Before Black Mirror, before Tales of the Unexpected, there was: ORSON WELLES GREAT MYSTERIES (1973-74); ALL 26 episodes now free on YouTube
Stephen Arnell
Broadcast/VoD Consultant for TV & Film, Writer/Producer (Bob Fosse, Alex Cox, Prince, Sinatra etc), Media/Culture Commentator (BBC Radio, magazines, newspapers) & author (novel The Great One published November 2022)
Perhaps best known for a great John Barry-penned theme and the parodies of the show by Michael Palin and Benny Hill, Orson Welles Great Mysteries, is well worth checking out. Especially given the casts of the anthology show, which includes Donald Pleasence, Susannah York, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Victor Buono, Joan Collins, José Ferrer, Dean Stockwell, Jane Seymour, Joss Ackland, Ian Bannen, Francesca Annis, Jack Cassidy, Milo O'Shea, Harry Andrews, Patrick Macnee, Charles Gray, Richard Johnson, Claire Bloom, Eli Wallach, Clarence Williams, Janice Rule and Ian Holm.
And source material? Episodes include updated classics such as The Monkey's Paw (W.W. Jacobs), a Dickens short story and other tales that were amongst the Urban Legends of the era.
The show itself was the subject of Sky Arts' Urban Myths, "F for Fakenham: When Orson Welles went to Norwich" (2020), starring Robbie Coltrane as Welles.
Coltrane in a earlier spoof of Orson W:
John Candy as Welles:
Theme:
Great Mysteries with Orson Buggy (Benny Hill)
Michael Palin
FULL SERIES
Ep 1 - "Captain Rogers"
Ep 2 - "The Leather Funnel"
Ep 3 - "A Terribly Strange Bed"
Ep 4 - "La Grande Breteche"
Ep 5 - "The Dinner Party"
Ep 6 - "Money To Burn"
Ep 7 - "In The Confessional"
Ep 8 - "Unseen Alibi"
Ep 9 - "Battle Of Wits"
Ep 10 - "A Point Of Law"
Ep 11 - "The Monkey's Paw"
Ep 12 - "The Ingenious Reporter"
领英推荐
Ep 13 - "Death Of An Old Fashioned Girl"
Ep 14 - "For Sale - Silence"
Ep 15 - "The Inspiration Of Mr Budd"
Ep 16 - "An Affair Of Honour"
Ep 17 - "Farewell To The Faulkners"
Ep 18 - "The Power Of Fear"
Ep 19 - "Where There's A Will"
Ep 20 - "A Time To Remember"
Ep 21 - "Ice Storm"
Ep 22 - "Come Into My Parlour"
Ep 23 - "Compliments Of The Season"
Ep 24 - "Under Suspicion"
Ep 25 - "Trial For Murder"
Ep 26 - "The Furnished Room"
And a real corker; Welles own, glorious F FOR FAKE (1973)
Orson Welles and Robert Blake Trade Jabs
Original Takes for Orson Welles Wine Commercial
Orson Welles - Frozen Peas