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Tales Of The Unexpected Series 1
01/04/2006 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
DVD: Network 7952388. 225 minutes 9 episodes no extras. Price: £19.99 (UK). Buy Tales Of The Unexpected Series 1 in the USA - or Buy Tales Of The Unexpected Series 1 in the UK  check out website: www.networkdvd.co.uk
A long overdue release of Roald Dahl's 1979 series 'Tales Of The Unexpected' based on his short stories which he admits at the opening of the first story that he could only managed two of a year over 25 years because he spent so much time over them. Based on that, this is the first nine of about fifty.
When I first started watching them, it suddenly dawned on me that Dahl's introductions are essentially an audio-commentary because they cover the origins of each story and what propelled him to write them. In effect, this is a time capsule of Dahl's work presented on television which I do remember some of when I saw them the first time around. There aren't many authors, outside of Ray Bradbury, around who can claim to have a series based solely on their work.
'Tales Of The Unexpected' are stories that are either creepy, plain frightening as the menace dawns to slightly horrific but all with a twist ending. Only one of the stories seems to drag a little but that might be subjective, especially as my editor's eye took over anticipating where the stories were leading. For any neo-writers out there, this should be essential viewing for your learning curve and see how a master did such stories.
Now, what can I say about the stories without giving away too much of the plots and spoiling the twists? Dahl's technique works off the ordinary and the suffering of individuals to how they resolve or think they've resolved their problems. Some are lucky. Some aren't. You can have a field day discussing the ethics and comeuppance here. Dahl makes a good point that some deserve it more than others.
The selection of actors ranges from Brian Blessed to Joan Collins to Michael Horden to Jose Ferrer to John Gielgud and Julie Harris (who has the distinction of appearing in two stories). No doubt the American element was put in to ensure sales to the United States. If memory serves, the show was successful over there as well so Region One's won't be that far away.
I'm still debating as to whether I should tell you about any of these stories or just give plain warnings like be nice to cats, be wary of eager landladies in Bath or be careful of who you give your pawnbroker's ticket to. Better still, find out for yourself and enjoy Ron Grainer's music as a bonus. In some respects, these stories might well appear as period pieces by the lack of contemporary things like mobile telephones but you'd really have to be on the ball to anticipate everything.
GF Willmetts
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