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The Best Episodes of Tales of the Unexpected

Genre:Drama
Network:ITV1

Every episode of Tales of the Unexpected ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Tales of the Unexpected!

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...
Episodes
112
Avg. Rating
6.3
S1
S2
S3
S4
E1
E2
E3
7.3
6.4
8.2
7.0
7.1
6.4
6.5
6.0
6.4
6.4
6.6
5.5

Filter By Season (9)

  • The Flypaper
    8.2/10(557)
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    #1 - The Flypaper

    Season 3 Episode 1

    Aired 8/9/1980

    With a 12-year-old found dead and a killer perhaps on the loose, a young girl becomes paranoid.

    Director: Graham Evans

    Writer: Elizabeth Taylor, Robin Chapman

    Comments

    0
  • A Harmless Vanity
    7.6/10(288)
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    #2 - A Harmless Vanity

    Season 5 Episode 9

    Aired 6/20/1982

    When Mary learns her husband is having an affair, she invites her rival to a beach party.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Jeremy Paul

    Comments

    0
  • Kindly Dig Your Grave
    7.5/10(2)
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    #3 - Kindly Dig Your Grave

    Season 4 Episode 11

    Aired 6/14/1981

    Madame Lagrue runs a smart but commercial art gallery in Montmartre, Paris, getting rich at the expense of struggling artists. Then one of her victims falls in love with Fatima, an artist's model, and Lagrue is up against someone even more cunning than she is.

    Director: Alan Gibson

    Writer: Robin Chapman

    Comments

    0
  • Skeleton in the Cupboard
    7.5/10(228)
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    #4 - Skeleton in the Cupboard

    Season 9 Episode 1

    Aired 12/18/1987

    Robert Smythe is a ruthless executive with a dangerous twenty year old secret. An echo from the past prompts him into a new cover up of the truth, but his wife becomes suspicious.

    Director: Paul Annett

    Writer: Tony Wilmot

    Comments

    0
  • Operation Safecrack
    7.4/10(245)
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    #5 - Operation Safecrack

    Season 5 Episode 3

    Aired 5/9/1982

    In an attempt to prove their safes are impregnable, a company challenges ex-safebreaker Sam to crack one for a cash prize. But are his skills sharp enough?

    Director: Alan Gibson

    Writer: Robin Chapman

    Comments

    0
  • The Man From the South
    7.3/10(670)
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    #6 - The Man From the South

    Season 1 Episode 1

    Aired 3/24/1979

    A young American couple on holiday meet a mysterious old gentleman who makes them a macabre wager.

    Director: Michael Tuchner

    Writer: Kevin Goldstein-Jackson

    Comments

    0
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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Tales of the Unexpected

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  • The Stinker
    7.3/10(293)
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    #7 - The Stinker

    Season 3 Episode 7

    Aired 12/7/1980

    When millionaire Jack runs into Harold, a boy he bullied at school, he gives him a job. But Harold soon suspects his wife of having an affair with his new boss.

    Director: Alan Gibson

    Writer: Julian Bond

    Comments

    0
  • Lamb to the Slaughter
    7.2/10(550)
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    #8 - Lamb to the Slaughter

    Season 1 Episode 4

    Aired 4/14/1979

    An enraged detective's wife kills her husband by smashing in his skull with a heavy blunt instrument - but no murder weapon can be found, and the police are baffled.

    Director: John Howard Davies

    Writer: Robin Chapman, Roald Dahl

    Comments

    0
  • The Landlady
    7.2/10(534)
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    #9 - The Landlady

    Season 1 Episode 5

    Aired 4/21/1979

    When a young man arrives in Bath, he is shocked to find his seemingly charming landlady has a dark side.

    Director: Herbert Wise

    Writer: Robin Chapman, Roald Dahl

    Comments

    0
  • The Hitch-Hiker
    7.2/10(386)
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    #10 - The Hitch-Hiker

    Season 2 Episode 4

    Aired 3/22/1980

    When a driver picks up a hitch-hiker in his car, his journey turns into a thrilling ride.

    Director: Alastair Reid

    Writer: Robin Chapman

    Comments

    0
  • Taste
    7.2/10(382)
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    #11 - Taste

    Season 2 Episode 7

    Aired 4/12/1980

    A dinner party takes a surprising turn when one pretentious guest is challenged to a wine tasting contest.

    Director: Alastair Reid

    Writer: Ronald Harwood, Roald Dahl

    Comments

    0
  • The Verger
    7.2/10(222)
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    #12 - The Verger

    Season 9 Episode 4

    Aired 1/22/1988

    When devoted verger Albert is forced to resign, he sets out to build a new life. But can he succeed in a modern world that has little time for his old-fashioned ways?

