Tales of the Unexpected

- Season 6

(1983)

Frank Jesmond is on hard times and in danger of losing his family when a man named Laughlin gives him a job as a hitman, the mark being Peter Madison, a school contemporary of Frank who has done very well for himself in the States and is back on a visit. Frank arrives at Peter's hotel and introduces himself, and, for old times sake, the two men go to Peter's room for a drink. As they talk, Frank's purpose starts to waver and he finds himself susceptible to a new deal.

Colin Mearns scrapes a living with a business helping people improve their memory but it is not a huge success and his girl-friend wants out. Then a Mr. King turns up, seeking Colin's help. He is agitated and rather bad-tempered, having placed a bag in a left luggage locker at a station but forgotten the details and the combination. Colin is certainly able to help but, unaware that Mr. King is really a safe-cracker who keeps his tools in the bag, unfortunately becomes too curious for his own good.

Claire Hawksworth and her boyfriend Dave are struggling to keep up the payments on their Caribbean hotel and had always counted on Claire's wealthy Aunt Alicia leaving her all her money. However, Alicia informs the couple that she is changing her will in favour of her new grand-child. The pair decide that Alicia should meet with an unfortunate swimming accident before the will can be altered and duly despatch her. However, they had reckoned without a letter Alicia had sent to her solicitor.

Whilst winding up his late father's affairs for his invalid mother Paul Standing comes across an invoice from a London book-shop and goes to meet the owners, the Carey brothers, who claim that Paul's father owes them money for pornographic books they sent him. In fact the brothers are crooks who scour the obituary columns for the names of deceased worthies and then hit their relatives with the lie that the dead man owed them for erotic reading material, knowing that the ignorant next of kin will pay up to avoid a scandal. However Paul and his mother invite the Careys ...

One of rich uncle George's identical nephews has murdered him. How can the sheriff identify the guilty one?

George Forester is an annoying practical joker, who tries the patience of work colleague Frank Parker and his wife Laura. When the latest jape, involving the sabotaging of a business dinner party, costs Frank promotion and George's wife Julie goes to Edinburgh, leaving him alone in the house, Laura sees an opportunity to put an end to George's pranks for good.

Gerry T Armstrong is on holiday in England, revisiting some of the places he saw when he was a young GI. The old dance hall is now a tawdry nightclub but Gerry is still looking for a girl he met there during the war. Why does he become increasingly desperate as the night drags on?

Elderly - uniformed - Teuton Von Baden tells colleague Winterluck a tale from his youth when he was a student in Heidelberg over fifty years earlier. A fellow student Cassan was a bully but a fine swordsman who one day challenged another youth, Macker, to a fight when he found Macker in bed with his girlfriend. Cassan chose Von Baden to be his second, giving him the perfect opportunity to do away with the over-bearing and unpopular student.

Helmut Weinrich is a German businessman who has just closed a successful deal in Coventry. Feeling very satisfied and now alone for the evening, he impulsively picks up the bar tab of a pretty girl called Molly and invites her back to his hotel room, despite the warning of the hotel detective that Molly is a 'wrong-un'.

Author Tony Medway is thrilled to receive a phone call from Susan Mandeville, inviting him to a restaurant to discuss making a film of his book. After all, Susan is married to an influential film producer and the deal could make Tony's fortune. Unfortunately, Blundell's, the restaurant of Susan's choice, is very expensive. Tony has budgeted himself to have a fairly inexpensive and minimal meal but Susan keeps going for items he can barely afford. Never mind, it will all come right because of her husband, won't it? Assuming he still is her husband.

Three aristocratic ladies now living in reduced circumstances, agree to have lunch together as a tribute to Dench, the woman who worked as a nanny for all of them in many years ago. As they reminisce, it becomes clear that through their meanness and snobbery, they all treated Dench rather poorly. But maybe their lowly servant can have the last laugh?

Dr. Roger Ashburn is heart-broken when his beloved but selfish wife Mary leaves him, in highly public fashion, leaving her wedding ring to be found during a dinner party Roger is giving for a colleague and his wife. In order to get his life back together he decides to get a job in a hospital in a different town, to make a new start. Then, one day, an all too familiar patient is brought in. . .

Dr Humphrey Baxter falls for TV presenter Caroline Coates. A story of love and desire.

Slade is a criminal lawyer who is facing disgrace and asks his colleague Spalding to help cover up for him but Spalding is impervious to corruption and refuses so he needs to be disposed of. Slade lies in wait for him as he takes his customary early morning swim, kills him and drags the body into the sea. But Slade has reckoned without the turn of the tide...