Tales of the Unexpected: Back for Christmas starts during a farewell party given by James (Richard Johnson) & Hermione Carpenter (Sian Phillips) for their friends mere hours before James & Hermione fly off to America where botanist James has a new job. However the womanising James has plans that don't include Hermione & decides to kill her, after the deed is done he cuts the body up & buries it. It's a perfect plan that surely can't go wrong, can it?
Episode 14 from season 2 this Tales of the Unexpected story originally aired here in the UK during May 1980, the second of five Tales of the Unexpected episodes to be directed by Giles Foster I thought this was a great 25 minute thriller with a twist. The story by John Collier had already been adapted for the anthology TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956) before it was dramatised by Denis Cannan for this show, this has everything a good Tales of the Unexpected episode should have including a nice build up, decent character's & most importantly an intriguing story with a surprising twist at the end. I liked the ironic ending especially as before he killed her James wife started in motion events which would uncover his crime which just felt right in a what goes around comes around sort of way. At only 25 minutes in length it moves along at a nice pace & is a neat way to pass the time.
During his filmed introduction Dahl doesn't actually mention the story & only that the guy who came up with the story also wrote a book about a chimpanzee who fell in love with & married a teacher! Not that it has any relevance to the story at hand but there you go. Unusually for this show there's a bit of blood on show here as James cuts his wife's body up although there is no graphic gore. This one hasn't dated too badly but just look at those seats on the air-plane, they look like they are covered in hideous 70's shag-pile patterned carpet! The acting is good & I always like watching Richard Johnson (this was his first out of three appearances on Tales of the Unexpected) & whenever I see him I can't help but think about his roles in the Italian gore films Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979), The Great Alligator (1979) & Island of Mutations (1979) all of which he made in '79 & stand out like a sore thumb against the rest of his career which spans over 60 years.
Back for Christmas is a great Tales of the Unexpected episode from a very strong season 2, I liked it, fans of the show should like it & anyone looking for a crime thriller with a twist should like it.
Episode 14 from season 2 this Tales of the Unexpected story originally aired here in the UK during May 1980, the second of five Tales of the Unexpected episodes to be directed by Giles Foster I thought this was a great 25 minute thriller with a twist. The story by John Collier had already been adapted for the anthology TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956) before it was dramatised by Denis Cannan for this show, this has everything a good Tales of the Unexpected episode should have including a nice build up, decent character's & most importantly an intriguing story with a surprising twist at the end. I liked the ironic ending especially as before he killed her James wife started in motion events which would uncover his crime which just felt right in a what goes around comes around sort of way. At only 25 minutes in length it moves along at a nice pace & is a neat way to pass the time.
During his filmed introduction Dahl doesn't actually mention the story & only that the guy who came up with the story also wrote a book about a chimpanzee who fell in love with & married a teacher! Not that it has any relevance to the story at hand but there you go. Unusually for this show there's a bit of blood on show here as James cuts his wife's body up although there is no graphic gore. This one hasn't dated too badly but just look at those seats on the air-plane, they look like they are covered in hideous 70's shag-pile patterned carpet! The acting is good & I always like watching Richard Johnson (this was his first out of three appearances on Tales of the Unexpected) & whenever I see him I can't help but think about his roles in the Italian gore films Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979), The Great Alligator (1979) & Island of Mutations (1979) all of which he made in '79 & stand out like a sore thumb against the rest of his career which spans over 60 years.
Back for Christmas is a great Tales of the Unexpected episode from a very strong season 2, I liked it, fans of the show should like it & anyone looking for a crime thriller with a twist should like it.
