A strand of annual British short television adaptations of classic ghost stories, referencing the oral tradition of telling supernatural tales at Christmas. First broadcast on BBC One from 1971 to 1978, and revived in 2005 on BBC Four.
15HDCC
19 episodes
1. The Stalls of BarchesterAn ambitious cleric murders an aged Archdeacon at Barchester Cathedral. However, he is soon being stalked by a sinister black cat and by a hooded figure both of whom seem to be embodiments of carvings on the cathedral's choir stalls.15CC45minDec 24, 1971
2. A Warning to the CuriousAn amateur archaeologist travels to a remote seaside town in Norfolk to search for the lost crown of Anglia, but after unearthing it is haunted by a mysterious black figure.15CC50minDec 24, 1972
3. Lost HeartsAn orphan moves into the house of his uncle, but is disturbed by visions of a pair of ghostly children. Is their message a warning to be fearful of his uncle's obsession with immortality?15CC35minDec 25, 1973
4. Treasure of Abbot ThomasA respected theologian and his protégé unearth clues to find the hidden treasure of a disgraced monk in an abbey library. Should he have heeded his own advice not to go treasure hunting?15CC37minDec 23, 1974
5. The Ash-treeAn aristocrat inherits his family estate and is haunted by visions of his ancestor's role in a witchcraft trial.15CC32minDec 23, 1975
6. The SignalmanA railway signalman tells a curious traveller how he is being troubled by a ghostly spectre that seems to predict calamity.15CC38minDec 22, 1976
7. StigmaWhilst clearing the ground for a new lawn, a family find a huge flat rock in their garden. It is so heavy it needs a crane to remove it. In doing so, they release a spirit which has terrible consequences for the family.15CC32minDec 28, 1977
8. The Ice HouseThe story concerns a health spa visited by Paul (John Stride) , strange incidents occur with members of staff whom Paul notices are all icy cold to the touch. The Brother and sister owners seem otherworldly , as do the residents, and they have a strange relationship with two vines.......15CC34minDec 25, 1978
9. A View From a HillA historian has a disturbing experience after borrowing a pair of binoculars belonging to a missing outcast and venturing up a notorious landmark.15CC39minDec 23, 2005
10. Number 13An academic researcher repudiates local superstitions surrounding a devilish house. However, repeated visions and noises during the night suggest he may be proved wrong.15CC40minDec 22, 2006
11. Whistle and I'll Come to YouLeaving his ill and ageing wife in a care home, a retired astronomer revisits one of their old coastal haunts, but after discovering a ring on the beach is soon haunted himself.15CC52minDec 24, 2010
12. The Tractate MiddothA young librarian receives a request for an obscure Hebrew book from a sinister gentleman, unaware of its contents.15CC35minDec 25, 2013
13. The Dead RoomAubrey Judd, veteran radio presenter of The Dead Room, soon realises that elements of his own past are not as dead and buried as he perhaps hoped.15CC28minDec 24, 2018
14. Martin's CloseAdaptation of a ghost story by MR James. 1684. John Martin is on trial for his life. Facing him, the infamous 'hanging judge' George Jeffreys. However, this is not a cut-and-dried murder case.15CC31minDec 24, 2019
15. The Mezzotint1923. In the heart of an old English college, Edward Williams receives an engraving of of an unknown country house with an imposing facade, a sweeping lawn - and, just perhaps, something else.15CC29minDec 24, 2021
16. Count MagnusThe inquisitive Mr Wraxhall discovers that a long-dead Swedish nobleman does not lie easy in his tomb.15CC30minDec 24, 2022
17. Lot No. 249An Oxford University student becomes obsessed with an ancient Egyptian mummy.15CC29minDec 24, 2023
18. Woman of StoneNewlywed couple Jack and Laura move to a village where a legend says marble knight effigies in the church come alive on Christmas Eve. Jack dismisses it as folklore, but on Christmas Eve, he feels drawn to the church, leaving Laura alone.15CC30minDec 24, 2024
19. The Room in the TowerFor 15 years, Roger Winstanley has been haunted by an unsettling, recurring dream: an invitation to spend the night in the house of an acquaintance, where an unseen terror lurks and the figures who populate the dream seem to age in real time. Nightmare and waking life seem to finally collide when an invitation to the dreaded "room in the tower” becomes all too real…15CC30minDec 24, 2025
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★ 7.4/1019712 seasons22 episodesReturning Series
Classic adaptations from the BBC
A strand of annual British short television adaptations of classic ghost stories, referencing the oral tradition of telling supernatural tales at Christmas. First broadcast on BBC One from 1971 to 1978, and revived in 2005 on BBC Four.
Creators and cast
- Studio
- BBC
