The Flypaper

Brilliant story with a great twist at the end, suspected it near the end but still a shock when it came. The reviewer who said there was never a serial couple of killers obviously never heard of Fred and Rosemary West or Myra Hindley and Ian Brady.

This story seems to have been made in the nineties or 20's, instead the early eighties. The overall material doesn't look like the rest of this series, which tales have more or less some kind of Victorian atmosphere. This drama is a bit thriller, in a pure British style, yes, but still quite different from the other plots of TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED. But the story is of course excellent, it deserves perfectly to belong to the top batch, and certainly not the bottom of the barrel. Disturbing, no comedy provider, nothing light hearted here, this story is above the rest and I am sure you will remind it long after the viewing.

Schoolgirls are going missing, and Police are out searching. Young Sylvia is living with her Grandmother who doesn't particularly want her living there, she's hating everything, including her awful music lessons. After the latest lesson she heads home, but is aware of a man following her. On a bus journey he strikes up an uncomfortable talk with her, but she's rescued by a sweet, well meaning woman........

I am stunned this was written by Elizabeth Taylor. An insanely nasty story, which to this day holds up well, the sheer spite and true terror has not diminished in what's now approaching forty years, still a hugely relevant warning. That twist at the end is delivered in such a bleak way, it's horrible.

Filmed in Cambridgeshire, it's a particularly picturesque location, at such odds with the bleakness of the story.

Wonderfully well acted, young Lorna Yabsley is excellent as young Sylvia, Alfred Burke is incredibly nasty as Herbert, Pat Keen gives a top notch performance, her performance in this such a contrast to the funny one she gave in Fawlty Towers (The Annivesary.)

Even now I watch this with a total feeling of unease, a lump in my throat, and a discomfort. Tough viewing, but it is just outstanding, arguably the best episode of Tales.

No other score then 10/10

There are very few TV programmes that are capable of chilling me to the bone. This is top of that very short list!

The episode begins with news footage showing police dragging a river, looking for the remains of a missing 12 year old girl.

The recently orphaned Sylvia lives a miserable life with her cold and uncaring Grandma. Forced to attend piano lessons each day adds to the misery of Sylvia's lonely life. Returning home from a lesson one day Sylvia become aware of a somewhat seedy man looking at her. She returns home and reports the matter to her Grandma, who instantly dismisses Sylvia's worries and sends her to her room.

After school one day Sylvia boards the bus home, only to be horrified when the same man sits opposite her. As he begins to chat to Sylvia it becomes obvious that she is highly uncomfortable. An elderly lady intervenes and tells the man the has seen 'your type' before and he should leave the child alone. Becoming ever more scared Sylvia gets off the bus, running to a nearby phone box to call her Grandma.

What follows took me totally by surprise. And what the final 'unexpected' twist came I can honestly say that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up! I actually had a lump in my throat at Sylvia's pitiful plight.

My teenage sons have since watched this episode and were equally stunned by it. So much so that my eldest son pointed out the story (by Elizabeth Taylor) to his English teacher who had the pupils read it. Roald Dahl states in his introduction that he wishes he'd written this episode because 'it's so neat, and nice and spooky'.

Quite simply this episode should be shown to children throughout schools. 31 years after it's making and it is still chilling viewing. 10 out of 10!

My wife hated this episode but 5 years later we saw it again and she said it stool with her. She said it is beyond scary

That is probably a sign that it is incredible

The girl's journey is well acted and constructed and it is obvious the inspiration is the moors murders of the time. Not sure how controversial it was at the time but it must have raised some eyebrows about what is tasteful ot not

It is a hard watch at the end and it stays with you. My feelings years after are the same that it is a classic and well deserving of it's position at top of the list of TOFE episodes.....

You have been warned.