Some people saying that the girl was a willing victim. This was 1980, there was no internet or cell phone - you trusted adults to help you and you did as you were told.
I nearly got abducted by a couple a man and a woman in a white estate car 🚗..I ran fast as I could Back home 🏡 my mum said I was naughty 😇.life was so different then mainly for the better 🙃
She had a choice of going off with the (seemingly) nice woman to call the police or staying put with a clearly creepy man still in the vicinity. I don't see how she can be faulted for being a "willing victim."
This should be shown to all children between 11-15. Perhaps a bit too scary for young children, but certainly a valuable lesson in life. The sweetness that attracts them, but the stickiness that prevents them from getting away, is a very clever line.
I had to watch this again. This poor girl's downfall was not having any friends, being alone, and not having the affection of a "motherly figure". That's why she went off with that sociopathic woman who seemed "sweet and caring".
I didn't notice the first time I watched this but on second viewing I noticed it and when she says: "You won't get far - mark my words" Which seems to the schoolgirl to be about the creepy old man.
People saying it's predictable. It's nearly 40 years old and it's still one of the most creepiest bits of film making going..The diolouge and score alone are enough to give you nightmares
I wish they still did programmes like this and Shadows, Armchair Theatre and Sapphire and Steel ... now we just get all these so called Reality TV Shows stuffed with pretty looking but vacuous non - entitites ...
@@louwoods9278 Just watched Royal Jelly again tonight ... watched it a few years ago when hd it on DVD .. loved it ... Then watched The Man at the Top but worked out th ending when he got to the black lady Estelle ..
That was a dark and scary one. It was very well done, though. Maybe one of the best of the series. The ending makes your blood go cold. Never never trust strangers inviting you inside their homes.
Prairiedoggen you missed the entire plot. The camera panned in for a close up after she’s just realised that the woman was part of a ruse, the door was locked, the blinds drawn down, and the bloke she was running from was part of it. She then realised she was in deep trouble, as she remembered the news stories and the Flypaper story. There was either a twist at the end story, or a moral tale. Two adults, one male, would easily outclass her in a locked caravan. The caravan was situated in the middle of nowhere so that no one could hear what was going on. The doors locked and the blinds down, no one could see in. No one to help her. She was effectively doomed after that. However the whole point of the plot was to use your imagination to fill in what was about to happen to her without actually seeing it. Note that throughout it there was a news report of discovering of dead children in that lake. This young lady was going to be the next victim that lake. The author of this plot, Elizabeth Taylor, was a superb thriller/drama writer.
Prairiedoggen because the author was Elizabeth Taylor, not the movie star always wrote that way. Always twist in her stories that you often didn’t see coming. That’s the point, it was the twist in the story not what was may have happened after. Your imagination was left to think about that much later. And the whole point about Tales of the Unexpected, was just that. The unexpected endings. There was either a twist at the end that you didn’t see coming, or one that you did. Yes, some were quite twee. But that was why it was named as such. It’s the subtly that British tv pregames have. The stories often had a moral lesson in them too, not to go with strangers, etc....and not to judge anyone however ‘nice’ they may seem on the outside. The actors performances are brilliant here, well known British actors. I remember this programme when it was first out.
Why can't modern horror chill me to the bone like this can? . I rewatched it as an adult and it still made my hair stand on end so it's not just scary for a child. I think music and sound has a lot to do with generating dread in a person. The problem we have today is everything is crystal clear and over produced. It doesn't sound visceral or real. I enjoy some modern TV chillers like Black Mirror but they just can't capture the correct mood sound wise
Try Inside no. 9, it really has the same vibes, its not always gore, but more the suspense with a creepy (or tragic) twist in the end. Definitely worth watching! 😁
Totally agree with you, as someone who is Gen X and watched this series first time round. The end of this is so chilling. Especially so to me as when I was 13 ( around this time) I was waiting at a bus stop and a car pulled up and a middle aged couple tried to lure me into their car. There was a spate of missing children/adolescents in the late 1970s, hence all the stranger danger ads they put on TV. This episode reflects this. I like Black Mirror too, and also Stranger Things but the vintage thriller/spooky shows are the best!
@@celticmist14 the BBC usually. Its not that much on tv (I watch it on BBC Entertainment or BBC First (I don't know which one anymore) it came on the tv recently). Also, you can find a few on the internet as well and on the BBC (BBC One or Two, I don't know anymore either) when its a new season. Its sooo good! 😁 Have fun! If you have any more questions, just ask. 😁
I came to this by way of actor Alfred Burke (1918-2011) who portrays Herbert in The Flypaper. He was quite exceptional in the series Public Eye which ran from 1965 - 1975.
I thought I'd seen him before, Public Eye was/is on Talking Pictures TV channel 81 on freeview, I rarely switch on the TV anymore so I'm not sure if it's still on.
Is that in the eastern part of the UK? It certainly doesn't look like the west of the country. The countryside's as flat as the back of your hand and about as boring.
Poor girl - her whole world collapsed & she has no-one to love her or make her feel valued. Her own grandmother (evil) looks down on her. The Moors murderers preyed on such vulnerable children using similar flypaper. Tragic, heartbreaking..
