Click the links to watch our chosen two episodes of Tales Of The Unexpected: The Flypaper and Lamb To The Slaughter
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That unforgettable theme tune. That mysterious dancing woman. And those deliciously nasty twist endings. Welcome to Tales of the Unexpected!
Hello Gazers!
This week, we're stepping into the wonderfully sinister world of Tales of the Unexpected, the classic ITV anthology series that made an entire generation suspicious of seemingly ordinary people.
Running from 1979 to 1988, the programme brought us tales of greed, jealousy, murder, revenge and the occasional deeply unpleasant surprise.
And we're revisiting two particularly memorable episodes: The Flypaper (1980) and Lamb to the Slaughter (1979).
🕷️ THE FLYPAPER (1980)
First up is one of the programme's most disturbing stories.
A young girl travelling alone becomes increasingly frightened by the attentions of a sinister stranger.
When a seemingly kindly woman comes to her rescue, it appears that everything might finally be all right.
But this is Tales of the Unexpected, where appearances can be dangerously deceptive.
We examine the episode's creeping sense of dread, its unsettling portrayal of vulnerability and the extraordinary effectiveness of its final revelation.
Is The Flypaper one of the most frightening things ever shown on British television?
🍖 LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER (1979)
Next, we're heading into the kitchen for something altogether more domestic.
A pregnant woman discovers that her detective husband intends to leave her.
Her response?
Well, let's just say the evening's dinner is about to become rather important.
We discuss the ingenious plot, the treatment of its central female character and one of television's most deliciously ironic endings.
And surely no murder weapon has ever been quite so appetising?
🎭 THE ART OF THE UNEXPECTED
What made this series so enduring?
Was it the famous actors, the everyday settings, the unsettling atmosphere or simply the pleasure of waiting for the final twist?
We explore the programme's particular brand of dark humour, its moral ambiguities and the fascination of watching respectable people behave in thoroughly disreputable ways.
Subscribe to The Problematic Gaze for more classic film and television, British nostalgia, cultural history and our regular explorations of the things we once watched without a second thought.
And remember, Gazers: expect the unexpected!
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