Because I’m one who isn’t necessarily frightened off by a little bit of controversy, today I’m bringing up the name of author, poet, and screenwriter Roald Dahl.
Yes, I realize that modern times ain’t all that they’re cracked up to be, and some of you may have been a bit aghast when not all that long ago there was a cultural movement underway – albeit reasonably briefly – to see the written texts of the author edited. Without going into the entire social debacle, 2023 saw one publisher hiring a team of ‘sensitivity experts’ to wade through their tomes within the Dahl catalogue and change the writer’s words in order to – ahem – reflect what they felt were better, more contemporary, and socially accepted words. Eventually, the publisher relented, offering up ‘classic editions’ which would include the author’s original text; but – let me say – we live in dark times, indeed, when a producer might think nothing of essentially rewriting some of the greatest written words in all of the English language just to make a few complainers feel better. If Dahl’s stuff offends you, how about going elsewhere? Why must we reengineer timeless masterpieces to reflect an era in which they weren’t even imagined?
In any event, I’d long known that Dahl’s imprimatur had been attached to the long-running British television anthology Tales Of The Unexpected (1979-1988), and I’d wanted to check it out. Of course, I was aware that while its various episodes weren’t always the stuff that I’d normally cover for SciFiHistory.Net; still, many of you know that I’ll apt to do what I want anyway, so there. In many ways, I’ve surmised that Dahl’s work was close to Horror in much the same way that many of Alfred Hitchcock’s yarns are considered such; so I can live with that ‘close enough’ association.
Over the weekend, I sat down with “The Man From The South,” the pilot episode for Unexpected. This first installment was directed by Michael Tuchner and adapted from Dahl’s story for the small screen by Kevin Goldstein-Jackson. Dahl introduces the little chiller – much like Hitchcock and even Ray Bradbury had done in television anthologies bearing their respective names – and it stars José Ferrer, Michael Ontkean, Pamela Stephenson, Cyril Luckham, and Katy Jurado in key roles. Set in sunny Jamaica, it all turns rather dark very quickly – delightfully so – and might be one of the finest thirty-minute capers I’ve ever stumbled upon.
Yes. It’s that good.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A young American couple on holiday meet a mysterious old gentleman who makes them a macabre wager.”
Others might disagree just a bit with my assessment on this episode, and that’s perfectly acceptable. As I often opine, all here are free to make what they will of any story – I’ve no requirement that you like what I like – and it’s this difference of opinion that makes the world go ‘round. Still, I would hope that by now if I encourage you that something is worth your time that you would take me seriously because I think “The Man From The South” is about as good – in small ways – that television dramas can get.
Is it wrong to covet?
For me that’s the core question posed in considering South.
Yes, I realize that modern times ain’t all that they’re cracked up to be, and some of you may have been a bit aghast when not all that long ago there was a cultural movement underway – albeit reasonably briefly – to see the written texts of the author edited. Without going into the entire social debacle, 2023 saw one publisher hiring a team of ‘sensitivity experts’ to wade through their tomes within the Dahl catalogue and change the writer’s words in order to – ahem – reflect what they felt were better, more contemporary, and socially accepted words. Eventually, the publisher relented, offering up ‘classic editions’ which would include the author’s original text; but – let me say – we live in dark times, indeed, when a producer might think nothing of essentially rewriting some of the greatest written words in all of the English language just to make a few complainers feel better. If Dahl’s stuff offends you, how about going elsewhere? Why must we reengineer timeless masterpieces to reflect an era in which they weren’t even imagined?
In any event, I’d long known that Dahl’s imprimatur had been attached to the long-running British television anthology Tales Of The Unexpected (1979-1988), and I’d wanted to check it out. Of course, I was aware that while its various episodes weren’t always the stuff that I’d normally cover for SciFiHistory.Net; still, many of you know that I’ll apt to do what I want anyway, so there. In many ways, I’ve surmised that Dahl’s work was close to Horror in much the same way that many of Alfred Hitchcock’s yarns are considered such; so I can live with that ‘close enough’ association.
Over the weekend, I sat down with “The Man From The South,” the pilot episode for Unexpected. This first installment was directed by Michael Tuchner and adapted from Dahl’s story for the small screen by Kevin Goldstein-Jackson. Dahl introduces the little chiller – much like Hitchcock and even Ray Bradbury had done in television anthologies bearing their respective names – and it stars José Ferrer, Michael Ontkean, Pamela Stephenson, Cyril Luckham, and Katy Jurado in key roles. Set in sunny Jamaica, it all turns rather dark very quickly – delightfully so – and might be one of the finest thirty-minute capers I’ve ever stumbled upon.
Yes. It’s that good.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A young American couple on holiday meet a mysterious old gentleman who makes them a macabre wager.”
Others might disagree just a bit with my assessment on this episode, and that’s perfectly acceptable. As I often opine, all here are free to make what they will of any story – I’ve no requirement that you like what I like – and it’s this difference of opinion that makes the world go ‘round. Still, I would hope that by now if I encourage you that something is worth your time that you would take me seriously because I think “The Man From The South” is about as good – in small ways – that television dramas can get.
Is it wrong to covet?
For me that’s the core question posed in considering South.
Tommy (played by Michael Ontkean) – an American soldier on leave with others – frolics with a lovely lady he’s just met, Cathy (Pamela Stephenson) – and, sensing a welcome connection they retire from warm waters to a comfortable table along the hotel boardwalk. It isn’t long before they begin chatting with two older men – Rawlsden (Cyril Luckham) and Carlos (José Ferrer) – about nothing consequential much less significant. After an exchange of cigarettes, the inquisitive Carlos notices Tommy’s fondness for his American-made lighter, and the elder challenges, “Do you think you could light it ten times in a row?”