Alfred Burke was always excellent in sinister / menacing roles, especially when these showed him to have a false, benign facade. However, in this one he is downright creepy and loathsome. So different from when he played the unassuming private detective 'Marker' during the early 80s.
I saw this when I was 9 and it freaked the life out of me. Even as an adult I can't bare to watch the ending the again. Lorna Yabsley appeared in some heavy stuff as a kid. As well as this, she also played a kidnap victim in an Armchair Thriller and was in Day of the Triffids.
I think I know the episode your on about armchair thriller she was the girl sent to stay with her father but they killed him and one of them pretended to be her father as she had never seen him before.
No matter how many times I have watched this episode it always shocks me to the core. The programme has aged a lot but the storyline is as strong today as when it first came out. You know this will end badly for the girl but I like to imagine this would not have been the case.
Vulnerable child, with a chilly grandmother, a kindly figure steps in and offers her help and mothering. So sad. And such a lesson. And Herbert on the bus - seemed odd but somewhat jolly. Hard for a child to determine his malevolence.
One of my favourite episodes. Excellent acting by the cast and really well filmed. I often watch the entire series as it's so varied and nostalgic for an 80's kid
When I was 17 public phone booths were nearly on every other corner. Often when I wanted to call a friend without my parents knowing I'd sneak to the corner phone booth. One night late I snuck out to make a call and while I was dialing a man's hand came into the folded door to reach for me. I pushed back all I could and his hand wedged. I was not much for trusting people other than my family. Raised by Italians we were a bit more aware of the realities of our environment. When the man reached in and got his hand wedged I already had my pocket knife open and stabbed him into the back of his hand. That huge surprise on his face was priceless ! He howled out in pain and ran like a wild wolf away. I was shook up but regained my composure quickly to hurry and bee line it home. Life is all about choices. Teach your children to trust no one, male or female. Give them something they could defend themselves with if need be. My little pocketknife saved me. That was in the 70's. It's much crazier today. Did I mention, I'm female. ; )
When I was around 7 I was followed up the stairs of the tenement block I lived in, this was Glasgow in the late 70’s 80’s, by a man. He ran up the stairs in front of me grabbed me, put his huge hand over my mouth and held a knife to my neck. He asked me to ‘do something for him’. Just then my neighbours came out and that made him let me go and run off. They saved my life. I know I would have been attacked, even sexually assaulted, or worse. I never told me mother. She abused me when younger and wouldn’t bother getting the police. I’ve told very few people about it. Watching this brought back the terror I felt with strangers. It’s an excellent plot.
@@SpookyElectric319 thanks for sharing you must had treated your neighbor like a hero. I'm surprised your neighbor' did not report it or tell your mother?
donnn 0666 my neighbour didn’t see him, he took off running down stairs. Tenement buildings in those days were usually dark. I didn’t tell my mother, there was no point, she wouldn’t have phoned the police anyway.
@@lunadevass5561 you can't really describe the inane rubbish that characterise much of TV dramas and thrillers nowadays as politically correct. They don't seem to have the same calibre of writing or imagination - mainly they just seem to be churned out cheaply.
@@ImranKhan1976 i agree with you there but i remember tv from the 70,s,80,s and there is definatly a shift in to producing a safer more "fluffy"product.Tv as we know it now didnt exist back then.Programs from the past,would never air now.I dont know your country but in uk.even in the 90,s,comedy was being rejected for being too edgey.I remember drama that you cant even find on YT which is a massive shame.
@@joannenugent8495 Hammer house of horror The two faces of evil is a right chiller the end is as chilling as this and the programme dramatic throughout, the children of the full moon is another great one but they are all well worth watching
Maybe it would be better to end there, at the third cup, not changing the music or anything (him not coming), but slowly in a calm way, don't you think?
@@user-lb4vh7xw9ino ...I see what you are saying but no way. It needed more. Not enough people would understand the twist if it ended there.. The third cup works great as a starter to the main terror twist. No way should it just end there! Interesting ideal tho. In the original short the the third cup is mentiond after herbert makes his appearance in the home. So n the short story we already know why it was there. In fact the short story ends with the mention of the third cup but not quite the way you mean as herbert has turned up by then.
@Sage Antone Other great Dahl stories are Neck (with Joan Collins) and that one about a man who refused to eat any food unless it was of vegetable origin, and then he heard the crops screaming in agony as they were harvested. Brilliant! And the one about the painting a famous artist tattooed on a man's back. Sorry I can't remember the names, it must be almost 40 years since I read the books.
I guessed that that woman wasn't quite the nice lady as Sylvia thought. What a creepy, well-written episode. That man made my skin crawl. I love this series! Thank you for uploading.
A cautionary tale if ever there was one! and in this world women cannot be trusted just as much as men. I loved this series on UK tv weekends. They don't make tv series like this any more
@strontiumXnitrate This conversation is too long and not one we could fruitfully have on the Internet. If you and are were sitting together at restaurant, we could understand each other much better. This is an ongoing frustration about UA-cam but it is just the way it goes. Take care, you do well too. It is very sunny where I live. I am 61 and I am sure you have a lot to tell me. However, the Internet is so limited. i am not savvy on how many simple things work on it. I think we respect each other. Sorry.
