In just 10-plus hours of watching, the first box of Tales of the Unexpected (review here) cemented the series as one of my favorite television shows. Adapting the wonderful short stories of Roald Dahl with striking integrity, it hearkens back to a time when television wasn’t plagued with so-called "reality shows" or a CSI show based anywhere from Albuquerque to Zimbabwe. Dahl himself even hosted the series, offering insight into his writings, as well as his humble take on the stories of other authors whose works were adapted.

Unfortunately, there are only so many short stories Dahl could provide that would translate well to a half-hour adaptation. While some simply cannot happen (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, with its plots and subplots nesting like literary matrioshkas would be particularly difficult), others seemed sorely lacking (The Swan practically screams for television treatment). Regardless, many other authors were brought in to help fill in the gaps, with mixed results.

The first thing one notices about the second set of Tales is that it’s much more grounded in reality. Sure, there’s more backstabbings and double-crosses than a thousand seasons of Melrose Place, but it seems that the whimsical edge that Dahl’s stories provided has been cast to the side. It’s still fantastic to watch, but it’s most certainly a different series than before. It’s darker, nastier (there’s quite a few oozing bulletholes to be seen), and much more cynical than before. However, it doesn’t cut down on just how thoroughly enjoyable the series is.

Take, for example, the episode "Shatterproof." Starring famous character actor Eli Wallach as a business tycoon staring down the barrel of a hitman’s pistol, he has one opportunity to turn the tables on his would-be assassin. With only two characters exchanging dialogue (two well-acted characters, at that), on one set, its simplicity belies just how remarkably tense an episode it is.

Another standout episode is the Dahl-penned "The Sound Machine." It takes a basic, highly original concept (a scientist’s sound amplifier picks up screams of pain from plants as they are plucked), and runs with it with startling results. How can a compassionate person handle the knowledge that even the tiniest sprout is sentient and capable of feeling pain? "Think of a field," the broken botanist Klausner sobs, "a field of wheat, standing up straight and yellow and alive. Then the reaper goes through it, cutting the stems, five hundred stems a second, every second! My god, what would that noise be like?" This, dear readers, is what sets Tales apart from other television shows: provocative storytelling.

Even the less "literary" episodes are great fun. "Completely Foolproof" (starring a cigar-chomping Telly Savalas as a street thug turned businessman) charms its way past its simple plot with excellent period design (hearing Savalas snarlingly call his wife a "stupid broad" made me laugh out loud), and great acting. "The Flypaper" was a genuinely creepy cat-and-mouse game, "The Stinker" is a comedic tragedy, and "A Picture of a Place" completely turns the tables on the viewer in such an unexpected way that it practically made me cheer.

Unfortunately, Dahl’s involvement with the show became almost nonexistent towards the end, with his charming narrations and bumpers becoming very much missed. They were part of what made Tales such a beloved series for me, and somehow it’s just not the same without his involvement. It’s like Night Gallery without Serling, The Veil without Karloff, hell even Night Visions without Rollins (a cigar to the monster who remembers that one). It becomes just a little more ordinary.

Acorn Media continues the trend they started with the first Tales box as far as presentation goes (minus those weird video glitches). Colors are clear and bold, dialogue is clean, and the overall look is quite pleasing. Extras include the previous set’s bios and filmographies. Of course, when you’ve got another 10-plus hours of television, do you really need a lot of extras?

While not quite the stunning must-own set that its predecessor was, the second set of Tales of the Unexpected is still a welcome addition to anyone’s collection. While certainly more "ordinary" and "realistic," it’s still vastly superior to anything else on the television these days. If you’ve got to bask in the cathode-ray glow, there are few better ways to do it than with a blanket, something hot to drink, and Tales of the Unexpected.