
Tales Of The Unexpected
Tales Of The Unexpected is a British television series originally aired between 1979 and 1988, made by Anglia Television for ITV. The series was an anthology of different tales. Initially episodes were based on the short stories collected in the books Tales of the Unexpected, Kiss Kiss and Someone Like You by Roald Dahl. The stories were sometimes sinister, sometimes wryly comedic, and usually had a twist ending. The upbeat theme music for the series was written by the prolific film and television composer Ron Grainer.
The police are dragging the marshes for a missing school-girl and a sinister man is approaching other young girls. Young Sylvia is on a bus on the way home from school when a friendly old man begins to talk to her.
A con artist travels the countryside, telling unsuspecting elderly people their valuable art treasure's worthless. He meets Hazel, whose son's struggling to keep on their run-down old farm, he thinks he can get her to part with an Old Master for nothing.
George Stamford has come to avenge himself on Mr. Chillingham and is discovered in the latter's locked office with Chillingham dead of a gun-shot wound. However, there is no gun to be found and no apparent means of disposing of one. Inspector Walters has to work out how it was done and if George really is a man with an iron constitution.
Tired of freezing in their room and living out of tins, enterprising lads Tom and George set up Vengeance Is Mine, Inc. For a small fee they will punch anyone their client feels deserves it. Former actress Mrs. Wilbur wants them to attack snooty critic Lionel Brewster and even gives them disguises and helps them plan it. Could she perhaps have an ulterior motive in wanting to incriminate someone else in the assault on Brewster?
Suzy and Pat are struggling actresses in a touring company. Herbert's a wealthy, middle-aged widower, who puts money into the production and falls for Suzy, who snaps up the expensive gifts he gives her. They get married but she is only using him and is having affairs with other men, leading Herbert to request a divorce.
Crooked antique expert Cyril Boggis dresses as a vicar and calls on Suffolk farmsteads offering to take old furniture off the occupants' hands for a fee. Of course, he knows when the furniture is valuable and none more so than the dresser he sees at Farmer Rummins' run-down place. So as not to create suspicion he tells Rummins that he is only interested in the legs. This is a bad plan on his part because Rummins and his lads have difficulty getting the object of Cyril's greed through the door and decide on drastic action.
Meek accountant Harold Tinker, despised by his ambitious, younger wife Phyl, meets Jack Cutler, an old school contemporary. Cutler used to call Harold 'Stinker Tinker' and generally made his life a misery. Now, with little recollection of the past, Cutler offers Harold a well-paid job, which he takes, chiefly for Phyl's sake. But Cutler still calls him 'Stinker' and, at a dinner party with the two men and their wives, Harold is convinced by her behaviour that Phyl is having an affair with his boss. It is time for the worm to turn, with fatal results.
Roland Trent is in love with Anna, who is gradually losing her sight but could have an operation to save it. Unfortunately it is not cheap. Roland is married to Vivienne but she is no more in love with him than he is with her. Furthermore she controls the purse-strings and is initially not keen to help the Other Woman, though eventually she agrees to finance the operation, but only if Roland never sees Anna again. Roland, however, has other ideas to get the best of both worlds.
Henry Knox, manager of Peckham's toys, is concerned the staff Christmas party will not be the hottest night out.
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Roald Dahl | Self - Introduced by |
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Amanda Redman | Anna Warrack |
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Virginia Clay | Housekeeper |
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James Faulkner | Patrick |
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Denholm Elliott | Harold Tinker |
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Joss Ackland | Jack Cutler |
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John Gielgud | Cyril Boggis |
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Tim Bentinck | Meech |
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James Greene | Garage Attendant |
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Julian Fellowes | George |
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Peter Sallis | Solicitor |
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Roger Brierley | Jack Parsons |
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Robert Morley | Henry Knox |
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Patricia Quinn | Phyl Tinker |
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Michael Ryan | Man at Airport |
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Dudley Sutton | Det. Sgt. Jack Sherrard |
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Harry Jones | Bert Rummins |
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Terry Walsh | Bouncer |
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Bosco Hogan | Tom |
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Joan Collins | Suzy Starr |
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Pauline Collins | Pat Lewis |
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Jeremy Clyde | George Stamford |
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Roy Marsden | Chief Inspector Walters |
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Stephanie Cole | Miss Harrison |
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Pat Keen | Vera |
Director | Graham Evans |
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Giles Foster |
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Alan Gibson |
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Philip Dudley |
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John Bruce |
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Chris Lovett |
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Writer | Julian Bond, Doug Morgan, Roald Dahl, Tonita S. Gardner, Denis Cannan, Robert Quigley, Ronald Harwood, Johnny Byrne, Bill Pronzini, Robin Chapman, Elizabeth Taylor, Chaim Bermant, Julian Symons | |
Producer | John Rosenberg, John Woolf | |
Musician | Ron Grainer | |
Photography | Richard Crafter, Geoff Greenleaf, Steve Kilroe, Peter MacQueen, Geoff Fletcher |
Nr Discs | 1 |
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Layers | Single side, Single layer |
Owner | Don Hawkins |
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Location | DVD Library |
Watched | |
Quantity | 1 |
Index | 3664 |
Added Date | Aug 06, 2015 18:05:59 |
Modified Date | Jul 16, 2024 09:19:09 |