Best tv shows like Tales of the Unexpected
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
A British television anthology of stories, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, and a twist at the end. With early episodes written and presented by Roald Dahl, the series featured a plethora of big name guest stars.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: anthology, scary, spooky, dark, sitcom, dark fairy tale, atmospheric, mind bending, offbeat, serious
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Best tv shows and movies like Tales of the Unexpected (1979):
Similar in 83%
Masters of Science Fiction (2007)
Plot Summary:
Masters of Science Fiction is an American television anthology series by the same creators as Masters of Horror. The show debuted on ABC on August 4, 2007 at 10PM for a run of four episodes. It was originally scheduled to run in six parts, but two episodes were removed from the schedule for undisclosed reasons. The show follows a similar format as Masters of Horror, with each hour long episode taking the form of a separate short film adaptation of a story by a respected member of the science fiction community, hence the Masters in the title. In December 2007, the show was picked up by Space in Canada. This then allowed the North American premiere of the missing two episodes. A Region 1 DVD of all six episodes was released on August 5, 2008. On February 12, 2012, the Science Channel began airing the episodes, under the title "Stephen Hawking's Sci-Fi Masters", beginning with the first domestic airing of the episode "Watchbirds". The show is hosted off-screen by physicist Stephen Hawking.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: anthology, serious, suspenseful, suspense, intellectual, educational, experimental, scary, mind bending, offbeat
Similar in 81%
The Ray Bradbury Theater (1985)
Plot Summary:
A Canadian-produced fantastic anthology series scripted by famed science-fiction author Ray Bradbury. Many of the teleplays were based upon Bradbury's novels and short stories.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK, France, Canada, New Zealand
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anthology, scary, dark, mysterious, dark fairy tale, spooky, semi autobiographical, vintage
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Similar in 89%
The Enfield Haunting (2015)
Plot Summary:
Supernatural drama based on real-life events that took place in an ordinary North London home in 1977. During the autumn of that year, novice paranormal researcher Maurice Grosse hears of a family reported to be terrorised by supernatural forces. After the recent death of his own daughter, Maurice gets drawn into the family's story, which also involves a young girl at the centre of the bizarre happenings. The researcher enlists the help of experienced investigator Guy Lyon Playfair, who at first believes the case to be a scam - that is, until he comes into contact with the malevolent presence himself.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Horror, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 136 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, suspenseful, scary, serious, spooky, terrifying
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Similar in 85%
Glory Days (2001)
Plot Summary:
Wunderkind author Mike Dolan achieved literary fame at age 21 with a steamy expose on his seemingly idyllic Maine town. Four years later, he hasn't written another word and reluctantly returns home in search of an antidote ... where he is welcomed back with all the warmth of a lynch mob.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 400
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: scary, rough, serious, suspenseful, atmospheric
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Similar in 89%
Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible (2001)
Plot Summary:
Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible is a British comedy-horror anthology series created by Graham Duff, who co-wrote the series with Steve Coogan. BBC Two broadcast the series in 2001. It spoofs the British horror films of Amicus Productions, Hammer Film Productions, and Tigon British Film Productions. The title parodies Amicus Productions' anthology film Dr. Terror's House of Horrors.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 590
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: parody, anthology, humorous, suspenseful, not serious, spooky, scary, realistic, biting, suspense
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Similar in 84%
The Hitchhiker (1983)
Plot Summary:
The Hitchhiker is a mystery anthology series that aired from 1983 to 1987 on HBO and First Choice in Canada. The series later moved to the USA Network from 1989 to 1991.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Canada, France
Duration: 26 min
Plot tags: anthology, scary, dark, creepy, dark fairy tale, spooky, twist ending, tense, serious, suspenseful
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Similar in 86%
Deadtime Stories (2012)
Plot Summary:
A baby-sitter tells a different 'Deadtime Story' to the kids she is babysitting. The stories are scary and chilling.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 296
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: anthology, humorous, suspenseful, semi serious, suspense, scary, psychological, rough, bleak, dark fairy tale
Similar in 87%
Hammer House of Horror (1980)
Plot Summary:
Anthology series, in which each self-contained episode featured a different kind of horror. These varied from witches, werewolves, ghosts, devil worship and voodoo, but also included non-supernatural horror themes such as cannibalism, confinement and serial killers.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 54 min
Plot tags: anthology, scary, spooky, dark fairy tale, gothic, gothic horror, psychological, rough, serious, suspenseful
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Similar in 81%
The Hunger (1997)
Plot Summary:
The Hunger is a British/Canadian television horror anthology series, co-produced by Scott Free Productions, Telescene Film Group Productions and the Canadian pay-TV channel The Movie Network. Though it shares a title with the feature film The Hunger the series has no direct plot or character connection to the film, and was created by Jeff Fazio. Originally shown on the Sci Fi Channel in the UK, The Movie Network in Canada and Showtime in the US, the series was broadcast from 1997 to 2000, and is internally organized into two seasons. Each episode was based around an independent story introduced by the host; Terence Stamp hosted each episode for the first season, and was replaced in the second season by David Bowie. Stories tended to focus on themes of self-destructive desire and obsession, with a strong component of soft-core erotica; popular tropes for the stories included cannibalism, vampires, sex, and poison.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK, Canada
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anthology, atmospheric, gothic, bleak, scary, serious, psychological, dark fairy tale, erotic, independent film
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Similar in 82%
Goosebumps (1995)
Plot Summary:
Goosebumps is a Canadian-American children's horror anthology television series based on R. L. Stine's Goosebumps books. It was one of the two popular television horror anthology children's series in the 1990s.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: anthology, dark, sitcom, dark fairy tale, scary, dark fantasy, teen horror, epic fantasy, atmospheric, suspenseful
Similar in 78%
The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978)
Plot Summary:
A young couple moves to a quiet New England village, only to soon find themselves mixed up in mysterious rituals.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 300 min
Plot tags: gothic, slasher, satanic, spooky, thrilling, scary, tense, atmospheric, rough, mind bending
Similar in 89%
Freddy's Nightmares (1988)
Plot Summary:
Freddy's Nightmares is an American horror anthology series, which aired in syndication from October 1988 until March 1990. A spin-off from the Nightmare on Elm Street series, each story was introduced by Freddy Krueger. This format is essentially the same as that employed by Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Tales from the Crypt, or The Twilight Zone. The pilot episode was directed by Tobe Hooper, and begins with Freddy Krueger's acquittal of the child-murdering charges due to his officer's lack of reviewing the Miranda warning at the time of Freddy's arrest. A mob of parents eventually corners Freddy in a power plant, leading to him being torched by the police officer, dying and gaining his familiar visage. The series was produced by New Line Television, producers of the film series. It was originally distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures. However, Warner Bros. Television would assume syndication rights after acquiring Lorimar-Telepictures.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: slasher, scary, anthology, atmospheric, suspenseful, exciting, bleak, stylized, spooky, psychological
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Similar in 87%
Inside No. 9 (2014)
Plot Summary:
An anthology of darkly comic twisted tales, each one taking place behind a door marked 'number 9'.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: anthology, surreal, offbeat, semi serious, psychological thriller, tense, captivating, funny, surprise ending, intellectual
Similar in 82%
R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour (2010)
Plot Summary:
R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour is a Canadian/American original anthology horror-fantasy series, with episodes each half an hour long. The series is based on The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It Movie, and the books The Haunting Hour and Nightmare Hour anthology by R. L. Stine.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anthology, scary, exciting, serious, suspenseful, spooky, dark, dark fantasy, horror comedy, dark fairy tale
Similar in 79%
Thriller (1973)
Plot Summary:
Thriller is a British television series, originally broadcast in the UK from 1973 to 1976. It is an anthology series: each episode has a self-contained story and its own cast. As the title suggests, each story is a thriller of some variety, from tales of the supernatural to down-to-earth whodunits.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 936
Genere: Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 65 min
Plot tags: anthology, scary, dark, dark fairy tale, frightening, spooky, surprise ending, psychological horror
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Similar in 76%
Bloodride (2020)
Plot Summary:
The doomed passengers aboard a spectral bus head toward a gruesome, unknown destination in this deliciously macabre horror anthology series.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Norway
