I was really looking forward to this. It is the second episode of a new series for me. The first episode was très disturbing with an incredibly dry wit. The original short story by Roald Dahl is a classic.  The Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode based on it was not online at the time I would have watched it, so this was a great opportunity. Plus, it stars the beautiful British actress Susan George. What could go wrong?

In 2020 on a Halloween with a full moon, everything, of course.

Sadly, a few years later and now on Peacock, Episode 28 of Season 3 of AHP is still conspicuously missing. ^[1] The Cheney Vase shows up more places than the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning, but still no Lamb to the Slaughter.  Susan George is playing a pregnant woman and, apparently, went all method for the role because she is about 25 pounds heavier than expected.  Pictures of her in this post are not from this episode.

But the real disappointment is the episode itself.  It tends to sink an episode when the weakness is the episode.  The previous TOTU episode took a story that did not at all suggest any humor, and gave it a droll veneer.  This episode does the opposite.  It takes a clever, funny concept and deliberately drains it of all humor and suspense.  A major let down.  The series ran 9 seasons so, hopefully, this is just a glitch.

The opening scene is illustrative of what follows.  Pointlessly, the first scene now takes place after the murder.  This is a major change from the short story and AHP adaptation. ^[1] Unfortunately, they compounded this error in judgment.  When Susan George goes through the charade of coming home from the market and calling for her husband, there is not a hint of chicanery.  It is a full-on cheat to the audience.  There is not even a sly wink that might intrigue the audience or just be appreciated only later.  I understand she is trying to get in character, but this is a yuge wasted opportunity.

OK, this one is actually Melissa George, the American Susan George.

[1]  Bare*bones posted a link to the original, so I finally got to watch the AHP version.  It is so superior in every way to TOTU that I don’t want to besmirch it.  

Barbara Bel Geddes is excellent.  The AHP structure really allows us to empathize with her just like audiences did with Norman Bates (but for different reasons). ^[2]  Alfred Hitchcock and Roald Dahl were nominated for Best Direction and Best Screenplay Emmys respectively.  They were respectively disrespected with a loss and a loss. ^[3]

Let’s just hope this was an off-night for Tales of the Unexpected.  I rate it 100 lambs:  z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z.

Other Stuff:

• [2]  The final shots of the main characters are even remarkably similar.  Both are sitting placidly upright in a chair.  Only Anthony Perkins gives us a smirk, and Barbara Bel Geddes breaks out in laughter like she just struck oil.
• [3]  Both losses were to an Alcoa Theater episode starring Mickey Rooney.  The Alcoa episode won several Emmys, but Rooney lost Best Actor to Fred Astaire.  Rooney was seen in the restroom pounding the mirror yelling, “F*** ’em.  F*** ’em all!  How dare they!”  That is a great demonstration of the short-man / celebrity intersection of self-importance.  At least he can take comfort that he is 3 inches taller than the similarly mouthy Greta Thunberg.  You know, if he were standing up.
• In the TOTU version, the husband is played by a future Nazi in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (RIP to Sean Connery today!) ^[4] — the “No ticket” guy.
• [4]  I happened to hear the news while listening to MSNBC for laughs this morning on XM.  What a sad excuse for a news channel — they said he was the first James Bond.  Bullshit. 
• They did uncharacteristically miss a Trump-bashing opportunity to say his favorite Bond flick must be From Russia with Love.  Although anyone who has seen his NY digs knows it would be Goldfinger.
• NPR got it wrong, too — I want a refund!
• In poking around the Emmy history, I learned that Alice from The Brady Bunch was nominated for 4 Emmys and won 2 (although, shockingly, not for The Brady Bunch).  And here I thought Robert Reed was that show’s star at pretending to be something he wasn’t.
• I feel like Lynda Day George ought to get a mention here.
• Whatever dumb son-of-a-bitch came up with the Block concept in the WordPress update should be in jail. Lock him up! Lock him up!