Taste

Episode aired Apr 12, 1980
TV-14
26m

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

394

YOUR RATING

Ron Moody in Tales of the Unexpected (1979)

Comedy Drama Horror Mystery Thriller

Richard Pratt, a wine expert, wagers he can identify any wine.Richard Pratt, a wine expert, wagers he can identify any wine.Richard Pratt, a wine expert, wagers he can identify any wine.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

394

YOUR RATING

8User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

Featured reviews

6Prismark10

A fruity performance from Ron Moody as arrogant wine snob Richard Pratt and lecher to boot.

At a dinner party, Pratt usually has a bet with a wealthy stockbroker Mike Schofield to guess the wine that is being served.

This time Pratt demands an unusual bet. He has his seedy eyes on Schofield's teenage daughter and wants her hand in marriage. If he loses, Schofield will win two of Pratt's houses.

Schofield is adamant that Pratt will never guess the wine and takes on the bet, despite the protests from his daughter.

Written by Dahl in 1945. This vintage adaptation certainly ratchets up the tension after a slow beginning. Moody gives so much away regarding Pratt's interest in the daughter, it was a surprise that Schofield did not spot his intentions.

Of course there is a twist and this one is done rather satisfactorily with a nice bouquet.

searchanddestroy-1

Just delightful

I won't say it is as delightful as a glass of wine because I hardly make the difference between wine and water. So British in the treatment, dialogues, you have to follow it carefully to be totally impregnated by this amusing, weird episode, so much in the mood of this TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED anthology series, the best of this period, and one of the best ever concerning the British TV broadcast industry. The wine taster reminded me Vincent Price in a Roger Corman's film adapted from Edgar Allan Poe TALES OF TERROR, or THE RAVEN. Here, the taster is not Vincent Price but convincing enough to make his performance great and the episode worth the watch.

Trivia
Although the credits list Graham Bell's character as TV Presenter, he is listed on the program featured within the episode by his actual name. Graham was in fact a TV presenter for Anglia TV for many years.

Goofs
Shadow of boom mike passes over Mr. Schofield's face and clothes as he is preparing the wine in his room.

Quotes
[first lines]
Roald Dahl: I think one has more fun being a wine lover in England than in any other country. And that's because London's where nearly all the great wine auctions take place. There's one almost every week of the year. And for decades I've haunted these auctions and the tastings that go before them. As a result, the old cellar below our house contains at this moment over 5,000 bottles of wine. Some of it is superb. Most of it's pretty good. We drink a bottle or two every night and it doesn't seem to do us much damage. Here's a wine story I wrote when I first became fascinated by the subject.