Duration:
Plot tags: anthology, scary, serious, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing, stylized, surprise ending, dark fairy tale, sinister
Similar in 90%
American Horror Stories (2021)
Plot Summary:
An anthology series of stand alone episodes delving into horror myths, legends and lore.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: anthology, atmospheric, scary, tense, suspenseful, serious, stylized, dark drama
Similar in 88%
Amazing Stories (1985)
Plot Summary:
A truly amazing, fantastical, science fiction, funny and odd, and sometimes scary, sad and endearing anthology series presented by Steven Spielberg with guest appearances by many famous actors, actresses, and directors.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: anthology, atmospheric, mind bending, serious, suspenseful, retro, dark, twist ending, sitcom, dark fairy tale
Similar in 81%
Tales from the Darkside (1983)
Plot Summary:
Tales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series created by George A. Romero; it was released in 1984. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, Tales From The Crypt, and Lee Martin's The Midnight Hour, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot twist. The series' episodes spanned the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy, and some episodes featured elements of black comedy or more lighthearted themes.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: anthology, scary, atmospheric, humorous, suspenseful, surreal, semi serious, spooky, psychological, dark
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Similar in 87%
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997)
Plot Summary:
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction is an American television anthology series created by Lynn Lehmann, presented by Dick Clark Productions, and produced and aired by the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. Each episode featured five stories, all of which appeared to defy logic, and some of which were allegedly based on actual events. The viewer was offered the challenge of determining which are true and which are false. At the end of the show, it was revealed to the viewer whether the tales were true or works of fiction. The series was hosted by James Brolin in season one and later by Jonathan Frakes for the remainder of the series. The show was narrated by Don LaFontaine for the first three seasons and by Campbell Lane for the fourth and final season.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: anthology, scary, mindfuck, mind bending, clever, offbeat, serious, suspenseful, gloomy
Similar in 81%
Night Visions (2001)
Plot Summary:
Night Visions is an hour-long, American television horror anthology series, with each episode comprising two half-hour stories dealing with themes of the supernatural or simply the dark side of human nature. Henry Rollins was the uncredited host of the show. The series aired on Fox from July 12 to September 6, 2001, after which it was picked up by the Sci Fi Channel, which reran the series beginning June 14, 2002. Sci Fi later aired the three remaining original episodes that produced for, but unaired, on Fox. One of these, "Cargo / Switch", ran as part of the Night Visions series, while the two other episodes' segments were edited into the Sci Fi Channel film Shadow Realm, minus the Rollins introductions and the Night Visions name. The show's directors included some best known for feature films, including Tobe Hooper and Joe Dante, and others, such as Brian Dennehy, JoBeth Williams, and Bill Pullman, known primarily as actors.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: anthology, scary, atmospheric, bleak, suspenseful, enigmatic, captivating, disturbing, dark, detective
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Similar in 83%
Darkroom (1981)
Plot Summary:
Darkroom is an American television thriller series which ABC transmitted from November 27, 1981 to January 15, 1982. It was an anthology horror/thriller series, similar in style to Rod Serling's Night Gallery. Each 60-minute episode featured two or more stories of varying length with a new story and a new cast, but each of the episode wraparound segments was hosted by James Coburn. Among the performers who appeared on the series were Steve Allen, Esther Rolle, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, David Carradine, Billy Crystal, and June Lockhart.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 336
Genere: Horror, Thriller, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: anthology, scary, dark, slasher, dark fairy tale, rough, bleak, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 89%
Night Gallery (1969)
Plot Summary:
Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although he did not have the same control of content and tone as he had on The Twilight Zone.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: anthology, psychological, supernatural thriller, scary, retro, mysterious, dread, mythical, creepy, dark fairy tale
Similar in 90%
Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006)
Plot Summary:
A television mini-series adaptation of Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Stephen King's collection of short horror stories.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Australia, USA
Duration: 480 min
Plot tags: anthology, scary, serious, suspenseful, stylized, clever, dark fairy tale, classic horror, spooky, weird
