The IMDB lists a series called Tales of the Unexpected with episodes written by Roald Dahl. If it’s the series I’m thinking of, it was very creepy.
I’ve seen it. It adapted Roald Dahl’s own stories. He also hosted.
The only episode I recall is Lamb to the Slaughter, which was done (as noted) on Alfred Hitchcock’s show as well.
An obscure but enjoyable show from the early 70’s called The Evil Touch. It was an anthology type show; one episode in particular that stuck with me was called “Campaign '20” about, you guessed it, the presidential campaign of 2020. The world is more advanced in their 2020 than ours.
So far the thread has been about TV series, but Old-Time Radio had some good horror anthology shows. Google turns up a number of “best episodes” lists, including the ones I’ve linked below. I know nothing about these websites, but I do recognize several of the listed episodes as some I remember enjoying years ago when I was on a bit of an OTR kick. Some good stuff there.
Fear You Can Hear: 31 of the Scariest Old Time Radio Episodes
The Best Horror Radio Dramas EVER
The 31 Scariest Old Time Radio Shows
The Sand Kings series on Outer Limits?
I’ve been watching the original series on DVD. This first one struck me as being quite shocking and grim for the 1950s, especially in making it clear the wife had been raped.
But Hitchcock does introduce and close that episode, as he does all the rest of the original series. (He doesn’t do cameos, though, as he does in his movies. It would be a too distracting in shows that run less than a half hour.)
One of my favorite episodes. I saw it in its original run in 1964. It gave me nightmares for years.
And Norman LLoyd is still alive at 104!
Several mentions of it, but Boris Karloff’s **Thriller **was almost as good as the Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock.
Another show where you will recognize a lot of the young actors from shows in the 60s but they weren’t famous when filmed. Also a mix of B actors and old movie actors at the time. The first episode had Leslie Nielsen. William Shatner had 2 appearances as did John Carradine & Jack Weston. I recall seeing a young Elizabeth Montgomery and Donna Douglas (Ellie May Clampett)
Monsters - 1988-1991
Intro- "Monsters" Horror Anthology Series Intro & Highlights From "The Match Game" Episode! - YouTube
Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories is another one from the 80s. Quite a few future stars played roles in that.
Hammer House of Horror is a British one from the early 80s. There was at least one really good episode, The House That Bled to Death, which is a fantastic title.
A more recent one is Masters of Horror, with episodes directed by different very well-known directors even including Quentin Tarantino.
American Horror Story probably counts, I’d say, because each season is very short and separate to the other seasons. I still haven’t got round to watching it yet - must rectify that.
Tales of the Unexpected is still shown in repeats almost constantly in the UK, FWIW. Just yesterday I watched one with Telly Savalas in it.
If I may mention non-English language TV, I would like to submit, from Spanish television in the late 1960’s-early 1970’s, “Historias para no dormir” (“Stories to make you lose your sleep”). Nice antology, with several episodes based on published short stories (a bit like “The Twilight Zone”).
Also, as a stand-alone, I would like to mention “La Cabina”, also produced by the main Spanish TV broadcaster. I understand that the BBC showed it a couple of times. That short film (~30 minutes) left an indelible impression on me.
Vera Miles was the wife, and Carl Betz (from The Donna Reed Show) was the husband.
Another episode of Hitchcock I particularly enjoyed starred Peter Fonda as a country boy who went to barber school to get his revenge on the guy responsible for his brother’s death: “I didn’t do nothin’ to him. Just gave him a shave. And a real good one, too. Not a scratch on him…” :o
Oh goody, I get to bring up Trilogy of Terror and it’s Zuni hunting fetish doll that chased Karen Black all over her apartment.
My favorite quote: ArghbudydyvodinboihjldnggprjhkEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAzukzukzukzukhahahahahahhEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHYKHYKHYK!!!
A good episode, but I like Specialty of the House (with Robert Morely) more.
:p:p That would be one of the ABC movies of the week, IIRC. There were some awesome made for tv movies back then, such as Bad Ronald and Scream Pretty Peggy
I just discovered Netflix has a show called Two Sentence Horror Stories that might interest the readers of this thread. Never heard of it.
I have a vague recollection of a show called the Hitchhiker or the Hitcher, that had pretty creepy stories.
ETA Aha! Found it: The Hitchhiker (TV series) - Wikipedia
The last parenthesis typo strikes again! Let me fix that and get rid of that .m as well:
Link.
It’s a surprising list of guest stars they have listed there.
The one I remember most is Split Decision with the Landers sisters. Maybe not the most representative episode.