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Tales of the Unexpected

1979 – 1988Show9 seasons112 episodes

Drama
72
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.6
72
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.6

Summary

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.

Good for

  • Date night
  • Friends night
  • Party vibe

Where to watch

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Not for warmth, uplift or comfort.

Shows with

Tales of the Unexpected episodes

9 seasons · 112 episodes

  1. S1 E1 The Man from the South, 7.3
  2. S1 E2 Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat, 7.1
  3. S1 E3 William and Mary, 6.5
  4. S1 E4 Lamb to the Slaughter, 7.2
  5. S1 E5 The Landlady, 7.2
  6. S1 E6 Neck, 6.7
  7. S1 E7 Edward the Conqueror, 6.1
  8. S1 E8 A Dip in the Pool, 6.5
  9. S1 E9 The Way Up to Heaven, 7.0
  1. S2 E1 Royal Jelly, 6.4
  2. S2 E2 Skin, 6.4
  3. S2 E3 Galloping Foxley, 6.3
  4. S2 E4 The Hitch-Hiker, 7.2
  5. S2 E5 Poison, 6.4
  6. S2 E6 Fat Chance, 6.9
  7. S2 E7 Taste, 7.2
  8. S2 E8 My Lady Love, My Dove, 5.1
  9. S2 E9 Georgy Porgy, 5.8
  10. S2 E10 Depart in Peace, 6.0
  11. S2 E11 The Umbrella Man, 7.0
  12. S2 E12 Genesis & Catastrophe, 5.9
  13. S2 E13 Mr Botibol's First Love, 5.3
  14. S2 E14 Back for Christmas, 7.0
  15. S2 E15 The Orderly World of Mr. Appleby, 6.8
  16. S2 E16 The Man at the Top, 6.1
  1. S3 E1 The Flypaper, 8.1
  2. S3 E2 A Picture of a Place, 6.5
  3. S3 E3 Proof of Guilt, 6.6
  4. S3 E4 Vengeance Is Mine Inc., 6.3
  5. S3 E5 A Girl Can't Always Have Everything, 6.8
  6. S3 E6 Parson's Pleasure, 7.1
  7. S3 E7 The Stinker, 7.3
  8. S3 E8 I'll Be Seeing You, 7.1
  9. S3 E9 The Party, 6.4
  1. S4 E1 Would You Believe It?, 6.7
  2. S4 E2 Vicious Circle, 6.4
  3. S4 E3 The Boy Who Talked with Animals, 5.3
  4. S4 E4 The Best of Everything, 7.1
  5. S4 E5 A Woman's Help, 6.4
  6. S4 E6 Shatterproof, 7.0
  7. S4 E7 The Sound Machine, 6.4
  8. S4 E8 Never Speak Ill of the Dead, 6.7
  9. S4 E9 The Best Policy, 5.3
  10. S4 E10 The Last Bottle in the World, 6.4
  11. S4 E11 Kindly Dig Your Grave, 6.6
  12. S4 E12 Completely Foolproof, 6.3
  13. S4 E13 There's One Born Every Minute, 6.8
  14. S4 E14 Bosom Friends, 6.5
  15. S4 E15 A Glowing Future, 5.5
  16. S4 E16 The Way to Do It, 6.2
  17. S4 E17 Hijack, 6.9
  1. S5 E1 Blue Marigold, 6.1
  2. S5 E2 The Eavesdropper, 7.1
  3. S5 E3 Operation Safecrack, 7.4
  4. S5 E4 Run, Rabbit, Run, 5.7
  5. S5 E5 Stranger in Town, 7.0
  6. S5 E6 The Moles, 6.5
  7. S5 E7 Decoy, 6.1
  8. S5 E8 Pattern of Guilt, 6.9
  9. S5 E9 A Harmless Vanity, 7.6
  10. S5 E10 Death Can Add, 6.8
  11. S5 E11 Light Fingers, 6.5
  12. S5 E12 Death in the Morning, 6.2
  13. S5 E13 What Have You Been up to Lately?, 6.8
  14. S5 E14 The Absence of Emily, 6.5
  15. S5 E15 In the Bag, 6.1
  16. S5 E16 A Man with a Fortune, 6.4
  17. S5 E17 Who's Got the Lady?, 5.7
  18. S5 E18 The Skeleton Key, 5.8
  1. S6 E1 A Passing Opportunity, 6.4
  2. S6 E2 The Memory Man, 6.7
  3. S6 E3 A Sad Loss, 6.5
  4. S6 E4 Clerical Error, 7.0
  5. S6 E5 Heir Presumptuous, 5.5
  6. S6 E6 Where's Your Sense of Humour?, 6.0
  7. S6 E7 Down Among the Sheltering Palms, 5.8
  8. S6 E8 The Vorpal Blade, 6.6
  9. S6 E9 The Wrong 'Un, 6.5
  10. S6 E10 The Luncheon, 5.6
  11. S6 E11 The Tribute, 5.7
  12. S6 E12 Hit and Run, 6.4
  13. S6 E13 Youth from Vienna, 5.7
  14. S6 E14 The Turn of the Tide, 5.3
  1. S7 E1 The Dirty Detail, 6.1
  2. S7 E2 The Best Chess Player in the World, 6.0
  3. S7 E3 Proxy, 6.2
  4. S7 E4 Have a Nice Death, 5.1
  5. S7 E5 Number Eight, 6.8
  6. S7 E6 The Last of the Midnight Gardeners, 5.8
  7. S7 E7 The Gift of Beauty, 6.2
  8. S7 E8 Wet Saturday, 4.5
  9. S7 E9 Sauce for the Goose, 5.7
  10. S7 E10 Bird of Prey, 5.8
  11. S7 E11 I Like It Here in Wilmington, 5.6
  12. S7 E12 Accidental Death, 6.2
  13. S7 E13 The Reconciliation, 6.2
  14. S7 E14 The Mugger, 6.0
  15. S7 E15 The Open Window, 5.2
  1. S8 E1 People Don't Do Such Things, 6.2
  2. S8 E2 In the Cards, 6.6
  3. S8 E3 Nothin' Short of Highway Robbery, 7.1
  4. S8 E4 Scrimshaw, 6.5
  1. S9 E1 Skeleton in the Cupboard, 7.5
  2. S9 E2 The Colonel's Lady, 6.5
  3. S9 E3 The Surgeon, 6.5
  4. S9 E4 The Verger, 7.3
  5. S9 E5 The Facts of Life, 5.6
  6. S9 E6 Wink Three Times, 6.6
  7. S9 E7 The Dead Don't Steal, 6.6
  8. S9 E8 The Finger of Suspicion, 5.5
  9. S9 E9 A Time to Die, 6.3
  10. S9 E10 Mr. Know-All, 6.2

