Roald Dahl - Served With A Twist

Episodes

EpisodeTitleFirst
Broadcast
Comments
01The Bookseller20160704

Mr Buggage and his secretary Miss Tottle are hard at work in the back room of his book shop in London's Charing Cross Road.

It soon becomes clear that they are running a most successful business - but the fortune they are amassing is not from the sale of books.

Charles Dance leads the cast as the urbane Storyteller in five classic tales by Roald Dahl.

Bizarre and amusing by turns, these dark comedies are justly famous for their surprise endings, and for their rogues gallery of crooks, cheats and schemers.

Dramatised by Stephen Sheridan

The Storyteller

02Poison20160705

Rubber planter Harry Pope fears that a krait - a lethally venomous snake - has crawled under his bed sheets and is nestling on his stomach. His friend, Timber Woods, calls the local doctor for urgent assistance.

When Dr Ganderbai arrives, tension mounts as he puts an ingenious and desperate plan into operation.

Charles Dance leads the cast as the urbane Storyteller in five classic tales by Roald Dahl.

Dramatised by Stephen Sheridan

Storytelle

03My Lady Love, My Dove20160706Charles Dance leads the cast as the urbane Storyteller in dramatisations of five classic tales by Roald Dahl. Bizarre and amusing by turns, these dark comedies are justly famous for their surprise endings, and for their rogues gallery of crooks, cheats and schemers.

The stories show Dahl at the height of his powers as a writer of adult fiction, combining black comedy with sly social satire. They are stylishly plotted, vividly characterised and made unforgettable by their breezy cynicism, presenting a hilariously bleak view of human nature.

In My Lady Love, My Dove, starring Penelope Keith, we meet Arthur and Pamela Beauchamp, a wealthy couple who like to play bridge. However, they are continually being beaten by the Snapes - a younger couple who stay with them as house guests. But Pamela has devised a cunning way of getting her own back.

Cast:

04The Surgeon20160707Charles Dance leads the cast as the urbane Storyteller in dramatisations of five classic tales by Roald Dahl. Bizarre and amusing by turns, these dark comedies are justly famous for their surprise endings, and for their rogues gallery of crooks, cheats and schemers.

The stories show Dahl at the height of his powers as a writer of adult fiction, combining black comedy with sly social satire. They are stylishly plotted, vividly characterised and made unforgettable by their breezy cynicism, presenting a hilariously bleak view of human nature.

In The Surgeon, Robert Sandy and his wife are faced with a dilemma - where should they conceal the priceless diamond Robert has been given by the King of Agrabah as reward for saving the life of his eldest son? It's Friday evening and the banks are closed. There's only one thing for it, they must find a secret hiding place somewhere in their house.

Cast:

05The Butler20160708

Meet George Cleaver, the Sausage King of the North, who sells his business and moves to London in order to enter society. He employs a butler, Tibbs, to help him to do this.

Tibbs explains that it's vital Cleaver learns as much as he can about fine wines - and, to this end, Tibbs sets about buying rare and expensive vintages and educating his employer.

Before long, Cleaver feels he no longer needs his butler's advice.

Charles Dance leads the cast as the urbane Storyteller in five classic tales by Roald Dahl.

Dramatised by Stephen Sheridan

Storytelle