Tales of the Unexpected and Other Anthology Series Discussion Thread

Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
edited September 2014 in Off Topic Chat
I searched and there was no thread discussing anthology series on TV so I thought that it was high time that I created one:

Any fans of Tales of the Unexpected here?

Either the TV stories or the adult short stories by Roald Dahl?

For the uninitiated this was an Anglia TV series that ran on ITV between 1979 and 1988 and it adapted short stories by Roald Dahl and other famous writers with cautionary tales, tales with a twist and new moral fables.

I've been a big fan since first seeing them repeated on ITV3 in 2007 and I've since bought the entire series on DVD boxset.

I think 'Parson's Pleasure' is probably my favourite one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdvos5z-Bn8

This is the thread to discuss all of the different TV anthology series over the years. I highly recommend it and Dahl's collected adult short stories too of course! :) -{
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).

Comments

  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Loved the series but sadly can't really remember the full stories of many :#
    Although I do love those type of shows like " The twilight zone" etc that do
    Stories with a twist at the end. {[]
    I remember one with Ned Beatty, as a sales man accused in a small town of killing
    A local girl. He gets chased etc and is about to be hung from a tree by locals. Only
    To have the girl turn up ( or something) so he's let go. As he leaves he checks the boot
    Of his car. When we see for the first time another girls body tied up !
    A great twist, as all through we think of him as an innocent man in the run.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
    Thunderpussy wrote:
    Loved the series but sadly can't really remember the full stories of many :#
    Although I do love those type of shows like " The twilight zone" etc that do
    Stories with a twist at the end. {[]
    I remember one with Ned Beatty, as a sales man accused in a small town of killing
    A local girl. He gets chased etc and is about to be hung from a tree by locals. Only
    To have the girl turn up ( or something) so he's let go. As he leaves he checks the boot
    Of his car. When we see for the first time another girls body tied up !
    A great twist, as all through we think of him as an innocent man in the run.

    Was that a Twilight Zone episode, TP?
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    It may have been the other show but at the moment, I can't think of its name. :D
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
    Oh, OK.

    The Tales of the Unexpected boxset is a very good investment! :) -{
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    Supposedly my favorite Women, Jennifer Connelly (Don't tell my GF :)) ) was in the Episode 'Stranger in Town' But it's never been confirmed to have been her.
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    Supposedly my favorite Women, Jennifer Connelly (Don't tell my GF :)) ) was in the Episode 'Stranger in Town' But it's never been confirmed to have been her.

    Yes, that's another favourite episode of mine starring Derek Jacobi who also won an award for his brilliant performance in the episode 'Skin'.
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Just remembered, it might have been " The outer limits" , still
    All great shows. {[]
    I remember one tale, in which a rich man bet a poor hotel worker
    His brand new car against the worker's little finger!
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    Anyone seen Armchair Thriller?
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    Anyone seen Armchair Thriller?

    No, but I'd love to see that series. I wonder if it is available on DVD?
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Smithers500Smithers500 Spectre IslandPosts: 1,341MI6 Agent
    Is that the same as Thriller, written by Brian Clemens? If so, yes it's been on DVD.
    Japanese proverb say, "Bird never make nest in bare tree".
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    I think so
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    I think so

    It doesn't appear to be on DVD on Amazon and I think Thriller is a different programme.
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Smithers500Smithers500 Spectre IslandPosts: 1,341MI6 Agent
    Yes, good series that. I spoke to Brian Clemens about it once and asked which episode he was proudest of and he said if was "I'm the girl he wants to kill", which was a fairly tense chase like episode if memory serves.

    I was also quite fond of Tales of the Unexpected, though watching some of them on repeats now you can see the "twist" ending a mile off! Still enjoy Lamb to the Slaughter though, one of Dahl's best! Was another episode on a cruise liner too where the guy was betting on the daily rate of knots achieved that I remember liking too.
    Japanese proverb say, "Bird never make nest in bare tree".
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
    Smithers500 wrote:
    Yes, good series that. I spoke to Brian Clemens about it once and asked which episode he was proudest of and he said if was "I'm the girl he wants to kill", which was a fairly tense chase like episode if memory serves.

    I was also quite fond of Tales of the Unexpected, though watching some of them on repeats now you can see the "twist" ending a mile off! Still enjoy Lamb to the Slaughter though, one of Dahl's best! Was another episode on a cruise liner too where the guy was betting on the daily rate of knots achieved that I remember liking too.