@strontiumXnitrate First of all the episode had a real sociopathic couple. It was very disturbing to me. Here are some sociopaths, including a woman. The young girls' grand mother was very cold. ua-cam.com/video/BxG7w0HQgM4/v-deo.html
A friend of mine, an Expat from England ,in Iceland just sent me the link for this!!!!! we were talking about the new series of short stories adapted by Wes Anderson on Netflix….. I would’ve never found this without his help. Thank you, PaddingtonBangsi
i did not see that coming and when it did it chilled me to the bone. that young actress was beautiful in such a natural way. the filming was great. those little lives.
Which is why Roald Dahl tells you to watch it carefully at the beginning, as clues were there like her telling her to put three cup and saucers out why? Only two of them there!
This is the good one! Creepy ending. I wish they play this on TV. I remember when I was a kid my local (Indonesia) TV channel has Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt and Goosebumps. Ah, good time!
As a kid (from South Africa) we had The Outer Limits and Twilight Zone. But Tales of the Unexpected is far superior to anything I have seen before or after.
So creepy! As soon as she gives her the third cup and saucer, I knew it was all over. Just gutting, I still haven’t recovered from the ending, probably never will. This poor girl has been betrayed by every maternal figure she has ever met since her mother’s death, leading up to this ultimate betrayal by the only woman she thought she could trust.
The grandmother and the teacher were both wicked (with the "grandmother" being more concerned about her flowers than her granddaughter), and didn't care about her. It meant that poor Sylvia was very easily led by the so-called "kind lady".
Whoa! This was made while Fred and Rosemary West were doing exactly this. The fact that it's a Tale of the Unexpected shows how unexpected it was back then. I sussed her out fairly soon but didn't connect him to her.
ToU was like an education, the stories made you suspicious of everyone's motives. Especially the overly friendly ones. It was done at a time when many kids did go missing.
My wife loves tales of the unexpected, and watches them repeatedly, i thought I'd try watching one, wish i hadn't now , i feel a bit uncomfortable after watching that. A bit too "Fred and Rose West" for me.
I know what you mean. This is hands down ridiculous dark and nasty and the most terrifying episode ever. I can actually remember watching it for the first time as a 10 year kid and it scared the crap out of me.
Stephanie Cole starred in a series as a former war photographer who lives in a nursing home. In real life, SC was in her forties playing a crabby woman in her 70's! I've forgotten the name of the series...
@tamonettX500 Oh, riiiiiigtht! A few months ago, I watched Benidorm and saw the girl who played the lovesick aide to the smarmy manager. She is a pretty good character actor. I saw her in One Foot in the Grave after Waiting for God. Stephanie Cole and the actor who played her next door neighbor then husband were a riot in WfG. Loved all the characters on that show!
When the 'nice' lady took the young girl to her caravan, I could see what was coming...very creepy and 'Brady/Hindley-esque. Good story, sends a shiver down every parents' spine.
This has to be by far the best and most sinister Tale of the whole series. Easily watchable time and time again. Great story, great acting, amazing writing.. For those askiing locations. Ely Cathedral. King's School, Ely. Market Street, Ely. Cherry Hill Park, Ely. Queen Adelaide Way, Ely. Stonea Level Crossing/Sixteen Foot Bank, near Ely. and Norwich.
Should absolutely still show this in schools. When I was around the same age in circa 1997 it would have still be so easy to be isolated on the way home from school and easily fall for such deception.
Bit of trivia the actress who played sylvia was actually 15 here. .tho I think her character was meant to be 12. She did a few other roles before and after this including day of the triifids series the next year. She is now retired from acting and is a very attractive and successful photographer. Apparently she gets asked about the tale of the unexpected episode all the time. I
This was absolutely horrific. An inside job on child molest station and kidnapping. Horrible! But good plot. I think every junior high and high school age child should watch this. Very good lesson to learn. Trust no one.
I remember watching this as a kid, I was about 8 or 9 and even back then thinking what a great twist the story had. I past the place it was filmed ( Bus stop and phone box) a few weeks ago. This is one episode that has always stuck in my memory.
Some people saying that the girl was a willing victim. This was 1980, there was no internet or cell phone - you trusted adults to help you and you did as you were told.
I nearly got abducted by a couple a man and a woman in a white estate car 🚗..I ran fast as I could Back home 🏡 my mum said I was naughty 😇.life was so different then mainly for the better 🙃
@@derekparker2534 glad you survived! Not your fault!
Some people gotta be dumb as fuck to say she’s a willing victim like how the fuck can a kid be a willing victim of murder
She had a choice of going off with the (seemingly) nice woman to call the police or staying put with a clearly creepy man still in the vicinity. I don't see how she can be faulted for being a "willing victim."
@@derekparker2534 Hi Del, that is utterly chilling, imagine what would have happened if you did not have the sense of mind to run!
This should be shown to all children between 11-15. Perhaps a bit too scary for young children, but certainly a valuable lesson in life. The sweetness that attracts them, but the stickiness that prevents them from getting away, is a very clever line.