Cast

24 of 438 · most episodes first

Crew

Directors
John Gorrie, Graham Evans, Alan Gibson
Written by
Robin Chapman, Roald Dahl, Denis Cannan
Produced by
Norman Lloyd, John Rosenberg

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

March 24, 1979 · May 13, 1988 · Ended

First aired
March 24, 1979
Last aired
May 13, 1988
Status
Ended
Length
9 seasons · 112 episodes
Content
Violence, Strong Language
Genres
Drama
Original language
English
Made in
United Kingdom
Available in
4 countries

Tropes

Unexpected Inheritance, New Season, New Name, Cultural Translation +9

Q&A

7 questions, like "Where can I stream Tales of the Unexpected?"

Questions about Tales of the Unexpected

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Tales of the Unexpected?

The RokuShout! Factory

In the United States, Tales of the Unexpected streams on Shout! Factory, and it is free with ads on The Roku. It also streams in 3 other countries.

Is Tales of the Unexpected worth watching?

72
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 72 (IMDb 7.6).

Which season of Tales of the Unexpected is best?

Season 3, with an IMDb average of 7.1. Season 7 is the weakest at 5.8. The highest-rated episode is The Flypaper (season 3, episode 1) at 8.1, and the lowest is Wet Saturday (season 7, episode 8) at 4.5.

How long does it take to watch Tales of the Unexpected?

47 h

About 47 hours: 112 episodes in 9 seasons of about 25 minutes each, aired from 1979 to 1988.

Can I half-watch Tales of the Unexpected?

Easy watchDemanding

Yes: it's easy to follow, with complexity at only 5 of 10, and the viewing guide calls it drop-in friendly.

Will I feel good after watching Tales of the Unexpected?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 6 of 10 for bleakness and 2 for melancholy, against 1 for hopefulness.

What tropes does Tales of the Unexpected use?

Unexpected InheritanceNew Season, New NameCultural TranslationBitch in Sheep's ClothingWicked CulturedBe Careful What You Wish ForTable SpaceThe GhostDeadly DoctorAdaptational NationalityScamming the BereavedReincarnationand 49 more

TV Tropes lists 61 tropes for it, including Unexpected Inheritance, New Season, New Name, and Cultural Translation.