    Yes, "Lamb to the Slaughter" was actually Ian Fleming's idea which Dahl appropriated for his 1953 short story.

    The one you are thinking of is called "A Dip in the Pool":

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gUqqlQd2sc
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
    edited September 2014
    Thunderpussy wrote:
    Just remembered, it might have been " The outer limits" , still
    All great shows. {[]
    I remember one tale, in which a rich man bet a poor hotel worker
    His brand new car against the worker's little finger!

    That tale is the first one in the series "Man From the South" from 1979:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f_RqPeMYBk

    It reminds me of Mr Big in the LALD novel having Tee Hee break Bond's little finger of his left hand.

    Two more chilling favourites:

    "Skin":

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opXyFHIDZK8

    "The Flypaper" (Warning: very realistic and disturbing):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tylvUviFYpQ
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    Here is a Scene from one of the more chilling Episodes

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=747SKishQPg
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    Here is a Scene from one of the more chilling Episodes

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=747SKishQPg

    Thanks for posting that, AOS. Has a kind of The Blair Witch Project feel to it although it obviously came after this! I see that there are some full episode of Armchair Thriller on You Tube.
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    I think it's available on DVD
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
    edited September 2014
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    I think it's available on DVD

    I hope so and I really need to invest in more of these British anthology series! :) -{

    See more about the Armchair Thriller series here on Wikipedia:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armchair_Theatre
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
    edited August 2018
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    I think it's available on DVD

    Yes, it is on Amazon - both Armchair Thrillerand Thriller. Don't know how I missed 'em! 8-)
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    I clearly remember both Tales of the Unexpected and Armchair Thriller.

    Of the former, apart from Lamb to the Slaughter, there was a great one about a guy who bet the tip of his little finger that he could get his Zippo to light ten times in a row.

    In the latter, there was an episode that terrified me as a child about someone being bricked up in their bedroom. Still gives me goosebumps.

    Btw re the Ned Beatty episode, it was from Alfred Hitchcock presents:
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088692/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

    Btw if you get the chance, Dahl's short stories from Tales of the Unexpected is a good read, if I recall rightly. -{
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • dr. evan-gelistdr. evan-gelist SheffieldPosts: 398MI6 Agent
    The landlady (series 1) was my favourite episode
    "You're in the wrong business... leave it to the professionals!"
    James Bond- Licence To Kill
  • Smithers500Smithers500 Spectre IslandPosts: 1,341MI6 Agent
    Is that the one with the waxwork-like stuffed lodgers? Yes, very creepy...
    Japanese proverb say, "Bird never make nest in bare tree".
  • dr. evan-gelistdr. evan-gelist SheffieldPosts: 398MI6 Agent
    It is also worth noting that Dahl was also involved in the work on tmwtgg
    "You're in the wrong business... leave it to the professionals!"
    James Bond- Licence To Kill
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
    dr. evan-gelist wrote:
    It is also worth noting that Dahl was also involved in the work on tmwtgg

    Really? What is your source for that information as I've not heard that before? :)
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    dr. evan-gelist wrote:
    It is also worth noting that Dahl was also involved in the work on tmwtgg
    You're not getting confused with YOLT are you? :007)
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    As a matter of interest Silhouette Man, do you ever listen to BBC radio 4 extra ?
    as at night they have played some great old series of creepy tales. One is hosted by
    Vincent Price and tells stories of people he's met on his travels but every story has a
    grizzly twist. Also there's "The man in Black" a remake of an old series with Mart Gatiss
    very similar to Tales of the unexpected. Some of the ghost stories are very creepy indeed.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,673MI6 Agent
    Thunderpussy wrote:
    As a matter of interest Silhouette Man, do you ever listen to BBC radio 4 extra ?
    as at night they have played some great old series of creepy tales. One is hosted by
    Vincent Price and tells stories of people he's met on his travels but every story has a
    grizzly twist. Also there's "The man in Black" a remake of an old series with Mart Gatiss
    very similar to Tales of the unexpected. Some of the ghost stories are very creepy indeed.

    I have very occasionally in the past but now you mention it I really must look more into its programmes. I love old radio and I understand they repeat a lot of stuff from the archives which I'm all for so thanks for the tip, TP! :) -{
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
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