    Director: Rodney Bennett

    Writer: Denis Cannan

    Comments

    0
  • Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
    7.1/10(521)
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    #13 - Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat

    Season 1 Episode 2

    Aired 3/31/1979

    Unable 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.

    Director: Simon Langton

    Writer: Ronald Harwood, Roald Dahl

    Comments

    0
  • The Way Up to Heaven
    7.1/10(395)
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    #14 - The Way Up to Heaven

    Season 1 Episode 9

    Aired 5/19/1979

    Mrs Foster exacts an intriguing revenge on her husband after his dawdling causes her to miss a flight.

    Director: Simon Langton

    Writer: Ronald Harwood, Roald Dahl

    Comments

    0
  • Parson's Pleasure
    7.1/10(281)
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    #15 - Parson's Pleasure

    Season 3 Episode 6

    Aired 11/30/1980

    Cyril makes a profitable living as a rogue antiques dealer, but when he buys a farmer’s valuable furniture item, his luck may be about to run out.

    Director: John Bruce

    Writer: Ronald Harwood

    Comments

    0
  • I'll Be Seeing You
    7.1/10(258)
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    #16 - I'll Be Seeing You

    Season 3 Episode 8

    Aired 12/14/1980

    When Roland leaves his cruel, millionairess wife Vivien for a fresh start with his mistress Anna, the snubbed spouse plans to make his life a living hell.

    Director: Philip Dudley

    Writer: Julian Bond

    Comments

    0
  • The Eavesdropper
    7.1/10(244)
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    #17 - The Eavesdropper

    Season 5 Episode 2

    Aired 5/2/1982

    Moira hears a woman discussing a trip to Paris with her lover Donald. Is her husband, also called Donald, having an affair?

    Director: John Gorrie

    Writer: Robin Chapman

    Comments

    0
  • Stranger in Town
    7.1/10(273)
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    #18 - Stranger in Town

    Season 5 Episode 5

    Aired 5/23/1982

    A stranger arrives in town and soon endears himself to the local community – although his motives prove sinister.

    Director: Wendy Toye

    Writer: N/A

    Comments

    0
  • Nothin' Short of Highway Robbery
    7.1/10(212)
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    #19 - Nothin' Short of Highway Robbery

    Season 8 Episode 3

    Aired 7/21/1985

    On a long drive through the desert, a couple get their car serviced and are handed an extortionate bill. But they plan on turning the tables.

    Director: John Peyser

    Writer: Luther Murdoch

    Comments

    0
  • The Umbrella Man
    7.0/10(326)
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    #20 - The Umbrella Man

    Season 2 Episode 11

    Aired 5/10/1980

    A con man arrives in town and starts his scam.

    Director: Claude Whatham

    Writer: Ronald Harwood

    Comments

    0
  • Back for Christmas
    7.0/10(303)
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    #21 - Back for Christmas

    Season 2 Episode 14

    Aired 5/31/1980

    A philandering physician with an obsession for orchids cultivates a deadly plot to see off his wife.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Denis Cannan, John Collier

    Comments

    0
  • Would You Believe It?
    7.0/10(2)
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    #22 - Would You Believe It?

    Season 4 Episode 1

    Aired 4/5/1981

    Two archaeologists working in Jordan get more than they bargained for when they decide to smuggle the statue of a mysterious woman over the border to Israel.

    Director: Barry Davis

    Writer: Julian Bond

    Comments

    0
  • Never Speak Ill of the Dead
    7.0/10(2)
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    #23 - Never Speak Ill of the Dead

    Season 4 Episode 8

    Aired 5/24/1981

    David is accused of murder when his wife Irene vanishes. Her promiscuous lifestyle made her the talk of the town, but the gossip has escalated.

    Director: John Gorrie

    Writer: John Collier, Robin Chapman

    Comments

    0
  • Clerical Error
    7.0/10(208)
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    #24 - Clerical Error

    Season 6 Episode 4

    Aired 4/30/1983

    While winding up his late father's affairs, Paul finds a bill demanding over £1,000 for pornography.

    Director: Graham Evans

    Writer: Peter Ransley

    Comments

    0
  • A Girl Can't Always Have Everything
    6.9/10(257)
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    #25 - A Girl Can't Always Have Everything

    Season 3 Episode 5

    Aired 11/9/1980

    Struggling actresses Suzy and Pat meet Herbert, a wealthy widower. Seductive Suzy enjoys his money, but things soon don't look so rosy.

    Director: Graham Evans

    Writer: Julian Bond

    Comments

    0

Best Episodes Summary

"The Flypaper" is the best rated episode of "Tales of the Unexpected". It scored 8.2/10 based on 557 votes. Directed by Graham Evans and written by Elizabeth Taylor, Robin Chapman, it aired on 8/9/1980. This episode scored 0.6 points higher than the second highest rated, "A Harmless Vanity".