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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!

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...

Seasons9

  1. Background image for The Flypaper
    8.2/10(578 votes)

    #1 - The Flypaper

    S3:E1

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

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  2. Background image for A Harmless Vanity
    7.6/10(300 votes)

    #2 - A Harmless Vanity

    S5:E9

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

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    Director:Unknown
  3. Background image for Operation Safecrack
    7.4/10(260 votes)

    #3 - Operation Safecrack

    S5:E3

    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?

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    Director:Alan Gibson
  4. Background image for The Man From the South
    7.3/10(690 votes)

    #4 - The Man From the South

    S1:E1

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

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  5. Background image for The Stinker
    7.3/10(307 votes)

    #5 - The Stinker

    S3:E7

    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.

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    Director:Alan Gibson
  6. Background image for Lamb to the Slaughter
    7.2/10(565 votes)

    #6 - Lamb to the Slaughter

    S1:E4

    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.

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Tales of the Unexpected

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  8. Background image for The Landlady
    7.2/10(549 votes)

    #7 - The Landlady

    S1:E5

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

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  9. Background image for The Hitch-Hiker
    7.2/10(402 votes)

    #8 - The Hitch-Hiker

    S2:E4

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

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  10. Background image for Taste
    7.2/10(395 votes)

    #9 - Taste

    S2:E7

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

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  11. Background image for Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
    7.1/10(538 votes)

    #10 - Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat

    S1:E2

    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.

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  12. Background image for The Way Up to Heaven
    7.1/10(403 votes)

    #11 - The Way Up to Heaven

    S1:E9

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

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  13. Background image for Parson's Pleasure
    7.1/10(300 votes)

    #12 - Parson's Pleasure

    S3:E6

    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.

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    Director:John Bruce
  14. Background image for I'll Be Seeing You
    7.1/10(268 votes)

    #13 - I'll Be Seeing You

    S3:E8

    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.

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    Director:Philip Dudley
  15. Background image for The Eavesdropper
    7.1/10(258 votes)

    #14 - The Eavesdropper

    S5:E2

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

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    Director:John Gorrie
  16. Background image for Stranger in Town
    7.1/10(287 votes)

    #15 - Stranger in Town

    S5:E5

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

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    Director:Wendy Toye
    Writer:Unknown
  17. Background image for Nothin' Short of Highway Robbery
    7.1/10(219 votes)

    #16 - Nothin' Short of Highway Robbery

    S8:E3

    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.

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  18. Background image for The Umbrella Man
    7.0/10(339 votes)

    #17 - The Umbrella Man

    S2:E11

    A con man arrives in town and starts his scam.

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  19. Background image for Back for Christmas
    7.0/10(312 votes)

    #18 - Back for Christmas

    S2:E14

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

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  20. Background image for The Best of Everything
    7.0/10(252 votes)

    #19 - The Best of Everything

    S4:E4

    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?

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    Director:John Bruce
  21. Background image for Clerical Error
    7.0/10(217 votes)

    #20 - Clerical Error

    S6:E4

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

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  22. Background image for Skeleton in the Cupboard
    7.0/10(2 votes)

    #21 - Skeleton in the Cupboard

    S9:E1

    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.

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    Director:Paul Annett
  23. Background image for Mr Know-All
    7.0/10(2 votes)

    #22 - Mr Know-All

    S9:E10

    When pretty hotel worker Elly is charmed by a guest, archaeologist Max Kelada, it seems that he might not be the man he claims to be.

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  24. Background image for A Girl Can't Always Have Everything
    6.9/10(269 votes)

    #23 - A Girl Can't Always Have Everything

    S3:E5

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

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    Director:Graham Evans
  25. Background image for Shatterproof
    6.9/10(256 votes)

    #24 - Shatterproof

    S4:E6

    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.

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    Director:John Jacobs
  26. Background image for Hijack
    6.9/10(235 votes)

    #25 - Hijack

    S4:E17

    A hijacker on an aeroplane takes a stewardess hostage before demanding a million dollars and a parachute. Will the captain give in to his demands?

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    Director:Herbert Wise

Best Episodes Summary

"The Flypaper" is the best rated episode of "Tales of the Unexpected". It scored 8.2/10 based on 578 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".