Tales of the Unexpected (TV Series) The Wrong 'Un (1983) User Reviews

A bit dull, but a fun watch.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 5/10 · 19 February 2016]

Helmut Weinrich is in a hotel on business, Coventry has been a successful hunting ground, he's closed a deal and is looking to celebrate, his business associate has left, leaving Helmut alone. A young lady is in the bar, Molly, a dubious character, Helmut invites her for a drink. Hotel security chief Cranmer Oakes is keeping an eye on her, especially as a watch has gone astray. Oakes warns Helmut that Molly is dangerous, a confidence trickster, a definite wrong 'un. Molly accompanies Helmut to his room, and something tragic happens.

I think it's a fairly good episode, it's a little bland in terms of performances and characters, there's nothing particularly memorable about the 'Wrong un.' I couldn't even remember having seen it. What I will say is if you're seeing it for the first time you truly have no idea what's going to happen or which way it's going to go. If this story was a colour it would very definitely be beige.

Uninspiring, but watchable enough. 5/10

"Today Coventry, tomorrow the World!" Decent Tales of the Unexpected episode.

[poolandrews · 6/10 · 21 April 2007]

Tales of the Unexpected: The Wrong 'Un starts as rich German businessman Helmut Weinrich (Constantine Gregory) overhears an argument between a pretty Scottish woman named Molly (Lucy Gutteridge) & a bartender named Jimmy (Daragh O'Malley) in his hotel who wants to chuck her out, Weinrich steps in & says that Molly is with him & buys her a drink. Molly gives Weinrich a story about her boyfriend being delayed so despite a warning from Cranmer Oakes (Andrew Ray) the hotel security officer he invites her back to his room, Jimmy calls Cranmer & tells him Weinrich took Molly to his room so sensing a potential problem Cranmer pays Weinrich a visit & is shocked to find him passed out in a chair & Molly lying dead on the bathroom floor...

This Tales of the Unexpected story was episode 9 from season 6 that originally aired here in the UK during June 1983, the second of two Tales of the Unexpected episodes to be directed by Leonard Lewis this is a decent enough tale of a crime with a twist that this series specialised in. The story by Michael Brett was dramatised by Paul Ableman & feels like many episodes from this show in the sense that there's a ingenious crime taking place that ends with a surprise ending. This particularly one is a huge con & is clever enough, it moves along at a decent pace, the character's are alright but that German businessman is a bit over-the-top & if you examine it too closely then you can find all sorts of plot holes in it. At only 30 odd minutes it's worth a watch but is nothing special or as far as this series goes original.

As usual this looks pretty cheap & hasn't dated that well. The acting is alright from the solid Brit cast.

The Wrong 'Un is a good crime drama with a twist that Tales of the Unexpected is famed for, unfortunately after a while they all sort of blur together & too many basic ideas & themes started being used too often during the shows latter seasons.

Lucy "Top Secret" Gutteridge features in this episode

[safenoe · 6/10 · 15 November 2016]

Lucy Gutteridge appears in this Tales of the Unexpected episode set in a hotel, one year before she featured in the hilarious Top Secret starring Val Kilmer. In this episode we see many men in suits, as it's all professional, and kind of symbolic of the Thatcher era. In fact, at around the screening of this episode, Thatcher led her Conservative Government to a landslide victory (although her party's share of the popular vote declined from 1979).

Much intrigue in catching a thief in this episode. You also see the other trappings of the upper class - crystal, champagne, waiters all dressed up.

Alpana Sungupta appears as a receptionist. In fact Alpana is a professional choreographer in London. Alpana is probably one of the few Indians to appear in Tales of the Unexpected.

Helmut Weinrich (Constantine Gregory) is a businessman who wants to build cars in Coventry, which is somewhat ironic because the Germans bombed Coventry big time in World War 2.

"You have done your job, Mr. Security Man."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 14 December 2021]

I took this for a grift early on when Cranmer Oakes (Andrew Ray) sought out German businessman Helmut Weinrich (Constantine Gregory) to advise him about the intentions of the woman Molly (Lucy Gutteridge). It all started with that tiff at the bar over serving an unaccompanied woman. The story would have been more credible if the victim was a better looking guy, or Molly a less appealing woman. Even so, if you haven't seen scads of these types of stories, the ending is pretty ironic when you see all the conspirators dividing up their loot. Five thousand pounds back in 1983 would have amounted to about seven thousand dollars, and Oakes didn't even have to ask for it! Not bad for an afternoon's work.