Similar in 87%
The Twilight Zone (2002)
Plot Summary:
The Twilight Zone is a 2002 revival of Rod Serling's 1950/60s television series, The Twilight Zone. It aired for one season on the UPN network, with actor Forest Whitaker assuming Serling's role as narrator and on-screen host. The series was produced by New Line Television, which since 2008 is a division of Warner Bros., which released Twilight Zone: The Movie.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: anthology, atmospheric, serious, mind bending, stylized, surprise ending, offbeat, psychological, intellectual, dark
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Similar in 79%
Eerie, Indiana (1991)
Plot Summary:
Eerie, Indiana is an American television series that originally aired on NBC from 1991 to 1992. The series was created by José Rivera and Karl Schaefer, with Joe Dante serving as creative consultant. A total of nineteen episodes were produced. The final episode aired for the first time in 1993, when the series was syndicated on The Disney Channel. In 1997, the show generated a new fan base, when Fox's children's programming block Fox Kids aired the series, gaining something of a cult following despite its short run. The renewed popularity in the series, encouraged Fox to produce a spin-off Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension, lasting only one season in 1998.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: spooky, scary, anthology, sitcom, detective, offbeat, humorous, semi serious, urban fantasy, weird
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Similar in 87%
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990)
Plot Summary:
Are You Afraid of the Dark? is a joint Canadian-American horror/fantasy-themed anthology television series. The original series was a joint production between the Canadian company Cinar and the American company Nickelodeon. The show was filmed in Richmond, British Columbia and in Montreal, Quebec including their suburbs. The episode "The Tale of the Twisted Claw" was aired as a pilot on the evening of October 31, 1991 in the USA and in October 1990 in Canada. Are You Afraid of the Dark? was aired from August 15, 1992 to April 20, 1996 on Nickelodeon's SNICK. The series also aired on the Canadian television network YTV from October 30, 1990 until June 11, 2000. A revived series with new directors, writers, and cast was produced by Nickelodeon from 1999 to 2000 and also aired on SNICK. The sole member from the original lineup to return for the sixth and seventh seasons was Tucker, although Ross Hull returned for the concluding miniseries, which notably broke from the show's established format by blurring the line between story and "reality".
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: scary, anthology, suspenseful, semi serious, spooky, exciting, bleak, sitcom, dark, slasher
Similar in 77%
The Game (2014)
Plot Summary:
London 1972. When a defecting KGB officer, Arkady Malinov, reveals Operation Glass, a devastating Soviet plot that could change the course of the Cold War, Daddy, the head of MI5, assembles a secret team to investigate. As the Soviets awaken a list of sleeper agents all over Britain, Daddy's team must move swiftly to gain information about the plot.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 59 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, suspenseful, tense, clever, serious, captivating, realistic, stylized, period drama
Similar in 79%
Tales from the Crypt (1989)
Plot Summary:
Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from June 10, 1989 to July 19, 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO for seven seasons with a total of 93 episodes. The title is based on the 1950s EC Comics series of the same name and most of the content originated in that comic or the four other EC Comics of the time. The show was produced by HBO with uncredited association by The Geffen Film Company and Warner Bros. Television. The series is not to be confused with the 1972 film by the same name or Tales from the Darkside, another similarly themed horror anthology series. Because it was aired on HBO, a premium cable television channel, it was one of the few anthology series to be allowed to have full freedom from censorship by network standards and practices as a result, HBO allowed the series to contain graphic violence as well as other content that had not appeared in most television series up to that time, such as profanity, gore, nudity and sexual situations, which could give the series a TV-MA rating for today's standards. The show is subsequently edited for such content when broadcast in syndication or on basic cable. While the series began production in the United States, in the final season filming moved to Britain, resulting in episodes which revolved around British characters.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: anthology, suspenseful, witty, spooky, gothic, psychological, black comedy, horror comedy, scary, suspense
Similar in 83%
The Twilight Zone (1985)
Plot Summary:
The Twilight Zone is the first of two revivals of Rod Serling's acclaimed 1950/60s television series of the same name. It ran for two seasons on CBS before producing a final season for syndication.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK, Canada, USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, anthology, psychological, scary, atmospheric, suspenseful, intellectual, dark, mysterious, tripping