Dated by public phone box though.
yes i got in to this a few years ago, it amazing! I think i was 10 or 11 and now im in my teens
I had to watch this again. This poor girl's downfall was not having any friends, being alone, and not having the affection of a "motherly figure". That's why she went off with that sociopathic woman who seemed "sweet and caring".
agreed, it turned out that they were both the child killers.
Possible composite of child killers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady (?)...
Tales of the Unexpected, one of the best series ever produced.
"I must have everything sweet and fresh"....horrific in retrospect.
Just as I read this comment... sweet & fresh😂 999 emergency
Luna Vitello Absolutely truly hideous!!!!!!!
I didn't notice the first time I watched this but on second viewing I noticed it and when she says:
"You won't get far - mark my words"
Which seems to the schoolgirl to be about the creepy old man.
People saying it's predictable. It's nearly 40 years old and it's still one of the most creepiest bits of film making going..The diolouge and score alone are enough to give you nightmares
I totally agree, this one is terrifying because it's the most realistic. These types of things happen to young women all the time.
its not much past 35
this episode wasn't predictable at all
John Mcdonald 123 Not unlike the music & a certain d.j.s dialogue on T.O.T.P. in the 80s
Not much past 35? So is that disputing the description of 'it's nearly 40 years old'?
I wish they still did programmes like this and Shadows, Armchair Theatre and Sapphire and Steel ... now we just get all these so called Reality TV Shows stuffed with pretty looking but vacuous non - entitites ...
True. My fave was the Royal Jelly one. Creepy when they make buzzy bee noises!!
Modern TV is Very low quality product not worth watching at all
Richard Booth ahh Sapphire and Steel - loved that!
@@louwoods9278 Just watched Royal Jelly again tonight ... watched it a few years ago when hd it on DVD .. loved it ... Then watched The Man at the Top but worked out th ending when he got to the black lady Estelle ..
@@pastorflaps6819 Agreed.
This is unbelievably creepy! A fantastic bit of writing. I understand why Dahl had wished he'd penned this himself.
Yes, he said so in the intro.
Brilliant episode.
Scared the crap out of me as a kid and still think it packs a punch now.
Steve Perrin
Out of all the Episodes this one always stuck in my mind
@@sadielr17 Yes because this one is something that happens in real life.
I remember watching this. Aged 13. Chilling ending. Watching again now, it's a masterclass of writing. Cleverly constructed and beautifully drawn.
That was a dark and scary one. It was very well done, though. Maybe one of the best of the series. The ending makes your blood go cold. Never never trust strangers inviting you inside their homes.
Exactly! The fact the lady appeared to be so ‘nice’ and helpful. Essentially grooming her for what was to come. That man was seriously creepy.
Prairiedoggen you missed the entire plot. The camera panned in for a close up after she’s just realised that the woman was part of a ruse, the door was locked, the blinds drawn down, and the bloke she was running from was part of it. She then realised she was in deep trouble, as she remembered the news stories and the Flypaper story. There was either a twist at the end story, or a moral tale. Two adults, one male, would easily outclass her in a locked caravan. The caravan was situated in the middle of nowhere so that no one could hear what was going on. The doors locked and the blinds down, no one could see in. No one to help her. She was effectively doomed after that. However the whole point of the plot was to use your imagination to fill in what was about to happen to her without actually seeing it. Note that throughout it there was a news report of discovering of dead children in that lake. This young lady was going to be the next victim that lake. The author of this plot, Elizabeth Taylor, was a superb thriller/drama writer.
@@SpookyElectric319 she might fight though and win, you never know. After all it's much better this way
Γιώργος Μεταξάκης it’s Tales of the Unexpected. You leave the story as it was written.
Prairiedoggen because the author was Elizabeth Taylor, not the movie star always wrote that way. Always twist in her stories that you often didn’t see coming. That’s the point, it was the twist in the story not what was may have happened after. Your imagination was left to think about that much later.
And the whole point about Tales of the Unexpected, was just that. The unexpected endings. There was either a twist at the end that you didn’t see coming, or one that you did. Yes, some were quite twee. But that was why it was named as such. It’s the subtly that British tv pregames have. The stories often had a moral lesson in them too, not to go with strangers, etc....and not to judge anyone however ‘nice’ they may seem on the outside. The actors performances are brilliant here, well known British actors. I remember this programme when it was first out.
At least her piano teacher will be thrilled when she gets the news ...
Lol, I shouldn't have laughed at that but couldn't help it
That ending is powerful and terrifying...has to be the best episode of this series
"Best" doesn't seem the right adjective to use but I know what you mean.
"Darkest" perhaps ?
@@lewis72 it certainly left its mark on me when I was a kid. Never forgot it.
@@jhibberd6290
I did see quite a few when I was younger but am quite sure that I never saw that one back then.
Yes...the pinnacle of the series. Utterly terrifying and chilling to the bone. My goodness.
Agreed 👍
This is still happening but nowadays in Tinder, Instagram, Facebook and other social networks...
Why can't modern horror chill me to the bone like this can? . I rewatched it as an adult and it still made my hair stand on end so it's not just scary for a child.
