Tales of the Unexpected

1The Dirty Detail

24 minMay 12, 1984

Fred Pearson, a Vietnam veteran, is a broken man after years of punishment from his sergeant. One day, he walks into a bar and sees the sergeant, still very much the arrogant bully he always was.

2The Best Chess Player in the World

27 minMay 19, 1984

Shaw, the owner of a newspaper, is controlling and very rich. His wife is content with the money he provides, but is having an affair. When he finds out, he decides to act.

3Proxy

24 minMay 26, 1984

Three men are being blackmailed by a woman for money. One day she is found murdered and the three worry that they will be suspected.

4Have a Nice Death

26 minJun 2, 1984

A writer is being hounded by the feminist movement over his books. If only he was at home with his wife everything would be all right. Wouldn't it?

5Number Eight

26 minJun 9, 1984

A driver picks up a hitchhiker. They hear on the radio that a serial killer is on the loose, nicknamed Willow the Wisp, and the description matches that of the passenger.

6The Last of the Midnight Gardeners

26 minJun 16, 1984

Walter is a vain writer and publisher with a wife and a mistress, based in London, and he likes to show off. He stages a story writing competition, with a £5,000 prize, to find the plot for a perfect murder.

7The Gift of Beauty

25 minJun 30, 1984

After killing her husband to be with her young lover, an insecure woman is drawn in by a flyer for an anti-ageing process known as the Gift of Beauty.

8Wet Saturday

24 minJul 7, 1984

George Princey has a high standing in the community, and when his daughter kills a man, he endeavours to cover it up to prevent a scandal.

9Sauce for the Goose

24 minJul 21, 1984

Olivia starts a relationship with a younger man on the basis that she has killed her husband and gained his fortune. Her lover, however, still sees himself as a free agent and has an affair with another woman.

10Bird of Prey

26 minAug 4, 1984

Jack and Edna's pet parrot dies after laying an unusually large egg. On hatching, it reveals an aggressive black-feathered bird.

11I Like it Here in Wilmington

26 minNov 8, 1984

When a clothing manufacturer finds himself on the verge of bankruptcy, he ponders the idea of murdering his wife for the insurance money.

12Accidental Death

26 minAug 19, 1984

Steve and Jane are con artists who gain access to people's homes claiming to be doing research into polish. But eventually, they meet their match.

13The Reconciliation

27 minSep 16, 1984

James has walked out on his wife, who still loves him. His lawyer advises him that getting a divorce may be difficult unless he can catch her being unfaithful. With not much hope, he hires a private detective.

14The Mugger

26 minOct 14, 1984

When a married politician falls in love with a woman at a party, things soon go wrong and his entire career and reputation are put in jeopardy.

15The Open Window

26 minOct 21, 1984

When a young man climbs through the window of a Connecticut hunting lodge, he emerges on the other side in a strange new world.