What conversation begins from a simple question of mechanical reliability soon turns to an all-out bet. Carlos – an ostensibly wealthy patron of the resort – is willing to wager his white Jaguar as spoils for the contest, and Tommy – a humble soldier in service to his country – admits he has nothing comparable to pony up.
Carlos asks, “How about the little finger on your left hand?”
Everyone initially dismisses this as a ploy, but as the debate goes on Tommy comes to realize that the man is serious. Naturally, the two have a bit of back-and-forth over the usefulness (or lack thereof) of a pinky finger; and it isn’t until Carlos has the young man sitting behind the wheel of his roadster out front that the soldier realizes that a car he could only ever dream about owning is nearly within his grasp. All he need do is agree to the terms – a finger for an auto – and prove that his lighter is as good as it’s always been … and voila.
Now, I don’t want to spoil anything further because that’s the thrill that comes from stories of this type. Rod Serling long ago showed himself to a veritable master of the twist endings, but – if South is any indication – Dahl arguably could give the veteran TV yarnspinner a run for his money. The script is a wonderful exploration of how one simple construct can be stretched into a handful of tense scenes, and it never gets preachy about its subject matter nor judgmental over the mores of its various characters. It sticks to presenting characters revolving around a premise, and it leaves condemnation entirely out of the spectrum.
As I said, I see South as an essay on the dangers of wanting something so bad that, perhaps, it clouds your mind to the reality of one’s circumstances. There are always prices to be paid for ignorance, and nothing in life is ever as easy as it presents. Tommy – somewhat blinded by his desire to possess the status machine of its era (and still highly regarded decades later) – sees an easy path to victory. Such an achievement would be a legendary tale amongst friends and family, so if he could accomplish it then the reward vastly outweighs what he perceives as the possible and negligible risk – the loss of a finger.
After all, isn’t that – really – a small price to pay for greatness?
Thankfully, Tommy does learn a lesson. I can only hope that he keeps it in heart and mind for the remainder of his days.
Tales Of The Unexpected’s “The Man From The South” was produced by Anglia Television. The episode shows available via physical or digital purchase (or rental) via a variety of platforms and vendors. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the episode’s provided sights and sounds to be exception from start-to-finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? As I viewed this via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
Highly recommended.
Longtime readers of SciFiHistory.Net know of my fondness for anthologies, and I was thrilled to finally check out Roald Dahl’s Tales Of The Unexpected: the pilot episode – “The Man From The South” – is about as good as anything I’ve found by way of TV grade chills. It’s far more conventional than it is unconventional, but the performances are all quite good – Ferrer makes this one more charming than it should be, and that’s a huge advantage given its finale. Exceptionally entertaining … and it just might give you something to think about, too.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that I’m beholden to no one for this review of Tales Of The Unexpected’s “The Man From The South” (S01E01). I viewed this via my very own subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
-- EZ
What conversation begins from a simple question of mechanical reliability soon turns to an all-out bet. Carlos – an ostensibly wealthy patron of the resort – is willing to wager his white Jaguar as spoils for the contest, and Tommy – a humble soldier in service to his country – admits he has nothing comparable to pony up.
Carlos asks, “How about the little finger on your left hand?”
Everyone initially dismisses this as a ploy, but as the debate goes on Tommy comes to realize that the man is serious. Naturally, the two have a bit of back-and-forth over the usefulness (or lack thereof) of a pinky finger; and it isn’t until Carlos has the young man sitting behind the wheel of his roadster out front that the soldier realizes that a car he could only ever dream about owning is nearly within his grasp. All he need do is agree to the terms – a finger for an auto – and prove that his lighter is as good as it’s always been … and voila.
Now, I don’t want to spoil anything further because that’s the thrill that comes from stories of this type. Rod Serling long ago showed himself to a veritable master of the twist endings, but – if South is any indication – Dahl arguably could give the veteran TV yarnspinner a run for his money. The script is a wonderful exploration of how one simple construct can be stretched into a handful of tense scenes, and it never gets preachy about its subject matter nor judgmental over the mores of its various characters. It sticks to presenting characters revolving around a premise, and it leaves condemnation entirely out of the spectrum.
As I said, I see South as an essay on the dangers of wanting something so bad that, perhaps, it clouds your mind to the reality of one’s circumstances. There are always prices to be paid for ignorance, and nothing in life is ever as easy as it presents. Tommy – somewhat blinded by his desire to possess the status machine of its era (and still highly regarded decades later) – sees an easy path to victory. Such an achievement would be a legendary tale amongst friends and family, so if he could accomplish it then the reward vastly outweighs what he perceives as the possible and negligible risk – the loss of a finger.
After all, isn’t that – really – a small price to pay for greatness?
Thankfully, Tommy does learn a lesson. I can only hope that he keeps it in heart and mind for the remainder of his days.
Tales Of The Unexpected’s “The Man From The South” was produced by Anglia Television. The episode shows available via physical or digital purchase (or rental) via a variety of platforms and vendors. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the episode’s provided sights and sounds to be exception from start-to-finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? As I viewed this via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
Highly recommended.
Longtime readers of SciFiHistory.Net know of my fondness for anthologies, and I was thrilled to finally check out Roald Dahl’s Tales Of The Unexpected: the pilot episode – “The Man From The South” – is about as good as anything I’ve found by way of TV grade chills. It’s far more conventional than it is unconventional, but the performances are all quite good – Ferrer makes this one more charming than it should be, and that’s a huge advantage given its finale. Exceptionally entertaining … and it just might give you something to think about, too.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that I’m beholden to no one for this review of Tales Of The Unexpected’s “The Man From The South” (S01E01). I viewed this via my very own subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
-- EZ
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