Twisted Tales (British TV series)

Twisted Tales is a British comedy-horror anthology television series written by a mix of established writers and upcoming talent that aired on BBC Three from January to April 2005.[1][2] It consisted of fourteen self-contained episodes with a mysterious twist and had the same format as a previous BBC Three series of six comedy-horror stories, Spine Chillers (2003).[3]

For the 1996 Australian television series, see Twisted Tales (Australian TV series). For the 2013 American webseries, see Twisted Tales (web series).

Twisted Tales
GenreComedy drama
Horror
Directed byAndy Goddard
Crispin Whittell
Susan Tully
Jonathan Gershfield
Theme music composerWillie Dowling
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes14
Production
Executive producerSophie Clarke-Jervoise
ProducersBill Dare
Gabbie Asher
Arabella McGuigan
Running time30 minutes
Release
Original networkBBC Three
Original release16 January (2005-01-16) –
19 April 2005 (2005-04-19)
Related
Spine Chillers

The cast included up-and-coming comedians, such as Catherine Tate, Nick Frost, Marcus Brigstocke, Steve Edge and more, among distinguished actors like Alison Steadman, Paul Darrow, Mary Tamm, Phil Cornwell, Doon Mackichan and Annette Badland.[4] The comedy duo Mitchell and Webb, best known for the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show, both wrote and starred in the ninth episode "Nothing to Fear".[5][6]

Production

Directors Andy Goddard and Crispin Whittell shot four episodes of the series each, while Susan Tully and Jonathan Gershfield directed three episodes each.[4]

Simon Lacey has composed the music for all four episodes directed by Whittell: "Charlie's Angel", "The Irredeemable Brain of Dr Heinrich Hunsecker", "Whacked" and "The Patter of Tiny Feet".[7]

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"txt msg rcvd"Andy GoddardNev Fountain and Tom Jamieson16 January 2005 (2005-01-16)
Alex is a travelling sales trainer who seems to have everything he wants - that is, until a cryptic text message causes events to spin out of control.
Cast : Marc Warren as Alex, Nick Frost as Keith and Zoe Telford as Davina. Also appearing is the voice of Paul McGann.[8]
2"Flat Four"Andy GoddardCris Cole23 January 2005 (2005-01-23)
When Joey loses a briefcase containing the details of a major deal, it looks as if all is lost until he takes a room in Mrs Templeman's house. But his real problems are only just starting.
Cast : Andrew Lee Potts as Joey, Mary Tamm as Mrs Templeman and Paul Darrow as fellow tenant Mr De Vere. Cameo appearances are made by Kevin Eldon and Kate Fleetwood.[8]
3"Charlie's Angel"Crispin WhittellJonathan Harvey30 January 2005 (2005-01-30)
After mourning the death of boyfriend Sam, Charlie is ready to move on. If only Sam would let him.
Cast : Matthew Delamere as Charlie, Antony Cotton as Sam and Philip Olivier as Iggy[8]
4"Guardian"Andy GoddardSusan Nickson6 February 2005 (2005-02-06)
A near-fatal attack leaves Kelly's spirit in limbo between this world and the next, where the rights and wrongs of her life flash before her.
Cast : Mark Benton as Trev and Samantha Power as Kelly[8]
5"Death Metal Chronicles"Andy GoddardDavid Cummings13 February 2005 (2005-02-13)
Rivalry and a radical change of direction for a death-metal band results in the murder of one of the members.
Cast : Morwenna Banks as Inspector Pierson, Steve Oram as her deputy and Ricky Grover as the band's roadie, Maggot. The band include Rafe Spall and Simon Woods.[8]
6"Vacant Possession"Jonathan GershfieldNick Vivian20 February 2005 (2005-02-20)
A property developer gets his comeuppance when his unscrupulous business practices catch up with him in the form of some aggrieved builders.
Cast : Marcus Brigstocke as Rick and Sandra Huggett as Jane[9]
7"The Irredeemable Brain of Dr Heinrich Hunsecker"Crispin WhittellBen Teasdale27 February 2005 (2005-02-27)
Darren is totally unprepared for the consequences when he inherits a mysterious sealed jar from a distant wealthy relative.
Cast : Bruce Mackinnon as Darren, Emma Pierson as Jane and Jay Villiers as the voice of Dr Heinrich Hunsecker[9]
8"Whacked"Crispin WhittellSimon J. Ashford6 March 2005 (2005-03-06)
A group of friends are set to become millionaires following an offer to buy out their computer gaming company. All that is standing in their way is the company's founder Doc, who is becoming increasingly involved in a new game based on an ancient and mysterious book.
Cast : Phil Cornwell as Doc and Steve Edge as Trax[9]
9"Nothing to Fear"Susan TullyDavid Mitchell and Robert Webb15 March 2005 (2005-03-15)
Two apparently fearless friends get more than they bargained for when they spend a weekend at a tacky country inn billed as "the scariest guesthouse in Britain".
Cast : David Mitchell as Ray and Robert Webb as Colin[9]
10"Cursed House"Susan TullyDavid Cummings22 March 2005 (2005-03-22)
A fading and broke television psychiatrist conducts an experiment on some old university friends in a bid to launch his own successful reality TV format. But things do not go according to plan.
Cast : Ade Edmondson as Ed, Doon Mackichan as Sandra, Janet Dibley as Carolyn, Robbie Gee as Harry and Shane Connor as Ben[9]
11"The Patter of Tiny Feet"Crispin WhittellDavid Cairns and Fiona Watson29 March 2005 (2005-03-29)
A mysterious stranger makes a childless couple's wish for a baby come true, but their dream of blissful parenthood soon becomes a nightmare.
Cast : Catherine Tate as Wendy, Sean Foley as Damien, Paola Dionisotti as Rosemary and Rupert Vansittart as Dr Mantle[10]
12"Murder Me"Jonathan GershfieldSam Lawrence5 April 2005 (2005-04-05)
Harry finds he is terminally ill and hires an assassin to kill him. The diagnosis turns out to be false but can Harry call off the killer before it's too late?
Cast : Nitin Ganatra as Harry, Keith Allen as G.R. and Raquel Cassidy as Lynne[10]
13"The Magister"Susan TullyBen Teasdale12 April 2005 (2005-04-12)
An aspiring film producer convinces a reclusive horror legend to complete his most notorious film. Has she bitten off more than she can chew?
Cast : Victoria Hamilton as Jessie, John Bowe as Kurt and Shelley King as Larissa[10]
14"Fruitcake of the Living Dead"Jonathan GershfieldSimon J. Ashford19 April 2005 (2005-04-19)
A home-made fruitcake competition proves deadly for the rival contenders.
Cast : Alison Steadman as Margery, Jan Francis as Penny and Annette Badland as Bunty[10]

