Format
The series originally adapted various stories from Roald Dahl's anthology books. Despite being produced on a low budget the series attracted guest stars of high calibre, such as José Ferrer, Joseph Cotten, Janet Leigh, John Gielgud, John Mills, Wendy Hiller, Denholm Elliott, Joan Collins, Rod Taylor, Ian Holm, Brian Blessed, Michael Gambon, Cyril Cusack, Julie Harris, Michael Hordern, Derek Jacobi, Siobhán McKenna, Anna Neagle, Elaine Stritch, Andrew Ray and Timothy West.
Dahl introduced all of his own stories himself, giving short monologues explaining what inspired him to write them.
Although many of Dahl's stories are left open to the reader's interpretation, the television series usually provided a generally accepted conclusion. This is exemplified in the story "The Landlady", the written version of which only hints at character Billy's fate, while the televised adaptation has a more resolved conclusion.
Later episodes were set in different locations outside the United Kingdom, with many being made in the United States.
Read more about this topic: Tales Of The Unexpected (TV Series)