Dropped by her agency for her diva-like behaviour, supermodel Marigold's mental health deteriorates. Years later, she plots a comeback.
Moira hears a woman discussing a trip to Paris with her lover Donald. Is her husband, also called Donald, having an affair?
In an attempt to prove their safes are impregnable, a company challenges ex-safebreaker Sam to crack one for a cash prize. But are his skills sharp enough?
Robert visits a couple who housed him during the war. But in Paris, he discovers that the husband has died, and the hero’s wife has a big secret to tell.
A stranger arrives in town and soon endears himself to the local community – although his motives prove sinister.
Two cash-strapped business owners tunnel their way into a bank – only to find they missed a crucial notice on the door.
When a woman is murdered in a park, Constable Mary Bryan is used as bait to catch the suspected killer. But what if she is tracking the wrong man?
Police doctor Keith Briscoe is desperate to leave his wife for an ex but loses hope when she refuses to divorce him.
When Mary learns her husband is having an affair, she invites her rival to a beach party.
An auditor finds out that Oliver is defrauding his firm. But when he demands some hush money, he discovers a nasty surprise.
Tired of gloves vanishing from his factory, Ralph hires a detective. Then, gloves begin appearing in unexpected places.
Karen marries a rich landowner with a huge house in the country. But after moving in, she senses an evil spirit.
As Richard and Fergus ponder a girl they both loved, they realise their failures in life.
Norma owns a big house and lets her sister Emily and her husband live there. But then Emily disappears.
Cara is determined to get back her family jewels, which have been hidden away in a safe. Hiring a safe cracker, she goes along with him, undercover.
A rich and lonely American ventures to England in search of his long-lost family.
When a piece of art is stolen, the gallery owner gets his girlfriend to make copies of it to sell.
A woman discovers a nasty side to her boyfriend's personality when he goes into hospital before a holiday.
Frank is struggling financially and will do anything for money. Even murder.
Down on his luck, 'Memory Man' Colin agrees to help a shady character remember the number of a station locker. But then he becomes too curious for his own good.
Claire and her boyfriend have always counted on inheriting her wealthy aunt's fortune - but they are forced to act fast.
While winding up his late father's affairs, Paul finds a bill demanding over £1,000 for pornography.
George Devon, a wealthy rancher, is found murdered. His identical twin nephews stand to inherit his fortune, but one of them was seen at the scene of the crime. Both have alibis and no one can tell them apart.
George Forester is a compulsive prankster. His wife and friends have been victims for many years until one day he goes too far.
An ex-soldier meets a beautiful woman on a nostalgic trip back to his old base. But she isn't all she seems.
Elderly Teuton Von Baden recalls two men's duel to the death during his student days in Germany.
After closing a deal, a German businessman meets an attractive but mysterious girl in a hotel bar.
Tony eats a pricey meal with Susan Mandeville, the extravagant wife of a filmmaker who wants the rights to his book.
Three aristocratic women hear of the death of a woman who once served them as a nanny. They agree to go for lunch in her memory.
Dr Roger Ashburn's beautiful wife tells him their marriage is over. Devastated, he begins a new life.
Being admired by the inventor of an anti-ageing formula is handy for Caroline, who is eager to keep her looks.
Criminal lawyer Slade has his reasons for wanting his colleague dead. He meticulously plans the perfect murder.
Fred Pearson, a Vietnam veteran, is a broken man after years of punishment from his sergeant. One day, he walks into a bar and sees the sergeant, still very much the arrogant bully he always was.
Shaw, the owner of a newspaper, is controlling and very rich. His wife is content with the money he provides, but is having an affair. When he finds out, he decides to act.
Three men are being blackmailed by a woman for money. One day she is found murdered and the three worry that they will be suspected.
A writer is being hounded by the feminist movement over his books. If only he was at home with his wife everything would be all right. Wouldn't it?
A driver picks up a hitchhiker. They hear on the radio that a serial killer is on the loose, nicknamed Willow the Wisp, and the description matches that of the passenger.
Walter is a vain writer and publisher with a wife and a mistress, based in London, and he likes to show off. He stages a story writing competition, with a £5,000 prize, to find the plot for a perfect murder.
After killing her husband to be with her young lover, an insecure woman is drawn in by a flyer for an anti-ageing process known as the Gift of Beauty.
George Princey has a high standing in the community, and when his daughter kills a man, he endeavours to cover it up to prevent a scandal.
Olivia starts a relationship with a younger man on the basis that she has killed her husband and gained his fortune. Her lover, however, still sees himself as a free agent and has an affair with another woman.
Jack and Edna's pet parrot dies after laying an unusually large egg. On hatching, it reveals an aggressive black-feathered bird.
When a clothing manufacturer finds himself on the verge of bankruptcy, he ponders the idea of murdering his wife for the insurance money.
Steve and Jane are con artists who gain access to people's homes claiming to be doing research into polish. But eventually, they meet their match.
James has walked out on his wife, who still loves him. His lawyer advises him that getting a divorce may be difficult unless he can catch her being unfaithful. With not much hope, he hires a private detective.
When a married politician falls in love with a woman at a party, things soon go wrong and his entire career and reputation are put in jeopardy.
When a young man climbs through the window of a Connecticut hunting lodge, he emerges on the other side in a strange new world.
Trouble looms when married woman Gwen falls for a successful romantic novelist.
Madame Myra is a third-rate fortune teller who foresees a dim future for herself. And then she meets a stranger in town who shows her a way to do a whole lot better. What, though, is in it for him?
On a long drive through the desert, a couple get their car serviced and are handed an extortionate bill. But they plan on turning the tables.
Brenda is a lonely drifter living in the island paradise of Key West. She has no friends and drinks a lot to forget her tragic past. Then she runs into Eric, a man she knew long ago in her college days, and suddenly life takes on new meaning.
Robert Smythe is a ruthless executive with a dangerous twenty year old secret. An echo from the past prompts him into a new cover up of the truth, but his wife becomes suspicious.
A colonel's comfortable life is disturbed when his wife writes a bestselling book of poetry. Is this evidence that she's having an affair?
When wealthy Prince Zawi gives surgeon Robert Sandy a diamond for saving his life, the doctor finds that his new jewel is really more of a liability than an asset.
When devoted verger Albert is forced to resign, he sets out to build a new life. But can he succeed in a modern world that has little time for his old-fashioned ways?
When sheltered young son Nicholas travels to London to complete in a fencing competition, he gets caught up in a very strange adventure.
A timid provincial solicitor visits a smart London hotel on a business trip, and becomes embroiled in a curious case of mistaken identity.
Ken Johnson runs a charter plane service with his lover and air stewardess Lilian, who indulges in a little smuggling on his behalf. Then disaster strikes for him when his wife discovers his affair.
Happily married and living in the Middle East, American safe-cracker Steve is suddenly threatened with extradition for a crime he says he didn't commit.
Yves's marriage has gone stale and his young mistress has announced that she is pregnant. But he then makes a decision which changes everyone's lives.
When pretty hotel worker Elly is charmed by a guest, archaeologist Max Kelada, it seems that he might not be the man he claims to be.
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