Tales from the Dark Side

Chris Hallam looks back on the anthology series originally based on Roald Dahl's short stories

- By Chris Hallam

'I ought to warn you, that if you haven’t read any of my stories, that you may be disturbed by some of the things which happen in them.” With this note of caution, author Roald Dahl began his brief introduction to the very first edition of Tales of the Unexpected. Produced by ITV franchise Anglia Television, the first programme aired on the evening of Saturday 24 March 1979. Over the course of the next decade, the popular anthology series would run for a total of 112 episodes, before concluding in May 1989. In practice, the dramas would only last for 25 minutes, interrupted only by a commercial break. In reality, they would often stay with the viewer forever.

Even with a brand-new scenario every week and a title and format which, to some extent, relied on a degree of unpredictability, the show’s memorable opening title sequence gave viewers some idea of what to expect. Against a haunting musical backdrop provided by perhaps the greatest of all TV theme composers, Ron Grainer (the Australian, who would die prematurely in 1981, had already created the title music for Doctor Who, Steptoe and Son, and The Prisoner), the audience was confronted by a series of images – a roulette wheel, some tarot cards, a smiling devil, a firing gun, a pile of skulls – all linked by the recurring visual motif of a young woman dancing in silhouette. The dancer in question was one Karen Standley.

Over the course of the next half-hour, viewers could be sure they would be treated to a compelling self-contained story, usually with some sort of twist in the tail. Storylines would often follow up the consequences of human weaknesses, notably mankind’s tendencies towards lust, greed, jealousy and the desire to commit murder. Occasionally, the subject matter would veer towards science fiction, fantasy or horror, although this was more unusual. A rich vein of sometimes sardonic dark humour was also evident in many of the stories featured.