I think music and sound has a lot to do with generating dread in a person. The problem we have today is everything is crystal clear and over produced. It doesn't sound visceral or real.
I enjoy some modern TV chillers like Black Mirror but they just can't capture the correct mood sound wise
I could have not put it better myself👌
Try Inside no. 9, it really has the same vibes, its not always gore, but more the suspense with a creepy (or tragic) twist in the end. Definitely worth watching! 😁
Totally agree with you, as someone who is Gen X and watched this series first time round. The end of this is so chilling. Especially so to me as when I was 13 ( around this time) I was waiting at a bus stop and a car pulled up and a middle aged couple tried to lure me into their car. There was a spate of missing children/adolescents in the late 1970s, hence all the stranger danger ads they put on TV. This episode reflects this. I like Black Mirror too, and also Stranger Things but the vintage thriller/spooky shows are the best!
@@splashthefly9039 where would get this?
@@celticmist14 the BBC usually. Its not that much on tv (I watch it on BBC Entertainment or BBC First (I don't know which one anymore) it came on the tv recently). Also, you can find a few on the internet as well and on the BBC (BBC One or Two, I don't know anymore either) when its a new season. Its sooo good! 😁
Have fun! If you have any more questions, just ask. 😁
I came to this by way of actor Alfred Burke (1918-2011) who portrays Herbert in The Flypaper. He was quite exceptional in the series Public Eye which ran from 1965 - 1975.
same here.
I thought I'd seen him before, Public Eye was/is on Talking Pictures TV channel 81 on freeview, I rarely switch on the TV anymore so I'm not sure if it's still on.
@@mclovin8739 Yes he was a fine actor. Brilliant in Public Eye. Sadly died in 2011 but what an incredible catalogue of work he leaves behind.
Superb use of Ely Cathedral and surrounding Fens as a setting. Adds to the suspense and spookiness.
Is that in the eastern part of the UK? It certainly doesn't look like the west of the country. The countryside's as flat as the back of your hand and about as boring.
@@mfjdv2020 yes its looks cambs/ links to me
I was thinking that's got to be Ely Cathedral....I cant work out where the other outside locations are from.
Just realised the bus stopped at the railway crossing over the sixteen foot river..near stonea in Cambridgeshire.
noveltycurtains I think they used parts of Norwich for other built up outdoor locations, as it was near the Anglia Television studios.
Definitely 1 of the best episodes in the series.The ending is so chilling
Poor girl - her whole world collapsed & she has no-one to love her or make her feel valued. Her own grandmother (evil) looks down on her. The Moors murderers preyed on such vulnerable children using similar flypaper. Tragic, heartbreaking..
Glen Liley you appear to be the same type of creepy guy as in this episode.
@@Trev359 No Glen Lilley is far worse
@@cyrilsmith5706 what the fuck is wrong with you ? Vile creature.
Glen Lilley the big boys in prison will say the same about you before they shank you in the spleen for being a scumbag.
Yes , the moors murders...thats what i thought of as well. Poor children!
Alfred Burke was always excellent in sinister / menacing roles, especially when these showed him to have a false, benign facade. However, in this one he is downright creepy and loathsome. So different from when he played the unassuming private detective 'Marker' during the early 80s.
Elizabeth Taylor was such an amazing writer. Thanks for uploading this.
the irony is this is timeless creepy, kids would be spooked by this now on netflix. the terrestrial tv stations have totally lost their way
You make zero sense.
Typical English mentality stop living in the past your time is gone
That literally makes no damn sense
I saw this when I was 9 and it freaked the life out of me. Even as an adult I can't bare to watch the ending the again. Lorna Yabsley appeared in some heavy stuff as a kid. As well as this, she also played a kidnap victim in an Armchair Thriller and was in Day of the Triffids.
I think I know the episode your on about armchair thriller she was the girl sent to stay with her father but they killed him and one of them pretended to be her father as she had never seen him before.
Just a writen story not real
No matter how many times I have watched this episode it always shocks me to the core. The programme has aged a lot but the storyline is as strong today as when it first came out. You know this will end badly for the girl but I like to imagine this would not have been the case.
This is the stuff of nightmares , so disturbing
How did you find watching the disturbing storyline...
It makes you wonder who’s going to be next - talented Louise maybe
Na
Vulnerable child, with a chilly grandmother, a kindly figure steps in and offers her help and mothering. So sad. And such a lesson.
And Herbert on the bus - seemed odd but somewhat jolly. Hard for a child to determine his malevolence.
Hard my ass!! He was a total stranger danger
Brilliant when she gives her the third cup and saucer and the music changes!
Definitely inspired by the heinous acts committed by Myra Hindley and partner.
The Mod Murders in the 1960's
Fred and Rosemary West later played the same 'woman=safety' trap....
Oakleaf700 Don’t forget the subsequent Canadian Ken and Barbie murders of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. Same basic MO.
Are we not allowed to say the name of IB?
They should have some canned laughter at the end. That would brighten it up.
