After this was over I sat a while thinking about it, and could not come up with the point of the story. It was certainly a disastrous experience for writer Tony Medway (Bosco Hogan), but why would Susan Mandeville (Gayle Hunnicutt) have invited him to lunch at an expensive restaurant in the first place? At the outset it felt like good news for Medway because he thought there might be a movie deal in it for his book. But for Susan's part, she looked well to do herself, she was divorced from her producer husband, and her future husband owned the restaurant and could have comped the meal for her and her guest. The whole thing didn't make sense to me. And here poor Medway had to endure the countless interruptions and the torture of toting up every morsel of food and drink that kept arriving at the table because of his limited funds. And to add insult to injury, Susan's ex might wind up suing Medway for his book's alleged use of his character! The only thing that would make sense is if Susan Mandeville was a masochist.
6 Reviews
"... if you go on writing from your heart, you'll be a happy man."
classicsoncall14 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A clever tale from the pen of Jeffrey Archer.
Sleepin_Dragon20 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Tony Medway has left his job at the Foreign Office, his wife Louise is due to have a child, Tony has written a novel, but it's not been entirely successful, he's struggling financially. Out of the blue Tony receives a call from Susan Mandeville, wife of a famous film maker. Susan invites Tony to lunch at Blundells, a very posh, upmarket restaurant with exorbitant prices. Tony arms himself with his funds, £37.00 clearing the bank account. At the meal Tony budgets himself, but Louise begins ordering more and more, and as it's on him, the pressure begins mounting. Tony sees Susan as his route to financial success. Naturally a twist is waiting.
Noted for being written by Jeffrey Archer, I think this is a pretty good story, it's one that definitely gets your blood pressure going, you cannot help but feel sorry for Tony, you can feel the tension, and feel that things are spiralling out of control. It's well executed and well acted, I think this is a great story, and if you're seeing it for the first time, more so.
Noted for being written by Jeffrey Archer, I think this is a pretty good story, it's one that definitely gets your blood pressure going, you cannot help but feel sorry for Tony, you can feel the tension, and feel that things are spiralling out of control. It's well executed and well acted, I think this is a great story, and if you're seeing it for the first time, more so.
I quite liked this one.
poolandrews6 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Tales of the Unexpected: The Luncheon starts as an author named Tony Medway (Bosco Hogan) gets a phone call from Susan Mandeville (Gayle Hunnicutt) who wants to talk to him about his novel 'Angels and Ministers of Grace', Tony instantly recognises her name as the wife of an influential Hollywood film producer & agrees to meet her at Blundell's restaurant for lunch. Blundell's is extremely expensive so he clears the little money he has out of his account in an attempt to impress her & maybe get her to convince her husband to buy the rights to his book & make it into a film, but will his final few quid spent on someone he has never met be a good investment?
Episode 10 from season 6 this Tales of the Unexpected story originally aired here in the UK during June 1983, the ninth of twelve Tales of the Unexpected episode to be directed by Graham Evans I actually quite liked this one. The story by successful novelist & disgraced Tory politician Jeffrey Archer who was jailed for four years for purgery (ha, ha, ha) was dramatised by Gerald Savory & has a really neat central story about an up & coming author which one might suspect is partly autobiographical on Archer's part, the story builds up very well & you can relate to the situation Tony finds himself in as his lunch guest continues to order expensive food from the menu while he looks on in horror thinking about the ever growing bill! Having said that The Luncheon is all about greed, be it the greed of Susan who stuffs herself at Tony's expense or Tony's greed as he sees pounds signs in his eyes as he thinks he might get a bundle of cash for his novel. This one works very well & much better than most Tales of the Unexpected, at only 25 minutes long it moves along at a nice pace & doesn't outstay it's welcome. The only negative is that the ending isn't quite as strong as the rest of the program & isn't much of a twist.
This one hasn't dated too badly although the Art Deco styled interior of Blundell's is simply horrendous & one of the ugliest looking restaurants ever put on screen, I should also point out to those who don't live in the UK tall black guy's who have their shirt unbuttoned down to their stomach wearing gold chains around their neck are few & far between... Shot entirely on videotape this looks pretty poor. The acting is alright but nothing special & unusually there's no big names in the cast.
The Luncheon is one of the best Tales of the Unexpected stories from it's later seasons, probably because it had a good central idea which manages to overcome it's lowly production values.
