UNEXPECTED FAME
Star-studded and lavish Tales of the Unexpected may have been, but it also gave some "unknowns" a taste of fame. Best remembered of them was the dancer who performed for the opening title sequence dubbed by one newspaper as "the sexiest dance on television".
Karen Standley was a 27-year-old secretary and housewife from Berkshire, and took a day off to record the sequence.
"The moves were my very own," recalled Karen, who never danced professionally but got the job because her boyfriend at the time worked for Top of the Pops and was contracted to make the titles for Tales of the Unexpected.
She was seen only in silhouette on screen and for the recording had to wear a white body stocking and white tights, with white greasepaint on her arms and legs to achieve the necessary effect.
"The greasepaint kept melting under the hot studio lights," she said. "It was horrible and uncomfortable and it took three baths to wash it all off. But it gave me some money - nothing staggering, but I got a new outfit out of it."
"I was just told to look as sexy as I could and I made it up as I went along. I got a fair amount of fan-mail - mostly adolescents who wanted a picture of me. I suppose I was their fantasy woman."
Karen is now a mother of two and works as a receptionist in a hospital accident and emergency department.