Tales of the Unexpected

Season 1

A British anthology series featuring tales of horror, mystery, and suspense. Most episodes featured a twist ending, and many of them were based on short stories by well-known writer Roald Dahl, who also served as the show's host during its first two seasons.

Where to Watch Season 1

9 Episodes

The Man From the South
E1
The Man From the SouthElderly Latin gentleman with a penchant for the odd wager, entices a young American to accept his offer. If the youth's lighter works ten times in a row, he gets a new Jaguar. But if it fails just once the old man gets chop off the youth's left pinky.
Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
E2
Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's CoatUnable 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. She gives it to Cyril to redeem on her behalf but is taught that two can play at her game when he comes home with rather less than she expected, and she sees that his dental assistant will be warm for the winter.
William and Mary
E3
William and MaryWhen her husband William dies Mary Pearl is shocked that his will stipulates that his brain should be kept alive and observing her from the lounge sideboard. She determines that, even though he is dead, she will continue to annoy him.
Lamb to the Slaughter
E4
Lamb to the SlaughterWhen her policeman husband Patrick callously announces that he is leaving her, Mary Marney hits and kills him with the frozen leg of lamb she has bought for their dinner. Thinking quickly, she calls his colleagues, claiming that she came in from the shops and found him dead. Whilst they speculate over what kind of weapon killed him she considers how to dispose of the evidence.
The Landlady
E5
The LandladyArriving in Bath to take up his first job away from home young Billy Weaver decides to take a room with a charmingly maternal if eccentric landlady. Her dog and cat are both stuffed and the only other names in her guest-book seem vaguely familiar to him from the newspaper but he cannot think why. Sadly he will never find out as he drinks the landlady's poisoned tea and dies as the landlady plans to add him to her collection of stuffed creatures!
Neck
E6
NeckInvited to a weekend house party by Sir Basil Turton and his younger wife Natalia, John Bannister is struck by the lady's infidelity. She tries to undo his pyjamas and is plainly having an affair with another guest Major Haddock. Jelks, Sir Basil's loyal butler, has also noticed and when Natalia gets her head stuck in an abstract sculpture he knows precisely how to cut her down to size.
Edward the Conqueror
E7
Edward the ConquerorElderly marrieds Edward and Louisa discover a stray cat in their garden. It reacts so positively to Louisa's classical piano playing that she is convinced the cat is the reincarnation of Franz Liszt. Edward grows tired of her obsession and decides to get rid of the cat. Louisa exacts revenge,
A Dip in the Pool
E8
A Dip in the PoolAn American gambler on a trans-Atlantic liner goes into the pool that bets on how far ship sails each day. Expecting bad weather, he bets a low distance, but then the weather fines up. He must come up with a plan to slow the ship down.
The Way Up to Heaven
E9
The Way Up to HeavenMrs. Foster has a plane to catch in order to visit her daughter and first grand-child. Her husband is an inveterate and somewhat sadistic dawdler, who appears to do it on purpose in order to rile her. As a result she misses one plane but can catch the next flight in the morning. Mr. Foster attempts to slow her down again but when he is trapped in the lift she exacts a very final revenge on him.