8.2/10534 votesLoading...#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
7.7/10276 votesLoading...#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
7.5/10221 votesLoading...#3 - 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
7.4/10238 votesLoading...#4 - 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
7.3/10627 votesLoading...#5 - 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
7.2/10522 votesLoading...#6 - 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
7.2/10504 votesLoading...#7 - 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
7.2/10360 votesLoading...#8 - 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
7.2/10359 votesLoading...#9 - 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
7.2/10284 votesLoading...#10 - 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
7.2/10213 votesLoading...#11 - 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
7.1/10489 votesLoading...#12 - 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
7.1/10372 votesLoading...#13 - 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
7.1/10267 votesLoading...#14 - 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
7.1/10249 votesLoading...#15 - 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
7.1/10238 votesLoading...#16 - 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
7.1/10267 votesLoading...#17 - 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
7.1/10200 votesLoading...#18 - 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
7.1/10205 votesLoading...#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
7.0/10288 votesLoading...#20 - 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: John Collier, Denis Cannan
7.0/10232 votesLoading...#21 - The Best of Everything
Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 4/26/1981
Desperate to win the affections of his boss’s daughter, Arthur accepts the help of his friend Charlie. But is he ready to count the true cost of love?
Director: John Bruce
Writer: Denis Cannan
7.0/10192 votesLoading...#22 - Pattern of Guilt
Season 5 Episode 8 - Aired 6/13/1982
Police doctor Keith Briscoe is desperate to leave his wife for an ex but loses hope when she refuses to divorce him.
Director: Herbert Wise
Writer: N/A
6.9/10307 votesLoading...#23 - 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
6.9/10249 votesLoading...#24 - 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
6.9/10238 votesLoading...#25 - Shatterproof
Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 5/10/1981
Property tycoon Gerry Williams is married to the beautiful but unhappy Ellen, and somewhere the marriage has gone terribly wrong. Then an assassin is hired to kill Gerry, and he makes the mistake of getting too friendly with his target.
Director: John Jacobs
Writer: Pat Hoddinott
The Best Episodes of Tales of the Unexpected
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...
Genre:Drama
Network:ITV1
Top Episode Ratings Summary
"The Flypaper" is the best rated episode of "Tales of the Unexpected". It scored 8.2/10 based on 534 votes. Directed by Graham Evans and written by Elizabeth Taylor, Robin Chapman, it aired on 8/9/1980. This episode scored 0.5 points higher than the second highest rated, "A Harmless Vanity".