Tales of the Unexpected backdrop
Tales of the Unexpected poster
Drama

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...

Filter By Season9

  1. 8.2/10(562 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.

    0 Comments
    View all
  2. 7.6/10(289 votes)

    #2 - A Harmless Vanity

    S5:E9

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

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:N/A
  3. 7.5/10(230 votes)

    #3 - 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.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Paul Annett
  4. 7.4/10(247 votes)

    #4 - 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?

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Alan Gibson
  5. 7.3/10(672 votes)

    #5 - The Man From the South

    S1:E1

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

    0 Comments
    View all
  6. 7.3/10(297 votes)

    #6 - 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.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Alan Gibson
  7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of Tales of the Unexpected

    READ
  8. 7.2/10(551 votes)

    #7 - 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.

    0 Comments
    View all
  9. 7.2/10(535 votes)

    #8 - The Landlady

    S1:E5

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

    0 Comments
    View all
  10. 7.2/10(389 votes)

    #9 - The Hitch-Hiker

    S2:E4

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

    0 Comments
    View all
  11. 7.2/10(383 votes)

    #10 - Taste

    S2:E7

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

    0 Comments
    View all
  12. 7.2/10(222 votes)

    #11 - The Verger

    S9:E4

    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?

    0 Comments
    View all
  13. 7.1/10(525 votes)

    #12 - 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.

    0 Comments
    View all
  14. 7.1/10(397 votes)

    #13 - 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.

    0 Comments
    View all
  15. 7.1/10(286 votes)

    #14 - 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.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:John Bruce
  16. 7.1/10(259 votes)

    #15 - 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.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Philip Dudley
  17. 7.1/10(247 votes)

    #16 - 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?

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:John Gorrie
  18. 7.1/10(277 votes)

    #17 - Stranger in Town

    S5:E5

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

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Wendy Toye
    Writer:N/A
  19. 7.1/10(212 votes)

    #18 - 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.

    0 Comments
    View all
  20. 7.0/10(331 votes)

    #19 - The Umbrella Man

    S2:E11

    A con man arrives in town and starts his scam.

    0 Comments
    View all
  21. 7.0/10(308 votes)

    #20 - Back for Christmas

    S2:E14

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

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:N/A
  22. 7.0/10(243 votes)

    #21 - 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?

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:John Bruce
  23. 7.0/10(210 votes)

    #22 - Clerical Error

    S6:E4

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

    0 Comments
    View all
  24. 6.9/10(261 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.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Graham Evans
  25. 6.9/10(247 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.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:John Jacobs
  26. 6.9/10(203 votes)

    #25 - Pattern of Guilt

    S5:E8

    Police doctor Keith Briscoe is desperate to leave his wife for an ex but loses hope when she refuses to divorce him.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Herbert Wise
    Writer:N/A

Best Episodes Summary

"The Flypaper" is the best rated episode of "Tales of the Unexpected". It scored 8.2/10 based on 562 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".