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.
Created by
Produced by
BBC
Season List
Specials
EP : 2
1968-05-07
Season 1
EP : 18
1971-12-24
Season 2
EP : 2
1968-05-07
Season 3
EP : 0
season 1 || Season 1
Relesed on | 1971-12-24
1
The Stalls of Barchester
1971-12-24
An 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.
2
A Warning to the Curious
1972-12-24
An 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.
3
Lost Hearts
1973-12-25
An 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?
4
Treasure of Abbot Thomas
1974-12-23
A 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?
5
The Ash-tree
1975-12-23
An aristocrat inherits his family estate and is haunted by visions of his ancestor's role in a witchcraft trial.
6
The Signalman
1976-12-22
A railway signalman tells a curious traveller how he is being troubled by a ghostly spectre that seems to predict calamity.
7
Stigma
1977-12-28
Whilst 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.
8
The Ice House
1978-12-25
The 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.......
9
A View From a Hill
2005-12-23
A historian has a disturbing experience after borrowing a pair of binoculars belonging to a missing outcast and venturing up a notorious landmark.
10
Number 13
2006-12-22
An academic researcher repudiates local superstitions surrounding a devilish house. However, repeated visions and noises during the night suggest he may be proved wrong.
11
Whistle and I'll Come to You
2010-12-24
Leaving 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.
12
The Tractate Middoth
2013-12-25
A young librarian receives a request for an obscure Hebrew book from a sinister gentleman, unaware of its contents.
13
The Dead Room
2018-12-24
Aubrey 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.
14
Martin's Close
2019-12-24
Adaptation 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.
15
The Mezzotint
2021-12-24
1923. 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.
16
Count Magnus
2022-12-24
The inquisitive Mr Wraxhall discovers that a long-dead Swedish nobleman does not lie easy in his tomb.
17
Lot No. 249
2023-12-24
An Oxford University student becomes obsessed with an ancient Egyptian mummy.
18
Woman of Stone
2024-12-24
Newlywed 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.