Reception

While reviewing the first episode of the series for The Times, Angus Batey said, "The excellent cast seems unsure whether it's supplying chuckles or chills, but the format – essentially Tales of the Unexpected for the 21st century – has potential".[11] Another critic from the newspaper, David Chater, noticed the same flaw in the tenth episode, stating that the tale "can't seem to make up its mind whether to play for laughs or shocks" and has a "queasy tone".[12] He did, however, praise Doon Mackichan's performance in the episode, saying that she "shines" as Ed's hysterical wife Sandra. The sixth episode, titled "Vacant Possession", was described in The Times as "marvellously dark", while the final one was called "risible".[13][14]

References
  1. "BBC - Press Office - BBC THREE Winter 2005 Drama". www.bbc.co.uk. 13 December 2004. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  2. Wright, Jonathan; Vine, Richard (18 April 2005). "Pick of the day on satellite, cable and digital". the Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  3. "Spine Chillers". BBC Three. Archived from the original on 29 August 2006. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  4. "BBC - Cult Television - Twisted Tales". bbc.adactio.com. 12 January 2005. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  5. "BBC - Comedy - That Mitchell And Webb Site - Robert Webb". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  6. "BBC - Drama - Shakespeare - The Taming of the Shrew - David Mitchell as Tim Agnew". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 January 2023. His comedy writing credits are equally extensive, including work for Armstrong and Miller, Dead Ringers, Big Train, TV To Go and, with Robert Webb, an episode of BBC Three's Twisted Tales called Nothing To Fear.
  7. "Simon Lacey Scores Twisted Tales for BBC3 | Faber Music". www.fabermusic.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  8. "Twisted Tales: Episodes 1-5". BBC Three. Archived from the original on 21 February 2006. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  9. "Twisted Tales: Episodes 6-10". BBC Three. Archived from the original on 9 April 2006. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  10. "Twisted Tales: Episodes 11-14". BBC Three. Archived from the original on 13 November 2006. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  11. Chater, David; Batey, Angus (15 January 2005). "Television: January, Sunday 16". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  12. Chater, David (22 March 2005). "Viewing guide". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  13. "Television: February, Sunday 20". The Times. 19 February 2005. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  14. "Television: Tuesday, April 19". The Times. 16 April 2005. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
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