I saw this as a 10yr old at my grans house one weekend. ..scared the crap out me ...thanks for posting
One of my favourite episodes. Excellent acting by the cast and really well filmed. I often watch the entire series as it's so varied and nostalgic for an 80's kid
When I was 17 public phone booths were nearly on every other corner. Often when I wanted to call a friend without my parents knowing I'd sneak to the corner phone booth. One night late I snuck out to make a call and while I was dialing a man's hand came into the folded door to reach for me. I pushed back all I could and his hand wedged.
I was not much for trusting people other than my family. Raised by Italians we were a bit more aware of the realities of our environment. When the man reached in and got his hand wedged I already had my pocket knife open and stabbed him into the back of his hand. That huge surprise on his face was priceless ! He howled out in pain and ran like a wild wolf away. I was shook up but regained my composure quickly to hurry and bee line it home.
Life is all about choices. Teach your children to trust no one, male or female.
Give them something they could defend themselves with if need be. My little pocketknife saved me. That was in the 70's. It's much crazier today.
Did I mention, I'm female. ; )
Wow did you ever report it or tell your parents?
When I was around 7 I was followed up the stairs of the tenement block I lived in, this was Glasgow in the late 70’s 80’s, by a man. He ran up the stairs in front of me grabbed me, put his huge hand over my mouth and held a knife to my neck. He asked me to ‘do something for him’. Just then my neighbours came out and that made him let me go and run off. They saved my life. I know I would have been attacked, even sexually assaulted, or worse. I never told me mother. She abused me when younger and wouldn’t bother getting the police. I’ve told very few people about it. Watching this brought back the terror I felt with strangers. It’s an excellent plot.
@@SpookyElectric319 thanks for sharing you must had treated your neighbor like a hero. I'm surprised your neighbor' did not report it or tell your mother?
@@donnn-ow4rj What neighbor?
donnn 0666 my neighbour didn’t see him, he took off running down stairs. Tenement buildings in those days were usually dark. I didn’t tell my mother, there was no point, she wouldn’t have phoned the police anyway.
I truly miss these programs,they truly were great with suspense & those "surprise" endings. Much Gratitude for the upload!🤗🖒💖💯
💯👌 The verger is my favorite episode..WITH
DAME Patricia routledge
AND THE late Richard briers 💓⭐💐
Well you can always watch them on UA-cam lmao
@@irishking1414 Lmao yes,I can & I do when the mood strikes me hahahahahahaa 😉👌💯
I thought I had seen all these years ago growing up,missed this one,just scared the crap out of me,I used to love the Hammer House of Horrors too.
These days they have thrillers 2 hrs long which make you laugh; this was 23 mins of thrills ! Where are the good old days of film making ?
Replaced with political correctness.
@@lunadevass5561 you can't really describe the inane rubbish that characterise much of TV dramas and thrillers nowadays as politically correct.
They don't seem to have the same calibre of writing or imagination - mainly they just seem to be churned out cheaply.
@@ImranKhan1976 i agree with you there but i remember tv from the 70,s,80,s and there is definatly a shift in to producing a safer more "fluffy"product.Tv as we know it now didnt exist back then.Programs from the past,would never air now.I dont know your country but in uk.even in the 90,s,comedy was being rejected for being too edgey.I remember drama that you cant even find on YT which is a massive shame.
Replaced by simply money that churns out bankable nonsense.
There's no match to an English thriller!
I so agree with you!!!!
No one in the world can write creepy fiction, like the English!!!!!
@@joannenugent8495 Hammer house of horror The two faces of evil is a right chiller the end is as chilling as this and the programme dramatic throughout, the children of the full moon is another great one but they are all well worth watching
I love it when she hands her a third cup. And then you just *know*
When she is handed a third cup we are given a warning by the screeching sound!
@@nicky29031977 that was pre warned by rold dahi....when he says watch it closely in the intro.
Yes, very disturbing...
Maybe it would be better to end there, at the third cup, not changing the music or anything (him not coming), but slowly in a calm way, don't you think?
@@user-lb4vh7xw9ino ...I see what you are saying but no way. It needed more. Not enough people would understand the twist if it ended there.. The third cup works great as a starter to the main terror twist. No way should it just end there! Interesting ideal tho. In the original short the the third cup is mentiond after herbert makes his appearance in the home. So n the short story we already know why it was there. In fact the short story ends with the mention of the third cup but not quite the way you mean as herbert has turned up by then.
This was the first Tale of the Unexpected I ever saw and it freaked me out beyond belief. But I think the Landlady and Georgy Porgy are even scarier.
Can you recommend anymore like this?
@@sageantone7291 Lamb to the Slaughter
@Sage Antone Other great Dahl stories are Neck (with Joan Collins) and that one about a man who refused to eat any food unless it was of vegetable origin, and then he heard the crops screaming in agony as they were harvested. Brilliant! And the one about the painting a famous artist tattooed on a man's back. Sorry I can't remember the names, it must be almost 40 years since I read the books.
@@sageantone7291 i recommend 'ill be seeing you'
@@sageantone7291 the episodes i like are skin, lamb to the slaughter, neck, the hitch hiker, decoy, royal jelly, and fat chance
Mother Mary that poor girl. Have never seen this before. It was excellent.