Episode 10 from season 6 this Tales of the Unexpected story originally aired here in the UK during June 1983, the ninth of twelve Tales of the Unexpected episode to be directed by Graham Evans I actually quite liked this one. The story by successful novelist & disgraced Tory politician Jeffrey Archer who was jailed for four years for purgery (ha, ha, ha) was dramatised by Gerald Savory & has a really neat central story about an up & coming author which one might suspect is partly autobiographical on Archer's part, the story builds up very well & you can relate to the situation Tony finds himself in as his lunch guest continues to order expensive food from the menu while he looks on in horror thinking about the ever growing bill! Having said that The Luncheon is all about greed, be it the greed of Susan who stuffs herself at Tony's expense or Tony's greed as he sees pounds signs in his eyes as he thinks he might get a bundle of cash for his novel. This one works very well & much better than most Tales of the Unexpected, at only 25 minutes long it moves along at a nice pace & doesn't outstay it's welcome. The only negative is that the ending isn't quite as strong as the rest of the program & isn't much of a twist.
This one hasn't dated too badly although the Art Deco styled interior of Blundell's is simply horrendous & one of the ugliest looking restaurants ever put on screen, I should also point out to those who don't live in the UK tall black guy's who have their shirt unbuttoned down to their stomach wearing gold chains around their neck are few & far between... Shot entirely on videotape this looks pretty poor. The acting is alright but nothing special & unusually there's no big names in the cast.
The Luncheon is one of the best Tales of the Unexpected stories from it's later seasons, probably because it had a good central idea which manages to overcome it's lowly production values.
My Dinner wirh Hunnicutt
aramis-112-80488025 February 2023
A young writer whose first novel has just been published is invited to lunch by the wife of a man who might turn his book into a film (Gayle Hunnicutt; the wife, that is).
In those days gentlemen (as I was) were expected to pick up checks even when women ask them out. Which a few did when I was that age. In fact, I still get huffy when women want to go dutch. It offends my gentlemanly sensibilities, though I was never Mr. Moneybags. When women pick up my checks I feel like a cad. That sensible sensibility, which still existed in the early 1980s, sets up the suspense, such as it is, which will be blunted by today's mores.
The writer, you see, is next door to broke with his first child on the way. It's likely he won't have enough to cover the cost of the meal.
An unfortunately talkie episode with a slim story stretched out to a half-hour (well, twenty-odd minutes). The ending could go only one of two ways, neither of them satisfactory.
Not a badly acted episode, but not one of much interest. By this late in the series they must have been desperate for stories.
In those days gentlemen (as I was) were expected to pick up checks even when women ask them out. Which a few did when I was that age. In fact, I still get huffy when women want to go dutch. It offends my gentlemanly sensibilities, though I was never Mr. Moneybags. When women pick up my checks I feel like a cad. That sensible sensibility, which still existed in the early 1980s, sets up the suspense, such as it is, which will be blunted by today's mores.
The writer, you see, is next door to broke with his first child on the way. It's likely he won't have enough to cover the cost of the meal.
An unfortunately talkie episode with a slim story stretched out to a half-hour (well, twenty-odd minutes). The ending could go only one of two ways, neither of them satisfactory.
Not a badly acted episode, but not one of much interest. By this late in the series they must have been desperate for stories.
Was that it?
neil_mack_uk8 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
A very bland, empty story with appalling direction. The acting is passable, but there's a distinct lack of chemistry between the main two characters and we're watching it from afar at times. The camera positioning and movement do nothing but distract from the dialogue, which is far from dynamic in the first place.
It's a 10-minute story (at the very most) stretched out for 30 minutes with very little to grab you. It seemed like act one of three. The restaurant scene could have been condensed with two acts following it focusing on how the writer reacts to the setback but instead we get filler shots and filler dialogue for 90 percent of the episode.
It's a 10-minute story (at the very most) stretched out for 30 minutes with very little to grab you. It seemed like act one of three. The restaurant scene could have been condensed with two acts following it focusing on how the writer reacts to the setback but instead we get filler shots and filler dialogue for 90 percent of the episode.
I could never bear such situation, even the half.
searchanddestroy-13 December 2020
I am myself a writer and have already been in the situation to meet my publisher at the restaurant. The problem was not paying the bill, I am not the stingy kind, actually there was no problem at all. But when I see this episode, so exquisite topic, I suffer for the poor writer speaking of his novel and always been interrupted in the middle of every half sentence by a more than annoying waiter. I would have asked him politely to go to the men's room checking if I was there....I hate being interrupted in the middle of something important. I don't know if the writers of this episode focused the climax on this matter; I guess not. But I first expected it was the case. The man and the woman arriving to the end of the lunch without succeeding to speak at last of the supposed purpose of the meeting: the novel. But the climax was elsewhere, though very close.
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