Tales of Unease is a British anthology series that aired in the 70s. Even though I had never seen it before, I had heard of it whilst researching other cult TV shows to watch. So, finding myself at a loose end one evening I thought I'd give a looksie.
The 6 part series features a collection of eerie and unsettling stories, adapted from horror anthologies. However, what sets Tales of Unease apart from other horror anthologies of the time is its focus on creating a subtle and uncanny atmosphere, rather than relying on shock value or gore. The series weaves tales of menace and black humour, often leaving the viewer with a lingering sense of, well, unease.
Episode 1 - Ride, Ride - At the School of Art dance, an awkward student named Art (Yes, really. "it's short for Arthur," he says as his chat-up line to an unimpressed mysterious young lady (Susan George). She asks him to take her home and, thinking she's a bit too keen and clingy, Art grudgingly relents. He drives her miles away on his motorbike to the Downs towards an old house but she vanishes before he gets there.
This story stars the wonderful Susan George as a bit of an enigma and the tale itself is a pretty basic time loop/ premonition story but it's okay.
Episode 2: Calculated Nightmare - When redundancies are being planned through the use of computers and poorly programmed algorithms by a pair of unscrupulous suits, a man with loyal service to the company takes exception and locks them up within the building at night until they start again. As the heating system kicks in and the men refuse to budge it becomes a game of chicken.
This is a prescient episode as it recognised that automation would lead to a loss of jobs and the corporate world and toadies would be merciless when removing people from their jobs with no regard for the consequences.
Episode 3: The Black Goddess - In the Rhondda Valley in the 30s, 4 miners are stuck after a mineshaft collapse. With air running out and escape unlikely they slowly contemplate their fate. When one of the miners starts to slowly lose his grip on reality (or does he?) it affects everyone.
This was quite a good episode as the mineshaft is a suitably creepy setting for a scary story. It's a slow build as it reaches a crescendo, looking at the old Gods and Goddesses and the blight of Christianity.
Episode 4: It's Too Late Now - When a neglected housewife takes revenge on her abusive writer husband by locking him in his study. She lives her best life for a few days but cannot forgive the fact that they didn't have children or do the things she wanted to do. She struggles with the consequences of her actions but, over time, starts to enjoy her newfound freedom.
This is a good episode looking at the mental health and the resultant consequences of the long time abuse of a woman from her husband. The main actress, Rachel Kempson, is great in the role as a put upon wife and does a pretty much solo performance.
Episode 5: Superstitious Ignorance - A young couple are looking to get on the property ladder and look around an old Edwardian house full of a superstitious woman and her children. Whilst being shown around by the estate agent the woman insists that there are spirits but the man thinks it's a way to put them off buying. But there is a strange smell lingering in the air...
This episode looks at gentrification and the superstitions that pervaded amongst some communities at the time. It's unsettling when the family start doing their Latin prayers but the ending is a bit meh.
Episode 6: Bad Bad Jo Jo - An arrogance and self-centred writer has an interview with a journalist from a fan magazine but it doesn't go as planned. His comic creations come to life and exact revenge.
This episode is pretty camp and overacted in the best possible way but it does build towards a surprising and unsettling ending. The poor dog, who thinks it's real, is overwrought and stressed and this put me off as I felt sorry for the poor fella but Roy Dotrice as the writer is brilliant at delivering his ascerbic put-downs at a machine gun speed.
Episode 7: The Old Banger - When a young couple move into their new home, they dump their old car on the other side of London. However, over the course of sebrsl days it seems to be returning to them...but how?
This is a fun and humorous episode with snappy dialogue between the husband and wife but the ending is downbeat.
Overall, I had a pretty good time watching the series. Some episodes are more effective than others, as is always the case with anthologies, but the series is generally well-written and features strong performances from the whole cast.
For me, the standout episodes were The Black Goddess, which was a great claustrophobic tale about the miners trapped underground, and The Old Banger, the witty story about a car that refuses to be destroyed.
However, in my opinion, the series lacks a consistent identity, lacking the twist endings of Tales of the Unexpected, the taught costumed drama of Dead of Night or the austerity of Ghost Stories for Christmas. As a result, some episodes can feel underwhelming but it is worth a watch to get a variety of stories and get a portal into the past.
LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review
LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review
LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review
LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review