I watched this as a kid, and I have NEVER forgotten about it! That creepy, sad ending. 😑 Ugh! 😱
I guessed that that woman wasn't quite the nice lady as Sylvia thought. What a creepy, well-written episode. That man made my skin crawl. I love this series! Thank you for uploading.
A cautionary tale if ever there was one! and in this world women cannot be trusted just as much as men. I loved this series on UK tv weekends. They don't make tv series like this any more
@strontiumXnitrate We do not collectively agree about anything. Men are individuals So are women.. Have a good day.
@strontiumXnitrate This conversation is too long and not one we could fruitfully have on the Internet. If you and are were sitting together at restaurant, we could understand each other much better. This is an ongoing frustration about UA-cam but it is just the way it goes. Take care, you do well too. It is very sunny where I live. I am 61 and I am sure you have a lot to tell me. However, the Internet is so limited. i am not savvy on how many simple things work on it. I think we respect each other. Sorry.
@strontiumXnitrate Thank you, sir.
@strontiumXnitrate First of all the episode had a real sociopathic couple. It was very disturbing to me. Here are some sociopaths, including a woman. The young girls' grand mother was very cold. ua-cam.com/video/BxG7w0HQgM4/v-deo.html
So perfectly written, acted and the music score is so creepy! Such a superb job of casting!
She told her not to talk to strangers and the first thing I thought was she’s talking and walking with a stranger.
Yes, but the girl didn't think that way, because the woman acts like the enemy to the villain, so she is good
A friend of mine, an Expat from England ,in Iceland just sent me the link for this!!!!! we were talking about the new series of short stories adapted by Wes Anderson on Netflix….. I would’ve never found this without his help. Thank you, PaddingtonBangsi
One of the creepiest tales of all time, After all this time!! This creepy tale still sends the shivers up my spine, and I am nearly 60 years old!!!!!
Yes Cathy, I agree it's very disturbing to watch..
@@michaelrogowski7476 lol
i did not see that coming and when it did it chilled me to the bone. that young actress was beautiful in such a natural way. the filming was great. those little lives.
Which is why Roald Dahl tells you to watch it carefully at the beginning, as clues were there like her telling her to put three cup and saucers out why? Only two of them there!
Me too
Well, that was pretty dark.
And so was her,anus!
Glen Lilley 😂😂💀
This is proper script writing.
SURPRISE! Tag team on the sadistic level! Thank you for posting! I had never seen any of these before.
This is the good one! Creepy ending. I wish they play this on TV. I remember when I was a kid my local (Indonesia) TV channel has Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt and Goosebumps. Ah, good time!
As a kid (from South Africa) we had The Outer Limits and Twilight Zone. But Tales of the Unexpected is far superior to anything I have seen before or after.
i would show this to mature school kids if i were a teacher as kids need to be aware.
Who wants to teach those british kids ?? I have taught there, well I am glad I have left.
So creepy! As soon as she gives her the third cup and saucer, I knew it was all over. Just gutting, I still haven’t recovered from the ending, probably never will. This poor girl has been betrayed by every maternal figure she has ever met since her mother’s death, leading up to this ultimate betrayal by the only woman she thought she could trust.
That's women for you.
Always let people down.
Not really she was fine it was just acting
@@shane-irish Yes, I am aware.
Just proves that you can't trust strangers, male or female.
spoiler!!!!
The grandmother and the teacher were both wicked (with the "grandmother" being more concerned about her flowers than her granddaughter), and didn't care about her. It meant that poor Sylvia was very easily led by the so-called "kind lady".
I never heard of these. I'm glad I came across them.. Thanks!
Whoa! This was made while Fred and Rosemary West were doing exactly this. The fact that it's a Tale of the Unexpected shows how unexpected it was back then. I sussed her out fairly soon but didn't connect him to her.
ALWAYS ENJOYED THIS SERIES SINCE I'VE FOUND IT ON UA-cam!!! THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE UPLOAD!!!
Thank you for this Classic series :))
Amazing.I used to watch this series,tv was worth watching back then.... Yt recommendation.
Thanks for uploading.happy new year🎊.
Interesting that yt is monetizing this video....thought channels had to have over 1k subs?
We watched this in school, I am 13 it’s so freaking scary no one else thought so in my class just shows you x
Are you serious?? They playedit in your school?? Chances are it did scare them they just did not want to admit it
Grandma talking to the police afterward said "that the kidnappers would choose so unattractive a child...."
ToU was like an education, the stories made you suspicious of everyone's motives. Especially the overly friendly ones. It was done at a time when many kids did go missing.
cow of a music teacher ,this poor girl.
I saw this in my late teens. I'm 49 now and have never forgotten that ending. One of the most disturbing of all time.
This story is still good today, as it was back in the 1980s.
1980 ..so forty YEARS..
I watched this at school. My English teacher showed us this and the landlady. Soooooo creepy
My wife loves tales of the unexpected, and watches them repeatedly, i thought I'd try watching one, wish i hadn't now , i feel a bit uncomfortable after watching that. A bit too "Fred and Rose West" for me.
