Tales of the Unexpected

[George 1978]

Britain's answer to Alfred Hitchcock Presents - earlier series had Roald Dahl in an armchair telling us about the episode that we are about to see, and it proves that Dahl was also known for reasons other than being a children's author, and could easily point his typewriter in other directions of writing fiction. I thought that it was ironic that Anglia never contributed towards the Dramarama strand, considering TOTU - Dahl could have easily written something for the series with a young person's slant in a similar way to his famous books.

It was a series that attracted a lot of famous actors such as Gielgud; Jacobi; Susan George; Joan Colllins and others, and most episodes were filmed in the Anglia region, mostly in the Norfolk countryside or thereabouts. I think that Royal Jelly would be the one which sticks in people's minds. And there was that one made in around 1980 with a Trisha Yates-alike schoolgirl being followed home on a bus.

The scary opening titles with the blue flames flickering; the roulette wheel and playing cards, and sub-Bond girls gyrating before our very eyes.

[Richard1978]

I remember a series of ghost stories on BBC1 in the mid 1990s which usually had a twist towards the end.

[beccabear67]

I liked most of these sorts of anthology shows, also Shadows and Dramarama: Spooky, and Nigel Kneal's Beasts.

[Cartimand]

Inside No. 9 picked up the baton and gave us a Tales of the Unexpected for the 21st century.

[Moonraker]

I recollect watching the show when first sired in the late 70s.
The episode that is most remembered by most is The Landlady.
You may want to watch Alfred Hitchcock Presents. It has a similar genre.

[silverbirch]

it was quality television... made by Anglia TV..... and still being shown on
sat tv..... it went on for about 10 years producing tons of episodes

Pity they dont get together and do another run.... basically filming short stories... often with a twist