I know what you mean. This is hands down ridiculous dark and nasty and the most terrifying episode ever. I can actually remember watching it for the first time as a 10 year kid and it scared the crap out of me.
@@donnn-ow4rj you poor people, oh, how you suffer so! there must be a support group for people like you.
You can't judge this series by this episode because this is one of the exceptions.
I saw this when it first aired and I've been haunted by it ever since, when ever I talk about this series I always mention this episode.
Fred and Rose West ........
How sinister and shocking! Before being shocked, I wondered why she handed her a third cup and saucer.
The piano teacher was also a regular grumbling customer in OPEN ALL HOURS!
mistofoles Stephanie Cole
mistofoles she was also in Tenko and Doc Martin.
Stephanie Cole starred in a series as a former war photographer who lives in a nursing home. In real life, SC was in her forties playing a crabby woman in her 70's! I've forgotten the name of the series...
@@M-Is-For-Margaret Miss Diana Trent, in Waiting for God. I loved that show!
@tamonettX500 Oh, riiiiiigtht! A few months ago, I watched Benidorm and saw the girl who played the lovesick aide to the smarmy manager. She is a pretty good character actor. I saw her in One Foot in the Grave after Waiting for God. Stephanie Cole and the actor who played her next door neighbor then husband were a riot in WfG. Loved all the characters on that show!
The grandma is such an unloving narcissist
she should of taken more nottice and reported it to police asap.
Grandma's trying to screw the young vicar.
For real---the grandma clearly didn't care too much about the girl at all, that was pretty obvious.
So is the girl.
@@heriatm2771 lucky devil!!
This episode still terrifies me nearly 30 years after I first saw it. Stuff of nightmares.
I watched this as a young girl 👧 they scared me then but the stories are so good well written. Beautiful bit of work 😁
Yes, very good acting...
Brilliant episode Alfred Burke was fantastic
When the 'nice' lady took the young girl to her caravan, I could see what was coming...very creepy and 'Brady/Hindley-esque.
Good story, sends a shiver down every parents' spine.
brady and Hindley were real though should cut the throats of them bastards
Paul Mcdonough that’s the point and obvious. It makes it even more disturbing.
Her character was called the black widow in open all hours...
This has to be by far the best and most sinister Tale of the whole series.
Easily watchable time and time again. Great story, great acting, amazing writing..
For those askiing locations.
Ely Cathedral.
King's School, Ely.
Market Street, Ely.
Cherry Hill Park, Ely.
Queen Adelaide Way, Ely.
Stonea Level Crossing/Sixteen Foot Bank, near Ely.
and
Norwich.
Made me think of Myra Hindley, very creepy northern moors murders vibe.
I saw this series today in my English class. when I walked out of the classroom I was soooo creep out!!!
Same here I watched the landlady and I was creeped out
Excellent thanks so much for this love british tv. greetings from new jersey
Should absolutely still show this in schools. When I was around the same age in circa 1997 it would have still be so easy to be isolated on the way home from school and easily fall for such deception.
That music when the man comes home 😱
Scary. I loved watching these as a youngster.
Bit of trivia the actress who played sylvia was actually 15 here. .tho I think her character was meant to be 12. She did a few other roles before and after this including day of the triifids series the next year. She is now retired from acting and is a very attractive and successful photographer. Apparently she gets asked about the tale of the unexpected episode all the time. I
This is easily the most terrifying episode.
SUSPENSE AT IT'S BEST A REAL GOOD WATCH THANKS FOR THE UPLOAD!!!💯💯💯
My suspicions about that that old lady were correct she sure was slow about calling the cops. Thanks this is awesome nothing like good old classics
i remember this show! it used to come on at a crazy time, around midnight, on channel 5 here. great story!
For as older viewers it used to be on ITV in the 80s when there was just a few channels and no chan 5
Chilling in its subtlety - the third cup. Very clever.
its the 80's synth stabs used sparingly but ohmygod the atmosphere it creates
The opening credits of this show reminds me of a James bond film.
Very good storyline. Ending was a surprise - a sad one but still, well done!
how many girls been in this situation with a creep on a bus and old ladys say shut up.
Ever heard of Fred and Rose West
Granny sucks a dico,real good!
@@cyrilsmith5706 Glen you got issues
@@claremansbridge2164 Yeah they remind me of them more than Hindley and Brady.
@@TheLimitlessLegacy don't feed the trolls please
This was absolutely horrific. An inside job on child molest station and kidnapping. Horrible! But good plot. I think every junior high and high school age child should watch this. Very good lesson to learn. Trust no one.
19:35 Don't trust her. She's a stranger, too.
I remember watching this as a kid, I was about 8 or 9 and even back then thinking what a great twist the story had. I past the place it was filmed ( Bus stop and phone box) a few weeks ago. This is one episode that has always stuck in my memory.
Did you smash up the phone box and chuck a brick through her window?
I knew she was being too nice and I could feel the twist coming but it was even more subtle than i thought. Good job
This seems like the moors murders. Such a chilling episode !
Ah, that tune zaps me back...
i never saw that coming. thanks for sharing
Ah the vandalised phone box....takes me back!
One of the best 'tales' total nihilism.